Text A Why Car Designers Stick with Clay?
David K.Gibson
In an age when vehicle styling teams have supercomputers and virtual reality at their disposal,a venerable—and defiantly low-tech—design tool persists.
Harley Earl,legendary vehicle stylist for General Motors from 1927 through the end of the 1950s,revolutionised the design of mass-produced automobiles by thinking of the car as a work of art—or,at least,fashion—rather than a purely utilitarian product.One of his main weapons in that revolution was clay.A sculpted model helped his clients(first,movie stars and millionaires,and later GM executives)get a feel for a proposed design in a way that sketches and diagrams simply couldn't communicate.
But that was a long time ago,and modern automotive designers now have at their disposal computers,specialised design software,giant monitors,large-scale 3D printing,computerised milling processes,and fancy virtual reality setups.Yet,the automotive design gods continue to take handsful of clay,and breathe into them the breath of life.
“Why clay?”laughs Joe Dehner,Head of Ram Truck and Mopar Design for Fiat Chrysler,“I asked the same question when I got here 28 years ago,yet here we are doing the same thing.I explain it as using an erasable pencil versus permanent ink,and clay lets you go back and make changes.”
Lloyd VandenBrink,modelling manager at Ford Truck Studio in Dearborn,Michigan,is a big believer,as well.“Clay has two characteristics that make it good for use.It's easy to change—you just add it,or take it away.It allows you to be creative and come up with something quickly.3D printing,on the other hand,is just that—printing.”
“Secondly,it's a great collaborative tool,”he continues.“Everyone can get around it,brainstorming three-dimensionally.”
Land Rover modellers sculpt the Discovery Sport in clay at the company's design studio in Gaydon.
The first thing to know about this marvelous medium is that it isn't actually clay.“Clay is different waxes with some filler in it,”says VandenBrink.“That used to be sulfur,and more recently small glass beads,but it's mostly waxes.Honestly,it's hard to know exactly what's in it,because the formulas are proprietary.”There are half a dozen companies that make plasticine clay suitable for full-scale design modelling(a few car companies make their own blends),and they deliver their product to design shops on flatbed trucks by the pallet-load.In a typical year,Ford goes through about 100 tons of the stuff,formed into hard,extruded cylinders about 3 inches in diameter.When a designer is ready to build,a lump of it is heated to about 66°C(150°F),and applied.
This isn't a reductive process,in which a sculptor just removes everything that doesn't look like an SUV(that's the role of a milling machine,more of which later).Instead,hand modeler applies the clay to 12 to 18 inches of foam cut into the rough shape of a vehicle,which is itself attached to an armature of lightweight aluminium with adjustable fittings.Those fittings are placed to reflect the briefing the designers are working from,so that the model is built with hard constraints showing overall wheelbase,powertrain,and people packaging.“The model would weigh probably ten tons if it were all made of clay,”notes Dehner.
The entire design process takes about a year,starting with concept sketches and working to delivery of what Dodge's Dehner calls a“toolable surface for the engineering team.”
Between paper and pavement,design follows a path that's linear,but with a lot of loops as changes are integrated,tests are run,and outside opinions are brought in.First there are concept sketches and designs,and a few of those are made into scale models at 4∶10 scale.Usually,those models are made directly from a CAD program running a milling machine,in which a block of clay is whittled down to form a meatspace model of what's been living inside the computer.From there,a few are selected and distributed to interested parties(management and marketing in particular)before a base design is selected for full-scale modelling.
That leap to full-size is vital.“There's something about having that scale on a physical model,”says VandenBrink.“We do scale models,and make them as realistic as possible,but when we scan and blow it up full size,it looks cartoony.”There's a flip side as well,he says.“When you work on a computer,you have a tendency to zoom in,and you get too concerned with the details.You end up spending hours working on the radius of curve,when it's just going to get lost in the stamping.”
One thing that's often overlooked about clay models is that they aren't simply output;clay can be an input medium,as well.The perfect fender curve or B-pillar transition may take shape with a few flicks of the wrist in clay,while trying to get that same level of artistry through computer and stylus might take hours.And once it's in clay,a whole car can be scanned into a CAD program in an hour and a half.You won't do that with a stylus,or a mouse,or a fancy 3D headset.
Testing is another place where the flexibility of clay is key.“Wind tunnel time is expensive,but you need to confirm your design to get the most efficient exterior,”says Dehner.“It's easy to slap on a little more clay and make a shape,so you get more runs and get more data.”
As a design reaches maturity,items like headlights and turn signals get added to clay to turn it into a“hard model.”The entire model is then coated with a stretchable modelling film(known,Kleenex-like,by the original trade name DI-NOC)that mimics the look and feel of a painted surface.(“From 10 feet away you'd never know it wasn't a functioning car,”says VandenBrink.)The design remains flexible,though,with clay being smoothed on or scraped off until the final design is approved by corporate executives milling around in some secret interior courtyard.Once that happens,a model(still nonfunctional,but very expensive)of fiberglass or resin,perfect inside and out,is created for people to see at press events and car shows.
And that clay model?At Dehner's design studio,the full-size models are whisked off to a secret storage facility called The Tomb.“Once we're sure that the program has truly moved on,then we'll take it apart and recycle.”
At Ford's studio in Dearborn,there are about 160 modellers,125 of whom can model by hand,with many being able to drop what they're doing in a CAD program to scrape clay from a fender.Some come from design schools with specialisation in auto design,but others come from the auto-body industry,or from the arts.But not a lot of future designers think about clay on their career path,according to VandenBrink,so Ford sends recruiters to colleges and offers training internships.“We have to spread the word that this exists,”he says.
Part of that lack of awareness may be that clay modelling seems so old-fashioned.Vanden-Brink says,“I keep hearing,‘virtual reality is coming in,and is going to take away the whole thing.’But we need to understand that it's not an either-or,it's a hybrid of all the different tools we need to get where we need to go.In the 80s we invested in milling,and everyone thought it was the end of clay.”But here we are,still scraping.
“Up to this point,”says Dehner,“we've simply never found anything better.”
(1,251 words)
New Words＆Expressions
1.virtual［΄vзːtʃuəl］adj.made,done,seen etc.on the Internet or on a computer,rather than in the real world
2.venerable［΄venərəbl］adj.deserving respect because of age,high position,or religious or historical importance
3.defiant［dI΄faIənt］adj.clearly refusing to do what someone tells you to do
4.utilitarian［ˌjuːtIlI΄teərIən］adj.intended to be useful and practical rather than attractive or comfortable
5.mill［mIl］v.to press,roll,or shape metal in a machine碾磨、铣
6.proprietary［prə΄praIətri］adj.relating to who owns something
7.plasticine［΄plæstəsiːn］n.a soft substance like clay,that comes in many different colours and is used by children for making models
8.extrude［Ik΄struːd］v.to force plastic or metal through a hole so that it has a particular shape
9.cylinder［΄sIlIndə(r)］n.the tube within which a piston moves forwards and backwards in an engine汽缸
10.diameter［daI΄æmItə(r)］n.a straight line from one side of a circle to the other side,passing through the centre of the circle,or the length of this line
11.lump［lʌmp］n.a small piece of something solid,without a particular shape
12.armature［΄ɑːmətʃə(r)］n.a frame that you cover with clay or other soft material to make a model
13.briefing［΄briːfIŋ］n.information or instructions that you get before you have to do something
14.wheelbase［΄wiːlbeIs］n.the distance between the front and back axles of a vehicle轴距、轮距
15.powertrain［΄paʊə΄treIn］n.动力系统
16.packaging［΄pækIdʒIŋ］n.the materials in which objects are wrapped before being sold
17.linear［΄lIniə(r)］adj.consisting of lines,or in the form of a straight line
18.loop［luːp］n.a set of operations in a computer program that are continuously repeated
19.whittle［΄wItl］v.to gradually make something smaller by taking parts away
20.meatspace［miːts΄peIs］n.(Computer Science)(Slang)the real physical world,as contrasted with the world of cyberspace
21.leap［liːp］n.a large increase or change
22.fender［΄fendə(r)］n.one of the four parts at the side of a car that go over the wheels(汽车的)挡泥板
23.flick［flIk］n.a sudden,quick movement
24.stylus［΄staIləs］n.尖笔,铁笔
25.mimic［΄mImIk］v.to behave or operate in exactly the same way as something or someone else
26.resin［΄rezIn］n.a thick sticky liquid that comes out of some trees；a type of plastic(合成)树脂
27.whisk［wIsk］v.to take someone or something quickly away from a place迅速弄走
Notes
1.David K.Gibson,a freelance creative consultant and writer since 1995,strategizes directs,and writes for a variety of editorial and commercial clients in print,web,and video,creating everything from snappy headlines to full website architectures to simple explanations of complicated products.His clients include BBC Auto,Archetypes.com,7X Cattle Company,Eleven Experience,the Aspen Institute,etc.This essay was published by BBC autos on 11 November 2016.
2.General Motors,commonly known as GM,is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Detroit,Michigan that designs,manufactures,markets,and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts,and sells financial services.GM,the largest automobile manufacturer from 1931 through 2007,manufactures cars and trucks in 35 countries and sells its products under brands like Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,etc.
3.3D printing,also known as additive manufacturing(AM),refers to processes in which successive layers of material are formed under computer control to create three-dimensional objects,which can be of almost any shape or geometry and are produced using digital model data from 3D models or other electronic data sources such as an Additive Manufacturing File(AMF)file.
4.Fiat Chrysler,also known as FCA,is an Italian-controlled multinational corporation incorporated in the Netherlands,and currently the world's seventh-largest auto maker.
5.Ford Truck Studio,referred to simply as“Ford”,is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn,Michigan,a suburb of Detroit.It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16,1903.The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and most luxury cars under the Lincoln brand.
6.Dearborn,Michigan,the eighth largest city in the State of Michigan,is a manufacturing hub for the automotive industry.The city was the home of Henry Ford and is the world headquarters of the Ford Motor Company.Dearborn has the Henry Ford,the United States’largest indoor-outdoor museum complex and Metro Detroit's leading tourist attraction.
7.Land Rover is a car brand that specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles,owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover,which has been owned by India's Tata Motors since 2008.The Land Rover is regarded as a British icon,and was granted a Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1951.
8.Land Rover Discovery Sport is a premium compact SUV produced by British manufacturer Land Rover.It replaces the Land Rover Freelander in a revised Land Rover range of veicles,with Discovery joining Range Rover as a sub-brand.The new discovery sub-brand,to be focused on leisure vehicles,features two models,the compact Discovery Sport and the larger Discovery.The Discovery Sport is available in five and seven seat layouts,reflecting the desire for Discovery models to appeal to family buyers.
9.SUV refers to a sport utility vehicle or suburban utility vehicle,is a vehicle classified as a light truck,but operated as a family vehicle.They are similar to a large station wagon or estate car,usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on-or off-road ability.Some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or large sedan.
10.CAD program(CAD)is the use of computer systems(or workstations)to aid in the creation,modification,analysis,or optimization of a design.CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer,improve the quality of design,improve communications through documentation,and to create a database for manufacturing.
Reading Comprehension
Ⅰ.Questions for discussion
1.Why do vehicle styling teams today persist in using clay to make sculpted models when they have supercomputers and virtual reality at their disposal?
2.Dehner compares clay to an erasable pencil in automotive design.But do you agree that computers,specialized design software and things alike make changes easier in designing?
3.Why is clay sculpting not a reductive process?
4.Why and how will clay models be disposed of?
5.Is clay modeling old-fashioned or irreplaceable in today's automobile designing?
Ⅱ.Judge,according to the text,whether the following statements are true(T)or false(F).
1.A sculpted model helped us get a feel for a proposed design in a way that 3-D sketches and diagrams couldn't.
2.Clay isn't actually clay.It is made of waxes with some filler in it.
3.On car shows,a model of fiberglass or resin is made for people to see.
4.The process of clay modeling takes about a year.
5.Clay models are,and will be,better than anything else in auto design.
Vocabulary
Ⅰ.Fill in the blanks with words that best complete the sentences.
( )1.Her coach has convinced her that if she sticks________it,her playing will gradually get better.
A.out B.in C.to D.wit
( )2.The website allows us to take a________tour of British Museum.
A.physical B.virtual C.actual D.simulative
( )3.While the church was burning,congregants pulled out________objects,including a safe where the books were housed.
A.venerable B.vulnerable C.vulturous D.vulgar
( )4.To a certain degree,these are________explanations of the origin of life.
A.deductive B.inductive C.productive D.reductive
( )5.The military computers use a_______operating system rather than Microsoft's Windows.
A.proprietary B.processive C.prospective D.prosperous
( )6.Geochemists tend to focus on the chemical differences between the rocks that are________at mid-ocean ridges and hot-spot island volcanoes.
A.exposed B.explored C.expelled D.extruded
( )7.The young couple need to________the list of guests for the party.
A.whittle away B.whittle at C.whittle down D.whittle off
( )8.For a moment she said nothing;she just swallowed as if there were a________in her throat.
A.loop B.lump C.leap D.load
( )9.The waitress________our coffee cups away before we'd had a chance to finish.
A.withdrew B.wiped C.whisked D.wound
( )10.A staff of ten got together and________ideas,some of which would get developed and some wouldn't.
A.invented B.understood C.discovered D.brainstormed
Ⅱ.Fill in each blank with a word chosen from the box in its appropriate form.
disposal defiantly flexibility collaborative approve
permanent recruiter marvelous transition constraint
1.For eight or nine years we were not only___________and partners,we were best friends.
2.Women's employment opportunities are often severely____________by family commitments.
3.Many universities are having difficulty____________enough qualified staff with PhD degrees.
4.It is easier to be soothing with a highly sensitive child who is clingy and frightened than with a____________child.
5.It takes an average of twelve years for a successful drug to go from initial research to final government____________.
6.Nuclear waste can cause serious damage to the environment if not___________of properly.
7.The____________period for a company will begin when it is privatised and will be at least six months and up to 16 months.
8.They need a____________management system,able to meet the changing needs of their customers.
9.The traffic accident last week has left him____________disabled.
10.Her body had soon regained its youthful shape and he_____________how trim she looked.
Cloze
Of the four choices given below for each blank,choose the one that best fits into the passage.
There's an oil boom right now.Worldwide deman d 1 fuel is the highest it has been in eight years and it's not showing any signs of stopping.The United States Department of Energy 2 that 2017 will show record demand from Americans, 3 miles driven increase and car sales skyrocket to all-time highs—just as they 4 in 2015 and 2016.
In the third 5 of 2015,cars in the UK were up 600,000,to 25.8 million.And America has 275 million cars on the road right now. 6 of those cars in both countries need petrol. 7 there's this weird thing happening in the petrol industry that doesn't seem to be logical 8 you look at those numbers:For over a decade,the 9 of petrol stations around the UK and the US have been slowly,and very steadily, 10 .From 2002 to 2012 the number of fueling stations in America went from 170,018 to 156,065.So,what's going on? 11 is it possible that demand for fuel can be so high,when places built exclusively for 12 it are disappearing?
13 you look just at big cities around the world,the answer to that question is pretty 14 and simple.It's real estate.
New Yorkers that drive,for example,know all too 15 that Manhattan is a“fuel desert.”According to a New York Times story on the dwindling access to petrol in the city,there are 16 50 stations on the island(though other local news outlets report that number is more like 39),the city lost 30 in the last eight years,and there's not 17 single one below 23rd Street.It's a story that any big city with expensive real est ate 18 echo.All you have to do is 19 the most expensive neighbourhoods,and you will find the 20 petrol stations.
( )1.A.in B.on C.to D.for
( )2.A.calculates B.predicts C.asserts D.confirms
( )3.A.as B.like C.so D.though
( )4.A.have risen B.decreased C.did D.have done
( )5.A.quarter B.section C.part D.phase
( )6.A.Few B.Some C.All D.Many
( )7.A.But B.However C.Yet D.Although
( )8.A.while B.when C.where D.whenever
( )9.A.amount B.scale C.number D.diagram
( )10.A.disappearing B.declining C.distressing D.degrading
( )11.A.However B.How C.How far D.How much
( )12.A.assessing B.accessing C.accounting D.accumulating
( )13.A.Because B.Since C.If D.While
( )14.A.obssessed B.obscure C.objective D.obvious
( )15.A.well B.often C.soon D.good
( )16.A.seeminly B.only C.exclusively D.excessively
( )17.A.a B./ C.the D.one
( )18.A.would B.wil C.could D.may
( )19.A.to look at B.looking at C.to have looked at D.look at
( )20.A.exact B.fewest C.most D.least