This post was taken from Altair Enlighten and was contributed by  Jay Baron, President, Chairman & CEO and Director at Center for Automotive Research (CAR)

CAFE standards for model year 2017 have automakers looking towards lightweight materials to help meet automotive fuel economy benchmarks.

Prior to model year 2011, all manufacturer vehicle fleets needed to meet the same basic fuel economy targets: 27.5 mpg for passenger cars and 23.5 mpg for light trucks.  To meet fuel economy CAFE standards for a particular model year, manufacturers would often offset the sales of less fuel efficient vehicles with smaller fuel efficient vehicles. This has led to the belief that any increase in CAFE requirements would result in the demise of larger vehicles.

Image courtesy of AOL Autos: http://autos.aol.com/article/fuel-economy-standards-survey/ Read More

This post was taken from Altair Enlighten and contributed by my colleague, Regu Ramoo, Director of Engineering at Altair ProductDesign.

Many studies on automotive mass reduction have been undertaken over the years by various steel, aluminum, magnesium, and composites consortia, all expounding the virtues of substituting a particular material. Altair has participated in studies with all these organizations over the years and has understood the strengths, limitations, and constraints of working with various materials.

AHSS, HSS, Al, Mg, Ti, GFRP, CFRP…

High Strength Steels, Aluminum, and Magnesium all have certain advantages in specific applications. Understanding when to exploit the unique advantages of these materials while concurrently minimizing the associated cost penalty is key in any weight reduction challenge. Read More

This post was taken from Altair Enlighten.

In my new role as Altair’s Vice President of Global Automotive, I look forward to sharing automotive trends and news with you. To kick off my posts, I wanted to provide my insights on advancing composites in the auto industry by answering some of the most important questions about Altair’s role in the use of composites for today’s vehicles.

Success in developing the new generation of cars and trucks has demanded advancements in many arenas, including powertrains, fuels, materials, manufacturing methods and design. Computer-aided engineering tools from Altair have advanced as well allowing design engineers to improve vehicle efficiency and performance while at the same time lightening the vehicle structure.

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Last week, the North American International Auto Show kicked off in Detroit’s newly renovated COBO Center with press and industry preview days before opening the show to the public last weekend. For me, it’s easy to see how simulation technology played a role in the impressive end results for the vehicles exhibited across the show floor. However, that might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re staring face-to-face with a stunning concept car.

Lightweight design, performance, fuel efficiency standards, carbon emissions and vehicle safety all will continue to be topics discussed among the many engineers, analysts, automotive enthusiasts and other show attendees. Simulation technology will be inherently present within some of the most impressive products on the show floor. Read More

This post was taken from Altair Enlighten and contributed by my colleague, Giuseppe Resta, Manager, Global Automotive at Altair Engineering.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that passenger safety and vehicle crashworthiness were the battleground where automakers differentiated their products. Now, as many OEMs have created product development systems that rely on a CAE-driven strategy to deliver excellent passive safety performance, it appears to have taken a backseat to miles-per-gallon. Almost every car commercial touts greater fuel efficiency and seeks to validate the manufacturer’s environmental credentials.

Both safety and gas mileage advances have been pushed by regulation and pulled by consumer demand. Now that the United States has set the 54.5 mpg Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standard for 2025 and lower CO₂ emissions have been mandated in Europe, we are entering a new era of increased challenge that could lead to significant change in the way cars are designed and constructed. OEMs and suppliers are reviewing every component and considering the technologies available to meet these new demanding standards, including investment in engineered plastic and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) that offer high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios.

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