The increasing prevalence of embedded software in today’s vehicles is leading to growing complexity, which can only be managed effectively through the use of reliable interdisciplinary engineering processes. With this in mind, systems engineering (SE) is currently being introduced on a large scale into the automotive industry. Pilot projects have demonstrated the potential for implementing changes, but these have not yet been accompanied by viable implementation concepts for SE. In the context of the proposed application-based research, the SETup automotive method (Systems Engineering Transformation under piloting in the automotive industry) is presented, which comprises a step-by-step procedure of introducing SE into large automotive companies. By introducing SE by pilot projects first, both an in-process tailoring of all processes, methods, tools and structures (PMTS) required for the introduction and an in-process validation of the pilot scheme elaborated by the pilot projects are achieved. The presented method builds upon fundamental approaches to change management, which have been developed over many years in both research and practice. It has been validated by the industrial practice of SE transformation at German car manufacturers and suppliers. As a result, decision-makers, transformation managers and systems engineers are provided with a scientifically based and field-tested set of steps for the introduction of SE in their own company.

The application of TiAl-based alloys as an exhaust valve material would allow automotive engines to operate at higher temperatures with increased efficiencies. Development of these materials at Ford initially concentrated on the Ti-48A1-1V (at%) system. This included; 1) room and elevated temperature fatigue, 2) creep and 3) tensile ductility optimization. Results from this test program in conjunction with other available data, previous ceramic experience and limited engine testing led to the conclusion that the major roadblock to implementation was not optimizing mechanical properties, but rather low cost and reliable valve manufacturing technology. When a cost effective manufacturing technology is developed, then the emphasis will shift to ensuring the product durability. Hence, the focus of the current program is the development of valve manufacturing technologies, in particular valve blank fabrication. Currently, casting appears to be the lowest cost alternative for valve blank fabrication. This paper reviews the technology development process as it pertains to TiAl-based valves.

Perceived quality refers to customers’ cognitive and emotional responses to a particular design, often also associated with craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. Previous research defined a taxonomy of perceived quality and provided understanding about how engineering design decisions impact customer satisfaction. Furthermore, development of new products is frequently based on carrying over attributes of existing products, either from the same producer or from competitors. Previous research offered a new product development methodology combining variations of subsystems to carry over from existing products. This brief presents how these two lines of research combined to design the central console of the Porsche Panamera automobile and discusses the opportunities and challenges posed in the practical implementation of this research.

Each year, automotive OEMs implement a variety of Engineering Changes (ECs) in their production. In the timing of ECs, different KPIs are often in conflict with one another or even unknown to the OEMs. Therefore, OEMs struggle to identify the optimal date to implement an EC. This paper presents a method to determine the cost-optimal implementation date for each EC, considering time, cost, and quality KPIs based on a new EC classification rule-set. To evaluate the presented method, case-studies at a German automotive OEM were performed, two of which are discussed.

This paper investigates the effectiveness of machine learning models in predicting customer-relevant functional attributes of vehicles based on selected design variables, using a limited automobile market dataset. By comparing machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Regression, k-Nearest Neighbour Regression, and Lasso Regression, the study evaluates the models’ predictive accuracy and their potential application in automotive design. The findings highlight both the opportunities and limitations of these methods, emphasising their capacity to support data-driven decision-making despite constraints posed by dataset size, as encountered in real-world, early-stage automotive platform strategies.

Engineering change management is a central part of the product development process. This paper investigates how variations from the PGE - Product Generation Engineering can improve the evaluation of engineering changes from the wiring harness. Engineering changes that occur in an automotive wiring harness development process are analysed in a case study, evaluated in expert interviews with regard to the risk and effort connected to the implementation and compared to the types of variations. Additional influencing factors are discussed. The variations provide an indication on risk and effort.

In the production of automotive body components, fixtures are an important part of the ongoing work on geometrical assurance. The fixture is uniquely defined for each component, and the design and configuration of these are time-consuming and takes a lot of effort. The objective with this paper is to explore the use of a design automation approach and application to semi-automate the configuration process of the fixture product. The paper presents an approach to automate the configuration of the fixtures in a flexible way, by reverse engineering the configuration of the fixture product from a generic blueprint that represents the expected outcome of the process, using a knowledge-based engineering approach applied to a computer aided design (CAD) environment. A reverse-engineered design automation toolbox for a CAD-software is developed. The toolbox is developed to lead a user through the configuration process, in the way that the experts want it done, end-to-end, making use of some unconventional solutions from a design automation perspective.

The increasingly intelligent, highly complex, technical systems of tomorrow - for instance autonomous vehicles - result in the necessity for a systematic security- and safety-oriented development process that starts in the early phases of system design. Automotive Systems Engineering (ASE) as one approach is increasingly gaining ground in the automotive industry. However, this approach is still in a prototype stage. The consideration of security and safety within the early stages of systems design leads to so- called ill-defined problems. Such are not covered by ASE, but can be addressed by means of Design Thinking. Therefore we introduce an approach to combine both approaches. Based on this combination, we derive potentials in the context of the consideration of security and safety. Essential advantages are the possibility to think ahead of threat scenarios at an early stage in system design. Due to an incomplete database, this is not supported or only partially supported by conventional approaches. The resulting potentials are derived based upon a practical example.

So much has been written about Frederick W. Lanchester over the years, it is hard to imagine finding something new to discuss about his efforts in aerodynamics. Many of the previous Lanchester Memorial Lectures discussed topics such as wing aerodynamics, aircraft concepts and design, unsteady rotor aerodynamics, aerodynamics research and a wide variety of other related aerodynamic topics. However, there has never been a lecture about Lanchester’s book Aerodynamics as a tool for aerodynamics education in the early 20th century. The lecture will discuss his book relative to other aerodynamics books before and after 1907, and uncover how Lanchester’s book had a very distinct, and important, contribution to make for aerodynamic education.

Fourth industrial revolution called Industry 4.0 has radically transformed production systems in manufacturing companies by the integration of emerging technologies. However, manufacturers must overcome several barriers, such as the lack of qualified talent to develop and manage various high-technology systems. Assembly system design aims to define proper assembly line configurations with the optimal performances to overcome increased competitiveness in the market. Nowadays, assembly system design should consider industry 4.0 concepts integration beyond traditional aspects like system balancing and sequencing. In this paper, we introduce a project-based learning approach to teach engineering students assembly system design taking into account industry 4.0 dimension. This project is carried out in collaboration with an industrial partner to design and implement car doors assembly line. The project demonstrated students interest and prepared them better for industry 4.0 era.