Automotive Lightweight Engineering: A method for identifying “Lazy” Parts

The current automotive industry increased global competition, more on not

allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards and safety requirements, the need

for higher performance vehicles, and reducing costs. The materials used in automotive

engineering has an important role in overcoming these issues. This research focuses on

both existing materials and future developments in automotive science and technology,

prepared by Benjamin W. Caldwell, Essam Z. Namouz, Jenkins L. Richardson, Chiradeep

Sen, Thomas Rotenburg, Gregory M. Mocko*, and Joshua D. Summers from Clemson

Engineering Design Applications and Research (CEDAR) Lab, Department of Mechanical

Engineering at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA, together with their

corresponding author Andreas Obieglo from BMW Manufacturing Co., presents a method

in identifying or evaluating every individual parts or components to aid a mass reduction

applied in automotive vehicles and gives hint to the designers of the parts or components

of a vehicle for a high potential of mass reduction. This method they developed lesser the

mass of a complete automotive vehicle by 5%. They defined this term “Lazy” parts as a

systems (parts, assemblies, or devices) that add mass to a vehicle but have little impact on

the performance of the vehicle. In this context, performance refers to the functionality and

behavior of the vehicle. In order a parts or a component of a vehicle be consider as “Lazy”

parts, it will have to meet at least one of this category, the system is only required during

the assembly process the system satisfies no functional requirement, the system’s

function(s) can be replaced by a redesigned system (change of solution principle), the

system’s function(s) can be transferred to another system by integration, and lastly the
system’s function can be conducted by an optimized (e.g., geometry, material system. They

identified “Lazy” parts by a set of screening markers they called indicators.

There are 7 primary indicators in identifying “Lazy” parts. This indicators serves

as a first tool for a designer who analyze the functionality of a product being analyzed.

They describe these 7 indicators of identifying “Lazy” parts as follow:

1. Rigid-to-Rigid Connection: a rigid part that transfers a force from one non-flexible part

to another part with zero relative displacement between the two parts (e.g., brackets).

2. Support for a Flexible, Non-moving Part: a part that holds and/or supports flexible parts

that do not require movement during vehicle operation (e.g., wire harness clips).

3. Positioning Feature: a feature or part that helps to position another part; if the feature is

removed, the vehicle would behave exactly the same after full assembly (e.g., locating pin).

4. Duplicate Geometry: two or more similar geometries in close proximity to each other

(e.g., sound shield).

5. Bridging Systems: parts that bridge the gap between two spatially disconnected

subsystems (e.g., hoses).

6. Material Flow Restriction: parts whose purpose is to restrict a material flow (e.g., trim).

7. Fastener: a part that physically joins two or more other parts and does not need to be

removed for normal operation (e.g., screw)

This method of identifying “Lazy” parts requires broad knowledge and mainly interaction

among vehicle parts. Further study and analyzation of the designer to know all the details

and functionality of the system to attain the potential mass reduction of the product.