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Revolutionizing Automotive Component Design with IoT: A Case Study of AAM
Technology Category
- Drones - VTOL & VTOL Hybrid Drones
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
The Challenge
AAM, a global automotive supplier of driveline and drivetrain systems, was faced with the challenge of redesigning an automotive carrier with less weight and material usage than the original. The company, based in Detroit, Michigan, with offices in 13 different countries, specializes in the design and manufacturing of axles, chassis modules, driveshafts, transmission parts, and metal-formed products. The challenge was to create a lightweight design that would not only improve performance but also increase efficiency and fuel economy, which are particularly important in the automotive market.
About The Customer
AAM is a Tier-One global automotive supplier of driveline and drivetrain systems for light trucks, SUVs, passenger cars, crossover vehicles, and commercial vehicles. The company is based in Detroit, Michigan, and has offices in 13 different countries. AAM specializes in the design and manufacturing of axles, chassis modules, driveshafts, transmission parts, and metal-formed products. The company was an early adopter of Inspire and has used it on multiple projects over the years. AAM is currently using Inspire to generate concepts for many of its designs and plans to continue to use Inspire to assist with its structural designs to not only reduce mass but also increase part stiffness.
The Solution
AAM incorporated solidThinking Inspire into their design process to generate the optimal design for the redesigned carrier. The process began with the creation of a basic design space in CAD, which represented the maximum volume that the redesigned carrier could occupy. Following this, all the loading conditions were applied. Using Inspire, vertical beaming and gear forward and reverse loading conditions were applied, as well as manufacturing constraints. Inspire then generated the ideal shape for the new part, leading to the creation of an optimized ribbing design for the part. Structural components were optimized for bending and deflection performance. After further testing, interpretation, and validation of the new design, AAM determined that the new design was 20% lighter than the original.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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