DESIGN PROCESSES IN THE
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Rachel Rhodes
IE 4785
Mechanical Engineering
Louisiana State University
IN THIS PRESENTATION
Materials
Staedtler
Design
BMW and Mercedes-Benz
Connecting it all
MATERIALS – ME 2723
 Composition of materials
 Tensile and yield strength testing
 Properties:
 Toughness
 Strength
 Ductility
 Hardness
 Combine materials for select properties
STAEDTLER
 Materials producer – clay, lead, etc.
 Special recipes that define the materials they
produce
 Color – pigments mixed into material
 White coating around material
 More strength
 Better fracture resistance
 Improved gluing between wood and lead
PLASTICINE
 Special clay used for 3D modeling
 Industrial applications
 Incorporated into the design processes of major
companies
 Most widely used soft modeling material
 Relatively inexpensive
 Invites interactive exploration of design possibilities
ADVANTAGES OF PLASTICINE
 Curved, continuous shapes created
 Large scale display of concept
 Qualities:
 Malleable
 Dimensionally stable
 Holds original size
 Easily reformed
 Smoothly joins
 Reusable
PHYSICAL MODELING TECHNIQUE (PMT)
Alternative analysis method
Use of plasticine to create models of concepts
Simple and cheap
Imitate conditions of general processes
Smaller deformation load
Simple tensile/compression testing
DESIGN PROCESS – ME 2212
 Spend the most time in conceptual phase
 Sketch as many DIFFERENT concepts as you can
 Don’t write off any ideas
 Design individual aspects of the overall project
 Develop sound ideas backed by concrete numbers
 Build off of things you know – don’t start from
scratch, redesign helps as well
 Functional Decomposition
 Function dictates form
DIGITAL DESIGN
Pros:
 Incorporation of real
engineering numbers
and criteria into design
process
 Keep track of design
flow
 Allow for precision and
constraints
 3D printing
Cons:
 Limits creativity
 Doesn’t flow as well
 Worker stress
 Small scale viewing
 No way to get a feel
for the final design
without a physical
model
ITERATIVE DESIGN






Interfacing of physical and digital modeling
Combines the best aspects of both methods
More chances to make modifications to design
Two modes of analysis for any change suggested
Less expensive to make modifications
Fairly extensive analysis capabilities
Physical
Model
Analysis
Analysis
Digital
Model
BMW DESIGN PROCESS
Sketch Phase
Tape Drawing
Clay Modeling
3D Modeling
Color and Material Design
MERCEDES-BENZ DESIGN PROCESS
Drawing/Rendering
Interior Sketches
Colors, Display,
Control Design
Digital/Package
Cut Model – Full
Size
Model Approval
Clay Models
Model Selection
COMPARING THE TWO
BMW Group
Mercedes-Benz
 Full scale clay models
 “The intensity of the ideas
can first be sensed through
the work on the clay model”
 1:4 scale clay models
 “Not everything can be
simulated on a computer”
 Clay model of every variant
of a new vehicle
 Only way to judge whether
designs produce desired
ef fect
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
 Understanding how available
materials and their properties
influence design in real industrial
situations
 More effective and cost efficient
design
 Technology + tradition =
innovation
 No set design process, but
underlying concepts pervade
REFERENCES
 Process (2013). BMW Group. Retrieved July 20, 2013 from
http://www.bmw.in/in/en/insights/bmw_design_2012/p
rocess/opener.html#row00-1.
 Singh, K. (2005). Industrial motivation for interactive shape
modeling: a case study in conceptual automotive design.
University of Toronto.
 Sofuoglu, H. (2006). A technical note on the role of process
parameters in predicting flow behavior of plasticine
using design of experiment. Journal of Materials
Processing, 178, 148-153.
 125 Years of Visionary Design: Automobile Design – Made by
Mercedes-Benz (2010). Daimler AG. Retrieved July 20,
2013 from http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0 -9211262677-1-1347994-1-0-1-0-0-1-11701-1549054-0-1-00-0-0-0.html.