Autodesk prepared a first-lot model that fulfilled Honda’s requirements for the part using Netfabb and Fusion 360. “We shared Honda’s expertise to provide data on weight and various operating constraints, then went over each point with the Autodesk team as the model took shape,” Todaka says.
In his work on engine parts for two- and four-wheel vehicles, Todaka had relied on his past experience to come up with designs to then analyze and refine. When he first saw the result, he was blown away. “The part had an organic shape, like a human bone,” he says. “It was something beyond my wildest imagination.”
Honda R&D project team members traveled to London, where they received training in generative design; toured the Autodesk Technology Center in Birmingham, England; and discussed topics beyond design, such as additive manufacturing. At the facility, Todaka says: “Prototypes could be made from designs quickly. I felt it was an ideal environment where feedback could be quickly applied to your work.”