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"Spotlight on Design" features video interviews and case study segments, focusing on the latest technology breakthroughs. Viewers are virtually taken to labs and research centers to learn how design engineers are enhancing product performance/reliability, reducing costs, improving quality, safety or environmental impact, and achieving regulatory compliance. Sensors are essential to the safety, efficiency, and dependability of modern vehicles. Crash sensors can anticipate a collision faster than humans would, and tire pressure sensors can alert the driver or pilot in case action is needed. In the episode "Sensors: Advanced Safety" (20:36) Continental engineers look at the evolution of passive safety systems, discuss the changes in sensors over the last ten years and what is coming next. Engineers at Meggitt demonstrate how tire pressure monitoring system sensors for aerospace are built and tested.

Given the fast changing market demands, the growing complexity of features, the shorter time to market, and the design/development constraints, the need for efficient and effective verification and validation methods are becoming critical for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. One such example is fault-tree analysis. While fault-tree analysis is an important hazard analysis/verification activity, the current process of translating design details (e.g., system level and software level) is manual. Current experience indicates that fault tree analysis involves both creative deductive thinking and more mechanical steps, which typically involve instantiating gates and events in fault trees following fixed patterns. Specifically for software fault tree analysis, a number of the development steps typically involve instantiating fixed patterns of gates and events based upon the structure of the code. In this work, we investigate a methodology to translate software programs to fault trees.

Use of airborne high resolution digital sensor imagery is ever increasing. Color HDTV, infrared cameras and radar are examples of such sensors. And they are becoming increasingly used for mission purposes by the military, police, customs and coast guard onboard helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. These users have requirements for onboard presentation, analysis and storage. Use of weather radars and other similar types of sensors are flight oriented applications in major types of aircraft. Another application is the integration of cockpit and cabin surveillance systems onboard commercial airlines. Cabin surveillance systems, growing from cockpit door cameras to complete cabin surveillance, will use several cameras. The purpose is to acquire and store imagery from un-normal events including unruly passengers and eventual terrorists. The primary intentions are security awareness in the cockpit as well as collecting evidence for a potential prosecution.

The increasing complexity of aerospace products and programs and the growing competitive pressure is facilitating the aggregation of small, medium and large enterprises of certain geographical regions into more integrated and collaborative entities (clusters). Clusters are by their same nature formed by heterogeneous companies, with huge differences not only in size but also for their core competences: such a diversity is a strength of the cluster, but it also increases its complexity. The purpose of this paper is to describe a benchmarking methodology that can be adopted to assess the performances of companies belonging to a cluster from different perspectives: economics and financials, competitive differentiators, specific know how, business strategies, production and logistic effectiveness, quality of core and supporting processes.

The presentation provides an overview about the activities of Eurocae Working Group 72 (WG-72) starting with a brief synopsis of the context which suggested why such a committee should be established in 2006. It then goes into further detail about the drivers for the work of the committee, which call for the products to be delivered. It addresses some of the challenges with respect to its users. It points out that one of the lessons the committee learned was importance of the focus on the users, such that the products provide their maximum utility. Hence, the users should better be among the participants to achieve this objective. Other industries have dealt with the subject of Information System (or Cyber-Physical) Security long before this industry was forced to consider it. Consequently there are many industry standards and national or international norms, which may help to develop what is deemed needed for Civil Aviation.

“Spotlight on Design: Insight” features an in-depth look at the latest technology breakthroughs impacting mobility. Viewers are virtually taken to labs and research centers to learn how design engineers are enhancing product performance/reliability, reducing cost, improving quality, safety or environmental impact, and achieving regulatory compliance. The quality of fluids used in aviation, such as oil or fuel, is an extremely important safety issue. One way to reliably monitor fluids is through the use of special measurement sensors. In the episode “Fluid Measurements and Avionics” (9:13), an engineer at Meggitt demonstrates the capabilities of time-domain reflectometry sensors, explaining how they are assembled and used. The business case for monitoring oil and fuel degradation, and how to proactively take advantage of preventative maintenance is also explained.

Simulation-based tolerance analysis is the accepted standard for dimensional engineering in aerospace today. Sophisticated 3D model-based tolerance analysis processes enable engineers to measure variation in complex, often large, assembled products quickly and accurately. Best-in-class manufacturers have adopted Quality Intelligence Management tools for collecting and consolidating this measurement data. Their goal is to completely understand dimensional fit characteristics and quality status before commencing the build process. This results in shorter launch cycles, improved process capabilities, reduced scrap and less production downtime. This paper describes how to use simulation-based approaches to correlate the theoretical tolerance analysis results produced during engineering simulations to actual as-built results. This allows engineers to validate or adjust as-designed simulation parameters to more closely align to production process capabilities.

With the increased demand for high volume, cost-effective, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic parts, the lack of high throughput systems has become more pronounced. Thermoforming as a method to generate complex shapes from a flat preform is dependable and fast. In order to use readily available, standard unidirectional impregnated thermoplastic tape in this process, a flat perform must be created prior to the thermoforming step. Formerly, creating the preform by hand layup was a time consuming and therefore costly, step. Fiberforge�?s patented RELAY� technology overcomes the challenges of handling thermoplastic prepreg tape and provides a solution through the automated creation of a flat preform, referred to as a Tailored Blank?. Producing a part for thermoforming with accurate ply orientation and scrap minimization is now as simple as loading a material spool followed by a pressing a start button. Presenter Christina McClard, Fiberforge

This technical paper collection features 15 papers covering electrification of the commercial vehicle, techniques for efficiency and reliability; developments in sensors; model based design and embedded software development; heavy duty electronic technology; autonomous vehicles; electronic control module development and test; and vehicle structure.

Abstract The use of nanomaterials and nanostructures have been revolutionizing the advancements of science and technology in various engineering and medical fields. As an example, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have been extensively used for the improvement of mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, and deteriorative properties of traditional composite materials for applications in high-performance structures. The exceptional materials properties of CNTs (i.e., mechanical, magnetic, thermal, and electrical) have introduced them as promising candidates for reinforcement of traditional composites. Most structural configurations of CNTs provide superior material properties; however, their geometrical shapes can deliver different features and characteristics. As one of the unique geometrical configurations, helical CNTs have a great potential for improvement of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of polymeric resin composites.

"Spotlight on Design: Insight" features an in-depth look at the latest technology breakthroughs impacting mobility. Viewers are virtually taken to labs and research centers to learn how design engineers are enhancing product performance/reliability, reducing cost, improving quality, safety or environmental impact, and achieving regulatory compliance. The quality of fluids used in aviation, such as oil or fuel, is an extremely important safety issue. One way to reliably monitor fluids is through the use of special measurement sensors. In the episode "Fluid Measurements and Avionics" (9:13), an engineer at Meggitt demonstrates the capabilities of time-domain reflectometry sensors, explaining how they are assembled and used. The business case for monitoring oil and fuel degradation, and how to proactively take advantage of preventative maintenance is also explained.

"Spotlight on Design: Insight" features an in-depth look at the latest technology breakthroughs impacting mobility. Viewers are virtually taken to labs and research centers to learn how design engineers are enhancing product performance/reliability, reducing cost, improving quality, safety or environmental impact, and achieving regulatory compliance. Extreme environment sensors require extreme environment cables that can reliably perform in temperatures up to 2300° F, withstand intense vibration, and have extraordinary strength.

"Spotlight on Design" features video interviews and case study segments, focusing on the latest technology breakthroughs. Viewers are virtually taken to labs and research centers to learn how design engineers are enhancing product performance/reliability, reducing cost, improving quality, safety or environmental impact, and achieving regulatory compliance. Accurate data is critical for the testing and development of parts and systems for cars, trucks, and airplanes. To obtain this data, engineers rely on high-end specialty sensors that can fit into cramped spaces and operate reliably under extreme heat and pressure. In the episode "Sensors: Miniaturization and Testing" (21:02), AVL engineers explain how a new crystalline material was developed to accurately measure the high pressures in the combustion chamber of turbocharged engines, and Meggitt Sensing Systems profiles the world’s smallest triaxial IEPE accelerometer.

This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) provides guidance to develop and assure validation and verification of IVHM systems used in autonomous aircraft, vehicles and driver assistance functions. IVHM covers a vehicle, monitoring and data processing functions inherent within its sub-systems, and the tools and processes used to manage and restore the vehicle’s health. The scope of this document is to address challenges and identify recommendations for the application of integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) specifically to intelligent systems performing tasks autonomously within the mobility sector. This document will focus on the core aspects of IVHM for autonomous vehicles that are common to both aerospace and automotive applications. It is anticipated that additional documents will be developed separately to cover aspects of this functionality that are unique to each application domain.