Tesla Motors has selected Dimensional Control Systems (DCS)’s 1DCS and 3DCS solutions to provide tolerance analysis as part of its commitment to lead the automotive industry in quality with the development of the Model S.

Tesla’s design engineers are using 1DCS in the earliest stages of product development to explore hypothetical designs for rapid evaluation and iteration throughout development of the Model S. 3DCS will provide the tools to run precise tolerance analyses of the Model S design and the associated manufacturing process using the Functional Tolerancing and Analysis (FTA) process in CATIA.

“We are pushing the automotive and engineering limits at Tesla in our development of the Model S,” said Tesla Motors Dimensional Engineering Manager Steve Bannasch. “To ensure our cars are first in quality, we must be the very best in fit and finish. DCS allows us to achieve our goals without adding unnecessary cost. Their solution is completely integrated with CATIA and provides the most flexibility of design. The DCS team has clearly taken the time to research the differences between rigid and flexible materials and the impact they have on tolerances.”

What kind of processes do you use to ensure fit, finish and function? Do you take advantage of dimensional engineering?

The DCS Team