The goal of a system approach to vehicle design is to define the technical specifications of each component, in such a way that the vehicle, as a whole, performs its functions according to assigned procedures and objectives. By technical specifications, we mean a set of physical measurements that define each part, completely without the use of detailed drawings. The system approach to design allows project, even the most elaborate one, to be carried out by assigning activities to teams working in parallel, each with comprehensible objectives that can be checked autonomously, and finalized to the overall performance of the vehicle | 18 VEHICLE FUNCTIONS SYSTEM DESIGN The goal of a system approach to vehicle design is to define the technical specifications of each component in such a way that the vehicle as a whole performs its functions according to assigned procedures and objectives. By technical specifications we mean a set of physical measurements that define each part completely without the use of detailed drawings. The system approach to design allows project even the most elaborate one to be carried out by assigning activities to teams working in parallel each with comprehensible objectives that can be checked autonomously and finalized to the overall performance of the vehicle. The system approach also allows a project to be developed using standard components produced by suppliers these components being developed for the purpose or chosen from a catalogue. Finally the system design is the initial phase of each project when the feasibility of reaching the assigned targets is verified this phase is usually called a feasibility study. The technical specifications of the main components are part of the concept documentation. In the continuation of this section we will try to explain how to assign and measure overall vehicle performance and functions. Unfortunately performance and functions cannot be defined absolutely because they are conditioned by the customer s expectations of the product he will buy and these expectations depend on both objective and subjective parameters. Nor would we forget that these expectations are conditioned by product alternatives existing on the market when the product will be sold alternatives which are usually unknown when the project is launched. G. Genta L. Morello The Automotive Chassis Volume 2 System Design 33 Mechanical Engineering Series Springer Science Business Media . 2009 34 18. VEHICLE FUNCTIONS Let us consider the climate system as an example. Some functions of primary importance are easily identified. We can assume that the objective of
