JustRacing Racing Technology Forum

ECU Mods

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:31:20 GMT

Author: FullRaceGeek

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:31 pm

If you ar in Houston You are in luck. Get ahold of Esco at (832)798-0000 he owns and runs ECUMODS.com they specialize in Full Race and Street Setups.
He did my ass kicking Type-R and it now severely kicks some serious ass. I have had other do it and decided to give him a try (beast choice in tuners I made) If you are3 not local he will fly out and do your car.

Data questions

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:23:53 GMT

Author: speedsense

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:23 pm

As racers, must everybody is HARDWARE driven. Racers tend to be experts in hardware choices. So when it comes to data systems why would the choices be any different?
Well it should be. Data systems are recording voltmeters with some mixed controls and intelligence that seperates the companies. Everybody is making display units of assorted types. Niether of these items will win you a race, might keep your engine from blowing up, but winning it won't do. This one seems to top most people's list.

SUPPORT seems to also top most people's list. At the race track, there are more data support people then any other product in racing. The only product that racer's will pay for support help. Amazing that most of the time the support is to fix their own design/ programming problems.

EASE of use- What other product on a race car do people buy for the reason that it's easy to use? Do we buy shocks cause they are easy to revalve or adjust? The power of data and what it can do has nothing with how easy it is to use, only to the point that you can extract what you need to know, in a fashion a racer can understand. Just because you can operate a system without a manual does not make it a good system. There are plenty of badly written data analysis programs that are way more powerful in what they can deliver to average guy and what he can get out it, unless the time is invested to be taught how to use it. There is the same amount of really easy systems that anybody can get information out of, but beating the team with the more powerful data system that knows how to use it, is not based on reality but a dream. Easy to use, won't guarantee you'll win a race, you may be a little faster because of it but that's all you should expect. When considering a system the question SHOULD BE, Can the system present to the race team information that tracks and SEPERATES all the movements of the driver, car and the interaction of the race track in a method that is EASY to understand and manipulate? With the added : How long will it take to learn to operate?

What EVERYBODY else is using? If you bought everything that your competitior has will that guarantee you'll beat him. NO, you need much more information than that, all the things you don't or can't see. Same is true with data systems, it's what you don't see that is making them faster....the information and how they are using it.
Most of the PRO series currently spec the data systems. The teams can't chose what they want. They don't use the systems because they want to, but because they have to. That doesn't make the company good, just required.

COST- If I could sell a set of tires that would make your car 1 second faster, would you buy them? After you wore them out, would you buy them again? Sure you would, BUY the right data system and you could have that second last the rest of your racing career. Data systems are tools and should be regarded as such. Do you purchase tools because they are cheap?
In this day and age of computers we should be seeing cheap data logging systems. After all you can buy a top shelf dual-core desktop for less than a thousand dollars and the prices keep falling. Data logging systems pale in comparison as far as intelligence and processing power yet cost way more. For fun, take the back off your (or your friend's) Motec dash or your Aim dash (Careful this will void your warranty and don't touch the PC board, you can kill it with a static charge) find the largest black square on the board (this is the processor or the brains of the unit) . Note the Make and number on the chip, Google it. Are you pissed off? Are you amazed? Don't be, data logging systems are not intelligent and they don't have to be, they are just recording voltmeters nothing more nothing less.

...So far I have mention the items that seem to top most people lists. And so far I haven't mentioned one thing that will advance or impact a team to make them faster, yet they seem to be the most important choices. Far down this list lies the whole reason that data loggers have the impact that they do. The reason that in one session on a teams' home track, an good analysis of the session can give the team an instant increase in laptime and continue to do so in each of the following sessions. It's the software package that comes with the system. It is software that makes the difference yet most everybody overlooks it. This should always be number one on anybody's list.

Data analysis is the most powerful tool that a team can own. When used to it's full capablitiy it can effect the driver, crew chief, engineer, team owner, engine builder, shock tech. It is analysis that will win races, not the logger, not the sensors, not the wiring, not the display. Software design and the ample tools that it can provide to make analysis clear and EASY to see and understand, is where the power that a system's strength lies.
Unfortunately there are very few companies that have programs that address the needs and requirements of a race team's personnel and their racing programs. Most data companies are misinformed by their own lack of understanding of car setup, driving technique, track knowledge and the average general racing public's needs. Most companies software programs reflect ancient data logging techniques of data display: strip charts, (like- signal displays), Reports, exports to excell, Absolute numbers, averages, maximums, minimums, etc. Helpful even for logging an oil rig, helpful if you are an engineer, but not much more than that.
Sure most have track mapping, some have driver displays, bar graphs, video imprints, GPS, rainbow colors on their maps. Nice touch, but still leaves a lot of ground uncovered as far as analysis on all the moving parts including the driver and the importance of knowing the analysis of the interaction of the driver on the car, car on the driver, driver on the track, car on the track, the track on the car and finally the track on the driver. The defining and separation of these six points is missed by all but two companies out there. They are probably not who you think they are. One of them is the price of two sets of tires, the other the price of a race car. You guess who the other one is, don't be surpised if they look the same....

Look at the software and what it can do for you and the information it can give you, that's wants important. There's nothing else involved that's going to help your racing program advance.

George Main
Speedsense
Rep. for Competition Data Systems for 17 years.

Home-built data logger?

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:19:13 GMT

Author: speedsense

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:19 pm

I ran a similar set of sensors on an off road vehicle in 1998. We were testing a new shock technology, still being used today and nothing like you will see on a road race car. We outfitted the vehicle with four 50g sensors in vertical axis mounted on the uprights. In the Front and Rear of the chassis, we mounted 1 3axis (lateral ,vertical, long) 5 g sensor at each end in the vertical plane of the Left and Right wheel hubs. Also mounted four suspension sensors.
This car, ahemmm ..Truck, had 24" of wheel travel.
The accelerations at the hub were in the 30-40 g range (The car was capable of 160 mph on dirt). The arrangement of the G sensors allowed us to track the upright accleration vs. the chassis accleration and seperate the front and the rear of the vehicle. It greatly helped define the shock valving and adjustments. However once we found the best combination, the upright acclerometers weren't needed anymore and the suspension sensors were all that were used as our results directly correlated to the suspension sensor math channels. (shock velocity, pitch, roll (F&R), heave, warp and movement).
On a road race vehicle, the suspension sensors and one or two locations for the accelerometer will satisfy most answers. There is enough math that you can program to calculate most of want you need to know. About the only thing you can't figure out exactly is the actual ride height and tire deflection. You can get close enough for government work, but the actual number will escape.
As far as the logger, just about anybody can built a logger. But the IMPORTANCE of data logging isn't about the hardware. Hardware is only the vehicle to access the information. The power of data logging lies solely is the ability of the software and how the software program can provide the visual aids needed to reliablily track suspension movement. Unfortunately unless you are a programmer and can write your own programs you are pretty much stuck with what the popular systems give you. You can use outside programs like MATLAB and such, but they are not geared at race cars.
There are two system companies that deal with suspension logging (they all say they do) on the market and do it very well. Those are availiable from Pi and from CDS, (Competition Data Systems). The others have suspension channels but their programs are designed by people who don't understand how to setup a race car as well as they know how to program and build hardware.
I personally have used about every system out there, (I am a full time racing data consultant and sell and rep. CDS systems for the last 17 years) and the most popular systems out there currently fall very short when it comes to impacting a team's performance. Some of them are very cheap, but when it comes to the answers you'll get, well that will be cheap too!!!

George Main
Speedsense

New Racing Technology.

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:17:18 GMT

Author: SportyGuy

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:17 pm

Hello. Please send a private message if you can help me locate any team email addresses/info (legal, owner, PR, driver, or chief). I am seeking a partner for my software application in the racing industry. Before you disregard this post your contacts should know what a CMM Level II certified organization can do.(Thats us!) Then we can have a meaningful discussion. Oh, and your people should know I am NOT selling anything. I need know-how technical consulting, in exchange for the first version. See you on the track, see you on the podium. Thx.

Siemens/VDO Electronic Wedge Brakes

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:52:02 GMT

Author: mdadgar

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:52 pm

overmod wrote:

I think the brakes can be programmed to 'simulate' any less-precise braking system, probably right down to the effective pedal feel (via force feedback) -- in fact, I'd suspect there are a number of niche markets for controllers, retrofit applications, and specialty programming for the technology.

Good point. Probably true.

Quote:

The immediate SCCA question would be: if a level playing field is desirable, why stop just with disabling ABS -- why not handicap different braking systems on different vehicles so that effective characteristics are essentially the same qalong the general principle of those NASCAR restrictor plates?

They already effectively do that with minimum weight and maximum wheel/tire size combinations.

My guess is that the ABS thing is a side-effect of the respective race classes being composed of primarily low-end cars that don't all have ABS as standard equipment. Things like Civics and Miatas spring to mind.

- Mark

Tires - Super Slo Mo

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 20:14:09 GMT

Author: mdadgar

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:14 pm

This is just outrageously cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O0b90G8Yhg

- Mark

Optimum Ackerman

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:41:28 GMT

Author: MPME

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 7:41 pm

Rather than giving a basic explanation, I found a great archived piece from Racer Engineering for you--gives a much better top to bottom overview.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/images/features/ackermannpt1.pdf

Check Engine Problem

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 05:08:56 GMT

Author: woadey_2002

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:08 am

Just curious if anybody knows why my check engine light would be coming on since I have put on my new full catback system.

Frequency Response of G-Force?

Sat, 30 Jul 2005 16:55:35 GMT

Author: Mr.PS

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 4:55 pm

Hey all,

This is my first post here.

I posted about this in other forums but didn't get too many replies. I have put together my own system that can monitor, data log and control devices. Currently I have a 3 axis G sensor, a few temp sensors, and pressure sensors etc. I have since tried it at the tracks and it works wonders.

I read through some of the threads here and gather there are a few professionals in data acquisition business. I am planning to perform a data acquisition on vertical G-load and using various spring and shock settings. Then perform an analysis of the frequency response.

Is this something you folks in the business do for real racing data? Feel free to post your comments or criticism. I am guessing that Milliken's RCVD book will cover this aspect but I am looking for some hands-on experiences.

Btw, I am first an engineer than a driver. So please gentle.

Thanks for reading.

Boost Control

Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:54:06 GMT

Author: MR2Driv3r

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:54 pm

I have a 92 MR2 Turbo with a APEXi boost controller that was on the car when i got it so i dont have the manuel that comes with it. I just recently took my car to the track and did not run as i had expected to and thought it may be because the boost controller is not set yet and was wondering if anyone knew of a site or could just tell me how i should set everything on my boost control. Thank You

cylinder head 2.0 litre

Sun, 26 Jun 2005 07:25:57 GMT

Author: c4rip

Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 7:25 am

Give us some more info. There is a lot of 2.0 engines out there some have great cylinder heads to start with and others don't. What make and model is the engine from, how many cams, how many valves per cylinder.

1600 hp / 3000 cc F 1 engine [] WIN by 2 - 20 Laps

Sat, 16 Apr 2005 23:21:37 GMT

Author: niraima

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:21 pm

BAHRAIN F 1 RACE

ALONSO RENAULT
57 LAPS 1 hr 29 mt 18.5 secs =5358.5 secs
AVE RACE TIME 5358.5/57 = 94.00878 secs/Lap
LAP TIME [1..30..659 ] = 1 mt 34.00878 secs

ANDY Design System SAVEs

I External Fitting cost : . $ 10,000 each15 days
Air bearing saves 4 secs / Lap
Thermal Jet saves 4 secs / Lap
II Internal Modification cost: $ 50,000.each..6 months
'O' Tyres saves 2 secs / Lap
Andy Engine saves 10 secs / Lap 1600hp/3000cc
III SPEED 300 kmph Now
By I 400 kmph
By I,II 500 kmph
By I,II,V 600 kmph
IV CALCULATE
A. Lead 8*57/60 = 456 s= 7 mt 36 s = 5.0 Laps
B. Lead 12*57/60 = 684 s= 11 mt 24 s = 7.6 Laps
C. Lead 20*57/60 =1140 s= 19 mt 0 s =12.6 Laps
V * NEW on FUEL, Tyre , Chassis , Breathing .
VI Hypothecated
I , II , V SAVEs 30 secs / Lap ' Lap-a-Minute '
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AIM MXL in BMW E36 chassis

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 23:01:44 GMT

Author: mdadgar

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:01 pm

Anyone got installation tips on installing an AIM MXL in a BMW E36 chassis? How did get RPM readings? How about wheel speed?

Thanks!

- Mark

Best Technical Discussions

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 18:22:12 GMT

Author: MPME

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 6:22 pm

And/or JustRacing.com...

Audi: 10 years of the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centr

Thu, 23 Dec 2004 17:52:44 GMT

Author: MPME

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 5:52 pm

Interesting stuff--"gentlemen, start your welders..."

http://news.kak.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=news&file=article&sid=1732&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&POSTNUKESID=6fb4d8a18e6ab1ce767cc30c067242d1

10 years of the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre in Neckarsulm
Posted by: kak on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 06:18 PM CET

Audi A8, Audi A2, Lamborghini Gallardo: for the past ten years, Audi has been devising new technologies that make cars lighter, more economical and safer at its Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre in Neckarsulm. Audi is the only car manufacturer in the world to use aluminium for volume production of cars based on the space frame principle. All Audi models with a body made from this lightweight metal are built in Neckarsulm. The production plant of the sporty Audi A8 luxury saloon and the trailblazing compact Audi A2 is also where the brand's aluminium and lightweight design expertise is based.

Audi established the Aluminium Centre in Neckarsulm in 1994. Audi pooled its experience in lightweight automotive design in this facility, bringing together the expertise of the Development, Production Planning and Quality Assurance departments under one roof. Neckarsulm serves as a centre of expertise in the field of lightweight design and as a benchmark for the car industry worldwide. The centre was renamed the 'Neckarsulm Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre' two years ago. The new name reflects the fact that aluminium is now by no means the only material in which it specialises. As well as aluminium components, high-strength steels, tailored blanks, fibre reinforced plastics and magnesium will acquire growing significance for vehicle components at Audi. Developing lightweight vehicles featuring intelligent composite design is the way forward for this high-tech constructor.

A tradition in lightweight design

The company enjoys something of a tradition of building lightweight cars involving the use of lightweight materials. As early as 1913, the NSU plant in Neckarsulm produced a car with an all-aluminium body in the guise of the NSU 8/24. In 1923, Audi launched a six-cylinder engine that was made from light alloy. Again in 1923, the company experimented with a streamline aluminium body mounted on the chassis of an Audi Type K.

In 1977, Auto Union investigated the plastic vehicle body and its weightsaving potential. In the years that followed, lightweight design remained one of the core skills of the Ingolstadt car manufacturer. Six years later, Audi kicked off an intensive development phase with the material aluminium. An aluminium body was developed on the basis of the Audi 100. The development engineers were not content simply to substitute aluminium for steel while retaining the traditional monocoque design, as they believed that the sheer versatility of aluminium was not being exploited to the full.

Audi consequently developed a high-strength aluminium frame structure which, besides the body panels, consisted of aluminium extruded profiles and die-cast elements - the Audi Space Frame (ASF). By making consistent use of lightweight design, particularly for the vehicle body, Audi aimed to achieve a palpable reduction in fuel consumption without sacrificing comfort, performance and safety. The developers combined aluminium extruded sections with die-cast node elements for the first time. The new design also necessitated new production technologies. For example, the Neckarsulm-based specialists came up with improved light alloys and process engineering methods. In addition to welding and bonding, the joining technique of punch-riveting was used in the car industry for the first time.

Audi A8: the revolution in body manufacturing

The ASF concept was given its first public airing anywhere in the world at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show. A new era of car building had begun. The production version of the Audi A8 was then unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show one year on, a landmark development in the history of the car.

The luxury saloon triggered off a revolution in body manufacturing. The steel industry has also since been striving intensively to find alternative concepts for lightweight vehicle bodies. "Since the appearance of the first A8 a decade ago, that trusty old material steel has likewise undergone something of a transformation: a high-ranking manager in the steel industry once told me that the aluminium-built Audi A8 was what had decisively accelerated the development of higher-strength steel grades," remarks Prof. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, shedding light on the significant role that the A8 has played for the car industry.

"Aluminium will remain the key material for substantial weight savings for the longer term," insists Heinrich Timm, Head of the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre. "A few more interesting Audi vehicles featuring predominantly aluminium bodies are set to appear in the future. In addition to assuming responsibility for series development, we focus particularly on technology processes, the optimisation of material properties and processes for the volume-production use of aluminium technology. We are also involving suppliers, universities and institutes," adds Timm.

Audi A2: the Audi Space Frame in volume production

Since the founding of the Aluminium centre of expertise in 1994, around 110 employees from the Development, Production Planning and Quality Assurance departments have worked on designing the bodies of the A2, the current A8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo and developing them for volume production.

The Aluminium Centre's first "own" product was the development of an aluminium car suitable for volume production. The Audi A2 irrefutably proves that the Audi Space Frame is compatible with volume production. Production of the A2 started at Neckarsulm in 1999, heralding in the second generation of ASF technology. This project owed its success in no small measure to the fact that Audi had already been able to acquire valuable experience in the production use of aluminium with the first A8.

The ASF of the A2 consists of 60 percent aluminium sheets, 22 percent aluminium castings and 18 percent aluminium extruded sections. While the Audi Space Frame of the A8 set new standards in its vehicle segment with its weight of just 249 kilograms (43 percent lighter than a steel body of the same type), the aluminium body of the Audi A2 tips the scales at just 156 kilograms, including add-on parts.

The developers moreover drastically reduced the number of parts on the A2's space frame. This was achieved by using complex components, predominantly profiles and multifunctional castings. The A2 was for instance the first aluminium car on which Audi had used a single-section side panel frame. Meanwhile the degree of automation rose from 25 percent on the first A8 to 80 percent on the A2 and the current A8. The laser-welding of aluminium body components signalled a world first in the production sphere. The combined length of laser-welded seams on the A2 is in the order of 30 metres.

The joining techniques of punch-riveting and MIG welding that had already been used successfully on the A8 were adopted. It was only possible to use these techniques thanks to the extremely low dimensional tolerances of the A2's components. As a result the production quality, precision and accuracy of body manufacturing operations improved still further.

Development of the new A8

The next development of the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre appeared on the market just three years later, in 2002. The new Audi A8, still with the lightest body in its class, has enjoyed considerable market success. In 2003 the luxury saloon received the 'European Car Body Award', the most prestigious European innovation prize in the sphere of body manufacturing.

Findings obtained with the Audi A2 paved the way for further improvements to production techniques. For example, the proportion of cast alloys and multifunctional extruded sections has been increased significantly, and the number of parts needed to build the body has consequently been sharply reduced. The production process has been accelerated and the body has become more rigid and therefore safer as a result of incorporating fewer parts. The first A8 already represented a reduction in the number of parts by around one-third compared with a conventional steel body. Their number was reduced by a further 16 percent on the new Audi A8. Here are two examples: the B-post on the first-generation A8 consisted of eight sections, whereas it is made from a single cast section on the new A8. The side panel frame, which used to consist of seven parts, can likewise now be made from a single sheet panel. Audi has moreover adopted joining techniques from the A2 for the A8.

One innovation introduced was the laser-MIG hybrid welding technique, which for the first time combined the advantages of both joining techniques. The use of sensor technology to monitor the welding process simplifies the production monitoring processes. Thanks to the adoption of rapid-hardening sheet metal alloys, no separate heat treatment line is needed. This reduces the capital outlay and production time. The fact that the development and production aspects are closely linked at a single location has permitted immense progress in body manufacturing.

This joining technique has many advantages for the A8 driver: not only does its lower weight result in lower fuel consumption. The 61 percent improvement in its torsional rigidity compared with the predecessor model means that A8 drivers benefit from much greater agility and comfort, cementing its position as the most sporty luxury saloon in the world.

Lamborghini Gallardo: a new challenge

The development of the Gallardo for Lamborghini represented a further landmark. This was considered a particular challenge, as the aim was to develop a low-volume vehicle incorporating this demanding technology. The production of the parts and the task of defining the best joining technology were a big challenge to the developers, production planners and quality assurance personnel. Among other things, Audi used aluminium tailored blanks for the first time. The concept of the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre again proved an excellent basis on which to handle the wide-ranging tasks in hand. Whether for large or small-scale production, with a high degree of automation or a high number of manual production processes, this centre of expertise is capable of finding the optimum solution to every set of requirements.

Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre: the name points the way

The Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre received its new name in March 2003. This was when Heinrich Timm took charge. He was one of the pioneers of the "aluminium-intensive vehicle" back in 1983. In 1997, the University of Vienna acknowledged his role as the principal creator and Developer-in-Chief of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) by awarding him the Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize. Timm's vision is of economical lightweight design for volume production. And he is already thinking way beyond aluminium. "Our aim is to exploit the potential of materials for lightweight vehicles as effectively as possible and consequently to use the right materials in the right place. Aluminium of course remains the key material in lightweight design, but efforts to investigate the potential of other materials are being stepped up," explains Timm. The renaming of the Aluminium Centre as the "Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre" reflects that the future lies in embracing intelligent composite design for vehicle bodies.

Design strategies

A major advance in lightweight design technology can only be achieved through an elaborate combination of different processes in the fields of development and production - long before the first prototype has actually taken shape. An optimum structure must be determined in the earliest design phase.

Structural lightweight design is the area where Audi achieves a structure exhibiting higher load capacity with a minimal amount of materials by means of a better distribution of forces and a superior shape.

Material lightweight design involves specifically substituting heavier materials with lighter, stronger materials that are suitable for high-volume shaping and joining techniques.

Composite lightweight design is taken by Audi to mean the optimum combination of different materials on a case-by-case basis, resulting in high rigidity and load capacity, yet minimal weight, in the composite design.

Concept lightweight design involves the systematic selection of the individual components, with the developers taking account of the way the components are arranged (package) and the design.

The objective of environment, surroundings and conditions lightweight design is to query exaggerated load requirements. Here, the developers identify where more favourable geometrical conditions are needed for the lightweight components to be integrated.

Audi takes all materials that offer potential for lightweight design into consideration. High-strength steels, magnesium, aluminium (in the form of cast alloys, extruded profiles or sheet-metal alloys), plastics, fibre-reinforced thermoplastics/thermoset plastics and fibre composite plastics are now all mainstream materials in Audi's vehicle design activities. Assembly groups and components made from such materials as titanium, ceramic and carbon fibre are being investigated.

Aluminium lightweight design in production

As a pioneer of aluminium, Audi also sets standards in the field of production. The volume production of aluminium bodies at Neckarsulm is acclaimed industry-wide. "Over the past ten years, we have learned an awful lot about production technology and built up considerable expertise in handling this light metal. For example, the level of automation in our aluminium body manufacturing line is now 80 percent of that of a steel body manufacturing line," explains Neckarsulm plant manager Jrgen Lunemann.

Around 320,000 cars with all-aluminium body have now been built at Neckarsulm. This has given Audi a competitive lead of several years in research and production terms.

Expertise and motivation

There are currently around 110 employees at the Aluminium and Lightweight Design Centre, working on the refinement of Audi's lightweight design expertise. They have brought the A2, the new A8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo to production maturity. "Our highly qualified, well-motivated employees have been instrumental in securing our lead in lightweight design and in its development and production," declares Neckarsulm Works Council Chairman Norbert Rank. This points the way to how jobs can be influenced and safeguarded at Audi in the future. "This workforce will be capable of accomplishing quite a few more technological quantum leaps," adds Rank.