This paper reports on a finite element based panel contribution analysis of a vehicle body-inwhite. The aim of the panel contribution analysis is to obtain a detailed ranking of importance of the different structural panels in order to investigate which of these panels contribute most to the static and dynamic stiffness properties of the car body. This provides structural design engineers with valuable information on which panels may be drastically modified or which may even be removed from the car body, without compromising the global vehicle static and dynamic stiffness properties. In this way the panel contribution analysis of a car body can steer the creation of concept models during the early design stages.
