Vihang M.

You’ve nailed the distinction between Dimensional Engineering and GD&T. A key misunderstanding is the complexity of variation management, especially at the part level (e.g., Assembly Line A vs. B). One area I think is worth diving deeper into is how Dimensional Engineering proactively manages variation in the manufacturing process itself. It’s one thing to define tolerances, but without monitoring and controlling the process you might still end up with variability. Statistical Process Control tools are crucial here, they allow us to monitor real-time variation and adjust the process before issues become significant. Stack-up variation analysis also plays a critical role in predicting how small tolerances on individual parts can accumulate when assembled, potentially impacting the final product. This holistic view of understanding and mitigating variation in individual parts (comparing parts to GD&T) and across the full assembly process (Dimensional) ensures that the final product consistently meets design intent and functional requirements, without compromising quality or performance.  Individual components must be within defined limits, from there it is about managing the whole system by optimizing Design and Process.

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I am thrilled to announce the publication of our latest paper titled “Understanding Interfacial Failure Mechanisms of Advanced High Strength Automotive Steels Resistance Spot Welds Under Opening-Mode Loading” in the journal of *Engineering Fracture Mechanics*. The paper is now available through the following personalized link: https://lnkd.in/dj3KYumE Here are some highlights from our publication: • A clarification has been made on interfacial failure mechanism of the resistance spot welds under opening-mode loading. • Two primary failure mechanisms have been identified: ductile tensile failure and brittle crack propagation. • Two models were proposed to predict cross-tension interfacial strength based on structural stress and fracture mechanics. • The transition between the competing mechanisms is governed by the ratio of fracture toughness to hardness of the fusion zone. • This clarification can aid in designing more sophisticated in-situ post-weld heat treatments (PWHT) to enhance weld mechanical properties. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Pouranvari for his invaluable guidance and support throughout this research. #RSW #AHSS #CrossTension #Hardness #FractureToughness #FailureMechanism

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Dear all, My book chapter on " Numerical Study of Bulging Instability in a Porous Tube Under Internal Pressure" is online now. This artical highlights the bulging instability of hyperelastic material. Close end rubber tube subjected to internal pressure is considered. Finite Element Analysis of mechanical failure due to excessive localized deformation is also highlighted. This artical finding can help to understanding the stability of various mechanical and biological systems, such as fluid-carrying rubber tubes and aneurysms in the human brains. DOI: https://lnkd.in/gWQFVHzJ Springer Link: https://lnkd.in/g8WSVgPC #FEA #Abaqus #HyperelasticMaterail

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If you are struggling with optimising FEA performance, which will be a common issue for any FEA, its worth keeping in mind that input/output is often critical, and that parallelisation has quite surprising limits depending on model size. 1) Did you remember to turn OFF hyperthreading in your BIOS ? Most analysis software wants this OFF to successfully run in parallel, yet this advice is always hidden in the depths of the documentation. You can easily check because if you have a 12 core CPU and you check and it says 24 threads available, it means hyperthreading is ON. As far as I know this is pretty much Intel CPU specific. 2) If you have a small case (1million cells) dont expect much to happen if you go from 4 to 22 cores. After a certain limit of the "pie" being cut up into pieces its so much work "chopping" that putting it all together ends up being more work than fewer slices. 3) Get a RAMDRIVE, you will find that (for example in Siemens Simcentre NASTRAN) you can set the temporary file folder to any drive location you want. Get best performance by creating a RAMDRIVE and set your temp simulation folder to THAT. The fact it gets wiped when you switch off is irrelevant, its not your simulation file folder. It helps to have a LOT of RAM, but you dont need a vast amount. I have 256GB on my sim workstation, but I rarely use even 1/3 of it, more than enough is left to configure as a temporary file RAMDRIVE for your simulation input/output. In Siemens Digital Industries Software SIMCENTRE, I carved about 25% off the runtime by switching from an SSD to RAMDRIVE for the "Scratch" folder as its called in Simcentre. These days if you have a spare set of gold bars to get rid of you can buy enterprise level U.3 drives, but even these fall quite a bit short of the I/O datarates of the RAM on your motherboard. So if you have plenty of RAM, get your temp sim files moved to your RAMDRIVE. You need a tool to set one up, this one is pretty easy and free. (Oh how I miss my AMIGA, which 30 years ago came with a RAMDRIVE tool as standard, damn Commodore for their bad management, now I`m stuck on this WinBOX !)

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As I was scrolling through old Instagram posts recently, I came across this sketch from 2018. At the time, I was a mechanical engineering student, feeling completely lost. I had a deep passion for automotive design, but back then, it seemed like an impossible dream. I wasn’t aware of any master’s programs in India for car design which accepted engineers, and the affordable options were abroad—primarily in Italy. My parents, unsure about the viability of this career, understandably had concerns. After all, car design wasn’t a common career path, and at that point, I couldn’t even sketch cars well. One particular day, I was feeling dejected, almost convinced that my dream of becoming an automotive designer would remain just that—a dream. In the middle of a class, I grabbed the last page of my notebook and sketched this figure: a representation of how I felt—lost, voiceless, and directionless. Fast forward to today, when I look back at this sketch, I feel a sense of pride. Proud of how far I've come, and deeply grateful for the support I received along the way, especially from my parents, who eventually believed in me and my passion. It's just the beginning of this exciting journey. For anyone feeling stuck or unsure about their future, just remember: everything is possible if you’re willing to put in the hard work. Sometimes, the path ahead may seem unclear, but persistence and belief in yourself can turn a dream into reality.

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The Vital Role of Systems Engineering in Automotive Innovation: Insights from SAE International Edge Report 2024. During a recent INCOSE seminar at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, I won a lucky dip and received the SAE International Edge Research Report from the editor of the report- Anne O'Neil. 'The State of Systems Engineering Adoption in the Automotive Industry,'  provided me with valuable insights into the current state of systems engineering in the automotive industry. The following are my takeaways from reading the report: The Growing Need for Systems Engineering- SE is increasingly essential for integrating software, hardware, and human factors in vehicle development. Holistic Approach: SE integrates all aspects of vehicle development. Key Architectural Characteristics: Ensures system performance through disciplined design. Systemic Adoption: Requires integration across business, governance, and supply chain levels. As vehicle systems become more complex and regulations grow stricter, SE provides the necessary framework for seamless integration. The report also highlights the uncertainty in predicting regulatory changes. Key Challenges and Cultural Shifts- Despite the clear benefits, adopting SE practices presents significant challenges, particularly in traditional automotive organizations. Cultural Resistance: Shifting from traditional practices to SE can be challenging. Skunk Works Teams: Often fail to create lasting change when reintegrated into the broader organization. C-Suite Support: Strong leadership and alignment with corporate goals are essential for SE culture adoption. Balancing Hardware and Software: Neither hardware nor software should dominate the design process. The report emphasizes that overcoming these challenges requires robust organizational support from the top down. The Future of SE in Automotive- The future of automotive innovation relies on fully embracing SE practices. Digital Tools: Leveraging modeling and simulation tools for agility and ongoing validation. Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Increasingly important as vehicles become more interconnected. Iterative Development: Moving from traditional waterfall models to more agile approaches. Adopting flexible, iterative SE practices is vital to keep pace with the rapid changes in vehicle development.

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These are the mistakes I made as a student when I was introduced to CFD during my college days. I was a part of the Formula Student Team, and I wanted to perform external aerodynamics on the car during my second year (2016) of my bachelor's. That's when I was first introduced to CFD. I saw some CFD videos on YouTube. I used to think that knowing how to simulate something on a computer was enough to say, "I know how to do CFD." You can survive without theory. I directly jumped on CFD software to simulate the external aerodynamics of the car without knowing the theory of CFD and aerodynamics during my 3rd year of college. I just wanted to get colorful streamline animations, and I thought I knew how to do CFD. I found those CFD animations very cool. I never paid attention to residuals and the conservation of fundamental variables. I used to give extremely fine global mesh, which made meshing take many hours on such a small CAD model. Eventually, that mesh used to fail most of the time because I never spent much time on CAD cleanup. I never paid attention to mesh quality; I used to rush to run the simulation. I used to run 50–100 iterations, stop the simulation, and jump to CFD results. Then I took my first course on CFD as a semester subject in the year 2018. That's when everything changed for me. And the journey has been amazing until today! How was your CFD learning? What mistakes did you make? Mention them in the comments! #mechanicalengineering #mechanical #aerospace #automotive #cfd

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This quote highlights that while good design might seem costly, poor design can end up being far more expensive in terms of fixing mistakes, inefficiencies, or failures. It emphasizes the value of investing in quality design upfront. In manufacturing, this holds especially true. A well-designed product not only ensures efficiency and functionality but also reduces the need for costly reworks, downtime, and material waste. Poor design can lead to production delays, increased maintenance, and even safety hazards, which can severely impact both the bottom line and customer satisfaction. Investing in quality design upfront helps streamline production processes, improve product longevity, and ultimately, save both time and money in the long run.

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🔵 The Importance of Head Impact Analysis in Vehicle Safety Head impact analysis is a crucial component that ensures the well-being of vehicle occupants. This analysis helps design vehicles that can better protect passengers during collisions. Let’s explore what head impact analysis involves in vehicle safety. 📌 What is Head Impact Analysis? Head impact analysis is a detailed study conducted during the vehicle design process to understand how a passenger’s head might impact various parts of the vehicle interior during a collision. This analysis uses computer simulations and physical crash tests to predict the forces exerted on the head and the potential injuries that might result. 📌 Key Components of Head Impact Analysis: 🔻Simulation and Modeling: 🔹Finite Element Analysis (FEA): FEA, model the behavior of vehicle structures and materials under impact conditions. 🔹Crash Test Dummies:Simulated human models equipped with sensors to measure forces and accelerations experienced during impacts. 🔻Impact Scenarios: 🔹Frontal Collisions:Analysis of head impacts against the steering wheel, dashboard, and windshield. 🔹Side Collisions:Study of head impacts on side windows, pillars, and other lateral structures. 🔹Rollover Accidents:Assessment of head impacts on the roof and other interior surfaces. 🔻Safety Standards and Regulations: 🔹Compliance with Standards: Ensuring vehicle designs meet safety standards set by regulatory bodies such as Euro NCAP. 🔹Injury Criteria: Using metrics like the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) to quantify the potential for head injuries and ensure they remain within acceptable limits. 📌 Significance of Head Impact Analysis 🔻Injury Prevention: 🔹Enhanced Protection:By understanding potential impact scenarios, engineers can design structures and materials that better absorb and dissipate impact energy, reducing the likelihood of severe head injuries. 🔹Improved Restraint Systems: Development of advanced airbags, seat belts, and head restraints that work together to minimize head movement and impact forces during a crash. 🔻Design Optimization: 🔹Material Selection:Use of advanced materials, such as high-strength steel, aluminum, and composites, that offer better energy absorption and structural integrity. Interior Layout:Strategic placement of interior components and padding to minimize hard surfaces that could cause injury. 🔻Consumer Confidence: 🔹Safety Ratings:Vehicles that perform well in head impact analysis tend to receive higher safety ratings, which can be a significant factor in consumer purchasing decisions. 📌Conclusion By leveraging advanced simulation technologies, the automotive industry can significantly reduce the risk of head injuries in vehicle collisions. This not only saves lives but also builds consumer trust and enhances the overall driving experience. #AutomotiveSafety #HeadImpactAnalysis #CrashTesting #VehicleDesign #SafetyStandards #EngineeringInnovation

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🌟 Multiphase Modeling in Combustion using VOF-DPM Model: Best Practices & Insights for Beginners 🌟 As a newcomer in CFD simulation, tackling multiphase modeling for combustion might feel overwhelming. But with the right approach, you can master the techniques needed to solve complex problems. In this post, I’ll walk you through one of the widely used models, VOF-DPM (Volume of Fluid-Discrete Phase Model) and share some best practices to guide your learning journey. 💡What is the VOF-DPM Model? The VOF-DPM model combines two powerful methodologies: VOF (Volume of Fluid) for tracking immiscible phases (like liquid and gas) to capture interfaces. DPM (Discrete Phase Model) for tracking individual particles, droplets, or bubbles within the flow. In combustion, these models allow you to simulate scenarios where liquid fuel interacts with gaseous phases, leading to atomization, vaporization, and combustion. 🔑 Key Steps to Get Started: Understand the Physics: Combustion modeling involves phase change, heat transfer, and chemical reactions. Make sure you're familiar with these core concepts. For beginners, it’s essential to get comfortable with basic combustion theory and multiphase interactions. Grid Sensitivity & Mesh: Meshing plays a vital role in capturing phase interfaces and tracking particles. A fine mesh around the injection point (where liquid fuel enters the system) and in regions where combustion occurs is crucial. Make sure to use adaptive mesh refinement for better accuracy. Phase Interaction Models: In VOF-DPM, it’s important to set proper interaction mechanisms between the continuous (gas) and discrete (liquid droplets) phases. Learn how to configure evaporation, drag forces, and turbulence models based on your combustion scenario. Injection Strategy in DPM: For beginners, focus on setting up injections carefully. You need to define the fuel properties, injection type (e.g., surface or point), and particle size distribution to simulate realistic spray combustion. Inaccurate injections can lead to convergence issues or unrealistic results. Heat Transfer & Radiation Models: Combustion involves a large amount of heat transfer. Ensure you incorporate radiation models like P1 or DO (Discrete Ordinates), along with species transport models to capture the reactive nature of combustion. Monitor Key Parameters: Throughout the simulation, track variables like mass fraction of fuel, flame temperature, and O2/CO2 concentrations. This will help you identify whether your combustion is proceeding as expected. Test different turbulence and combustion models (e.g., RANS, LES) to see which best suits your case. 💡 Key Insight: The VOF-DPM model is versatile, allowing you to simulate spray atomization and droplet combustion, but the devil is in the details. Pay attention to boundary conditions, injection settings, and reaction kinetics to ensure accurate simulations. Good luck on your journey!

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When does failure happen? Here is how you can predict how components behave under different stresses long before they're built: Engineering & Scientific applications benefit immensely from FEA (Finite Element Analysis)! With FEA, I can: 1. Apply Structural Loads like force, pressure, and displacement. 2. Include Body Loads such as gravity and centrifugal effects. 3. Simulate Thermal Loads like heat flux, temperature changes, and convection. 💡 Imagine using all these parameters to predict if a product will bend, break, or overheat! But what makes it even more powerful is understanding Material Behavior—every engineer’s best friend! From Elastic Deformation to Plastic Deformation, FEA breaks down how materials handle stress until they fail through necking and fracture. ...It’s not just about modeling—it’s about knowing when and where a design will fail. Industries like automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing rely heavily on FEA because failure is not an option when it comes to safety and reliability. So, the next time you think of design optimization, remember: FEA is more than a tool—it’s the key to engineering precision. What’s your experience with FEA? 👇 #FEA #engineering #ansys #solidworks #mechanicalengineering #manufacturing #structuralengineering #materials

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#TeslaLayoff As you know, Tesla did a very needed and strategic workforce reduction yesterday. LinkedIn and other platforms were flooded with some opportunistic "articles" about these news BUT also with very sad stories from those that were affected by the layoffs. (which I totally respect) I think that those affected by it deserve to have the platform available for them to expose their cases and also to expose their experience and skills in an effort to find the next step on their career path. and this is why I waited until today to write my own post, so I can try to help some of those great engineers without having this overlooked by the huge amount of very important information from yesterday. The point is that, just in my team, we lost 4 great automation engineers during this layoff: Dale, Luis, Simon and Manuel are great Siemens PLC programmers with deep automation understanding and data-driven decision making that helped us ramp up GFTX by doing very critical projects with great results. People that I can recommend right away if requested by any recruiter. I will not tag them to respect their privacy BUT I will contact the so they can tag themselves on the comments of this post if they want to be reachable. I do know a lot of other ExTesla on the exact same situation; Great people with great performances and dedication that can create huge impact on any manufacturing, tech or automation companies. If you are one of those affected OR you know someone affected by this layoff please feel free tag you/them on the comments section. AND if you see any ExTesla employee affected by this layoff you can be sure that they know how to bring results very quickly and you should consider them on any talent recruiting process. *If this post can help at least one ExTesla to find a new opportunity I will consider it a success. .

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Our Department is offering a series of innovative graduate-level courses on battery technology. Several recently added courses explore various facets of battery technology, from advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to structural design and control strategies. Taught by faculty members actively engaged in cutting-edge research or industry-leading experts, each course offers in-depth insights into the latest developments in the field. Students can enroll in individual courses or integrate them into their pursuit of master’s degrees in Automotive and Mobility Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Materials Science and Engineering. Additionally, an enticing option is the graduate certificate program in Engineering of Electrified Vehicular Systems, which is ideal for those seeking a short (just four courses) and focused study path. The courses are offered regularly, typically during fall or winter semesters, and are accessible both on-campus and online. ME 553: Structural Design and CAE Analysis for Electric Vehicle Batteries (available in fall 2024) Topics include structural analysis for battery modules/packs and cells as well as battery components, module/pack sizing, PSD profile development for shaker table, shaker table analysis, and thermal cyclic analysis. Battery manufacturing variations are also discussed. Finite element techniques for batteries in vehicle validation are also covered. ME 559: Battery Materials, Manufacturing and Recycling (available in fall 2024) This course will comprehensively review electrode and electrolyte materials used in batteries and their relationship with battery energy density, power density, voltage, etc. It will also present various manufacturing methods of electrodes and electrolytes and their pros and cons in terms of manufacturing cost, energy, speed, scalability, and environmental impact. Battery cell types and the structures and materials of battery modules and packs will be introduced. Calculating module and pack-level energy density and other characteristics will be presented. Finally, various battery recycling methods will be presented. ME 576: Battery Systems, Modeling, and Control (available in winter 2025) Students will learn how electrochemical systems work and how they can be mathematically described. They will also cover a simple phenomenological electrical circuit model and a detailed physics-based model that can capture diffusion dynamics. They will also cover the thermal behavior of a battery system and its modeling. Students will learn the basic functions of battery management systems for monitoring state-of-charge, state-of-power, and state-of-health in automotive and consumer electronics applications. #mechanicalengineering #batteries #batterytechnology #electricalvehicle #electriccar #electricalcar University of Michigan-Dearborn

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I completely agree with this post. The lines between mechanical and IT engineering are blurring, and it's essential for mechanical engineers to upskill and reskill to remain relevant. By embracing Industry 4.0 technologies like lean manufacturing, smart automation, digital factories, IoT, and data analytics, mechanical engineers can enhance their problem-solving skills and drive innovation. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the impact of digital transformation, I can attest that understanding coding languages like Python and R can significantly boost mechanical engineers' career prospects. Moreover, their unique strengths in understanding physical systems and problem-solving can be invaluable in emerging areas like sustainable manufacturing, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. To stay ahead, mechanical engineers should focus on developing holistic skills, combining technical expertise with business acumen, communication, and collaboration. By doing so, they'll be better equipped to drive innovation and lead cross-functional teams. What are your thoughts on the skills mechanical engineers need to thrive in today's industry?" #lean #industry4.0 #quality #manufacturing #digitaltransformation

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🚗💡 Leveraging Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in Automotive Design 🛠️🔍 In the fast-paced world of automotive engineering, precision and performance are paramount. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that every component meets rigorous standards before hitting the road. FEA allows engineers to simulate and analyze the behavior of automotive parts under various conditions such as stress, heat, vibration, and fluid flow. By creating virtual prototypes, we can predict how materials will perform in real-world scenarios without the need for extensive physical testing. This not only accelerates the design process but also enhances reliability and safety. From single component to complex assemblies, FEA enables us to optimize designs, minimize weight while maintaining strength, and ensure optimal performance. It helps in identifying potential weak points early in the design phase, thereby reducing costly redesigns and improving time-to-market. At MAHLE we harness the power of FEA to innovate and deliver cutting-edge automotive solutions. Whether it's enhancing structural integrity, improving fuel efficiency, or refining vehicle dynamics, FEA empowers us to push the boundaries of what's possible in automotive engineering. Let's continue to drive innovation through advanced simulation technologies like FEA, shaping the future of mobility one component at a time. 🌟 #AutomotiveEngineering #FEA #Simulation #Innovation #EngineeringExcellence #AutomotiveDesign #EngineeringSimulation #FutureOfMobility

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Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)! Presentation contains a summary of the phases of APQP, briefs about inputs and outputs that ensure project success. The Structured approach has been vital for delivering top-notch products in the automotive industry. M Personal Belief. Many automotive start-ups that faced challenges could have thrived if they had followed the APQP process and guidelines! I hope this brief summary proves handy for the professionals in the automotive industry! #APQP #AutomotiveIndustry #Project Management #QualityControl #ProductDevelopment

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