Bentley and ESI Group work together to refine the Flying Spur through a sustainable design process

ESI Group, a supplier of virtual Prototyping for industries, has been working with Bentley to optimise the car-makers new four-door sedan, the Flying Spur. Virtual Prototyping has allowed the teams to eliminate noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and reduced physical parts in the test phase.

Advanced virtual design processes have been used in the testing and production cycles of the third Flying Spur generation. The product development teams could undertake a weight optimisation program for the Flying Spur using ESI’s virtual Prototyping on 40 different components. The finely tuned process enabled acoustic tests for any airborne sounds filtering into the cabin to be completed, as well as any impact from the structure itself, such as tire noise. This ensured the correct soundproofing materials were deployed in the right locations around the vehicle, so passengers can enjoy the quietest cabin experience possible. These cutting-edge techniques are ultimately more sustainable, dramatically reducing the need to manufacture physical parts.

"By using Virtual Prototyping, Bentley succeeded in what we set out to do –optimise every component of the Flying Spur firstly in the virtual world before we create physical parts. At the same time, we have reduced physical prototypes, creating the quietest in-cabin experience for our customers. Virtual Prototyping means fewer prototypes have to be built, and we reduce our testing mileage. It also helps influence the design and engineering of the car at an early stage and affords significant benefits in the extensive testing phase."

Simon Noble - Acoustic Engineer at Bentley Motors

"ESI Group used their expertise in the challenging job of pinpointing unwanted cabin noise, relying on Virtual Prototyping, allowing Flying Spur designers to use digital mock-ups that helped identify NVH before building a physical version of the car. The virtual Prototyping helped to reduce physical parts in the test phase and save time during the process. ESI Group’s ambition is to boost human creativity to drive industrial performance to ever-higher levels. We are proud to collaborate with Bentley on one of the best luxury sedans in the world!"

Jonas Fredriksson - Managing Director ESI Northern Europe