Objective Durability optimisation is an essential, but costly and time consuming part of the design and refinement process of trucks. Competitiveness requirements imposing shorter design cycles put forward the need for a more effective and reliable approach to the durability optimisation that makes optimal use of previous experience and similar designs. This is particularly critical for the truck industry because many variants are required to satisfy widely varying market demands. The main objective of the project is to develop integrated design tools for durability assessment and optimisation of trucks, which combine numerical prediction methods with tests on physical prototypes on laboratory test rigs and on test tracks in a closely co ordinated manner. First, a fatigue strength information system will be developed that allows to take maximum advantage of a company's internal durability experience on previous similar designs. Second. structural modelling techniques will be developed that allow in the design phase of a truck to efficiently optimise a component for durability, without the need for complete recalculation of the structural model of the truck. Third, tools will be developed to generate improved, customer oriented but time reduced loading environments for use in both numerical predictions and accelerated fatigue testing on test tracks and test rigs. Finally, tools to improve quality and effficiency of test rig fatigue testing will be implemented. Overall, these elements will be tightly linked and integrated in order to obtain an efficient concurrent, CAE/CAT driven design process for durability optimisation. As structural dynamics (vibrational behaviour) has an important impact on the fatigue performance of trucks, a combined fat(igue & d)ynamics methodology will be implemented in all steps of the concurrent engineering approach. The participation of two truck manufacturers (DAF and RVI) ensures the development of industrially relevant solutions. For the validation of the different technologies, extensive endurance testing on test tracks and test rigs has been planned by both end users. The two technology and software development SME's (LMS project coordinator, and TecMath) have a leading position in their own field of expertise (structural dynamics LMS and fatigue analysis TecMath), but need to co operate in order to develop an integrated system for durability optimisation The expertise of the University of Leuven is required for a successful solution to the critical structural modelling problem. The direct outcome of the project is an integrated software system for durability optimisation, and will be commercialised by LMS and TecMath together. Combining LMS' market position in the world and TecMath's fatigue expertise, allows to compete against US companies currently dominating the durability engineering market. The most important benefit for the truck manufacturers is the reduction of the most critical path in the development time of trucks, which is the durability optimisation. Subsequently, the truck manufacturers will be able to increase market share by faster adapting their products to the fast changing market requirements while maintaining the reliability. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssystem softwarenatural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware development Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0302 - Transports Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator DAF Trucks N.V. Address 1,hugo van der goeslaan 1 5600 PT Eindhoven Netherlands See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Belgium EU contribution € 0,00 Address 300 b,celestijnenlaan 300 b 3001 Heverlee See on map LMS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Sauerwiesen 2 67661 Kaiserslautern See on map Leuven Measurements and Systems (International) Numeral Technologies NV Belgium EU contribution € 0,00 Address 68,interleuvenlaan 68 3001 Leuven See on map Monroe Belgium Belgium EU contribution € 0,00 Address Industriezone noord-west 3800 Sint-truiden See on map Phoenix AG Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address 88,hannoversche str. 88 21079 Hamburg See on map Renault Véhicules Industriels France EU contribution € 0,00 Address 1,av. henri germain 1 69802 Saint-priest See on map
