Automotive Product Development

A Systems Engineering Implementation

Vivek D. Bhise

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351645812
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Engineering General
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This book is about how to develop future automotive products by applying the latest methodologies based on a systems engineering approach and by taking into account many issues facing the auto industry such as meeting government safety, emissions and fuel economy regulations, incorporating advances in new technology applications in structural materials, power trains, vehicle lighting systems, displays and telematics, and satisfying the very demanding customer.

It is financially disastrous for any automotive company to create a vehicle that very few people want. To design an automotive product that will be successful in the marketplace requires carefully orchestrated teamwork of experts from many disciplines, substantial amount of resources, and application of proven techniques at the right time during the product development process.

Automotive Product Development: A Systems Engineering Implementation is intended for company management personnel and graduate students in engineering, business management and other disciplines associated with the development of automotive and other complex products.

Section I

Automotive Product Development Process

1 Introduction

Automotive Product Development

Introduction

Complex Product, Many Inputs, Many Designers and Engineers

Designing and producing an automotive product is a horrendously complicated undertaking. The automotive product itself is very complex. It involves many systems: body system, powertrain system, suspension system, electrical system, climate control system, braking system, steering system, fuel system, and so on. All the systems must work together under all possible combinations of road, traffic, and weather conditions to satisfy drivers and users with varied characteristics, capabilities, and limitations. The automotive product development (PD) process requires many resources over several years and includes many intricate, coordinated, and costly design, evaluation, production, and assembly processes. The complex automotive product must also meet hundreds of requirements to satisfy customers, applicable government regulations, and the goals and needs of company management.

Developing a new automotive product requires the efficient execution of a number of processes, and the implementation of systems engineering is essential to coordinate varied technical and company management needs. The proper implementation of systems engineering ensures that the right product is developed within the planned timing schedule while avoiding costly budget overruns. To understand the complexity in the PD process, we will begin this chapter with a clear explanation of processes, systems, and systems engineering and then proceed with the details of the automotive PD process.

Basic Definitions of Process, System, and Systems Engineering

Process

A process is where the “ work gets done.” A process generally consists of a series of steps, tasks, or operations that are performed by people (i.e., human operators) and/or machines (e.g., robots, computers, or automated equipment) using a number of inputs (e.g., information, raw materials, energy sources). People may also use one or more tools (e.g., hand tools, power tools, or software applications) in performing any of the tasks. The process can be studied and also defined by following a component (e.g., a part, an assembly, a transaction, a tracking paper, a drawing, a computer-aided design [CAD] model), or a person (e.g., one who moves from a workstation to other workstations and performs one or more tasks at each workstation) through a series of steps or tasks. The beginning and ending points of each process must be clearly defined. The purpose of the process, that is, the reason for the creation of the process, and its function, that is, what work is performed in the process, must be also clearly defined and documented.

To create (i.e., to design and produce) a product (e.g., a vehicle), many processes are required (e.g., the customer needs determination process, the vehicle concept development process, the detailed engineering process, the systems verification process, the production tools development process, and the vehicle assembly process).

System

A system consists of a set of components (or elements) that work together to perform one or more functions. The components of a system generally consist of people, hardware (e.g., parts, tools, machines, computers, and facilities), or software (i.e., codes, instructions, programs, databases) and the environment within which it operates. The system also requires operating procedures (or methods) and organization policies (e.g., documents with goals, requirements, and rules) to implement its processes and get its work done. The system also works under a specified range of environmental and situational conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity conditions, vibrations, magnetic fields, power/traffic flow patterns). The system must be clearly defined in terms of its purpose, functions, and performance capability (i.e., abilities to perform or produce output at specified level in a specified operating environment).

Some definitions of a system are

1. A system is a set of functional elements organized to satisfy specified objectives. The elements include hardware, software, people, facilities, and data.

2. A system is a set of interrelated components working together toward some common objective(s) or purpose(s) (Blanchard and Fabrycky, 2011).

3. A system is a set of different elements so connected or related as to perform a unique function not performable by the elements alone (Rechtin, 1991).

4. A system is a set of objects with relationships between the objects and between their attributes (Hall, 1962).

The set of components has the following properties (Blanchard and Fabrycky, 2011):

1. Each component has an effect on the whole system.

2. Each component depends on other components.

3. The components cannot be divided into independent subsystems.

Systems Engineering (SE)

Systems engineering (SE) is a multidisciplinary engineering decision-making process involved in designing and using systems and products throughout their life cycle. The implementation of SE is very beneficial, as without it, the likelihood of creating the “ right system or product” that the customers really want (in terms of its attributes, such as performance, safety, styling, and comfort) within the targeted timings and costs can be substantially reduced (see INCOSE [2006], NASA [2007], and Kmarani and Azimi [2011] for more information on SE).

Systems Approach

The word “ systems” in “ systems engineering” is used to cover the following aspects of different systems in an automotive product:

1. An automobile product is a system containing a number of other systems (e.g., body system, powertrain system, chassis system, and electrical system).

2. Thus, the design of the whole automobile will involve designing all the systems within the automobile such that the systems work together (i.e., the systems are interfaced or connected with other systems, and each system performs its respective functions) to create a fully functional vehicle and meet customer needs.

3. Professionals from many different disciplines (e.g., industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, manufacturing engineering, product planning, finance, and business and marketing) are required to design (i.e., to make decisions related to the design of) all the systems in the vehicle.

4. The vehicle has many different attributes (i.e., characteristics that its customers expect, such as performance, fuel economy, safety, comfort, styling, and package). Simultaneous inputs from professionals from many disciplines and specialists with deep knowledge about each of the vehicle systems are required to make decisions about proper consideration of l...

Table of contents

• Cover-Page
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• SECTION I Automotive Product Development Process
• SECTION II Tools Used in the Automotive Design Process
• SECTION III Applications of Tools: Examples and Illustrations
• Appendix I
• Appendix II
• Appendix III
• Appendix IV
• Appendix V
• Index