Automotive material engineers and designers can now access a new online course offered by WorldAutoSteel, the automotive group of the World Steel Association.

WorldAutoSteel, the automotive group of the World Steel Association (worldsteel) is offering its Design Advisor course online.

Working in conjunction with steeluniversity, WorldAutoSteel is targetting automotive material engineers and designers with an online simulation model that enables them to enter vehicle design scenarios for quick evaluations.

The speed and accuracy of the evaluations, it is claimed, make it a practical example of the use of Life Cycle Assessment in helping to evaluate the environmental impact of potential material decisions and their total impact on a circular economy.

Cees ten Broek, director, WorldAutoSteel, said that vehicle designers of the 21st century must turn out vehicles that both surprise and delight customers, meet strict government regulations, satisfy financial investors, reduce emissions and contribute to the circular economy.

“The Design Advisor course gives a big picture understanding of how vehicle design choices can affect the mass, cost and climate change emissions through the vehicle life cycle.”

Users can evaluate the impact of design choices for the different vehicle structural components and gain a better understanding of performance over the life cycle of the vehicle, it is claimed.

The Design Advisor course is taught by Dr. Don Malen, adjunct professor and research scientist from the University Of Michigan College Of Engineering and the creator of the simulation model.

According to ten Broek, material selection decisions are most often made very early in the vehicle design process. “The Design Advisor course enables vehicle design decision makers to quickly and accurately examine material selection tradeoffs," he said.

Engineers, designers, and university students will benefit from taking the course and using the simulation model, says WorldAutoSteel.