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This book presents an analysis on the potential effects of globalization on the automotive industry and the environment. Energy challenges, market economy growth, and population dynamics are considered. The authors also present future scenarios for transportation technologies to meet the ever growing global demand for transportation of goods and services while minimizing energy and environmental impacts and maximizing cost, value and widespread acceptance.

Ford Motor Company has established within its global Ford Product Development System (FPDS), a vehicle product system which strives to maximize recyclability and recoverability while minimizing the total environmental impact of vehicles. One aspect of how the automotive industry can move towards sustainability is to include sustainable materials like recycled and natural materials in its products as well as in its manufacturing process. Additional examples of using materials imparting low life cycle impact exist in both in the US and Europe. By introducing sustainable materials in mass production, huge figures for reducing environmental burdens result, for example, worldwide 140 million pounds of recycled non-metalic materials have been used just for Ford vehicles alone.

The tremendous growth of complexity in automotive control system electronics in the past 30 years has driven the industry to employ ever more advanced development techniques, ranging from formally managing functional architecture to employing more sophisticated functional safety development processes. The industry now finds itself facing emerging trends that will include more vehicle electrification, connectivity, personalization, and automation. Contextual and location awareness will also play larger roles. In light of these trends, vehicle control development processes will need to continue to evolve. This paper will explore some of the challenges that automakers will face as they move to incorporate these new technologies.

Ford Motor Company Powertrain Engineering instituted an innovative Work Process Plan designed to evaluate, develop, and improve it's selected long-term supplier base. This process was implemented in 1987 and continues to function improving our suppliers capabilities in the areas of Product & Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production Control, and Sales/Purchasing Interaction. A pilot Supply Base Development, Casting and Machining team was set -up in July, 1987 to assist the casting, machining, piston, and ring supply base. The success of this team lead to the fornation of three additional Supply Base Development teams within the following year to assist suppliers in Sealing, Assemblies, and Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) commodities.

Increased use of powder-forged connecting rods in the automotive industry prompted an investigation into the suitability of powders from different suppliers for this application. Specifications developed by North American users call for ultra clean powders to enhance machinability and fatigue life. Powders from four manufacturers were each blended with graphite and lubricant, then pressed, sintered and forged to full density. Metallographic samples were prepared and evaluated for inclusion content. In addition, the powders were mixed to the composition of connecting rods, (C - 0.5%, Cu - 2% and MnS - 0.3%), and were similarly pressed, sintered and forged. Test bars were machined from the forged discs. Uniaxial fatigue tests were performed in the tension-compression mode and strain-life curves were developed. It was determined that all powders examined were very clean and were comparable in their inclusion content.

One of the possibilities to fulfill the enhanced requirements on crash performance for new vehicles is the application of high strength steels (HSS) and even ultra high strength steels (UHSS). In order to achieve the strength, the strain rate sensitivity can be taken into account whereas the work hardening effect is difficult to be used. For UHSS with more than 500 MPa yield point the formability, spring back and weldability are important issues. In the present study the laser weldability of UHSS has been studied with positive results. Both Dual phase type and micro alloyed type LWBs showed high formability and good weldability and will satisfy the requirement of certain applications for body members. Stamping trials in the press shop under production conditions showed that the peak strain in certain parts can be reduced to avoid splits when LWBs were stamped. Simultaneously the spring back is reduced as well.

Current trends in the auto industry requiring tighter dimensional specifications combined with the use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum, are a challenge for the traditional manufacturing processes. The hemming process, a sheet metal bending operation used in the manufacturing of car doors and hoods, poses problems meeting tighter dimensional tolerances. Hemming is the final operation that is used to fasten the outer panel with the inner panel by folding the outer panel over the inner panel. Roll in/out is one of the main quality concerns with hemming, and keeping it under tolerance is a high priority issue for the auto manufacturers. Current hemming process technology, given the mechanical properties of current materials, has reached its saturation limit to deliver consistent dimensional quality to satisfy customers and at the same time meet government standards.

Recent advances in press and die building have provided the capability of restraining force (RF) variation during a sheet stamping stroke. Even though the commercial presses with VRF capabilities are now available, the full benefits cannot be attained because, for complex industrial stampings, it is difficult to select the VRF trajectory which will improve the stamping quality or achieve even more complex task of arriving at the desired design target. In this paper we demonstrate how numerical modeling can be used to select a proper VRF trajectory to achieve a postulated design target. The working numerical model using explicit LS-Dyna 3D code was successfully developed for time effective simulation of complex parts with variable binder force. Three case studies with the specific design targets of 1) springback, 2) punch force, and 3) maximum strain are presented and discussed. The results show strong nonlinear influence.

PROPER protection of metal parts operating as bearing surfaces, or in contact under relatively heavy loads, during the break-in period often means the difference between successful operation and failure. Various surface coatings have been investigated to discover which ones will give this protection. The authors discuss here three types of surface treatment for cast-iron and steel that do give superior wear and scuff resistance.

This report presents results of experiments to determine the effect of elevated temperature exposures on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy materials. The two alloys studied, 5754 and 6111, are of the types which would be used in a stamped automobile structure and exterior panels. Yield strength, tensile strength, and total elongation are reported for a variety of test conditions. The material temperature exposures simulated a broad range of conditions which might be experienced during manufacturing operations such as adhesive curing and vehicle paint bake cycles. In addition, tests were conducted at temperatures to resemble in-service under-hood and under body (near the exhaust system) conditions. Materials were prestrained various amounts prior to temperature exposure to simulate metal forming processes. Results show that both materials react to temperature and aging times differently.

Serious pitfalls exist in assuming that aluminum can be reliably resistance spot welded in the “as received” mill finish or even in the chemically cleaned condition. A commercially feasible surface abrading process was developed to promote reliability with existing tooling even 90 days afterwards. A weld reliability procedure was developed to evaluate process variables, various surface treatments, electrode materials and geometry. Comparative merits of AC and DC power were investigated. With the advent of abraded surfaces, aluminum can now be resistance spot welded with confidence and the dreaded fast electrode fauling condition associated with mill finish surfaces can be substantially alleviated.

This paper presents the real time implementation of detection filters for the diagnosis of incipient failures in electronically controlled internal combustion (IC) engines. The detection filters are implemented in a production vehicle. Recent results [1] have demonstrated the feasibility of a model-based failure detection and isolation (FDI) methodology for detecting partially failed components in electronically controlled vehicle subsystems. The present paper describes the real time application of the FDI concept to the detection of faults in sensors associated with the engine/controller In a detection filter, the performance of the engine/controller system is continuously compared to a prediction based on sensor measurements and an analytical model (typically a control model) of the system. Any discrepancy between actual and predicted performance is analyzed to identify the unique failure signatures related to specific system components.

General methods are discussed for organization and quantification of input conditions for vehicle system analysis. The input considerations are discussed for vehicle ride comfort prediction and vehicle component fatigue life estimation problems. The paper presents an overview of current work in the areas of quantification of road surface inputs to vehicles and the representation of vehicle maneuver environments for use in vehicle system analysis.

The quality of outside supplied parts is an extremely important part of the total vehicle package consumers desire today. Although each supplier is ultimately responsible for the quality of its own products, a company's Purchasing group is the most influential customer activity in obtaining high quality. With the support of other customer activities, Purchasing selects the proper supplier, plans for and monitors production start-up, monitors supplier ongoing quality information and obtains corrective action as supplier quality concerns arise.

This paper discloses a set of idealized engineering/manufacturing operational controls which can serve as models to mass production industry managements interested in implementing corporate-wide product reliability programs. Emphasis is on the modus operandi with which management should be acquainted and should support if the most effective use is to be made of the existing body of reliability methodology. The elements of a reliability program are defined, and a sound product specification system is shown to provide one of the most crucial elements. New specification system concepts are presented which dictate the policies, procedures, organizational structures, and personnel responsibilities necessary to design and produce reliable products.

Rapid Prototyping, Fabrication and Tooling is a process that blends a series of technologies (machines, tools, and methods) capable of generating physical objects directly from a CAD database. The process dramatically reduces the time spent during product development by allowing for fast visualization, verification, iteration, optimization, and fabrication of parts and tools. Many new techniques of tooling have been and are being developed by using rapid fabricated parts. These are having a dramatic impact on both timing and costs throughout the automotive industry. One area that these methods can be utilized to their full potential is motorsports. Of particular interest is the growing use of bridge tooling to provide first article through production intent parts that promote cost effective changes.

Getting Powerplant NVH Benchmarking right is a key first step in knowing where your design stands relative to its competition and what needs to be improved in order to achieve or maintain NVH leadership. It is through benchmarking that you can define industry trends, who gets it right, who doesn't, and why. A good benchmarking database also lets you estimate the improvements or deterioration due to engine architecture changes or design features. This paper describes a methodology used for selecting, measuring, and comparing powerplant NVH attributes.

As part of an effort to develop a laboratory steering system durability test, power steering system test procedure development was conducted. Fatigue damage to steering systems caused by road roughness was quantified utilizing data recorded from instrumented test vehicles and customer survey results. In addition, data recorded from customer vehicles were employed to determine fatigue damage to steering systems caused by driving style and road style inputs. Proving ground steering system test procedures that generate the same amount of damage to a steering system as that accumulated by the design target percentile customer for the design target miles of public road usage were developed.

The constant challenge for automotive engineers to design vehicles with greater reliability at lower cost has brought powder metallurgy (P/M) to the foreground. This technology provides parts to or near net shape and results in savings of material, energy, capital equipment and floor space. This paper is an extension of SAE reports 850458 and 870133 and describes automotive powder metal components not previously identified. It should help engineers find cost effective applications early in the design stage so that P/M technology can be efficiently adopted. In addition, recent important technological developments in the P/M field applicable to automotive parts are highlighted. In particular, increased reliability achieved through SPC is stressed. A novel blending process is described whereby the alloying ingredients are “glued” to iron powder particles resulting in an increase in P/M quality through improved homogeneity.

The trend to production of near net shape components in the automotive industry and the constant crusade for cost reduction has brought powder metallurgy technology to the foreground. Savings of material, energy, manufacturing cost and the avoidance of capital expenditure are some of the principal benefits of this process. This paper is an extension of the previously published report. SAE 850458, which describes P/M components in the automobile. It also includes a new family of parts recently identified by the authors, i.e., sensors used in conjunction with electronics and microcomputers. In addition, progress made in recent years in P/M technology is summarized. This article is written for automotive design engineers to show various new applications of P/M and allow them to take advantage of the potential savings this technology offers.