This week I’m preparing to attend the HyperWorks Technology Conference (HTC) in Pune, India. This is part of the 2011 Global HTC Series. The events so far in Tokyo, Japan and Orlando, Florida have been well attended and have included some great customer presentations in addition to excellent keynotes. India will be no exception with, among others, Charlie Loh from Jaguar Land Rover addressing the “Journey from Physical to Virtual Verification” and Suresh Nandagopal, President, Autoliv India providing a “Safety Outlook for Automotive”.
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Material modeling at a micro-mechanical level was a tool once reserved for only the highest level aerospace composites. Now an accurate understanding of material behavior is essential for manufacturers of parts from automotive dashboards to cell phones.

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It almost seems as though there is no such thing as a purely mechanical system anymore. The proliferation of electronic controls into the automotive industry is evident through almost every vehicle system. With this trend comes the complexity of developing a mechanical design, controls software and hardware, plus system calibration. Recently Altair worked with Faurecia on the optimization of one such system. In this case Faurecia wasn’t adding electronics to a different part of the vehicle, but taking a new approach to an electronic window regulator design.

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As a Brit who has now lived in Michigan for 12 years, I have slowly come to take a very Detroit-centric view of the automotive world. This can be re-enforced by my annual pilgrimage to the North American International Auto Show each January. My routine was changed this year as I missed the NAIAS to travel through Europe, the Middle East and Asia. That trip gave me a chance to contemplate the differences and similarities in global car cultures during a time when I’m usually focused on checking out the latest in full-size pick-up trucks and pony cars.

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