Have you ever thought about how much table tennis can be put in a glove compartment in Canada.
Ford has a unique way of measuring the internal storage space of its vehicles and competitors, rather than using a ruler;
It's played with table tennis.
How many ping-pong balls are in the new Ford sedan, which weighs about 56,778?
"It may not look very much, but table tennis is more accurate than measuring odd volumes with a tape measure
"It creates a space like a glove box," said Eric Jackson, Ford's chief of automotive construction . ".
Many years ago, Ford used a tape measure to estimate the capacity of the glove box, center console, and other small areas of the vehicle, and to find the volume by multiplying the length by the width by the height.
However, for all angles, curves and other strange shapes in the vehicle, engineers and designers are not satisfied with the accuracy or consistency of this approach.
According to Jackson, an engineer at Ford came up with the idea of measuring space with table tennis.
"It's just a weird idea for a team to brainstorm," Jackson said . ".
"But we did some research using table tennis and found that the measurement of ability was more consistent.
Jackson's team found that if two people were to measure the same console with a tape measure, they would usually come to different results due to a wide variety of methods.
However, if two people measure the volume with table tennis, they are more likely to get the same answer.
Sejal shrefler, Ford's accommodation and use Engineer, explains that the precise way to measure volume with table tennis is rather simple.
Ford's engineers have developed a cube size for each table tennis ball, which accounts for a lot of open space between balls.
They then use this measurement method and calculate the number of table tennis balls in the storage space to determine the total volume of the space.
Engineers also use computers. aided design (CAD)
Calculate the effect diagram of volume.
Shreffler and her team have also used a laser scanner device that allows Ford to obtain competitor surface data in CAD.
Shreffler can obtain a 3D digital representation of the vehicle as shown in the table.
Then digitize the surface data and evaluate the space in CAD.
This technology can be used to measure different areas of the vehicle to calculate anything from the volume of the cargo to the volume of the dashboard console or glove box.
Shreffler explained: "Our team scanned dozens of consumer goods from iPads to mountain bikes and wheelchairs to ensure that these items are not only suitable for our vehicles, but also have a suitable one
Ford then used the information to design clever spaces in its new car.
For example, there are several places to store specific items in the room, including umbrellas, bottles and mobile phones.