The automation industry "software crises" as is known, can be defined as the lack of emerging and existing programming technologies to meet with the demand of the industry for automotive synthesis software. In fact, there are many traditional software design research papers for a specific aspect of a given car model but none on synthesis software design for consecutive models in the same series. A comparative procedure for the synthesis software design presented in this paper with available software design methodology is outlined by focusing the attention on important life synthesis aspects of a typical automotive industry problem.

The basic requirement for the automotive industry's, engineering computational technology software design is for the software to replace the traditional design-production methodology per generation of new cars (namely concept, prototype, manufacturing and production) with the automotive synthesis methodology proposed in the paper (namely, synthesis core, synthesis validation, tools, and production) per consecutive generations of new cars.

Synthesis core is an integrated part of the software design methodology for both optimal new car design and optimal consecutive car design for an improved model in the same series. Next the paper examines the proposed synthesis validation tools. The tools are finite elements analysis, sub-system and component level validation, and data acquisition on similar cars and system level validation, also called proving ground schedule or durability/damageability. This is done by measuring loads on the system as a whole (vehicle based) with the synthesis correction applied to compensate for the limited possibilities of conventional corrections and difficulties in finding root cause(s). In addition, field data collection and measurement (time history data, load history and fatigue) and rig testing is included in the synthesis software to complete the picture of a reliable minimum cost flexible production.

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