August 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE). Exa Corp., a global innovator of fluids simulation solutions for product engineering, recently joined forces with the Tata Motors European Technical Center Plc (TMETC) and the Royal College of Art to offer an innovative project to educate post-graduate automotive design students on the importance of simulation-driven design and its critical role in today's automotive industry.
Taught by automotive industry design leaders using cutting-edge Exa PowerFLOW simulations, Royal College of Art students gained unique insight into the design challenges facing today's automotive manufacturers—creating aerodynamically efficient yet exciting designs. The project offered a select group of students the opportunity to turn their sketches into digital 3-D designs and evaluate them using Exa's PowerFLOW software for aerodynamic simulation.
“TMETC is delighted to maintain its association with [the Royal College of Art] through its support of this project and greatly appreciates the collaboration of Exa. It enabled us to contribute to the students' understanding of the benefits of simulation-driven design and its potential to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the need for physical wind tunnel testing,” commented Nick Fell, director and head of Tata Motors' European Technical Centre.
Exa and the Royal College of Art recognize the importance of educating the designers of the future. Royal College of Art Visiting Professor of Vehicle Design, Peter Stevens, remarked, “The opportunity for post-graduate students at the Royal College of Art to understand the necessity for close collaboration between designers, engineers, and car companies' marketing teams makes the ongoing relationship between Exa and the RCA of enormous value to the students. The challenges that the students tackle using PowerFLOW always produce a vibrant exchange of ideas that everyone gains from.”
Prizes were awarded to students with the best designs, and the winner has been offered a three month placement within the Tata Motors UK Design studio in Coventry, UK.
Founded in 1991, Exa develops, sells, and supports simulation software and services to enhance product performance, reduce product development costs, and improve the efficiency of design and engineering processes. The company's simulation solutions enable customers to gain insights about design performance early in the design cycle, thus reducing the likelihood of expensive redesigns and late-stage engineering changes. As a result, customers realize cost savings and fundamental improvements in their engineering development process. A partial customer list includes: AGCO, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kenworth, MAN, Nissan, Peterbilt, Renault, Scania, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo Trucks.