Industry Tools

CAD (computer-aided design) software, CAE (computer-aided engineering) software, and rapid prototyping are all computer-aided engineering tools and process that have changed the way the modern automotive industry designs, builds, and tests its products. These tools have improved quality, lowered costs, and reduced production and development time. Because of this, new and improved products are hitting the marketplace faster than ever before.

For example, a process simulation can be created with CAE for operations such as casting, molding, and die-press forming. Vehicle Durability Identification and Assessment, a CAE method, predicts dynamic durability performance for everything in and on the vehicle, right down to the smallest component. Using detailed, full-color displays, engineers can visualize a vehicle in the most demanding, real-world uses - such as hitting potholes or pulling heavy loads up mountainsides. A stress analysis can be done on components and assemblies using FEA (Finite Element Analysis) – another CAE method. All these CAE capabilities have allowed for the near-elimination of costly prototypes in the product-development process.