3D-CAD Design Methods in Vehicle and Engine Development Processes

The integration of virtual engineering methods into 3D-CAD based development processes in the automotive industry leads to increased requirements, concerning the software packages as well as regarding the applied procedures and strategies. Modern IT-based engineering tools offer much more than the conventional development methodologies in component generation and digital mock-up processes. The trend definitely goes into the direction of simultaneous CAE - support during the layout and design phases, attendant quality and structural management and the implementation of external data sources and receivers into the product development. It is up to the engineers to tap the full potential of virtual engineering processes regarding time reduction, error prevention in early phases and through technical modifications, whereas the applied methods and strategies represent a key factor on the way to efficient progresses.

The present book includes an assessment and evaluation of modern 3D-CAD based development processes and discusses future prospects in the field of virtual engineering. On the basis of parametric geometry generation, different methods and tools, which are able to increase the efficiency in automotive development processes, will be introduced and compared. Especially in concept phases of automotive projects, the significantly reduced design and time effort for packaging studies, vehicle safety concepts, feasibility studies and other tasks result in a quick generation of basic data for customer discussions at a very early phase. In this way different strategies of parameterized associative vehicle design in combination with the possibilities of external data or application implementation, are able to significantly support the 3D-CAD design and mock-up processes in automotive engineering processes.

Automotive Development Processes, in the past and today.- Virtual Processes in Automotive Development Projects.- Implementation of 3D-CAD Design into the Product Generation Process.- PDM in Automotive Development Processes.- Integration of CAx Processes and PDM Strucutres.- Assessment and Evaluation of Combined CAx-PDM Methods.- Outlook of Trends and Possibilities.- Examples and Applications

Dr. Mario Hirz is born in 1973 and has studied Mechanical Engineering at Graz University of Technology. In his doctoral thesis he treated the entire development process of a new internal combustion engine concept, including the concept phase, the virtual engineering, the prototyping and the test bench development phase. As a research assistant at the Institute for Automotive Engineering, he is responsible for the 3D-CAD education and virtual design methods and strategies. His lecture spectrum includes CAE methods and applications at Graz University of Technology and additionally training and workshop activities in the automotive industry. Beside the educational work, Dr. Hirz is project manager of international research projects in the field of virtual processes in automotive development projects. During his research work with international industrial and educational partners, he performed a number of abroad periods in Europe, USA and Asia. The activities in research and education are documented in several patent applications, more than 60 publications as well as national and international awards.