Manufacturers of cars and trucks are becoming increasingly aware of the need to satisfy customer wants. In today's marketplace, customers demand the highest levels of quality and performance at affordable cost levels. The rapid evolu- tion of motor vehicles in recent years has resulted in a more knowledgeable and sophisticated customer body with much higher expectations. New motor vehicles are expected to pro- vide good ride and quiet operation as well as precise handling, steering and sure, confident braking. In times past, it was not possible to meet apparently conflicting chassis requirements with existing hardware. Good handling brought with it a firm ride and high effort steering. Smooth and quiet ride was often accompanied by poor directional stability and tendency to pitch and bounce over undulating surfaces. Modern vehicles are meeting these conflicting objectives through a marriage between chassis systems and electronic controls. The market for these chassis electronic control sys- tems is still developing, and not likely to reach maturity dur- ing the next decade. This paper addresses the present status and future direction of chassis electronic control systems. It speaks to present production systems and future directions. Program and technical management issues are covered next, concluding with some thoughts on the role of suppliers in this process.
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