Getting validation

OEMs are developing tools so that engineers from around the world can validate vehicles for regulations conformity and other objective and subjective aspects.

In the late 1990s, the time frame for Chrysler Group engineers to evaluate 200,000 computer-generated elements typically consumed four or five days. With advancements in computing power, a computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis of a particular subject now takes about 36 h and covers about one million elements. The ever-closer correlation between the virtual and real worlds-enabled in large part by the amount of detail in math models-is reducing the need for physical vehicle testing.

“We're in a phase where we're getting close to eliminating all physical prototypes for development work,” said Ram Bhandarkar, Supervisor of Durability Start of Production and Analysis Methods for Chrysler Group's Advance Vehicle Engineering.