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In recent years, the compression of vehicle development cycles in the automotive industry has driven the usage of computer aided engineering analysis methods which provides vital information on product performance during the design phase. Computer aided engineering simulations of the structural response of an air bag deployment, the thermal response of sun load exposure, as well as the material response of the manufacturing method provide the required feedback to the platform development team in a timely manner. A specific method of computer aided engineering which has experienced innovative growth and development is the manufacturing process analysis. In an effort to provide cost and schedule effective solutions for the manufacturing development of a molded part, injection molding process simulation has evolved into new levels of functionality and complexity. Historically, injection molding process simulation was restricted to providing material balance within the cavity.

In an effort to control vehicle development costs, engineering staff have fostered concurrent engineering methods. This is a method whereby interior styling is linked to conceptual development; system and component engineering are linked to systems validation, and product design is linked to manufacturing development. Specifically in systems engineering and validation, closed loop development efforts which employ computer aided engineering performance simulation in concert with high frequency systems performance data, expedite the validation of the product performance. In this manner, the actual loads of the event such as air bag deployment or knee intrusion during crash are related to the performance of the product. An example of this closed loop development effort shall be presented.