Robust Design for the Future of Mobility
Automotive components must meet strict targets, delivering predictable performance under harsh conditions, while scaling to millions of units.
At RD8, we help OEMs and suppliers achieve robustness, quality, and cost efficiency - whether it’s new products and advanced safety systems for autonomous driving or ensuring high quality interior modules.
Our Engineering Ecosystem, powered by the RD8 Software and the RD8 Academy, enables faster development and smarter design decisions.
We help OEMs and suppliers with three interacting support pillars:
- RD8 Software
- RD8 Academy
- RD8 Consulting Services
Fewer Test Loops. Faster, Data-driven Decisions. Stronger Outcomes.
Late-stage tolerance checks lead to costly redesigns and missed deadlines. When robustness is only verified at the end, engineers face shrinking design space and demotivating rework. RD8 changes this by embedding Robust Design principles early and throughout development. With design scores and quality metrics tracked across all stages, decisions become data-driven, risks are reduced early, and time-to-market accelerates, without compromising performance.
Innovate at New Cost and Performance Levels
Competition is massive. Electrification, new technologies, and new players are impacting the market.
To be competitive, the RD8 Engineering Ecosystem can be a major driver - thinking design at quality from the very first sketch.
Overconstraints and tight tolerances inflate manufacturing costs and complicate assembly. RD8 applies a two-step approach: eliminate unnecessary constraints and allocate tolerances based on data, not guesswork. Our robust kinematics and tolerance optimization reduce scrap rates, simplify assembly, and unlock cost savings - while maintaining functional integrity and reliability.
Mechanical Foundations for Autonomy and Reliability
Autonomous systems need more than software. Safety depends on mechanical components that perform under all conditions, especially overloads. Uncertainty often drives heavy backup systems, adding cost and complexity. RD8 makes robustness measurable from concept stage through force path analysis, tolerance evaluation, and design quality metrics. With objective design scores and proven principles, we help you meet emerging regulations and innovate confidently in unfamiliar territory.
Robust Design Principles
1. Design for Variation
No component is ever manufactured perfectly—variation is inevitable in high-volume automotive production. Robust Design anticipates this by ensuring critical functions remain stable despite tolerances and process differences. The goal isn’t to eliminate variation, but to make designs that allow it without compromising performance.
2. Control through Interfaces
Interfaces, where parts meet, move, and interact, are where most issues arise. In automotive systems, misalignment, friction, and overconstraint often are uncovered late in testing. By focusing early on interface behavior, constraints, and clearly defined contact surfaces, engineers can prevent costly rework.
3. Simplify to Strengthen
Complexity invites risk. Robust design emphasizes simplicity: fewer coupled functions, clearer tolerances, and forgiving designs. In automotive assemblies, this means reducing unnecessary interfaces and simplifying tolerance stacks. The result? Faster development, easier manufacturing, and more reliable products - without over-engineering.
How can RD8 support your Robust Design jouney?
We integrate into your development process - combining software, consulting, and academy training. From early concept to production, RD8 ensures robust, cost-efficient designs and empowers your team with the tools and knowledge to sustain excellence.
Get in touch with our experts
Want to know more:
- How to achieve predictability in your design
- Face global competition in mechanical engineering
- Get the mechanical foundation right when developing innovative solutions for the era of autonomous mobility
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