Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Careers and Certification in the Automotive Industry
Some of the high-tech systems and materials we have today that were never even heard of 30 years ago included things like wireless internet built in to vehicles, "cobots" (robotic machines that are able to help with the construction and painting of vehicles today,) the self-driving car, and Bluetooth sound systems. Young people would definitely do best in the technical area of automotive careers, this is because today pretty much every young person is up-to-date with technology and know their way around almost anything that has to do with technology. Some advantages in obtaining an education as an automotive technicians versus other high-tech educational options are that you would have career stability and a wide variety of different occupational options. There are expected to be 237,500 new jobs in the automotive-tech field by the year 2020. The automotive job fields will always have work, cars never really go "out of style" so the people working w/ cars or that have certain jobs in that field will most likely always have career stability. That can be a threat to other careers. 4 other positions in the automotive industry are: motor vehicle technician, service technician, CNC programmer, and electric motor technician.
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Automobile Body Styles and Design
Part One
THE SUV
SUV's have existed since the 30's, not really reaching popularity until the 90's. SUV's are built on a truck frame and have a powerful engine performance. One of the first popular SUV's (in the U.S.) was the Jeep. There was a huge demand at the time (during WWII) for a four-wheel-drive vehicle. SUV's are generally associated with toughness and off-road handling manners. Though SUV's were known for being more of the off-road-trails type of vehicle, there are also the "luxury" products; with cars like the Range Rover and the Cadillac Escalade. Increasingly, the SUV is becoming a suitable vehicle choice for the luxury-minded drivers. Price ranges vary for this vehicle.
THE SPORTS CAR
Sports cars are often intended to create an atmosphere of fun and speed for the driver. These types of vehicles are on-road performers, not requiring a specific body style. Sports cars can be built using convertible, coupe, and sedan body-styles. Most sports cars are associated with racing, whether it be street racing or professional auto track racing. The pricing range for sports cars ranges broadly from under $20,000 into the millions. Despite the massive horsepower of some sports cars, the future of this vehicle category is increasingly becoming enriched with power-train technology such as hybrid drive platforms.
Diesel engines have two main advantages over their gasoline-powered counterparts. The benefits of this typically applies to truck buyers looking for a vehicle with maximum towing and hauling capacity. Diesel-power is also being integrated with mid-sized trucks to improve fuel efficiency. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have started to offer diesel-fueled engines in North America due to how popular it is getting.
Sedan's are mostly known as a family car. The sedan is classified under the categories: family sedan, sports sedan, or luxury sedan. Family sedans are priced within reach of most new car customers and sell interior space. The Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Mulsanne are some examples of luxury sedans. For drivers who want the exhilaration of a sports car but prefer seat-passenger room, sports sedans are a popular vehicle type.
Crossover's are a diverse vehicle type, featuring the height of a truck-based vehicle with the build of car-like body-frame. For most drivers in the city, the crossover is a better option than a sport utility vehicle. Affordable family crossovers include the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. Wagons like the Audi Allroad and Volvo XC70 are considered crossover vehicles since they have all-wheel drive as well as other off-road touches.
Typically it takes three years to create a vehicle, give or take. The design of a vehicle is called "problem solving" because they have to have an artist state of mind for this, but also must be following a set of engineering constraints. They must also come up with something that is aesthetically pleasing, making sure it looks good and works good. They start out by sketching the design (usually this is done via computer software,) it is then put onto an engineering platform telling them where exactly the occupant is going to sit (or where the steering-wheel has to be, etc.,) they figure out then where all of the basic criteria that they must build around. After they evolve the sketches and make sure everything works well together, they begin the feasibility stage. There is a lot of pressure for them - they must now fit into rigid time-frames and are given only such an amount of time. They must maintain the integrity of the design while also maintaining the quality criteria of the design.
THE SUV
SUV's have existed since the 30's, not really reaching popularity until the 90's. SUV's are built on a truck frame and have a powerful engine performance. One of the first popular SUV's (in the U.S.) was the Jeep. There was a huge demand at the time (during WWII) for a four-wheel-drive vehicle. SUV's are generally associated with toughness and off-road handling manners. Though SUV's were known for being more of the off-road-trails type of vehicle, there are also the "luxury" products; with cars like the Range Rover and the Cadillac Escalade. Increasingly, the SUV is becoming a suitable vehicle choice for the luxury-minded drivers. Price ranges vary for this vehicle.
THE SPORTS CAR
Sports cars are often intended to create an atmosphere of fun and speed for the driver. These types of vehicles are on-road performers, not requiring a specific body style. Sports cars can be built using convertible, coupe, and sedan body-styles. Most sports cars are associated with racing, whether it be street racing or professional auto track racing. The pricing range for sports cars ranges broadly from under $20,000 into the millions. Despite the massive horsepower of some sports cars, the future of this vehicle category is increasingly becoming enriched with power-train technology such as hybrid drive platforms.
THE DIESEL
Diesel engines have two main advantages over their gasoline-powered counterparts. The benefits of this typically applies to truck buyers looking for a vehicle with maximum towing and hauling capacity. Diesel-power is also being integrated with mid-sized trucks to improve fuel efficiency. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have started to offer diesel-fueled engines in North America due to how popular it is getting.
THE SEDAN
THE CROSSOVER
Part Two
Automobile DesignTypically it takes three years to create a vehicle, give or take. The design of a vehicle is called "problem solving" because they have to have an artist state of mind for this, but also must be following a set of engineering constraints. They must also come up with something that is aesthetically pleasing, making sure it looks good and works good. They start out by sketching the design (usually this is done via computer software,) it is then put onto an engineering platform telling them where exactly the occupant is going to sit (or where the steering-wheel has to be, etc.,) they figure out then where all of the basic criteria that they must build around. After they evolve the sketches and make sure everything works well together, they begin the feasibility stage. There is a lot of pressure for them - they must now fit into rigid time-frames and are given only such an amount of time. They must maintain the integrity of the design while also maintaining the quality criteria of the design.
I think it could be possible that engineering vehicles could interest me, I really like working with technology and I think this type in particular is really cool, and might be something I'd try. The majority of my family and their occupations include vehicles, whether it's with the technology or the automobile itself, but when it comes to the new-school type of technology - that is what interests me the most. Not so much working on cars, but more of the engineering process and things like that.
Monday, 2 May 2016
Emerging Technologies and Automobiles PART TWO
Tech for the Sake of Tech?
It did surprise me that younger generations (ages 21-38) were not so much a fan of being able to connect their smartphones to their automobiles. Especially considering the fact that cellphones nowadays are a very popular (almost addiction-like) form of technology among the younger generations. I think my generation would probably like this a lot. Personally I would like this because I could access all my music easier and play it in the car. Other people in my generation may have different opinions but I am sure they'd be a pretty big fan of this as well. Since our early-2000's generation is so connected these days - and are always on our phones I'll admit - this may greatly be of many of our interests. It can be very beneficial too, because instead of looking down at your phone and taking your eyes off of the road - everything can be accessed at a higher level or by someone else you're driving with so that you can focus. Also, your music is accessed quicker & easier, and you can just play one of your playlists rather than clicking through the radio stations or skipping through the CD's/tapes.
In my opinion the other helpful technologies that were mentioned in this article could be beneficial as well. Anything that helps the driver and/or that could help us have less accidents on the road is always a good thing. But, you can still never be too careful.
Considering my family for example, when it comes to automobile technologies, they aren't really a fan & would prefer the older-styled type of vehicle. To the older generations in my family, this would not be helpful because they are not a fan of technology or are quite sure how to use it. The younger generations on the other hand, such as my siblings and I, would go crazy over this. I think that it's really cool. My friends probably would too, since we are all internet-babies and were brought up with all of these types of things. I wouldn't say that it's the most important thing in the world to have these in your car, but it is very helpful.
When purchasing my own car someday, I don't think it would matter if I had those features or not. They're cool but can be extremely expensive in cars. But, if it were an option & I had the money, I'd want to get a car that did have some form of technology where I could hook my phone up and play music and that would benefit me to not get into accidents or to get distracted. This would be important to me b/c it would be a safe option for me and others on the road - not saying I would ever text and drive - but people do tend to get very unfocused on the road, and should look into this. I think the new technologies they're coming up with could have a very positive impact on our generation.
In my opinion the other helpful technologies that were mentioned in this article could be beneficial as well. Anything that helps the driver and/or that could help us have less accidents on the road is always a good thing. But, you can still never be too careful.
Considering my family for example, when it comes to automobile technologies, they aren't really a fan & would prefer the older-styled type of vehicle. To the older generations in my family, this would not be helpful because they are not a fan of technology or are quite sure how to use it. The younger generations on the other hand, such as my siblings and I, would go crazy over this. I think that it's really cool. My friends probably would too, since we are all internet-babies and were brought up with all of these types of things. I wouldn't say that it's the most important thing in the world to have these in your car, but it is very helpful.
When purchasing my own car someday, I don't think it would matter if I had those features or not. They're cool but can be extremely expensive in cars. But, if it were an option & I had the money, I'd want to get a car that did have some form of technology where I could hook my phone up and play music and that would benefit me to not get into accidents or to get distracted. This would be important to me b/c it would be a safe option for me and others on the road - not saying I would ever text and drive - but people do tend to get very unfocused on the road, and should look into this. I think the new technologies they're coming up with could have a very positive impact on our generation.
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