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:

The world's best companies trust RD8.
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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.

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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.

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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.

Uncover hidden variation issues before they lead to reliability problems or performance loss.
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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.

Improve yield, reduce cost, and avoid overengineering by balancing robustness of interfaces.

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.

Incorporate robustness from the first sketch and ensure designs without unnecessary complexity.
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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.

Engineering Design Tool
Robust design insights, directly from your CAD.
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Engineering Intelligence
Grasp Robust Design basics, including the RD8 Framework and kinematic design principles.
Engineering Academy
Learn the methods. Master robust design.
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Get in touch with our experts

Want to know more about:

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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