34 - Friday, June 5S, 1992 - North Shore News AUTOMOTIVE New technology speeding up the design process Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION __ THE TIME between an ar- tist’s first rendering of a new automobile and_ its final production has decreased dramatically over the past ten years. Intervals of eight to ten years used to be common, but now, new models can be churned out in less than four years. New: technology and management techniques, commonly referred to as ‘‘lean production,”” 2re responsible for the revolutionary reductions in product development time. An important past of this pro- cess is computer-aided design, one of the most interesting and effi- cient means of speeding up devel- opment time. Automobile styling, which was once done entirely by hand, is now accomplished using advanced CAD/CAM systems. Designers’ sketches can be con- verted into three-dimensional im- ages on a color screen, and then converted into clay, plastic models by computerized model-making machines. Designs which once took weeks or months to accomplish can now be done in days or weeks. One of the newest computerized design systems, Nissan’s STYLO, is a system which not only con- verts sketches into three-dimen- sional line drawings, but is able to color in the image to make it look like a finished design, complete with highlights and shadows. The computer design can be viewed from. any angle and rotated so the designer can watch the highlights paper, or- reflected from its surface. Design- ers can even ‘‘walk into’’ the inte- tior of a car. When the design is completed, STYLO can print out realistic- looking photographs, enabling de- signers to keep the entire shape in mind and maintain subtleties of the design concept. Nissan claims that STYLO can reduce the design cycle time by more than a third, plus improve design quality and accuracv. Time, of course, means money to automobile manufacturers, and any technique for reducing time and labor costs is well appreci- ated. The time-saving benefits of coniputer-aided design are not limited to styling. The STYLO system incorporates a_ milling (modelling) machine which can convert the computer image into a clay model. This used to be a tedious process done entirely by hand by a group of highly paid engineers and designers. Some computer-operated modelling machines can make miniature models using paper, plastic, ceramics or wax. A de- signer can have a scale model of his computer design on his/her desk within minutes or hours of designing it. Styling is not the only beneficiary of advanced computer technology. When a designer in- puts a design into a computer, it can be transferred to another computer system, allowing engineers to study the structure, aerodynamics, ergonomics and other practical aspects of the design. Computer-aided design systems are part of the process of simul- taneous engineering, where many tasks are performed at about the same time, instead of sequentially. Since styling is now data-oriented, high-quality development _ infor- mation is now available at the ear- ly design stage for all departments involved in the development of automobiles. The bottom line for consumers is that new car models will appear in the showrooms more often, and the pace of technology improve- ments will increase significantly. The downside may be that, with the fast pace of technology, your car may become outdated in just a few years. THE HEART of Nissan’s STYLO computerized design system Is a screen that displays a three- dimensional model created from the designer's sketches. We CAVALIER » C1 INO CHA PLUS FREIGHT.— NET OF REBATES * GE FOR P, *IF YOU HAVE AN IMPORT IN THE FAMILY, THEN YOU SHOULD TRY GEO (SEE US FOR DETAILS — SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY) THE FUEL STORY — YOUR SAVINGS CAN MAKE YOUR PAYMENT | Syei#t HOW ¥ FUGQUSCTO +. 49y Abs vA fe CONSIDER THIS! {Based on driving 1200 miles/mo.) 1. IF YOUR TRADE, an older V8 worth $1,000, gets : 1S MILES /GAL. 2. This brand new GEO METRO (with full warranty) will give you SO MILES / GAL. Monthly gas SAVINGS $149 New monthly PAYMENT $249 Plus taxes - 48 months net lease Total paid $7,152 (plus trade}. fees a viiaa* awaudns #vuaia ss¥TL LAZER + SUBURBA Next week Greg Wilson test. drives the 93 Buick Lesabre x MECHANICAL-SPECIALISTS RECONDTION * COLLISION SPECIALISTS 9 °/-" OUR “30TH” YEAR SERVING THE NORTH SHORE QUALITY WORKMANSHIP — TRUSTWORTHY SERVICE B.CJLA. APPROVED - A.R.A, CERTIFIED LC.B.C. VENDOR — 1.C.A.R. TRAINED © GENERAL MCCHANICAL (MOTOR, BRAKES, ETC.) * AUTOMATIC & STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS, CLUTCHES, DIFF. © COMPUTERIZED ELECTRONIC TUNE-UPS * COOLING SYSTEMS & AIR-CONDITIONING * ALIGNMENTS, BALANCING, SUSPENSIONS, FRAMES, UNIBODY BODY & FENDER, MAJOR COLLISIONS —- BAXE OVEN PAINTING © TOWING & COURTESY CARS ARRANGED IAYLORMOTIVE 5910. 474 PEMBERTON AVE. —_SLCeHS.S0UTH OF Marine 02 N. 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