Automated System Validation Using Telematics

Powertrain Systems development is entering a period of unprecedented challenge driven by the convergence of many factors: increasing government regulations for both tailpipe emissions and fuel economy, increased competition, reduced workforce, and tighter program budgets. This has resulted in timing compression and resource reduction that stress a typical Design-Build-Test development practice. The application of telematics and information technology to engineering development can provide the efficiency gains required for engineers to deliver a robust powertrain system in a timely manner. By automating the evaluation of a system's robustness, engineers can focus their time on problem areas during their normal development process and launch with quality. This paper will detail how this methodology was jointly applied by Control-Tec and Navistar to identify and improve system performance before production.