For this project, the team incorporated elements from the generative-design process into a part that conventional die-cast molding could produce.
“When you need tens of thousands of parts, cost and production time become challenges,” Okamoto says. Objects created with generative design can be difficult to produce without 3D printing-which is unsuitable for mass production. The final design had a beautiful shape that we modified to allow for manufacture using conventional methods.” “Lots of the models were ugly at first look, but you began to see the beauty in these designs. “What I liked about this process was that I could make a 3D print of a model and get a better sense of how the heat would flow around that part,” he continues. “However, variations that could be used began to have similar shapes.
Change units autodesk 2019 trial#
“Our work designing this ECU was a process of trial and error, and many unusable designs were generated,” Okamoto says. By sifting through the choices-discarding unsuitable designs and accepting others-a person arrives at the optimal design. In generative design, AI creates copious design variations based on the designer’s provided parameters. The model to the right is the original general-purpose design. The conceptual model shown in the middle combines the circuit-board cover with the generative-design frame to the left. DENSO collaborated with partners at the Nichinan Group and with designers Satoshi Yanagisawa and Yujiro Kaida during this process. “To calculate for heat, I hypothesized I would need to treat the heat as load, so by adding load to areas that need to disperse heat, the optimal shape could be found,” he says. In his research, Okamoto used the generative-design features of Autodesk Fusion 360, even though it does not offer heat-related parameters. I thought I could use generative design to create parts using new shapes that are lighter but still retain heat-dispersing properties.” Solving the Heat-Transfer Dilemma “However, in a lightweight design, there are fewer pathways for drawing off heat, which reduces the heat-transfer efficiency. “I can draw on my experience to visualize a shape that disperses heat well,” Okamoto says. To operate without problems, the ECU hardware’s temperature needs to be lower than that by dispersing heat from where it contacts the engine block, where temperatures are about 105☌ (221☏). Courtesy DENSO Corporation.Īn engine’s “room temperature” can reach 120☌ (248☏). “I realized I could then use generative design for even greater weight reductions.”Īnother view of the initial ECU frame, made using generative design. “From the outset, I designed the components with lightness in mind,” Okamoto says. Okamoto is developing ECUs for mounting on small diesel engines used in construction and agricultural machinery, incorporating generative design into his workflow to create advanced conceptual models. To optimize the ECU, Akira Okamoto, DENSO’s project assistant manager of product design, used generative design to meet two critical goals: making the part lighter and increasing its thermal performance. Founded 70 years ago, DENSO today develops technologies for autonomous and electric vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI), mobility as a service (MaaS), and even quantum computing.
Change units autodesk 2019 professional#
In 2019, the iF Design Award for Professional Concept went to Japan’s DENSO Corporation, a leading auto-parts manufacturer, for a redesigned ECU. This system plays a critical role by optimizing the amount and timing of fuel injected, which can improve driving performance and reduce the amount of harmful emissions. The ECU is an electronic fuel-injection control system that determines the proper fuel supply required by the engine: Think of it as the “brain” of the engine. Another view of the metal-cut ECU concept model. To this end, automakers are looking for ways to improve engine performance and reduce vehicle weight, reexamining the 30,000-plus parts that make up a car, such as the steering wheel, pedals, seats, engine, brakes, and one key component tiny enough to rest in the palm of your hand: the engine control unit (ECU).
The global auto industry is scrambling to adapt to a number of major changes: increased regulations mandated by governments and the Paris Climate Change agreement, dizzying technological breakthroughs (some of which put the industry in direct competition with tech giants such as Google), and consumer demand for greater efficiency and lower carbon emissions.
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