Ian Graham - Cars

Technology is the process and result of using technical knowledge to modify natural materials for meeting human needs and wants. Companies will only invest time and money in researching materials, employing designers and engineers, and setting up car factories if they are confident there is demand for a car and that it will make them money.

Throughout this book, you will come across some terms relating to the design and manufacturing of cars that also apply to other products. It might be helpful to explain some of these before you encounter them, so that you can get more out of this book.

There are two sorts of requirements:

• Criteria: Criteria are goals that must be satisfied to make a successful productfor example, efficiency and appearance.
• Constraints: Constrains are requirements limiting how the product is madefor example, cost and safety.

Balancing criteria and constraints is sometimes called a trade-off.

is the process of turning designs into real products. There is rarely a single, correct design solution to a problem. One solution is chosen from several options that are available.

Car designers use computers in a process called .

, which is the creation of realistic images or models to show how a new car might look in the real world. Optimization will include:

• Modeling: Modeling involves visualizing designs by using computergenerated images or clay models.
• Prototyping: Prototyping involves making full-scale working models of designs.

Mass-produced cars are designed using computer-aided design (CAD) systems, then they are manufactured in large numbers and shipped all over the world.

Cars are made of lots of smaller parts, and these parts are called . Car components can be simple parts such as nuts and bolts or bigger parts such as pumps or electric motors, which are themselves made of smaller components.

A group of pieces of machinery or processes that work together are called a . For example, a cars steering wheel and the parts that connect it to the front wheels form the cars steering system.

Control is the regulation or adjustment of a machine or process. Control can be applied manually or automatically. An example of manual control is the volume button on a television. Automatic systems are often controlled by computer chips called microprocessors. A typical car may have 50 to 100 microprocessors controlling its systems.

The life cycle of a car begins with a concept and ends with the destruction and disposal of the car at the end of its useful life.

The process of manufacturing begins with sourcing materials are used to make the parts that are assembled in factories to produce cars.

CONTRAST THE PAST

Modern cars last longer than early cars because of improved design, materials, and construction methods. Early cars were less reliable, too, and often broke down. A typical car in the 1920s lasted for six years. An average car today lasts for about 12 years. With careful maintenance, it could easily last 20 years.

MAKING PLANS

Developing a new car is extremely expensive. The biggest manufacturers can spend $500 million, or even more, before a single car is sold. Careful planning is essential for such an expensive project.

Planning

Planning for a new car usually begins three or four years before manufacturing starts. First, the manufacturer has to decide what type of car to build sports cars, sedans, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), hatchbacks, station wagons, supercars, kit cars, or luxury cars. Each type of car has a different set of features, capabilities, and performance that appeal to different drivers. Someone who wants a small, sporty car to drive for fun will buy a different type of car than someone who wants to drive long distances in comfort, or someone who needs to transport a large family.