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"Automotive Engineering"is a branch of Vehicle Engineering , incorporating elements of Mechanical , Electrical , Electronic , Software and Safety Engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of Automobile s, Bus es and Truck s and their respective engineering subsystems. FIELDS Automotive engineers are involved in almost every aspect of designing Car s and Truck s, from the initial concepts right through to manufacturing them. Broadly speaking automotive engineers are separated into three main streams - product engineering, development engineering and manufacturing engineering.
In Toyota , for example, manufacturing engineering is regarded as a more prestigious career path than designing and developing the cars. The Toyota Way PRODUCT ENGINEERING Some of the engineering attributes/disciplines that are of importance to the automotive engineer: Safety Engineering: crash simulation, Crash Test Dummies , partial system sled and full vehicle crashes. Fuel Economy/Emissions: Fuel Economy is the measured fuel efficiency of the vehicle in miles per gallon or litres per 100 kilometres. Emissions testing the measurement of the vehicles emissions: hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and evaporative emissions. Vehicle Dynamics: , Steering , Braking , and Traction . Design of the Chassis systems of suspension, steering, braking, structure (frame), wheels and tires, and traction control are highly leveraged by the Vehicle Dynamics engineer to deliver the Vehicle Dynamics qualities desired. '''NVH Engineering (. This feedback is generated by components either rubbing, vibrating or rotating. NVH response can be classified in various ways: powertrain NVH, road noise, wind noise, component noise, and squeak and rattle. Note, there are both good and bad NVH qualities. The NVH engineer works to either eliminate bad NVH, or change the “bad NVH” to good (i.e., exhaust tones). Performance: Performance is the driver’s perception of the vehicle's power and pickup. This is influenced by vehicle (WOT) acceleration, 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) -launch performance, or highway passing power. Shift Quality: Shift Quality is the driver’s perception of the vehicle to an Automatic Transmission shift event. This is influenced by the powertrain ( Engine , Transmission ), and the vehicle (driveline, Suspension , etc). Shift feel is both a tactile (feel) and audible (hear) response of the vehicle. Shift Quality is experienced as various events: Transmission shifts are felt as an upshift at acceleration (1-2), or a downshift maneuver in passing (4-2). Shift engagements of the vehicle are also evaluated, as in Park to Reverse, etc. Durability / Corrosion Engineering: Durability and Corrosion engineering is the evaluation testing of a vehicle for its useful life. This includes mileage accumulation, severe driving conditions, and corrosive salt baths. Package / Ergonomics Engineering: Package Engineering is a discipline that designs/analyzes the occupant accommodations (seat roominess), ingress/egress to the vehicle, and the driver’s field of vision (gauges and windows). The Package Engineer is also responsible for other areas of the vehicle like the engine compartment, and the component to component placement. Ergonomics is the discipline that assesses the occupant's access to the steering wheel, pedals, and other driver/passenger controls. Climate Control: Climate Control is the customer’s impression of the cabin environment and level of comfort related to the temperature and humidity. From the windshield defrosting, to the heating and cooling capacity, all vehicle seating positions are evaluated to a certain level of comfort. Driveability: Driveability is the vehicle’s response to general driving conditions. Cold starts and stalls, rpm dips, idle response, launch hesitations and stumbles, and performance levels. Cost: The cost of a vehicle program is typically split into the effect on the variable cost of the vehicle, and the up-front tooling and fixed costs associated with developing the vehicle. There are also costs associated with warranty reductions, and marketing. Program timing: To some extent programs are timed with respect to the market, and also to the production schedules of the assembly plants. Any new part in the design must support the development and manufacturing schedule of the model. Assembly Feasibility: It is easy to design a module that is hard to assemble, either resulting in damaged units, or poor tolerances The skilled product development engineer works with the assembly/manufacturing engineers so that the resulting design is easy and cheap to make and assemble, as well as delivering appropriate functionality and appearance. DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER A Development Engineer is a job function within Automotive Engineering, in which the development engineer has the responsibility for coordinating delivery of the engineering attributes of a complete Automobile ( Bus , Car , Truck , van, SUV, etc.) as dictated by the Automobile Manufacturer , Governmental Regulation s, and the customer who buys the product. Much like the (anti-lock braking system). Another aspect of the development engineer's job is a trade-off process required to deliver all the automobile attributes at a certain acceptable level. An example of this is the trade-off between engine performance and , Transmission Gearing , Emission Control devices, and Tire s. The Development Engineer is also responsible for organising automobile level testing, validation, and certification. Components and systems are designed and tested individually by the Product Engineer. The final evaluation though, has to be conducted at the automobile level to evaluate system to system interactions. As an example, the audio system (radio) needs to be evaluated at the automobile level. Interaction with other electronic components can cause Interference . Heat dissipation of the system and Ergonomic placement of the controls need to be evaluated. Sound quality in all seating positions needs to be provided at acceptable levels. MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING OTHER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS There are also other automotive engineers:
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