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The development of innovative designs for mobility is a result of numerous studies that aim to discover new potential for projects or enhance existing ones. The automotive sector shares these aspirations. Looking briefly at how cars have evolved in their history and the speed with which they are improved, it is possible to see how these studies are essential and together with the design result in more efficient and better quality products. As important as an innovative Shape Design are the external and internal finishing of the car, they bear by themselves a thorough research of user trends and lifestyle, being therefore the starting point for the technical approach and viability of new technologies, colors and finishing that preserve and value of the product as a whole.

The globalization of the economy has increased competition and intense dispute for new markets. It has accelerated the evolution of technology in all segments. Manufacturing automation, robotics production lines, programmable logic controllers (PLC), simulation and offline programming of equipment technologies are known by the main companies, but the integration of these technologies is always a complex issue and requires timing. Actually it expands time in development of standards, in design software and simulations, while much work still remains to be done in the field. Aligned with the technology of Digital Factory there is a technology of Virtual Commissioning. With this technology it is possible to bring to the lab environment a lot of solutions found so far only in the installation phase. The real commissioning is still necessary, but with less activity and uncertainties.

This paper presents a review on the fatigue mechanisms in automotive valve springs manufactured on high-strength steel, as well as in other similar parts, like as helical suspension spring. The review was conducted with a phenomenological focus to support new developments in material for use in Otto and Diesel engines. Mechanical fatigue is a common process of damage that occurs in components subjected to cyclic loads, but in the particular case of valve springs, this problem is controlled through the project restriction, usually with the limitation of higher levels prescription of shear stress. In an attempt to increase this limit, allowing greater efforts at the elastic region the Material Engineering designs materials with higher toughness and the Manufacturing Engineering plays in the prevention or defects minimization, often inherent to the material.

Fuel consumption and CO₂ emission are important drivers of automotive industry product evolution. In Europe, the manufacturers have the compromise to reduce their fleet consumption steadily and, in Brazil, a still voluntary but growing labeling program makes the vehicular energetic efficiency one of the main concerns during the concept phase. Although powertrain efficiency plays a decisive role, also vehicular parameters such as weight, aerodynamic, tires rolling resistance and electrical and mechanical loads have an important influence on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The cost-benefit analysis of the modifications in these parameters needs to be performed in the early project stages, where prototypes are still not available.

Globalization has increased competition in the automotive industry and the search for new products, technologies and, in special, leaner and more economically viable manufacturing processes. In this scenario, pressures to reduce the development time of new products have made it necessary to also reduce the development time of new manufacturing processes. Manufacturing development and planning are complex processes as they engage different areas of the company, require high investment and involve different technologies. Manufacturing engineering is the area in charge of planning, project and implementation of new manufacturing for new products. The central aim of this study is the conceptualization and application of computational simulation of processes applied to the planning and project phases of manual and automated assembly lines by means of computational tools. The focus will lie on the body shop area, where the highest degree of automation and complexity are to be found.

This paper presents the development of a system that allows the decentralisation of the management of day-by-day activities. This is done by redistributing the responsibilities, in a clear and objective way, and forming teams capable of auto-management their manufacture process. This system is based in elementary management units (teams). This structure makes possible the fast and precise identification of non-conformity, providing a reply (specific actions of containment and correction) in a skilful time; preventing (of this form) that the problems become “epidemic” and that the non-conformity costs become greater and out of control. However, a review of support areas structures becomes necessary. Those areas, primordial functions are to support the teams in the resolution of the day-by-day problems and assuming the responsibility on the chronic problems (those on which the manufacture teams do not have resources to solve).