A group of automobile designers tore apart a Toyota Prius to see how it was designed, and the results are slowly making their way into print and online. From an overview article, an engineer explains how Toyota ensures that its cars will meet its quality standards regardless of where the cars are manufactured:
"with modules, bits and pieces--from electronics to doors and other components--that readily fit in place, enabling building the same vehicle, with the same quality, anywhere in the world."
Another, not very surprising finding:
"Mission-critical subsystems rely on relatively conservative design choices in both IC packaging and IC components--some microprocessor designs were up to 12 years old--while infotainment systems are implemented in a form closer to state of the art."A malfunctioning DVD player is a problem certainly — and you can't use a 12-year-old DVD player part, after all! — but a malfunctioning engine is a different problem entirely and it's not too unreasonable for Toyota to make conservative choices.
Topics: · design
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