INTERNATIONAL DESIGN CONFERENCE - DESIGN 2016

Dubrovnik - Croatia, May 16 - 19, 2016.

MANAGEMENT OF VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE

PARAMETERS

F. Toepfer and T. Naumann

Keywords: parameter management, vehicle architecture, systems engi-

neering (SE)

1. Introduction
Product development in the automotive industry is increasingly driven by global competition to acquire
demanding customers and stringent C02 requirements resulting in product variance, individualization,
function-integration and novel technologies. To fulfil these diverse requirements under the increasing
pressure of time and cost, vehicle architectures are used to systematically realize module- and common-
part-strategies.
Aside from economic advantages, these strategies result in an immense increase of technical, organiza-
tional and procedural dependencies in a highly complex development environment. In order to cope
with this high-level complexity in product development, Systems Engineering-related model- and mod-
elling-approaches are pursued. They systematically deal with dependencies in order to achieve better
transparency and to avoid inconsistencies along the development process. These approaches however
lack of broad acceptance among designers mainly due to high modelling effort and the unwillingness of
designers to learn and use additional and particularly complicated (modelling) tools. This paper there-
fore addresses the research question, how complexity in product development can be handled with ap-
propriate tool-support in a way that it provides a process-supporting benefit for designers instead of
causing additional work.
The approach described in this paper, facilitates the process-spanning management of functional and
geometric parameters in a database-application. This data base approach allows a qualitative manage-
ment of parameters interdependencies by defining of so named active chains. Furthermore, the database-
application can be coupled to CAD-models allowing for an initial integration of CAD-Parameters and
their continuous update in the database.
The management-approach depicted hereafter marks a novel, additional approach in Systems Engineer-
ing. It is enabling bottom-up modelling of a system model as well as process-spanning traceability of
parameters. To validate this Systems Engineering-approach a first application was conducted and tested
in the context of vehicle architectures. Therefore, the significance and use of vehicle architectures is
described in chapter three following an introduction of terms and definitions. Current approaches in
Systems Engineering aiming for the management of complexity are outlined in chapter four including
challenges these approaches are facing and thereby highlighting the necessity of a novel approach as
presented in chapter five.

2. Terms and definitions

To understand vehicle architecture and in order to elucidate interdependencies in vehicle development,
the following section addresses basic terms and definitions.

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Complexity
Complexity generally is referred to as a system property characterized by the number and variety of
elements and their relations as well as the multitude of possible states [Ulrich and Proust 1995], [Ehr-
lenspiel 2013].
Product development itself can be seen as a sociotechnical system that incorporates different aspects of
complexity [Ropohl 2009], [Naumann 2014]. From a technical perspective complexity is driven by the
number of parts and functions in the product itself and their interactions. The development of a technical
system is executed by a great number of individuals with different responsibilities and their continuous
interaction to finally assemble single parts to one product that realizes the required functions. With an
increasing level of technical complexity the organizational complexity rises simultaneously [Naumann
2005]. In the development organization a multitude of disciplines are working together all bound to their
own and to shared processes. Finally procedural complexity is increasingly driven by a high paralleliza-
tion of processes due to a reduction in development time.

General definition of a product-architecture

A technical product realizes a function. In order to do so, the product is characterized by a physical setup
consisting of elements which transfer inputs into outputs with a potential change in state. A product thus
can be described on both a functional and a physical level.
By decomposing a product’s overall function, a function-structure is generated allowing a close-up ex-
amination of sub-functions. In the same way the physical layout of a product can be described by a
product-structure [Feldhusen and Grote 2013].
An architecture describes how a product's function is realized by its physical elements. Designing an
architecture thus means assigning functional elements to physical elements and defining their mutual
interfaces [Ulrich 1995].

Vehicle architecture
A vehicle architecture respectively describes the physical layout of a vehicle and the way it realizes its
function by a given set of basic architectures parameters and modules. In practise the term vehicle ar-
chitecture is synonymously used for a product- or product series-spanning modular architecture.
The significance of a vehicle architecture arises from the fact that every vehicle has an architecture, but
that an architecture is not limited to one particular vehicle. By purposefully developing a vehicle-archi-
tecture, it can be used within different products a product series. It thereby advances to a key factor in
effectively and profitably developing product-variants. Thus, every customized vehicle ideally com-
prises a standardized, product-series-spanning architecture, a product-specific platform and product-
variant specific, individual characteristics.
The aim behind developing a product-spanning architecture is to be economical. A modular layout in-
corporates standardized interfaces which allow common-part strategies throughout different product-
variants and product-series leading to economies of scale. By reducing module variants, costs in devel-
opment, purchase and production can be lowered as well.
A modular architecture-layout allows an architecture-spanning reuse of existing modules, the exchange
of newly developed modules, the extension by adding modules as well as creating variants by a com-
bining module. Modules which are relevant for the vehicle architecture are at least identical in concept
and underlay a communality strategy within a platform.

Modularization, modularity and modules

Modularization is used to simplify a complex system by reducing the number of system elements and
their relations respectively their interdependencies among one another [Göpfert and Steinbrecher 2000].
Modularity thus determines the degree of independence in between a systems’ elements [Ulrich 1992].
Functional independence thereby describes to what extent functions can be realized independently from
other modules. Physical independence enables the physical separation of modules by purposeful de-
signed interfaces [Göpfert and Steinbrecher 2000].

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A module is therefore a component or an assembly characterized by weak interdependencies to other
components or assemblies. Modules have well defined and mostly standardized interfaces and can differ
in their function. Defined interfaces facilitate an easy exchange of modules and allow for an easy crea-
tion of variants by module combination [Schuh 2012].

Product series, platform, modular system

Product series
A product series describes a multitude of technical systems differing in scale but realizing functions
based on the same solution principle [Schuh 2012].

Platform
Platforms are used to effectively create variants. A platform is a neutral basis for all variants. Consisting
of a defined core of standardized elements, variants are created by attaching individual elements [Steffen
and Gausemeier 2007], [Feldhusen and Grote 2013].

Modular system
The combination of functional elements within a modular system allows for the building of function-
variants. A modular system thus describes an entity of assemblies, single-parts or modules which allow
for the creation of variants with differing overall functions within a free combination system. [Steffen
and Gausemeier 2007].

Figure 1. Vehicle architecture with common modules

3. Development of a vehicle architecture

In order to provide process supporting tools, processes in the development department of Daimler AG
were analysed. In addition, interviews with designers were conducted which outlined difficulties in cur-
rent processes and revealed sources for data inconsistencies.
The architecture process describes the development of an architecture which takes place before and
during the process of variants development. In order to define architecture suitable for all later variants,
requirements of variants have to be anticipated and considered in the architecture layout process. [see
also Schuh 2012].

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 Figure 2. Development process of an architecture
Developing and validating an architecture is realized by the cooperation of many disciplines. Figure 3
shows relevant aspects in the validation of the architecture leading to multitude of goal conflicts.
Validations take place among many disciplines within the entire development organisation. Every dis-
cipline has different requests for a solution which can compete with those of other disciplines. Finding
a solution suitable for all disciplines requires their willingness to find a reasonable compromise.
The core challenge in using a product series spanning architecture is the increase of procedural com-
plexity. Modules and components which are integrated in different product variants have to be validated
in additional contexts. These additional boundary conditions lead to an increase in product-specific in-
terdependencies. Bringing the development of different product series together, leads to increasing in-
teraction between more developers. At the same time, organisational and procedural interdependencies
are driven forward by strict quality requirements to minimize the financial risks in case of deficiently
developed components. A systematic handling of interdependencies is therefore essential in product
development.

Figure 3. Relevant aspects in architecture-validation

4. Current approaches in systems engineering

As outlined before an utterly complex system like product development consists of an unmanageable
amount of interdependencies. Knowledge about these interdependencies leads to better transparency of
changes and allows for a better estimation of impacts that come with changes [Koenigs et al. 2012].
According to INCOSE, Systems Engineering is an “[…] interdisciplinary approach to enable the reali-
zation of successful systems.” To effectively handle complexity in product development, system models
are used to trace interdependencies within a highly dynamic system. The extension of Systems Engi-
neering by a centrally available, digital system model is therefore referred to as Model based Systems

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Engineering and is realized by the use of modelling languages with a stringent semantics and syntax to
distinctively describe the model.

Requirements for system modelling

System modelling allows for the representation of systemic interdependencies within a system model.
In the context of Systems Engineering, traceability marks one of the central aspects. Traceability de-
scribes the ability to describe, document and trace interdependencies among artefacts along the entire
development process. According to the six dimensions formulated by Ramesh and Jarke [2001] a mod-
elled dependency in between two artefacts should give information about:
 What type of information is recorded?
 Who created or changed the artefact?
 Where the information is from?
 How is the information depicted?
 When was the artefact created or changed?, and
 Why was the artefact created or changed?
Managing this information offers a wide range of advantages for product developers participating in the
development process such as easy identification and verification of impacts due to changes, improve-
ment in the communication of changes, documentation of changes and the reuse of knowledge [Koehler
et al. 2014].

Challenges in systems engineering

Nowadays a multitude of prototypical and a handful of industrial tools exist, which allow for system
modelling and traceability. Koenigs et al. [2012] identified a vast modelling effort as one of the major
deficits in the acceptance of traceability in practice. Furthermore Storga [2004] describes difficulties
originating from the variety of traceability needs in different projects, organizations and users due to
different goals in specific tasks, complexity of the knowledge base which leads to unmanageable effort
in creation and maintenance of full traceability, the integration of both formal and informal sources that
is necessary and the limitation for traceability due to existing heterogeneous tools and methods.
Further criteria for suitability, selection and application are:
 Representable system complexity,
 Low effort in modelling (compared to procedural and organizational benefit),
 Easy adaption of information in the model,
 Instantiation of the models,
 Integration into the existing processes and the IT-environment.
The degree to which system complexity can be represented in a model relies on the type of data and the
type of relation that is to be coupled. Information about interdependencies in a model can be limited to
a pure qualitative character or at the same time contain quantitative character.
High modelling effort and an elaborate adaption of models are essential factors in a generally low ac-
ceptance of system modelling approaches. Disciplines dealing with mechanical construction in particu-
lar supress functional aspects due to geometrical layout. However, geometrical interdependencies are
already part of the existing CAD models and product configurations. This fact increases the difficulty
to initially make functional aspects explicit at all. In addition to that, the user is questioning the effi-
ciency of redundantly modelling interdependencies already existing in the CAD- and PDM-system en-
vironment.
Acceptance, suitability and application of system modelling are additionally influenced by the assign-
ment of roles and responsibilities. Benefits from a holistic system model can be gained in particular for
comprehensive aspects and responsibilities. In automotive development these responsibilities are repre-
sented by the departments of advance development and full vehicle development.
The department of advance development is responsible for the basic functional layout as well as for the
definition of the architecture. The division of full vehicle layout is then responsible for the functional
and geometrical integration and validation from a concept design until maturity. Hence, both divisions

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN 1683

operate in the context of the overall architecture respectively the overall vehicle. Opposing to the prof-
iting departments, detailed information about functional and geometrical interdependencies have to be
gathered and displayed by developers responsible for single components or modules. They most often
don't profit from the holistic system model. Knowing the relations and interdependencies in between
their own components, system models haven't had an influence on their work so far.
The failure of current modelling approaches is mostly due to a disproportional modelling effort. A novel
approach has to avoid this failure by offering a low-effort and easy to use management functionality.
Furthermore, methods have to be developed which avoid the redundancy among different models.

5. Approach of parameter management

Following the analysis of current processes and taking into consideration the challenges of current Sys-
tems Engineering approaches a prototype for a process supporting Systems Engineering Tool was de-
veloped to systematically support processes in product development.
The presented approach is based on a database solution which allows the management of parameters
relevant for the development process. Their interdependencies can easily be modelled in form of active
chains. A parameter generally describes a characteristic variable of a system element or an element
relation which can possess multiple instances in different product variants. These parameters can be of
functional or geometrical character. The approach allows for the definition of parameters at any time
within the tool itself. However, geometrical parameters are already implemented in CAD-models. These
models again are managed in product-specific configurations in product data management-systems
(PDM).

Figure 4. Integration of a parameter database into the CAD-PDM-Environment

The application for the novel parameter management approach is therefore coupled to the PDM system
and thus facilitates a direct link to parameters implemented in the CAD-models. CAD and PDM are
integral parts of the existing IT-environment. By coupling the CAD- and PDM-system, parameters are
not only managed without redundancy but also kept up to date. Changes are thereby kept transparent.
Since every parameter is part of a CAD-model, thereby part of a PDM-system and once again part of
one or multiple product configurations, the following information automatically become content of the
system model:
 Name, ID and shape of the system component,
 Creator and editor,
 Context of application (Product Series, Module, Assembly),
 (Parametric) geometry,
 Editing, Release and Changes,
 Variants and Versions.
In order to retrieve and interpret parameters in CAD data, a machine-readable information of the param-
eter and its value has to be embedded. Using XML-technology is one way to implement this function-
ality.

Keeping CAD-Data consistent

For the consistent interpretation of position-dependent parameters, transformation-matrices have to be
considered. Depending on its reference coordinate-system a random point in design space can be de-
scribed by different coordinates. A point described by a components coordinate-system, possesses dif-
ferent coordinates when described by the global vehicle coordinate system as long as both coordinate-

1684 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN

systems aren't identical. To consistently depict positional parameters differing coordinate-systems and
their relations have to be considered. Figure 5 schematically describes the transformation from compo-
nent- and assembly-coordinate-systems to the vehicle coordinate system.

Figure 5. Transformation of local coordinates into global coordinates

Against the background of a product-series-spanning architecture, requirements of the architecture
which have to be maintained in all product variants can be documented and traced. In case of deviations
from the requirements, the application outlines the inconsistency. The parameter database is not limited
to the documentation architecture requirements which have to be kept consistent but can be used for any
kind of relevant parameters in CAD-models and their model-internal and model-spanning interdepend-
encies, such as concept parameters, parameters of specific modules or parameters used in task-specific
templates.

Active chains
Functional and geometric interdependencies within and in between components can be documented by
the coupling of component-specific parameters within an active chain. An active chain ought to be seen
as a container where parameters are brought together. A parameter can be part of several active chains
as well. Once a parameter changes it may affect any other parameter that is part of the active chain or
even parameters in other active chains if the particular parameter is related to more than one active chain.
Figure 6 shows schematic interdependencies of component specific parameters, comprised in either one
or multiple active chains.
The presented approach is neither limited to a specific process nor to a systems’ level of complexity.
Parameters can be defined at any time in the development process and linked to any other parameter.

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 Figure 6. Assignment of component-specific parameters to active chains

6. Application
To verify the functionality of the described approach, different use cases with concept-, template-, mod-
ule- and architecture parameters were implemented of which the latter is outlined in this paper. However,
interrelations in between these different types of CAD related parameter are given and can thus be con-
nected in active chains. Figure 7 shows a simplified CAD model of an architecture designed for the
purpose of validation.
Parameters (in CAD-models referred to as Expressions) relevant for the architecture were made explicit
within the CAD-model and subsequently archived into the PDM system. All parameters were then ex-
tracted from the archived models and transferred to the database. The assignment of parameters to pre-
defined products, components and active chains was realized in the application.

Figure 7. Test model for a vehicle architecture

Developing a vehicle architecture means designing a functional and geometrical full vehicle layout un-
der the consideration of communality and product specific individual characteristics. From a todays
point of view, the development of architectures is characterized by the takeover of existing concepts.
With the strategic specification of architecture-relevant modules and communalities the integration into
existing product structures takes place. After that an iterative validation of the specific concept takes
place for every product variant. Once the full vehicle layout is not applicable to a product variant the
architecture has to be adopted for all product series.

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The parameter management facilitates a transparent communication and traceability of changes in prod-
uct variants. It is thereby not limited to parameters in the full vehicle context. It can be used for a mul-
titude of applications with different levels of detail.
Concept parameters for example can be implemented into the database at a very early phase of the design
process. These parameters can then be traced over the entire process and offer input for further templates
or construction requirements. Through the coupling of parameters in active chains architecture parame-
ters originating from an architecture template can be coupled with any kind of more detailed CAD-
model used to validate the architecture. A broad set of technical, procedural and organizational interde-
pendencies is the result, offering comprehensive transparency.
The prototype of the database application is already being used in industrial practise for the purpose of
a consistent and transparent architecture process. The feedback from designers directly involved in the
architecture process is utterly positive as the tool offers up-to-date design information which can be
traced from conception to the actual product series development. Even designers, responsible for the
development of components and thus only providing information from their CAD-Data rather than di-
rectly profiting from the arising holistic system model, regard the approach in a favourable light as it
causes only very small effort.

7. Outline
From a today’s point of view, functional aspects remain mostly unconsidered in the early full vehicle
layout. The adaption of the geometrical overall concept takes place within the implicit knowledge of
functional interdependencies. The adjusting lever for functional manipulation however is too small due
to an adopted and predefined product structure. A methodical development of complex systems is meant
to be executed starting with a rough layout leading to a detailed concept. This process is ought to be
supported by the use of models.
By using an architecture template the development of the architecture can be extended by functional
aspects. An architecture comprises both, a product structure and a function structure. The function is
carried out by physical components and their interdependencies.
Due to these interdependencies a change in product structure leads to a change in function. The consid-
eration of functional changes is indispensable for a functional layout. Benefits from an architecture tem-
plate result from the consideration of basic functional aspects in the early phase of the full vehicle layout.
To evaluate the impact of geometrical changes the geometrical model has to be coupled with a mathe-
matical model. Functional quantities such as inertia or the centre of gravity can be computed. At the
same time basic geometric validations can take place such as ergonomic aspects or packaging.
The depicted test model gives an impression of a possible layout of an architecture template. The tem-
plate has to represent the essential modules of a vehicle. An easy adaption of the modules has to be
considered in the construction and is essential to depict modules of a product series-spanning architec-
ture. These modules are as mentioned before identical in concept but different in scale and can thus be
adapted by the change of parameters. Furthermore, the layout should consider the easy positioning of
components. An imaginable approach to implement this functionality is the construction of geometrical
solids referring to a predefined offset coordinate system which allows a parametric positioning of com-
ponents.
Aside from the computation of functional properties in the early architecture concept an optimization
can take place as well. The overall function of a vehicle is defined by a multitude of sub-functions.
These sub functions can be described in mathematical models. Changes in the value of parameters which
are part of the mathematical model lead to changes in specific vehicle properties. Parameters ought to
be understood as alterable quantities. Implemented in functions with defined boundary-conditions they
span a defined set of solution spaces. Goal of the optimization is to define parameters in such way that
the overall solution is part of an optimal solution space defined by the intersection of competing design
solutions. With an appropriate interface the result of the optimization can be returned into the database.
The use of a parameter database for the management of relevant parameters marks a promising approach
in creating transparency and consistency in a highly cross-linked development process. In particular, the
crosslinking of parameters in active chains seems to be an appropriate low effort modelling approach

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which will gain the acceptance of product developers. The potential for the management of functional
parameters for an early consideration and optimization of overall vehicle functions is immense.

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Ferdinand Toepfer, M.Sc.

Daimler AG, Engineering IT
Hanns-Klemm Str.5, 71034 Böblingen, Germany
Email: ferdinand.toepfer@daimler.com

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