Catalytic Convertor Benchmarking for Rare Earth Element Loading and Cost
Alternator Generator detailed teardown & feature mapping
3D Scan, Section Study & Insights on Vehicles
Advanced Structures India conducts 3D scanning based benchmarking to generate engineering insights for new product development. We use an approach of combining rough scan data and accurately measured sections on the vehicle. This ensures incredible time and cost savings in the overall study and leads to quick actionable outcomes.
*All data/graphs/trends/images presented on this page are dummy/heavily masked/edited to remove specific details. They are intended only to showcase sample outcomes of such activities.
Inbuilt CAD viewer capabilities of our xcPEP platform ensures seamless access and utilization of our 3D scan based benchmarking data and analysis.
3D scanning for benchmarking competition vehicles is an activity where OEM’s spending is increasing with time, but the return on that spending is diminishing. The amount of value-added, when compared to the quantum of data generated (or money spent), is less.
Scanning of a vehicle must be done as a part of a larger activity with the clear goal of either cost reduction or input for new product development. As a philosophy CAD Data shouldn’t be the only output of any activity, it should always be provided with a quantified value add.
For instance, ideas generated from vehicle integration insights of a benchmark vehicle post scanning resulted in 5% overall savings. Or, the designer could decide (3 times faster) the fit and clearance philosophy for interior cutlines of a passenger car after studying the comparison reports of scanned CAD files of benchmark vehicles.
3D CAD data for Cost Reduction and New Product Development (NPD)
The most basic question we need to ask before we decide on vehicle 3D CAD scanning is “What is the quantified value scanning data can add to your company?”. The most important word in this question is “quantified”.
Following are the possible value adds from a scanning activity:
- Cost reduction potential for existing vehicle
- Master sections benchmarking for raw material usage distribution & its cost impact on CiW/DiW/BiW for strength, aesthetics or integration.
- Understanding the packaging efficiency & compactness in design for cost effective layout.
- Reduction in product design & development lifecycle by creating ready-to-use benchmarking target book for key engineering decisions.
- Available sections as benchmark help engineers in deciding key parameters for design while feasibility study.
b. SAE J1100 all dimensions benchmark data availability allows users to verify and validate the parameters decided for their vehicles quickly.
Rough CAD vs Detailed CAD
3D Scanning can be done through the “Rough CAD” or the “Detailed CAD” route to reach the end objective. We need to choose between the two wisely as there are huge cost & lead time differences between the two types of scanning.
The Rough CAD route is 3 times less complex and can be delivered 3 times faster with 10 times better accuracy when compared to the detailed CAD method. The sections on rough CAD can be prepared within 100 microns of accuracy as all parts are in assembled condition with better dimensional stability. However, the detailed CAD will require scanning after teardown of parts where maintaining dimensional stability is a big challenge. Also, surfaces are re-modelled and deviations, when accumulated together, will be high when compared to the actual part/vehicle.
Delivered outcomes help designers/engineers to take quick decisions on the following
- Ergonomics & Packaging
- Develop master sections (Design guideline which decides the component packaging after Styling surfaces)
- Engineering feasibility study for the new product
- Cost-conscious design study
Similarly, decisions for implementing cost reduction ideas that are not promoted due to lack of benchmark data or validation can get enormous help from the competition vehicle’s rough CAD. Savings realization is way faster through the Rough CAD route.
On the other hand, the detailed CAD can be used for the following activities
- Performing CAE
- Analysing tolerance stack up
- Acquire inputs for cost estimation of parts (not enough though). One can argue that we can perform all rough CAD activities also on detailed CAD. True, but it would be very expensive and time-consuming resulting in a delay in decision making for new vehicle development or realisation of cost savings during VA-VE.
Ideal way of using scanning CAD data
Rough scan of the outer and inner shell of the vehicle with detailed sections for all components. We create detailed sections of all sub-systems & position the same on rough CAD which can further be compared with other vehicle data.
Following are the example images from our tool xcPEP where rough scan can be visualised and sections can be studied in detail for benchmarking.
Master sections can be used as design guidelines which can help in taking following decisions on your product:
- Manufacturing feasibility
- Packaging with surrounding parts
- Homologation checks
- Mounting philosophy & methods
- Tolerance stack-up study
- Styling feedback
- Decide part configuration & cutlines
- Decide clearance & fit (Gaps & Flushness) guidelines for the exterior & interiors of the vehicle
- Operator ergonomics study
- Assembly sequence simulation
- Preliminary weight analysis &
- BOM generation
- Rough cost estimation of the parts
- Fastener type selection
We at ASI provide rough scan of the vehicle with detailed sectional reports for all category of vehicles. Please find below the number of sections along with certain examples for all sub-systems of 2 wheelers, passenger cars & commercial vehicles.
Two wheeler 2D section
Four Wheeler 2D Section
Commercial Vehicle 2D Section
