Simultaneous Engineering:  From Prototype to Full-Scale Production

March 17, 2022

If you’re in the automotive market, new advances in electrification constantly unfold – each presenting their own respective opportunities and challenges. One of the primary challenges arising in electrification is scaling up from prototype part designs or low-volume production stage into a high-volume manufacturing environment. At Pace Industries we have the expertise and experience to help customers to optimize and simplify multiple part designs to ensure a seamless transition to mass production by way of early supplier involvement and simultaneous engineering.

Simultaneous Engineering

Recently the Pace product engineering team had the opportunity to partner with a customer’s engineers to convert an EV battery enclosure prototype originally designed to be made from aluminum extrusions into a lightweight and more integrated design optimized for high pressure die casting full-scale production. The customer came to Pace as a trusted engineering partner as they faced a roadblock in their design phase, which initially had been created for a prototype build. However, in its current state it would not be feasible for high pressure die casting (HPDC) mass production.

Through the discipline of simultaneous engineering, the product engineers at Pace applied their knowledge and expertise of HPDC to complete a comprehensive Design For Manufacturability (DFM) assessment of the prototype design to integrate multiple functions for an optimized component design.

The prototype design was optimized through assessing DFM criteria including:

  1. Reviewing and advising on ejector pin locations
  2. Adding draft according to die pull
  3. Adding radii and fillets
  4. Reviewing wall thickness
  5. Reviewing undercut to ensure there is no hung part during the casting process

The optimized part design recommended by Pace provided a solution for the customer in the transition from a functional prototype to production-ready components for HPDC. Early supplier involvement was an important factor in the process, allowing for strong collaboration and a guided approach on the design change process between subject matter experts on both sides. This early collaboration also identifies potential challenges prior to launch, which mitigates costly corrections once in full-scale production.

Through both early supplier involvement and simultaneous engineering, Pace can assist customers in the design phase providing customers with confidence that their final product will meet durability, quality, and design expectations.

Look to Pace to add more value and more functionality to your total system.

To read more about the Pace Industries approach to simultaneous engineering, read the article “What is Simultaneous Engineering” at: What is Simultaneous Engineering? | Pace Industries

To connect with the Pace Industries Product Engineering Team, visit “Technical Expertise” at Contact | Pace Industries

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What is Simultaneous Engineering?

March 10, 2022

At Pace Industries we are more than just a supplier – we are your trusted engineering solutions partner. With the end goal of creating value for our customers we deliver engineering excellence through the practice of simultaneous engineering.  Simultaneous engineering at its core is a partnership – it is a disciplined and collaborative approach to the product development cycle.

Through simultaneous engineering, the Pace product engineering team works in parallel with our customers which allows for innovative design resulting in the most reliable products with the best performance possible. Our engineering team has expertise in the fields of product engineering, tooling design, structural analysis, advanced process simulation, process development and quality assurance to deliver top quality, mass produced light metal cast parts. Leveraging this expertise, our technical team understands the value of producing a part that features an optimal design, while being both high quality and cost effective.

The process starts with early supplier involvement (ESI). Under ESI, Pace product engineers collaborate with the customer’s engineering team to evaluate concepts, early design work, and to understand their overall objectives. Challenges our customers face may include:

  1. Complex castings
  2. Non feasible designs
  3. Cost concerns
  4. Tight timelines from design to launch
  5. Transitioning to light metal castings from another type of process (sand casting, investment casting, gravity casting, extrusions, additive manufacturing, etc.)
  6. Transitioning materials (iron, between aluminum, magnesium, and zinc, etc.)
  7. Shifting from a prototype to a feasible design for mass production
Pace Industries Simultaneous Engineering discussion

Once key objectives and desired customer outcomes are identified, the simultaneous engineering process moves to the next phase:  utilizing high pressure die casting best practices to design for manufacturing both the part and corresponding tool. With the assistance of state-of-the-art metal simulation software, our engineering experts design robust tooling and processes for both maximum die life and cycle time optimization to reduce program lifecycle costs. As part of the tool design process, Pace will simplify die complexity to minimize or reduce maintenance that will require unnecessary downtime. The Pace technical team has the skill and expertise to design the best tooling concept for your needs, while also performing a cost evaluation to determine the most cost-effective solution for your application.

The application of simultaneous engineering at Pace Industries provides customers with a streamlined product development approach to assure optimal speed-to-market with a high-performance product that can be manufactured in the most cost-effective manner.

The primary benefits of simultaneous engineering at Pace Industries include:

  1. More robust part and tooling design
  2. Flawless launch
  3. Cost reduction
  4. Optimal speed-to-market
  5. Superior Quality

Pace offers exceptional “Design for Manufacturability” engineering services that will allow our customers to meet their market demand while producing the reliable products that continually exceed customer needs and expectations.

Pace Industries Simultaneous Engineering discussion
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