Automotive

engineering

Automotive engineering, along with

aerospace engineering and naval
architecture, is a branch of vehicle
engineering, incorporating elements of
mechanical, electrical, electronic, software,
and safety engineering as applied to the
design, manufacture and operation of
motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks and
their respective engineering subsystems. It
also includes modification of vehicles.
Manufacturing domain deals with the
creation and assembling the whole parts
of automobiles is also included in it. The
automotive engineering field is research
intensive and involves direct application of
mathematical models and formulas. The
study of automotive engineering is to
design, develop, fabricate, and test
vehicles or vehicle components from the
concept stage to production stage.
Production, development, and
manufacturing are the three major
functions in this field.
Disciplines

Automobile engineering

Automobile engineering is a branch study

of engineering which teaches
manufacturing, designing, mechanical
mechanisms as well as operations of
automobiles. It is an introduction to
vehicle engineering which deals with
motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, etc. It
includes branch study of mechanical,
electronic, software and safety elements.
Some of the engineering attributes and
disciplines that are of importance to the
automotive engineer include:
Safety engineering: Safety engineering is
the assessment of various crash
scenarios and their impact on the vehicle
occupants. These are tested against very
stringent governmental regulations. Some
of these requirements include: seat belt
and air bag functionality testing, front- and
side-impact testing, and tests of rollover
resistance. Assessments are done with
various methods and tools, including
computer crash simulation (typically finite
element analysis), crash-test dummy, and
partial system sled and full vehicle
crashes.
Visualization of how a car deforms in an asymmetrical crash using finite element analysis.[1] ([Link]
et)

Fuel economy/emissions: Fuel economy is

the measured fuel efficiency of the vehicle
in miles per gallon or kilometers per liter.
Emissions-testing covers the
measurement of vehicle emissions,
including hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides
(NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon
dioxide (CO2), and evaporative emissions.
NVH engineering (noise, vibration, and
harshness): NVH involves customer
feedback (both tactile [felt] and audible
[heard]) concerning a vehicle. While sound
can be interpreted as a rattle, squeal, or
hot, a tactile response can be seat
vibration or a buzz in the steering wheel.
This feedback is generated by
components either rubbing, vibrating, or
rotating. NVH response can be classified
in various ways: powertrain NVH, road
noise, wind noise, component noise, and
squeak and rattle. Note, there are both
good and bad NVH qualities. The NVH
engineer works to either eliminate bad
NVH or change the "bad NVH" to good (i.e.,
exhaust tones).

Vehicle electronics: Automotive

electronics is an increasingly important
aspect of automotive engineering. Modern
vehicles employ dozens of electronic
systems.[1] These systems are responsible
for operational controls such as the
throttle, brake and steering controls; as
well as many comfort-and-convenience
systems such as the HVAC, infotainment,
and lighting systems. It would not be
possible for automobiles to meet modern
safety and fuel-economy requirements
without electronic controls.
Performance: Performance is a
measurable and testable value of a
vehicle's ability to perform in various
conditions. Performance can be
considered in a wide variety of tasks, but
it's generally associated with how quickly a
car can accelerate (e.g. standing start 1/4
mile elapsed time, 0–60 mph, etc.), its top
speed (disambiguation) top speed, how
short and quickly a car can come to a
complete stop from a set speed (e.g. 70-
0 mph), how much g-force a car can
generate without losing grip, recorded lap-
times, cornering speed, brake fade, etc.
Performance can also reflect the amount
of control in inclement weather (snow, ice,
rain).

Shift quality: Shift quality is the driver's

perception of the vehicle to an automatic
transmission shift event. This is influenced
by the powertrain (engine, transmission),
and the vehicle (driveline, suspension,
engine and powertrain mounts, etc.) Shift
feel is both a tactile (felt) and audible
(heard) response of the vehicle. Shift
quality is experienced as various events:
transmission shifts are felt as an upshift at
acceleration (1–2), or a downshift
maneuver in passing (4–2). Shift
engagements of the vehicle are also
evaluated, as in Park to Reverse, etc.

Durability / corrosion engineering:

Durability and corrosion engineering is the
evaluation testing of a vehicle for its
useful life. Tests include mileage
accumulation, severe driving conditions,
and corrosive salt baths.

Drivability: Drivability is the vehicle's

response to general driving conditions.
Cold starts and stalls, RPM dips, idle
response, launch hesitations and
stumbles, and performance levels.
Cost: The cost of a vehicle program is
typically split into the effect on the variable
cost of the vehicle, and the up-front tooling
and fixed costs associated with
developing the vehicle. There are also
costs associated with warranty reductions
and marketing.

Program timing: To some extent programs

are timed with respect to the market, and
also to the production-schedules of
assembly plants. Any new part in the
design must support the development and
manufacturing schedule of the model.
Assembly feasibility: It is easy to design a
module that is hard to assemble, either
resulting in damaged units or poor
tolerances. The skilled product-
development engineer works with the
assembly/manufacturing engineers so
that the resulting design is easy and cheap
to make and assemble, as well as
delivering appropriate functionality and
appearance.

Quality management: Quality control is an

important factor within the production
process, as high quality is needed to meet
customer requirements and to avoid
expensive recall campaigns. The
complexity of components involved in the
production process requires a
combination of different tools and
techniques for quality control. Therefore,
the International Automotive Task Force
(IATF), a group of the world's leading
manufacturers and trade organizations,
developed the standard ISO/TS 16949.
This standard defines the design,
development, production, and (when
relevant) installation and service
requirements. Furthermore, it combines
the principles of ISO 9001 with aspects of
various regional and national automotive
standards such as AVSQ (Italy), EAQF
(France), VDA6 (Germany) and QS-9000
(USA). In order to further minimize risks
related to product failures and liability
claims for automotive electric and
electronic systems, the quality discipline
functional safety according to ISO/IEC
17025 is applied.

Since the 1950s, the comprehensive

business approach total quality
management (TQM) has operated to
continuously improve the production
process of automotive products and
components. Some of the companies who
have implemented TQM include Ford
Motor Company, Motorola and Toyota
Motor Company.
Job functions

Development engineer

A development engineer has the

responsibility for coordinating delivery of
the engineering attributes of a complete
automobile (bus, car, truck, van, SUV,
motorcycle etc.) as dictated by the
automobile manufacturer, governmental
regulations, and the customer who buys
the product.

Much like the Systems engineer, the

development engineer is concerned with
the interactions of all systems in the
complete automobile. While there are
multiple components and systems in an
automobile that have to function as
designed, they must also work in harmony
with the complete automobile. As an
example, the brake system's main function
is to provide braking functionality to the
automobile. Along with this, it must also
provide an acceptable level of: pedal feel
(spongy, stiff), brake system "noise"
(squeal, shudder, etc.), and interaction with
the ABS (anti-lock braking system)

Another aspect of the development

engineer's job is a trade-off process
required to deliver all of the automobile
attributes at a certain acceptable level. An
example of this is the trade-off between
engine performance and fuel economy.
While some customers are looking for
maximum power from their engine, the
automobile is still required to deliver an
acceptable level of fuel economy. From
the engine's perspective, these are
opposing requirements. 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 the only
contributing factor to fuel economy and
automobile performance. Different values
come into play.

Other attributes that involve trade-offs

include: automobile weight, aerodynamic
drag, transmission gearing, emission
control devices, handling/roadholding, ride
quality, and tires.

The development engineer is also

responsible for organizing automobile
level testing, validation, and certification.
Components and systems are designed
and tested individually by the Product
Engineer. The final evaluation is to be
conducted at the automobile level to
evaluate system to system interactions.
As an example, the audio system (radio)
needs to be evaluated at the automobile
level. Interaction with other electronic
components can cause interference. Heat
dissipation of the system and ergonomic
placement of the controls need to be
evaluated. Sound quality in all seating
positions needs to be provided at
acceptable levels.

Manufacturing engineer

Manufacturing engineers are responsible

for ensuring proper production of the
automotive components or complete
vehicles. While the development engineers
are responsible for the function of the
vehicle, manufacturing engineers are
responsible for the safe and effective
production of the vehicle. This group of
engineers consist of process engineers,
logistic coordinators, tooling engineers,
robotics engineers, and assembly
planners.[2]

In the automotive industry manufacturers

are playing a larger role in the
development stages of automotive
components to ensure that the products
are easy to manufacture. Design for
manufacturability in the automotive world
is crucial to make certain whichever
design is developed in the Research and
Development Stage of automotive design.
Once the design is established, the
manufacturing engineers take over. They
design the machinery and tooling
necessary to build the automotive
components or vehicle and establish the
methods of how to mass-produce the
product. It is the manufacturing engineers
job to increase the efficiency of the
automotive plant and to implement lean
manufacturing techniques such as Six
Sigma and Kaizen.
Other automotive engineering roles

Other automotive engineers include those

listed below:

Aerodynamics engineers will often give

guidance to the styling studio so that
the shapes they design are
aerodynamic, as well as attractive.
Body engineers will also let the studio
know if it is feasible to make the panels
for their designs.
Change control engineers make sure
that all of the design and manufacturing
changes that occur are organized,
managed and implemented...
 NVH engineers perform sound and
vibration testing to prevent loud cabin
noises, detectable vibrations, and/or
improve the sound quality while the
vehicle is on the road.

The modern automotive

product engineering process
Studies indicate that a substantial part of
the modern vehicle's value comes from
intelligent systems, and that these
represent most of the current automotive
innovation.[3][4] To facilitate this, the
modern automotive engineering process
has to handle an increased use of
mechatronics. Configuration and
performance optimization, system
integration, control, component,
subsystem and system-level validation of
the intelligent systems must become an
intrinsic part of the standard vehicle
engineering process, just as this is the
case for the structural, vibro-acoustic and
kinematic design. This requires a vehicle
development process that is typically
highly simulation-driven.[5]

The V-approach

One way to effectively deal with the

inherent multi-physics and the control
systems development that is involved
when including intelligent systems, is to
adopt the V-Model approach to systems
development, as has been widely used in
the automotive industry for twenty years
or more. In this V-approach, system-level
requirements are propagated down the V
via subsystems to component design, and
the system performance is validated at
increasing integration levels. Engineering
of mechatronic systems requires the
application of two interconnected "V-
cycles": one focusing on the multi-physics
system engineering (like the mechanical
and electrical components of an
electrically powered steering system,
including sensors and actuators); and the
other focuses on the controls engineering,
the control logic, the software and
realization of the control hardware and
embedded software.[6][7]

References
Wikiversity has learning resources
about Automotive engineering

1. Automotive Electronic Systems ([Link]

[Link]/auto/systems/auto-sy
[Link]) Archived ([Link]
org/web/20171120173150/[Link]
[Link]/auto/systems/auto-system
[Link]) 2017-11-20 at the Wayback
Machine Clemson Vehicular Electronics
Laboratory Website, Retrieved 2/2/2013
2. Automotive Manufacturing Engineering
Overview ([Link]
[Link]/automotive-manufacturing-engin
eering/) 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" (http
s://[Link]/10.1007%2Fs00366-012-0286-
6) . Engineering with Computers. 29 (3):
389–408. doi:10.1007/s00366-012-0286-6
([Link]
86-6) .
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.
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/[Link].2010.05.003 (h
ttps://[Link]/10.1016%[Link].2
010.05.003) .
 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/[Link].2011.01.009 (h
ttps://[Link]/10.1016%[Link].2
011.01.009) .

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