Optimization Strategies for Multi-Material Vehicles
This post has been contributed by Regu Ramoo, Director of Engineering at Altair ProductDesign
Many studies on automotive mass reduction have been undertaken over the years by various steel, aluminum, magnesium, and composites consortia, all expounding the virtues of substituting a particular material. Altair has participated in studies with all these organizations over the years and has understood the strengths, limitations, and constraints of working with various materials.
Optimization Goes Way Beyond Weight Reduction
This post has been contributed by Panduranga Rao Chirala, Vice President of Altair ProductDesign, India
It has been a constant human endeavour – across the globe – to make things better and last longer. In the developing economy, the culture is one of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” The availability of pure research or development funds may be scarce but not the quest to cut cost and / or to get more out of something for little investment.
Tool Replacement: The Closest Thing to a Free Lunch (or Free Beer)
This post has been contributed by my colleague, Tim Smith, Director of Design Engineering at Altair ProductDesign
I am sure we are all familiar with the standard marketing come-on of getting something for free, a free lunch, weekend get-away or perhaps, in its most effective form, free beer. I am sure we are equally familiar with the standard response to these come-ons that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” For us engineers who need to take weight out of our products, I think what follows may be the closest thing to a free lunch that we can get. If you can spare me a few minutes, I will explain.
Hydraulic Hybrids and Holistic Design: A New Approach to Delivery
It’s good to see another example of the transportation industry adopting the RIGHT hybrid powertrain for a specific need and vehicle type. A recent article in Fleet Owner reports that UPS has purchased 40 hydraulic hybrid delivery vans partially funded through the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Clean Cities program.
Kindred Spirits – Altair Meets Edison2
OK… I’m not usually very touchy-feely, so starting a blog with this title is a bit out of character for me, but bear with me a moment and I’ll explain. In a profession like engineering, you have those moments where you see a unique solution, or suddenly “get it” in a moment of inspiration. These are ah-ha moments. Great feeling, and maybe what engineers really pine for ahead of most other experiences. Most of society doesn’t understand. Other engineers do.