Automotive engineering

Automotive engineering, along wit h aerospace engineering and naval archit ect ure, is a branch of
vehicle engineering, incorporat ing element s of mechanical, elect rical, elect ronic, soft ware, and
safet y engineering as applied t o t he design, manufact ure and operat ion of mot orcycles,
aut omobiles, and t rucks and t heir respect ive engineering subsyst ems. It also includes modificat ion
of vehicles. Manufact uring domain deals wit h t he creat ion and assembling t he whole part s of
aut omobiles is also included in it . The aut omot ive engineering field is research int ensive and involves
direct applicat ion of mat hemat ical models and formulas. The st udy of aut omot ive engineering is t o
design, develop, fabricat e, and t est vehicles or vehicle component s from t he concept st age t o
product ion st age. Product ion, development , and manufact uring are t he t hree major funct ions in t his
field.

Disciplines

Automobile engineering

Aut omobile engineering is a branch st udy of engineering which t eaches manufact uring, designing,
mechanical mechanisms as well as operat ions of aut omobiles. It is an int roduct ion t o vehicle
engineering which deals wit h mot orcycles, cars, buses, t rucks, et c. It includes branch st udy of
mechanical, elect ronic, soft ware and safet y element s. Some of t he engineering at t ribut es and
disciplines t hat are of import ance t o t he aut omot ive engineer include:

Safety engineering: Safet y engineering is t he assessment of various crash scenarios and t heir
impact on t he vehicle occupant s. These are t est ed against very st ringent government al regulat ions.
Some of t hese requirement s include: seat belt and air bag funct ionalit y t est ing, front - and side-
impact t est ing, and t est s of rollover resist ance. Assessment s are done wit h various met hods and
t ools, including comput er crash simulat ion (t ypically finit e element analysis), crash-t est dummy, and
part ial syst em sled and full vehicle crashes.
 Visualization of how a car deforms in an
Asymmetrical crash using finite element
analysis.[1] (http://impact.sourceforge.ne
t)

Fuel economy/emissions: Fuel economy is t he measured fuel efficiency of t he vehicle in miles per
gallon or kilomet ers per lit er. Emissions-t est ing covers t he measurement of vehicle emissions,
including hydrocarbons, nit rogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and
evaporat ive emissions.

NVH engineering (noise, vibration, and harshness): NVH involves cust omer feedback (bot h
t act ile [felt ] and audible [heard]) concerning a vehicle. While sound can be int erpret ed as a rat t le,
squeal, or hot , a t act ile response can be seat vibrat ion or a buzz in t he st eering wheel. This feedback
is generat ed by component s eit her rubbing, vibrat ing, or rot at ing. NVH response can be classified in
various ways: powert rain NVH, road noise, wind noise, component noise, and squeak and rat t le. Not e,
t here are bot h good and bad NVH qualit ies. The NVH engineer works t o eit her eliminat e bad NVH or
change t he "bad NVH" t o good (i.e., exhaust t ones).

Vehicle electronics: Aut omot ive elect ronics is an increasingly import ant aspect of aut omot ive
engineering. Modern vehicles employ dozens of elect ronic syst ems.[1] These syst ems are
responsible for operat ional cont rols such as t he t hrot t le, brake and st eering cont rols; as well as
many comfort -and-convenience syst ems such as t he HVAC, infot ainment , and light ing syst ems. It
would not be possible for aut omobiles t o meet modern safet y and fuel-economy requirement s
wit hout elect ronic cont rols.

Performance: Performance is a measurable and t est able value of a vehicle's abilit y t o perform in
various condit ions. Performance can be considered in a wide variet y of t asks, but it generally
considers how quickly a car can accelerat e (e.g. st anding st art 1/4 mile elapsed t ime, 0–60 mph,
et c.), it s t op speed, how short and quickly a car can come t o a complet e st op from a set speed (e.g.
70-0 mph), how much g-force a car can generat e wit hout losing grip, recorded lap-t imes, cornering
speed, brake fade, et c. Performance can also reflect t he amount of cont rol in inclement weat her
(snow, ice, rain).
Shift quality: Shift qualit y is t he driver's percept ion of t he vehicle t o an aut omat ic t ransmission shift
event . This is influenced by t he powert rain (Int ernal combust ion engine, t ransmission), and t he
vehicle (driveline, suspension, engine and powert rain mount s, et c.) Shift feel is bot h a t act ile (felt )
and audible (heard) response of t he vehicle. Shift qualit y is experienced as various event s:
t ransmission shift s are felt as an upshift at accelerat ion (1–2), or a downshift maneuver in passing
(4–2). Shift engagement s of t he vehicle are also evaluat ed, as in Park t o Reverse, et c.

Durability / corrosion engineering: Durabilit y and corrosion engineering is t he evaluat ion t est ing of
a vehicle for it s useful life. Test s include mileage accumulat ion, severe driving condit ions, and
corrosive salt bat hs.

Drivability: Drivabilit y is t he vehicle's response t o general driving condit ions. Cold st art s and st alls,
RPM dips, idle response, launch hesit at ions and st umbles, and performance levels all cont ribut e t o
t he overall drivabilit y of any given vehicle.

Cost: The cost of a vehicle program is t ypically split int o t he effect on t he variable cost of t he
vehicle, and t he up-front t ooling and fixed cost s associat ed wit h developing t he vehicle. There are
also cost s associat ed wit h warrant y reduct ions and market ing.

Program timing: To some ext ent programs are t imed wit h respect t o t he market , and also t o t he
product ion-schedules of assembly plant s. Any new part in t he design must support t he
development and manufact uring schedule of t he model.

Assembly feasibility: It is easy t o design a module t hat is hard t o assemble, eit her result ing in
damaged unit s or poor t olerances. The skilled product -development engineer works wit h t he
assembly/manufact uring engineers so t hat t he result ing design is easy and cheap t o make and
assemble, as well as delivering appropriat e funct ionalit y and appearance.

Quality management: Qualit y cont rol is an import ant fact or wit hin t he product ion process, as high
qualit y is needed t o meet cust omer requirement s and t o avoid expensive recall campaigns. The
complexit y of component s involved in t he product ion process requires a combinat ion of different
t ools and t echniques for qualit y cont rol. Therefore, t he Int ernat ional Aut omot ive Task Force (IATF),
a group of t he world's leading manufact urers and t rade organizat ions, developed t he st andard
ISO/TS 16949. This st andard defines t he design, development , product ion, and (when relevant )
inst allat ion and service requirement s. Furt hermore, it combines t he principles of ISO 9001 wit h
aspect s of various regional and nat ional aut omot ive st andards such as AVSQ (It aly), EAQF (France),
VDA6 (Germany) and QS-9000 (USA). In order t o furt her minimize risks relat ed t o product failures and
liabilit y claims for aut omot ive elect ric and elect ronic syst ems, t he qualit y discipline funct ional
safet y according t o ISO/IEC 17025 is applied.
Since t he 1950s, t he comprehensive business approach t ot al qualit y management (TQM) has
operat ed t o cont inuously improve t he product ion process of aut omot ive product s and component s.
Some of t he companies who have implement ed TQM include Ford Mot or Company, Mot orola and
Toyot a Mot or Company.

Job functions

Development engineer

A development engineer has t he responsibilit y for coordinat ing delivery of t he engineering at t ribut es
of a complet e aut omobile (bus, car, t ruck, van, SUV, mot orcycle et c.) as dict at ed by t he aut omobile
manufact urer, government al regulat ions, and t he cust omer who buys t he product .

Much like t he Syst ems engineer, t he development engineer is concerned wit h t he int eract ions of all
syst ems in t he complet e aut omobile. While t here are mult iple component s and syst ems in an
aut omobile t hat have t o funct ion as designed, t hey must also work in harmony wit h t he complet e
aut omobile. As an example, t he brake syst em's main funct ion is t o provide braking funct ionalit y t o
t he aut omobile. Along wit h t his, it must also provide an accept able level of: pedal feel (spongy,
st iff), brake syst em "noise" (squeal, shudder, et c.), and int eract ion wit h t he ABS (ant i-lock braking
syst em)

Anot her aspect of t he development engineer's job is a t rade-off process required t o deliver all of
t he aut omobile at t ribut es at a cert ain accept able level. An example of t his is t he t rade-off bet ween
engine performance and fuel economy. While some cust omers are looking for maximum power from
t heir engine, t he aut omobile is st ill required t o deliver an accept able level of fuel economy. From t he
engine's perspect ive, t hese are opposing requirement s. Engine performance is looking for maximum
displacement (bigger, more power), while fuel economy is looking for a smaller displacement engine
(ex: 1.4 L vs. 5.4 L). The engine size however, is not t he only cont ribut ing fact or t o fuel economy and
aut omobile performance. Different values come int o play.

Ot her at t ribut es t hat involve t rade-offs include: aut omobile weight , aerodynamic drag, t ransmission
gearing, emission cont rol devices, handling/roadholding, ride qualit y, and t ires.

The development engineer is also responsible for organizing aut omobile level t est ing, validat ion, and
cert ificat ion. Component s and syst ems are designed and t est ed individually by t he Product
Engineer. The final evaluat ion is t o be conduct ed at t he aut omobile level t o evaluat e syst em t o
syst em int eract ions. As an example, t he audio syst em (radio) needs t o be evaluat ed at t he
aut omobile level. Int eract ion wit h ot her elect ronic component s can cause int erference. Heat
dissipat ion of t he syst em and ergonomic placement of t he cont rols need t o be evaluat ed. Sound
qualit y in all seat ing posit ions needs t o be provided at accept able levels.

Manufacturing engineer

Manufact uring engineers are responsible for ensuring proper product ion of t he aut omot ive
component s or complet e vehicles. While t he development engineers are responsible for t he
funct ion of t he vehicle, manufact uring engineers are responsible for t he safe and effect ive
product ion of t he vehicle. This group of engineers consist of process engineers, logist ic
coordinat ors, t ooling engineers, robot ics engineers, and assembly planners.[2]

In t he aut omot ive indust ry manufact urers are playing a larger role in t he development st ages of
aut omot ive component s t o ensure t hat t he product s are easy t o manufact ure. Design for
manufact urabilit y in t he aut omot ive world is crucial t o make cert ain whichever design is developed in
t he Research and Development St age of aut omot ive design. Once t he design is est ablished, t he
manufact uring engineers t ake over. They design t he machinery and t ooling necessary t o build t he
aut omot ive component s or vehicle and est ablish t he met hods of how t o mass-produce t he product .
It is t he manufact uring engineers job t o increase t he efficiency of t he aut omot ive plant and t o
implement lean manufact uring t echniques such as Six Sigma and Kaizen.

Other automotive engineering roles

Ot her aut omot ive engineers include t hose list ed below:

Aerodynamics engineers will oft en give guidance t o t he st yling st udio so t hat t he shapes t hey
design are aerodynamic, as well as at t ract ive.

Body engineers will also let t he st udio know if it is feasible t o make t he panels for t heir designs.

Change cont rol engineers make sure t hat all of t he design and manufact uring changes t hat occur
are organized, managed and implement ed...

NVH engineers perform sound and vibrat ion t est ing t o prevent loud cabin noises, det ect able
vibrat ions, and/or improve t he sound qualit y while t he vehicle is on t he road.

The modern automotive product engineering process

St udies indicat e t hat a subst ant ial part of t he modern vehicle's value comes from int elligent
syst ems, and t hat t hese represent most of t he current aut omot ive innovat ion.[3][4] To facilit at e t his,
t he modern aut omot ive engineering process has t o handle an increased use of mechat ronics.
Configurat ion and performance opt imizat ion, syst em int egrat ion, cont rol, component , subsyst em and
syst em-level validat ion of t he int elligent syst ems must become an int rinsic part of t he st andard
vehicle engineering process, just as t his is t he case for t he st ruct ural, vibro-acoust ic and kinemat ic
design. This requires a vehicle development process t hat is t ypically highly simulat ion-driven.[5]

The V-approach

One way t o effect ively deal wit h t he inherent mult i-physics and t he cont rol syst ems development
t hat is involved when including int elligent syst ems, is t o adopt t he V-Model approach t o syst ems
development , as has been widely used in t he aut omot ive indust ry for t went y years or more. In t his V-
approach, syst em-level requirement s are propagat ed down t he V via subsyst ems t o component
design, and t he syst em performance is validat ed at increasing int egrat ion levels. Engineering of
mechat ronic syst ems requires t he applicat ion of t wo int erconnect ed "V-cycles": one focusing on
t he mult i-physics syst em engineering (like t he mechanical and elect rical component s of an
elect rically powered st eering syst em, including sensors and act uat ors); and t he ot her focuses on
t he cont rols engineering, t he cont rol logic, t he soft ware and realizat ion of t he cont rol hardware and
embedded soft ware.[6][7]

References

1. Automotive Electronic Systems (http://www.cvel.clemson.edu/a Wikiversity has learning

uto/systems/auto-systems.html) Archived (https://web.archi resources about
ve.org/web/20171120173150/http://www.cvel.clemson.edu/aut Automotive engineering

o/systems/auto-systems.html) 2017-11-20 at the Wayback

Machine Clemson Vehicular Electronics Laboratory Website,
Retrieved 2/2/2013

2. Automotive Manufacturing Engineering Overview (http://www.au

tomotiveengineeringhq.com/automotive-manufacturing-engine
ering/) Published July 2014

3. Van der Auweraer, Herman; Anthonis, Jan; De Bruyne, Stijn;

Leuridan, Jan (July 2013). "Virtual engineering at work: the
challenges for designing mechatronic products" (https://doi.or
g/10.1007%2Fs00366-012-0286-6) . Engineering with Computers.
29 (3): 389–408. doi:10.1007/s00366-012-0286-6 (https://doi.or
g/10.1007%2Fs00366-012-0286-6) .
4. Valsan, A (October 24, 2006). "Trends, technology roadmaps and strategic market analysis of vehicle
safety systems in europe". International Automotive Electronics Congress.

5. Costlow, T (November 20, 2008). "Managing software growth". Automotive Engineering International.
S2CID 106699839 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:106699839) .

6. Cabrera, A.; Foeken, M.J.; Tekin, O.A.; Woestenenk, K.; Erden, M.S.; De Schutter, B.; Van Tooren, M.J.L.;
Babuska, R.; van Houten, F.J.; Tomiyama, T. (2010). "Towards automation of control software: a review
of challenges in mechatronic design". Mechatronics. 20 (8): 876–886.
doi:10.1016/j.mechatronics.2010.05.003 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.mechatronics.2010.05.003) .

7. Cabrera, A.; Woestenenk, K. (2011). "An architectural model to support cooperative design for
mechatronic products: a control design case". Mechatronics. 21 (3): 534–547.
doi:10.1016/j.mechatronics.2011.01.009 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.mechatronics.2011.01.009) .