What Makes Automotive CAD/CAM Systems So Special?
Creating automobiles is not a singular process, especially now with the globalization of engineering, design, and manufacturing facilities and third-party suppliers. This is why the information system, helping to create cars is more than just computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Today’s CAD/CAM systems are “a seamless integrated portfolio of capability that goes all […]
Welding World: A Look At What’s New To Use In Welding
End of Cold War Leads to Cold Welding When the Iron Curtain fell, it opened up new opportunities. The countries that were once part of the Soviet bloc are using American ingenuities to rebuild crumbling infrastructure and economies, and even to catch up technologically. What we forget is that the Soviets had a network of […]
Things to Know About Cam Grinding
As camshafts evolve in shape and material composition, they present new hurdles for surface finishing practitioners. This has led to a rise in the use of cubic boron nitride (CBN) superabrasives and conventional abrasives in cam-grinding procedures. Camshaft grinding requires instantaneous changes in wheel-work contact length and material removal rates. In camshaft grinding, the arc […]
The Lexus: Lx 570: A Larger Lap of Luxury
You may have seen a Lexus LX 570. Although it is engineered with a beefy frame, offers full-time four-wheel drive, and has a suspension system that is adaptable to dealing with off-road conditions, chances are most people opting for a vehicle with a starting price of $73,800 will be more “civilized†in their choice of […]
The Latest CAD System Offers a Triple Play
Based on the Parasolid modeling kernel, Onshape is a full-blown 3D CAD system with parametric and direct-modeling functions for designing parts and assemblies. Onshape provides full CAD modeling capabilities—not just view and markup—on any web browser, tablet, or cell phone, such as this Android Nexus 7 smartphone. A webpage in Onshape shows the documents for […]
The Plymouth Prowler: Aluminum Intensity & Intensity of Purpose
Aluminum Intensity When Chrysler unveiled the Plymouth Prowler in Detroit at the 1993 North American International Auto Show, it was a concept car. Concept cars tend to be stunning examples of designers’ imaginations, of what could be, only if…At the 1997 North American International Auto Show, the Prowler is, in effect, akin to the Neon […]
The BMW i3: Deconstructed
The BMW i3. Carbon-fiber and aluminum-intensive. Electric power. Ingeniously engineered. Munro says that BMW isn’t using aerospace-grade composites for the i3, but that they are selected, materials that are both cost-effective and application-suitable. Sandy Munro and one portion of the BMW i3 that he and his team have meticulously disassembled. Inside the BMW plant in […]
The 2013 Cadillac ATS: Development Time Well Spent
More cars, like the ATS are using electric power steering nowadays. Cadillac chose a system made by ZF, which is different from what other GM cars use. This system helps the car steer smoothly and adjust its assistance based on the driving situation. Kelzer, a spokesperson, explained that they looked at different steering systems. They […]
Sustainable Manufacturing: There Are Apps for That
Optimizing energy consumption saves money and the environment. Plant simulation in Tecnomatix, from Siemens PLM, can display 2D and 3D views of energy usage so that manufacturing engineers can analyze and optimize energy consumption. Here is a spray representation at the start of fuel injection for a diesel-engine sector-mesh simulation. This is from the Ansys […]
Saving Pounds with Plastic-Metal Hybrids
“We’re not a materials company,†says Alaa Elmoursi, Eaton’s (eaton.com) senior technology manager for materials and processing technology at the company’s innovation center a few miles north of Detroit. In its automotive business, Eaton is a supplier of a variety of products, including valve systems, superchargers, and differentials.  “We work with existing materials to select […]
