Engine Evaluation from the Inside
Related: Automotive Powertrain It was one of the most unusual demonstrations of a new technology I’d ever seen. Doug Strock, president of Predictive Fleet Technologies (PFT; engineangel.com), suggested we meet somewhere halfway between his office and mine. That put us in the largest parking lot near the freeway exit that merges into the Flint, Michigan, […]
ESP Made Simple & Some Implications of Electronics
The BMW in the background is supposed to be facing in the direction of the one in the foreground but it, unlike the other, is not fitted with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) system from Continental Teves, so it is slip-slidin’ away. These are key elements of the ESP system. The large object to the […]
Examining Hydroforming
The hydroforming bay at Schuler’s North American headquarters in Canton, Michigan. Interest in hydroforming is growing, Jonathan Ball, hydroforming sales manager at Schuler Inc. (schulergroup.com), says, from a number of automotive perspectives, including both lightweighting and occupant safety. A closed-section hydroformed tube, whether dual-phase steel or aluminum, offers comparable protection to that of a stamped […]
Driving Toward Vehicle Automation
The proliferation of safety systems, both active and passive, have created the foundation for vehicle automation. However, unlike claims made via the hype surrounding this technology, it may take decades for its promise to be fully realized. Low cost Automatic Emergency Braking System fuses information from the radar unit of a base AEB unit with […]
Elements of the Jaguar F-TYPE
The clamshell hood is a single stamped aluminum panel. An aluminum alloy is used that allows achieving tight radii on character forms. Said Mark White, chief engineer, Body Complete, of the hood, “Not only is it a one-piece pressing, it’s where the first heartline [body character line] begins. When we produced that stamping, we all […]
Developments That Can Change Design & Production
Related: Automotive Production Related Suppliers Continental Corp. Federal-Mogul Visteon Automotive Systems Flat Is Better The title on Tom VanderLaan’s business card is “Manager, Super Integration,Visteon Automotive Systems, Visteon Technical Center.” This makes it fairly clear that VanderLaan and his colleagues in their labs in Dearborn aren’t just thinking about conventional approaches to integration for automotive electronics […]
Developing the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
Honda is no stranger to putting fuel cell vehicles on the U.S. roads. The world’s first lease of a fuel cell vehicle to a family happened in California with a model year 2005 FCX. It was followed by the 2008 FCX Clarity. And now the company is producing the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell. Dimensionally, the […]
Dassault Systèmes Goes to the Cloud
Related: Digital Domain Related Suppliers Dassault Systemes “You don’t learn with static products. You learn from experience,†says Bernard Charles, member of the board, president, and CEO of Dassault Systèmes (3ds.com). His comment neatly encapsulates the direction Dassault Systèmes is taking with its stable of software. GO EXPERIENCE “The first time I came to Detroit,†says Olivier […]
Composites Under the Car
ZF developed this suspension strut and knuckle module prototype with fiber-reinforced plastic material, which weighs 40% less than the conventional steel parts. Related: Automotive LIghtweighting Automotive Materials Related Suppliers ZF Group Weight savings of 50 to 60% can be achieved in chassis components by using composite materials instead of conventional metals. This bold claim comes […]
Connected Cars to Create $53 Billion Market in 5 Years
Related: AutoBeat Group Posted: June 14, 2013 at 2:04 am Equipping cars with the ability to communicate with each other and their surroundings will create a €40 billion ($53 billion) global market by 2018, predicts the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Assn.), a global trade group for mobile communications providers. By 2025 most new cars will […]
