Like most automotive manufacturers turning to new technology, GM is doing it for the purpose of reducing vehicle weight and mass and lowering emissions. Since 2016, the company has launched 14 new vehicle models with a total mass reduction of more than 5,000 pounds, or more than 350 pounds per vehicle. The new 2019 Chevy Silverado reduced mass by up to 450 pounds.
Lightweighting has numerous benefits even beyond reducing emissions. Eliminating mass in parts where material is not required for performance, combined with parts consolidation, means more interior space and vehicle content, as well as increased range and enhanced performance. It also allows for the integration of new features and allows designers to explore new designs and geometries.
“Generative design offers cloud options to explore, through which users can pick the most important properties,” Duann Scott, Manager, Strategy and Business Development for Autodesk’s Digital Manufacturing Group, told 3DPrint.com in a 2017 interview. “What materials, what processes are available to me? From there, you get a guide the software generates for you, and you can go with that or use as just a guide for further design work.”
As part of a multi-year collaboration focused on innovation, GM and Autodesk will work together on projects involving generative design, 3D printing and materials science. Executives and engineers from the two companies will participate in a series of onsite engagements to exchange ideas and expertise, and GM has on-demand access to Autodesk’s software and technical specialists.
“Generative design is the future of manufacturing, and GM is a pioneer in using it to lightweight their future vehicles,” said Scott Reese, Autodesk Senior Vice President for Manufacturing and Construction Products. “Generative technologies fundamentally change how engineering work is done because the manufacturing process is built into design options from the start. GM engineers will be able to explore hundreds of ready-to-be-manufactured, high-performance design options faster than they were able to validate a single design the old way.”
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[Source/Images: GM]