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Lighter, more powerful 3rd-gen Pilot debuts Hondas NPD process

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http://articles.sae.org/14398/

21-Oct-2015 02:51 EDT

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Automotive Engineering Magazine

The available Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistance technologies, including a
Collision Mitigation Braking System, helped the new Pilot earn the 2015 Top Safety Pick+ rating from
IIHS. (To view additional images, click the arrow at top right of this image.)

Programs for new re-engineered vehicles pose a great challenge for the engineers and other professionals assigned to them: load the vehicle with more
advanced technology, consumer-friendly amenities, and safety features required to meet stringent requirements, all while trimming weight from any area
necessary to maintainor ideally decreaseoverall weight compared to the previous generation. The 2016 Honda Pilot development team, faced with said
challenge, succeeded brilliantly.
The new three-row SUV is 289 lb (131 kg) lighterthe previous Pilot Touring weighed 4632 lb (2101 kg) vs. the new Pilot Elite, which includes more features but
weighs 4343 lb (1970 kg)while recently earning a 2015 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The 2016 Pilot adopts the second generation of Hondas Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure along with a new 3-bone underbody frame
design and new hot-stamped ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) door rings.
Located under the front floor of the Pilot, the 3-bone structure improves impact load management, directing energy around the passenger cabin in the event of a
frontal collision. The structure creates three different load pathways that channel collision energy. One channels collision forces from the front of the vehicle
directly underneath the passenger cabin; the other two channel collision forces under the vehicles left and right side frames. The structure saves 61 lb (28 kg).
According to Marc Ernst, Pilot Development Leader, the Pilot platform is more than 80% similar to that of the Acura MDX. And similar to the MDX, the new Pilot
employs multiple lightweight, high-strength materials for its construction, including seven different grades of steel; an aluminum hood and front bumperreinforcement beam; and a cast-magnesium steering hanger beam. In total, 61.5% of the body structure is composed of advanced materials, most notably
21.3% of UHSS ranging from 980 to 1500 MPa, which is used for the front door outer stiffener rings.
In addition to enhanced crash protection, a result of this multi-material structure is 25% more torsional rigidity than the previous-generation SUV, as well as
67% better mount rigidity. Another benefit of using UHSS is improved visibility due to narrower A- and B-pillars. Total outward visibility for the driver improves
from 271.4 on the previous model to 283.5 on the 2016 Pilot.
The SUV is 3.5 in (89 mm) longer, at 194.5 in (4940 mm), with 1.75 in (44 mm) of that increase in the wheelbase. A 1-in (25-mm) lower overall vehicle height
and a subtly narrower width give a sleeker look and aid aerodynamics. Compared to the previous Pilot, specific aero refinements include a 1.93% reduction in
frontal area, a full-width air dam, and underbody details such as air strakes and covers. CFD simulations show a 10% reduction in coefficient of drag (CdA) for
the new model.
Chassis and powertrain refinements
The Pilots new front strut suspension includes the first use of Amplitude Reactive Dampers. Smaller driveshaft angles help to mitigate torque steer, and a
reduced center offset reduces steering wheel vibrations. At the rear is a multi-link design with a tubular stabilizer bar. Compared to the previous Pilot, where the
setup transmitted suspension loads to the vehicles rear wheelhouse, the new setup transmits suspension loads to the more rigid body side frame, which allows
for more aggressive tuning of suspension bushings, according to Ernst. The elimination of the forward trailing arm on the previous Pilot rear suspension allows
for a 1.4-in (36-mm) lower rear floor.
A 16.0:1 steering ratio for the new Pilot is about 10% quicker than the previous models steering, which complements the functionality of the torque-vectoring
rear axle on AWD models. The available new Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD system with an electronically controlled rear differential and
dynamic torque vectoring capabilities aids both traction and cornering performance. Other benefits include 46% faster all-wheel response time and 20% greater
torque capacity. The new system, which is Hondas first U.S. application of torque vectoring, is 22 lb (10 kg) lighter than the previous one, with reduced drag.
Powering the 2016 Pilot is a 3.5-L direct-injected i-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management cylinder deactivation. The new engine is mated to one of
two new transmissions: a 6-speed automatic (6AT) for LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 9-speed automatic (9AT) for Touring and Elite models. Models with the 9AT
also have a new Idle-Stop capability to enhance fuel efficiency.
The EarthDreams series V6 is rated at 280 peak hp (209 kW) and 262 lbft (355 Nm) peak torqueincreases of 30 hp (22 kW) and 9 lbft (12 Nm) over the
previous model. EPA fuel-economy ratings (city/highway/combined) are up across all trim levels. The 2WD model with 9AT gets 20/27/23 mpg.
The new Pilot was designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., in Los Angeles and Ohio, and is manufactured by Honda Mfg. Alabama, Inc. in Lincoln,
AL.
Hondas NPD process
With nine trim levels and a high level of feature content, the 2016 Pilot could have been a daunting challenge for Honda associates who assemble the all-new
vehicle in Lincoln, AL, as well as for the programs systems suppliers.
All this [new] content created a tremendous amount of build complexity, noted Jeff Tomko, President of Honda of Alabama Manufacturing. He said during early
planning discussions Honda R&D engineers realized the need for more flexible processes that made the larger vehicles easier to assemble without sacrificing

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Lighter, more powerful 3rd-gen Pilot debuts Hondas NPD process - SA...

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http://articles.sae.org/14398/

quality.
The solution was NPD (No Prototype Development), a digital product development-and-manufacturing process that makes its full-scale debut on the new Pilot.
NPD aims to ultimately eliminate all physical prototypes prior to their requirement in final vehicle-crash certification. The virtual build concept has long been an
industry aspiration, of course, and Honda has been working up its NPD systematically, employing it first on some aspects of the 2015 Acura TLX sedan program.
The key to NPD is close collaboration between our R&D engineers and manufacturing teams, Tomko told Automotive Engineering. Playing a vital supporting
role is Dassault Systemes comprehensive suite of 3D applicationsCATIA (design/engineering), DELMIA (manufacturing operations), SIMULIA (FEA and
simulation), and 3DEXCITE (real-time visualization)that are used by Honda. Working for the first time without hard prototypespreviously R&D would build
about 100 white bodies per program, for examplethe R&D-and-plant-floor teams employed a new training strategy, with each department establishing a Top
Gun go-to expert for rapid leveraging of know-how.
As a result, design engineers gained first-hand experience with Pilot production challenges during early trials in the plant, rather than at the R&D center. An
important time-saver was Hondas expanded use of 3D printing to support process development. Examples included creation of a special line-side ergonomic
lifting device for installing the Pilots new electric power-steering motor unit; a transparent IP cover that served as a troubleshooting tool; and a center console
3D-printed to determine ease of assembly.
Author:

Ryan Gehm and Lindsay Brooke

Sector:

Automotive

Topic:

Bodies and Structures

Manufacturing

Vehicles and Performance

Transportation Systems

Management and Product Development

Mentions: Honda

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15/11/2015 19:40