GSA Technology Council

Build an off-road Baja car from scratch; design it so it can go through mud and up steep hills; and do it within a budget.

That is the challenge facing the nearly 100 collegiate engineering teams from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, that will compete in the 2010 Baja SAE Carolina, which will be held at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville, S.C., April 8 -11, 2010.

This unique SAE International engineering competition provides real-world, hands-on learning for students. Competitors design and build an off-road vehicle that can survive the punishment of rough terrain. All vehicles are powered by a 10-horsepower Intek Model 20 engine donated by Briggs & Stratton Corporation.

Opportunity best defines this event, not only for the participating students, but also in a very big way for the individuals and businesses who provide support in the way of donations, sponsorships and materials.

Employers who may be looking for future engineers will have the opportunity to meet highly motivated engineering students from the top engineering programs in the nation and abroad.

Businesses also have a chance to display their company and products.

SAE International has many types of sponsorship opportunities that can be tailored to fit the needs of an organization. Further information can be found at the Baja SAE Carolina website, www.bajasaecarolina.com.

via: Baja SAE Carolina

Sage Automotive Interiors announced today that it has signed a letter of intent to move into a newly-constructed facility on Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus. The building will become the international headquarters for Sage.

The new construction is part of a $3 million government grant. Construction on the facility will begin in April 2010. Sage plans to move into its new facility by June 2011.

“Sage is thrilled to have the opportunity to be headquartered on the CU-ICAR campus,” said Brian McSharry, COO of Sage Automotive Interiors. “Being on an automotive research campus just makes sense for us. The proximity to the outstanding academic research is a great strategic fit for Sage’s international operation, plus our partnerships with Clemson and the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC) make it an added bonus.”

“We’re pleased that Sage Automotive recognizes the many advantages that Greenville County and the CU-ICAR campus offers their company,” said Mike Buiter, Chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation Board. “As an innovative organization with global opportunities in the automotive industry, they had no shortage of location options in which to place their international headquarters. As a prized member of the local and South Carolina business communities, we’re delighted that they have selected Greenville County.”

“Sage is a perfect complement to our growing CU-ICAR community,” said Bob Geolas, CU-ICAR executive director. “They are at the front end of customer trends in automotive interiors. The staff experience and global reach of this company makes them a recognized market leader. We could not be more excited about having such a dynamic and creative company join the CU-ICAR campus.”

“We are pleased about Sage Automotive Interiors location to CU-ICAR,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “This continues to confirm that our partnership with CU-ICAR and the community’s commitment is paying dividends with new jobs and exciting companies like Sage.”

via: Sage Automotive Interiors

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) said Thursday the announcement of the electric bus manufacturer Proterra and its expected 1,300 jobs could be a fire starter for new energy jobs throughout the Upstate tied to CU-ICAR.

“Proterra’s commitment shows the way ICAR is fulfilling its promise to create jobs and help South Carolina lead nationally in reinventing the car,” Inglis said. “Proterra is both a vehicle company and a technology company and their innovation will bring others to the Upstate.”

Inglis said suppliers and other manufacturers have already begun to investigate the Upstate and can be expected to locate here.

“As Proterra becomes successful, we can expect a job-generating effect like BMW has spurred.”

The Golden, CO-based company manufactures hybrid- and all-electric, all-composite body transit vehicles built from the ground up to improve fuel efficiency while generating very low or no emissions.

“I drove the company’s demonstration bus when they visited the office in Washington, DC,” Inglis said. “It is an amazing vehicle. It is lighter and cheaper to operate than a diesel bus that can recharge during its rounds.” Inglis said.

In addition to all battery and battery-dominant vehicles, the company can offer auxiliary power units that include bio-diesel, gasoline, compressed natural gas and hydrogen fuel cells.

The six-year-old company will manufacture hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles and eventually need to hire assembler, electricians, mechanics, welders and composite workers.

“This goes to show what we have been saying since 2005, that the road to energy security and economic recovery runs through the Upstate of South Carolina.”

Inglis said ICAR is one of the four pieces of the energy puzzle that South Carolina has to offer along with the Savannah River National Lab, the USC Fuel Cell Center and the Clyburn Transportation Center at S.C. State in Orangeburg.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc, today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 133,000 2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). No other Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall.

The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. Some 2010 model year Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.

Toyota has responded to owner concerns with a running production change for 2010 Prius that was introduced last month, improving the ABS system’s response time, as well as the system’s overall sensitivity to tire slippage. The production change for the HS 250h is planned for later this month.

via: Toyota

“We’re committed to doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to restore consumer trust in Toyota, and these recalls are part of this effort,” said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Motor Sales. “We regret the inconvenience this recall will cause to Prius and HS 250h owners, and will do our best with the support of our dealers to make sure that it is conducted in the most trouble-free manner possible.”

Mr. Lentz continued: “As part of the quality improvement program announced by Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week, our company is undertaking a top to bottom review to ensure that our vehicles meet our own high standards of safety and reliability, now and for the future. We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality control across the company, to investigate customer complaints more aggressively and to respond more quickly to any safety issues we identify.”

The recall will allow Toyota dealers to perform the software update on 2010 Prius vehicles sold prior to this running production change. Only Prius vehicles produced since May 2009 and all HS 250h vehicles are subject to this recall. First- and second-generation Prius vehicles use a different ABS system and are not involved in this campaign.

The ABS system on the Lexus HS 250h is similar in design to the Prius. The software adjustment planned for HS 250h production and dealer modification is being finalized and will be announced very soon.

Toyota will begin mailing letters to Prius owners included in this recall next week and HS 250h owners within the next few weeks, to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall.

Separately, Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 7,300 early production – 2010 model year Camry vehicles equipped with the 4 cylinder engine to inspect for a power steering hose that may be in contact with a front brake tube. This contact could lead to a hole in the brake tube and cause a brake fluid leak, increased brake pedal stroke and greater vehicle stopping distance.

Owners of the involved 2010 Camry vehicles will be notified by mail starting in the middle of February.

Proterra Inc., which develops and assembles drive and energy storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles, including their ground-breaking BE-35 fast-charge battery-electric transit bus, today announced that it will locate a facility in Greenville County at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) for research and development as well as assembly of its products. Gov. Mark Sanford, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Bob Inglis, Mayor Knox White, Greenville County Council Chairman H. G. “Butch” Kirven Jr., Clemson University President James Barker, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Greenville Area Development Corporation and the South Carolina Research Authority joined Proterra in making the announcement today.

“We are very excited to pursue the next stage of Proterra’s manufacturing and development in Greenville. This new facility will be our first full-scale, state-of-the-art research and development and manufacturing facility for our groundbreaking clean transportation solutions. Several months ago, Proterra retained the help of eRealty Companies Inc. and NPB Capital to assist in the site selection process. After a nation-wide search involving some 30 states, we selected Greenville, South Carolina as a result of the state’s numerous benefits in terms of workforce capabilities and research and development support. Additionally, we were impressed by the efforts of the Governor, the federal delegation, the local officials and economic development entities which far exceeded our expectations. We look forward to continuing a long and fruitful level of collaboration with the state of South Carolina and City of Greenville,” said Jeff Granato, CEO of Proterra Inc.

Proterra and its partners design, develop and assemble all electric and battery dominant hybrid drive solutions and complete vehicles for commercial applications including transit, school and commercial buses, parcel delivery vehicles and other class 4-8 trucks. Its revolutionary BE-35 fast charge battery electric transit bus has been tested at the Federal Transit Administration’s Altoona Center as achieving between 17 and 21 miles per gallon (diesel equivalent), a roughly 500 percent improvement over conventional diesel buses. Proterra’s very first vehicle, a battery dominant fuel cell hybrid transit bus funded by the FTA, is in service in Columbia, South Carolina. Proterra is headquartered in Golden, Colorado at the Coors Technology Center.

“Proterra’s decision to put down roots in South Carolina represents not only a significant investment and new job opportunities, but also another step toward expanding our state’s role in the growing market of next generation clean technologies,” said Gov. Sanford. “I’d offer the state’s appreciation to Sec. Taylor and his team at Commerce along with all our economic development partners at the state and local levels for their combined efforts to make our state that much more competitive in this global economy. With that said, we look forward to welcoming the Proterra team to South Carolina.”

Proterra anticipates that it will invest $68 million and create more than 1,300 new jobs over the next seven years in Greenville County. The company will hire a variety of skilled workers to support functions ranging from mechanical assembly, warehouse, logistics, managerial, engineering and quality assurance.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce has approved Proterra for the Job Development Credits program, which is a performance-based incentive directly related to new job creation and new capital investment. Additionally, Commerce will make two grants to Greenville County totaling $3 million to assist with site preparation and infrastructure improvements for the project.
Upstate South Carolina will be home to one of the nation’s most innovative transportation companies with today’s announcement that Proterra has chosen CU-ICAR as home for its assembly and research and development facilities.

“This is a red letter day, not just for Greenville, but for the Upstate and for South Carolina. Proterra opens the door to a whole new range of innovative enterprises to come. We are very proud of our team who worked very hard to make this happen, and we are very proud of our newest corporate citizen – Proterra,” said H. G. “Butch” Kirven Jr., GADC director and chairman of Greenville County Council.
“This is exciting news for Clemson University, for Greenville and for South Carolina,” Clemson University President James F. Barker said. “Proterra is an innovative, dynamic company that brings a new dimension to the CU-ICAR campus. Its product and processes fit the CU-ICAR curriculum and our program-driven campus perfectly. We look forward to a great partnership.”

“In addition to Clemson University, many others have worked tirelessly over the past several months to convince Proterra that CU-ICAR is the right place to realize their goals for the future,” Barker added.

“Not unlike the recent Boeing 787 announcement, this is another example of South Carolina leading in the green economy. The bus that Proterra is going to build in Greenville will not only be good for the environment, but it will help this nation break our dependency on foreign oil,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham. “I applaud local and state leaders for helping make the case that South Carolina is a great place to do business.”

“This exciting news reaffirms South Carolina as one of the best places in the world to do business,” said Sen. Jim DeMint. “We can all be proud of the strategic partnership between economic development professionals, education and research leaders and elected officials at every level that helped attract these much-needed jobs. Proterra’s decision to locate in Greenville is one more step towards the fulfillment of the long-term vision of the Upstate as a world-class automotive cluster. I’m confident this investment will pay dividends for both Proterra and our community for years to come.”

Proterra’s decision to invest in Greenville was the result of a coordinated team effort from the federal delegation to the local level.

“We’re excited to welcome Proterra to the Upstate and CU-ICAR. This commitment on the part of Proterra continues to show the way CU-ICAR is fulfilling its promise to create jobs and help South Carolina lead nationally in reinventing the car,” Inglis said. “Proterra exemplifies the can-do spirit of Americans by creating new jobs through innovation and in the process helping break our dependence on the Middle East for oil. This goes to show that the road to energy security and economic recovery runs through the Upstate of South Carolina.”
“Proterra’s landing in South Carolina is the result of both team effort and growing alignment among business, academic, governmental and economic development partners,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA Chief Executive Officer. “While SCRA’s SC Launch program has been primarily focused on support of start-up companies, in concert with our partners across the state, we’ll see more and more landing parties like Proterra arrive in South Carolina to further strengthen the knowledge economy here. These important high-tech businesses are closely aligning with the vertical markets that our research universities and their economic development partners have targeted.”
The City of Greenville will not only add an innovative transportation company to its business community, but Greenville will also purchase buses from Proterra for the City’s public transit use.

“Proterra’s location in Greenville is another piece in the CU-ICAR puzzle that establishes it as one of the premier locations for leading edge transportation and technology companies,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White.

In addition to state and local officials, Proterra thanked the following parties for their efforts: Greenville Area Development Corporation, the South Carolina Energy Office, readySC™, the Clemson University Real Estate Foundation and many others.

Proterra will lease 25 acres in Technology Neighborhood Three on the CU-ICAR campus to construct a 240,000-square-foot building, with the potential to expand into the entire 50-acre site. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2010. A ground-breaking ceremony will be held at a future date.

Proterra will work with readySC™ on workforce training and job placement. Please note that hiring will begin at a future date that has yet to be determined. Information regarding Proterra may be obtained by visiting www.proterra.com, and for interest in the new facility, please contact: Greenville@Proterra.com.

via: Proterra

Among the more than 1,000 degrees awarded during winter graduation Thursday at Clemson University was the first Ph.D. in automotive engineering, earned by John Limroth of Austin, Texas.

“The recognition and attention associated with being the first Ph.D. graduate are nice,” said Limroth, ”but I am more excited to be graduating with the experience I received from a premier program that has an international focus.”

Limroth has already started working at Michelin as a tire-performance research engineer. Clemson launched its automotive-engineering program in 2006 at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus. The program graduated nine master’s degree students in 2009. Limroth is the first to graduate with a Ph.D.

Also graduating with Ph.D.s were three PEER alumni: Sarina Kay Sinclair in bioengineering and James Gibert and Tiffany Camp in mechanical engineering. PEER — Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention — assists minority students in the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson.

Of the 1,188 degrees conferred, 877 were bachelor’s, 251 master’s and 60 Ph.D.s.

Judge Joseph Fletcher Anderson Jr., a 1972 Clemson graduate, received an honorary Doctorate of Laws during the ceremony. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Anderson to the federal bench. At 36 years old, Anderson was the youngest federal judge in South Carolina history. He still holds the position to this day. He completed a term as chief judge for the District of South Carolina, serving from 2000 to 2008.

Webb Smathers Jr., a professor of applied economics and statistics at Clemson, received the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence. The award, which includes a $5,000 stipend, was established by that class to recognize faculty members for the highest achievement of service to the student body, the university and the community. The recipient also becomes an honorary member of the class.

via: Clemson University

Sage Automotive Interiors announced today that it has become a separate entity from Milliken & Company.

The announcement means that the approximately 1,000 associates worldwide who worked for Milliken Automotive will keep their jobs under the new Sage umbrella. Sage will continue to provide its clientele with automotive body cloth under the Yes Essentials and FXC brands, as well as other branded products.

Sage will be led by Chief Executive Officer Dirk Pieper and Chief Operating Officer Brian McSharry, former automotive cloth division executives who have more than 50 years of combined experience in the automotive industry.

“Sage products will provide the same high quality, technological innovation and integrity that Milliken’s Automotive Division established,” said Pieper. “We will continue to grow our global footprint and work with our established contacts to give manufacturers and consumers more options. However, most exciting is that all of our exemplary associates are continuing forward with Sage.”

via: Sage Automotive

The 11th International Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Conference schedule for the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) Oct. 11-13 will focus on the complexity of systems that exist in various industries. The conference returns to the United States after eight years in Europe and will be hosted by the Clemson University mechanical engineering department.

In addition to automotive engineering, the conference will cover architectural engineering, aerospace, information technology, manufactured goods, plant engineering and other areas. It is for practitioners, academics, researchers and software developers of DSM-related tools to exchange experiences, share development results and discuss trends in all kinds of industries.

Keynote addresses will feature Dan Braha of the New England Complex Systems Institute & University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Steven Eppinger of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management and Sean Callahan of The Boeing Company.

Registration for the conference is available at http://www.dsm-conference.org/. For more information contact Fadel at 864-656-5620.

via: DSM Conference

Spartan Chassis, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc., and Force Protection, Inc., have jointly announced that they have entered into a Contractor Team Arrangement and will combine service capabilities and infrastructure to more effectively support future customer needs related to spare parts and sustainment for Force Protection’s fleet of Cougar vehicles. The two companies noted that each would commit key staff, facilities and information systems to speed response capability on critical programs.

John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors, said: “We are proud of our partnership with Force Protection in rapidly delivering key components for over 3,000 Cougar vehicles under the MRAP program. This new work structure will strengthen that relationship, create enhanced capabilities for the customer, and ensure that the service, upgrades, and spare parts this fleet of vehicles will need throughout its lifecycle are delivered and executed with excellence.”

Michael Moody, Chairman and CEO of Force Protection, Inc., commented: “It is a strategic priority for our Company to build the relationships and partnerships that can guarantee the highest possible level of customer experience. Over the course of the MRAP program, Spartan has been a key partner, met difficult production requirements in short spaces of time, and executed with excellence. We are very pleased to formalize our relationship, further enhance our combined capabilities and position ourselves to capture the increasing need for service and support work.”