Vehicle Packaging

[chad108]

Hello there,

What is vehicle packaging all about??!

Any good websites you can recommend?

chad

 

[GregLocock]

No websites I'm afraid.

It's how you fit the required components and people into the vehicle, whilst giving each enough room to move. Typical constraints for a chassis component, say the fuel tank, are that it must be below the floor, above the ground clearance line, far enough from the driveshaft (on a 4wd), far enough from the exhaust, and well clear of the rear suspension arms. The assembly line also has to be able to install it, and the service guys need access to the fuel pump assembly without dropping the tank. There are also rules governing the functional aspects of the tank, and the shape you come up with has to be manufacturable.

That leaves you with about 10 gallons, so you have to get clever.

Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[Chr1s]

For the company I work for, we package 'A surface' components using master sections to start. Basically you pick a series of critical 2D sections. So for example if you where packaging a new bumper fascia you would produce 2D sections in 3D space through the following areas for an SUV.

1) Y=0

2) Y plane through the tow hook - to check for clearances for the tow strap.

3) Horizontal and vertical section through the fog lamp.

4) Sections through attachment locations

etc..etc.. In these section you would show the bumper beam or crossmember, radiator, hood latch, tow hook, wheel liner, grille, fender, hood, fascia, headlamp, fog lamp etc... You would add dimensions to show minimum clearances, regulations, build objectives, minimum openings for air flow and so on. For the A surface stuff you work with the studio so that they get something that looks pretty while also being functional and manufacturable.

I do not always like working like this as trying to design a 3D part with 2D section mean you can easily miss things.

My main piece of advise for packaging, make sure you get every component in the area your concerned with and make sure you get the latest engineering level for that part. One missed component or wrong part level can really mess you up.

 

[ashrma]

is there a difference in vehicle packaging and assembly

 

[ivymike]

well yes, if I understand the question.

Vehicle packaging is part of the design process, usually performed on a CAD tube, wherein the component locations within the vehicle are chosen.

Vehicle assembly is the physical act of constructing the vehicle, during which (once in a really long while) all the parts get put where they're supposed to be...