The idea of something new is exciting. Today, the terms “new” and “reliable” are practically synonymous. When a new item comes into our possession we fully expect that the item has been thoroughly tested and any potential bugs have long been resolved: any product that falls short can be an immediate disappointment. It was not long ago, however, that many were leery of purchasing a new vehicle because of the variables that accompanied the purchase. For the most part, those days are comfortably in the rearview mirror. Luckily, through several technological advancements, new vehicles are stunningly dependent and reliable. At Elio Motors, we are ensuring at every stage that our vehicles will be reliable by utilizing tools such as the Digital Buck.
In the past, you may have heard us use the term manufacturability and the Digital Buck is an essential aspect in ensuring the manufacturability of our vehicle. Most every major automaker uses similar tools to ensure the quality of their vehicles and to save time during the manufacturing process. This tool is not limited to the automotive industry and is utilized in a wide variety of industries.
One way to picture the use of the Digital Buck is as a digital assembly line. That is, the Digital Buck allows us to simulate the manufacturing process to ensure that the process works as planned and identify and correct potential issues. This type of software ensures the manufacturability of the Elio by identifying potential interferences between components and makes the necessary clearances for tools and components abundantly clear prior to the manufacturing process. Through the use of the Digital Buck, we can ensure that our vehicle will be manufactured seamlessly, which will save significant time and increase quality throughout the manufacturing process.
One of the major strengths of our project has been the involvement and expertise of our blue-chip supplier partners. In preparation for production, the Elio Motors team has been assembled into Product Development Teams. These teams will work both together and utilize the knowledge and experience from our blue-chip supplier partners. The Digital Buck is an essential tool to ensure that any potential issues are addressed in advance of the manufacture of our vehicle.
In total, the Digital Buck will finalize the integration and packaging of 483 components of 5 major systems:
Body and Frame– Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, body assembly, spot weld configuration, joint formation
Interior– Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, fastener finalization
Powertrain– Analysis, analytical evaluations of motor and transmission
Electrical– Packaging, routing and connector interface of wiring, evaluations of electrical architecture
Chassis– Geometry studies
There are a multitude of reasons why the Elio will be exciting. While there are many thrilling aspects of the Elio, it is our duty to ensure that our vehicle is also reliable. By using the Digital Buck, we can certify that our vehicle will be dependable while at the same time save time during the manufacturing process.