Mahindra is hiring for CAE Durability Engineer at Pune / Chandigarh

Company: Mahindra & Mahindra
Position: CAE Durability Engineer
Location: Pune / Chandigarh
Industry: Commercial Vehicles
Experience: 8–16 Years

Key Requirements

• Strong experience in CAE Durability Analysis for commercial vehicles.
• Hands-on experience with Nastran is required.
• Experience in automotive CAE and structural durability analysis.
• Strong understanding of durability simulation, fatigue analysis, and structural performance.
• Experience working on commercial vehicle structures/components will be advantageous.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Candidates with experience in automotive CAE, durability simulation, structural analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), and Nastran should consider this opportunity. Experience in commercial vehicle development and correlation of CAE results with physical testing would be an added advantage.

How to Apply

📩 Email: sharma.kritika@mahindra.com

Suggested Subject: Application – CAE Durability Engineer

Job Summary: Mahindra is looking for experienced CAE Durability Engineers with 8–16 years of automotive experience and strong Nastran expertise for its Commercial Vehicle business in Pune / Chandigarh.

Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is durability analysis in automotive CAE?

Durability analysis evaluates whether an automotive component or structure can withstand repeated loading throughout its expected service life.

Unlike a simple static strength analysis, durability analysis considers cyclic loads, fatigue behavior, stress/strain history, material properties, and load repetition. The objective is to predict potential fatigue failures before physical testing or vehicle production.

For commercial vehicles, durability analysis is especially important because vehicles may experience high payloads, rough-road conditions, repeated loading, vibration, and severe operating environments.

2. What is the difference between strength and durability analysis?

Strength analysis generally determines whether a component can withstand a particular load without excessive stress, deformation, or failure.

Durability analysis focuses on repeated or cyclic loading and estimates how long the component can survive before fatigue failure.

For example, a bracket may safely withstand one high load during static analysis, but repeated loading over thousands or millions of cycles could eventually create a fatigue crack. Durability analysis helps identify this risk.

3. What is Nastran used for?

Nastran is a widely used finite element solver for structural engineering analysis.

It can be used for different types of analysis, including:

• Static analysis
• Modal analysis
• Frequency response
• Buckling
• Linear and nonlinear analysis
• Dynamic analysis
• Structural performance evaluation

In an automotive CAE environment, Nastran can be used to evaluate stresses, strains, deformation, natural frequencies, and other structural responses.

4. What is fatigue failure?

Fatigue failure occurs when a component experiences repeated or fluctuating stresses over time and eventually develops cracks or fails, even when the applied stress is below the material’s ultimate strength.

Typical fatigue analysis involves understanding:

Load history → Stress/strain response → Material fatigue properties → Damage calculation → Predicted life

Automotive components exposed to repeated road loads are particularly susceptible to fatigue.

5. What is the difference between S-N and E-N approaches?

The S-N approach, also called the stress-life method, relates stress amplitude to the number of cycles to failure. It is commonly used when stresses remain predominantly within the elastic range.

The E-N approach, or strain-life method, relates strain amplitude to fatigue life and is more suitable when significant plastic strain occurs.

The selection depends on the component, loading condition, material behavior, and expected failure mechanism.

6. How do you evaluate a CAE durability result?

I would first verify that the model, material properties, boundary conditions, load cases, and mesh are appropriate.

Then I would review:

• Stress and strain distribution
• Critical locations
• Deformation
• Load path
• Fatigue damage
• Predicted life
• Safety factors
• Failure locations

Finally, I would compare the results with design requirements or test results and provide recommendations for improvement where necessary.

7. What is CAE correlation?

CAE correlation means comparing simulation results with physical test results to determine how accurately the CAE model represents real-world behavior.

For example, if a component is physically tested under a particular load condition, the measured displacement or strain can be compared with the corresponding CAE prediction.

If there is a significant difference, engineers investigate factors such as:

• Boundary conditions
• Material properties
• Load application
• Mesh quality
• Contact definitions
• Component geometry
• Test setup

The model can then be improved to achieve better correlation.

8. What are common reasons for CAE and test results not matching?

Some common reasons include incorrect boundary conditions, inaccurate material properties, unrealistic load assumptions, insufficient mesh quality, incorrect contacts, manufacturing variation, or differences in the physical test setup.

I would first verify the test and simulation conditions before modifying the model. The objective should be to identify the actual source of the correlation gap rather than simply adjusting the model to match the test.

9. How can CAE help reduce vehicle weight?

CAE can identify areas where material is underutilized or where structural performance can be achieved with a more optimized design.

Engineers can evaluate:

• Thickness reduction
• Geometry optimization
• Material substitution
• Reinforcement optimization
• Load-path improvement
• Local structural modifications

The final design must maintain required strength, durability, stiffness, safety, manufacturability, and cost.

10. What would you do if a durability simulation predicts failure?

I would first verify the model and loading conditions to ensure the result is technically valid.

If the failure prediction is confirmed, I would identify the critical location and understand the failure mechanism. I would then work with the design team to evaluate possible solutions such as geometry modification, reinforcement, thickness optimization, material changes, or improved load distribution.

The modified design would then be re-simulated and, where required, validated through physical testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What experience is required for the Mahindra CAE Durability Engineer position?

The advertised experience requirement is 8–16 years, with relevant experience in automotive CAE and durability analysis.

2. Is Nastran experience mandatory?

Strong hands-on experience with Nastran is specifically mentioned as a key requirement, so candidates should clearly highlight their Nastran experience on their resume.

3. Which industry is preferred?

The position is associated with Mahindra’s Commercial Vehicle business, and experience in automotive CAE and commercial vehicle durability would be highly relevant.

4. Where is the position located?

The job opportunity is available at Pune / Chandigarh.

5. What educational qualification is required?

The provided hiring information does not specify a particular degree requirement. Candidates should therefore refer to the employer’s recruitment process for the exact educational criteria.

6. What skills should candidates highlight in their resume?

Candidates should highlight experience in CAE durability, FEA, Nastran, structural analysis, fatigue analysis, automotive components, simulation-test correlation, and commercial vehicle applications.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can share their updated resume at:

📩 sharma.kritika@mahindra.com

Candidates should mention their total experience, current organization, current location, Nastran experience, CAE durability projects, notice period, and relevant commercial vehicle experience in their application.

Job Summary

CAE Durability Engineer | Mahindra & Mahindra | Commercial Vehicle Business | Pune / Chandigarh | 8–16 Years

Mahindra is looking for experienced CAE Durability Engineers with strong Nastran and automotive durability analysis experience to support structural simulation and durability engineering activities for commercial vehicles.