Nowadays vehicles are composed of around 20 000 to 30 000 different parts , all of which even the largest manufacturers cannot produce by themselves. Therefore automakers are forced to outsource production or purchase already finished product parts from second and third level suppliers.
Also considering the individual complexity of the subparts it is a crucial thing to buy in the right parts without loosing the focus on other non competitive technologies but at the same time keep the fundamental differential criteria and intellectual property for the creation and design of unique, competitive and differencing car products.
Most vehicles makers will not know how to make a micro controller or perhaps do not have in deep details about how to maximize the yield exploration on die wavers. This is simply not their core business, but still for example electronics and MCU prices have to be considered deeply. Picking the right technology and picking the best components for the OEMs task is crucial.
With the usage of in average 80 MCUs inside one vehicle and vehicle productions over half a million pieces per brand is nothing extraordinary anymore. Considering for example a pricing difference of one dollar for one micro controller per electronic control unit (ECU) used inside a vehicle the consequent cost increase can be significant.
Therefore for the production, Automakers either outsource production or purchase finished products, such as tires
and batteries, including products manufactured abroad. The volume of imported components is increasing yearly.
Automobile manufacturing is therefore an integrated industry. It relies on many supporting industries to produce the great diversity of materials and components it uses. Trends in the automobile industry, which makes huge
investments in equipment and R&D activities, are considered a barometer of the economy. Most trends and innovations nowadays are therefore driven my the suppliers. Automakers itself try to focus on their defined key differentiating criteria like cost, Economy (Fuel efficiency), warranty, Safety (very important for Asian and female customers), Environment, Comfort/Infotainment, Production Price, Customization etc. just to mention some.
A very interesting overview is yearly published in the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association reports showing the principal materials and components used in automobiles in 2008:
| Cast iron | Engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks |
| Common steel | Chassis, frames, wheel parts |
| Special steel | Gears, axle shafts, crankshafts, fuel injection equipment |
| Copper | Electricals, radiators, cables |
| Lead, tin, zinc | Engine metals, solder, body varnish, batteries |
| Aluminum | Engine parts (e.g. pistons, cylinder heads), wheels, chassis |
| Noble metals | Emissions purification parts |
| Other nonferrous metals | Magnets, plating |
| Noble metals | Emissions purification parts |
| Synthetic resin | Steering wheels, bumpers, radiator grilles, body components |
| Glass | Window glass, mirrors, headlamps |
| Rubber | Tires, sealing parts, vibration control parts |
| Ceramics | Plugs, electronic parts, sensors, emissions purification parts |
| Textiles | Seats, linings, seatbelts |
| Leather | Seats, packing |
| Paper | Filters |
| Wood | Load-carrying platforms, interior equipment |
| Paints | Ornamental and rustproof paints |
| Chemicals | Antifreeze, engine oil, transmission oil, brake oil |
| Animal and vegetable oils | For casting |
| Fats and oils | For lubrication, heat treatment, etc. |
| Springs, dampers | nbsp; |
| Turbochargers | |
| Bearings | |
| Machined parts, e.g. pumps | |
| Tires and tubes | |
| Batteries | |
| Window glass | |
| Onboard tools, e.g. jacks | |
| Supplies, e.g. extinguishers, tire chains | |
| Electronic parts | Sensors, ECUs, actuators |
| Lights, cables, optical fibers | |
| Air conditioners, air cleaners | |
| Starters, alternators, meters | |
| Radios, cassette decks, CD/DVD players, phones, navigation systems | |
| Safety equipment, e.g. anti-lock brakes, airbags, traction control |
|
| Coke | For casting |
| Petroleum, electricity,natural gas | Fuel, heat treatment, paint drying, power generation |
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