Using Simulation Technology to Minimize … › wp-content › uploads › 2015 › 04 › ...Using...
Transcript of Using Simulation Technology to Minimize … › wp-content › uploads › 2015 › 04 › ...Using...
Using Simulation Technology to Minimize Component Damageat FCA US
Keywords: Drop and impact analysis, cost saving
Automotive components manufactured by
the OEM or by third party suppliers need to
be transported before final assembly. From
as close as the same plant or as far away
as a different country, these components
need to arrive at their destination without
being damaged along the way. To transport
components, manufacturers develop
shipping racks, built specifically for the
size, shape and weight of the component
being carried.
FCA US LLC, formerly Chrysler Group LLC,
is one of the world’s largest automobile
manufacturers with operations throughout
North America. The company endeavors
to keep the costs of scrapping or repairing
damaged goods to a minimum and develops
its own shipping racks in conjunction with a
third party specialist supplier.
FCA US must ensure that the shipping racks
are ready and waiting to be filled when new
components come off the manufacturing
line. To achieve this, the company must
develop and manufacture the racks in
parallel with the development of the
components. Although the material handling
teams are aware of the components that the
shipping containers are intended to carry,
they don’t always have access to a physical
component to test in the rack before they
are built. This means the teams are unable
to ensure that the design can protect the
parts as intended before being shipped to
the production lines.
IndustryAutomotive
ChallengeReduce damage to automotive components during transit
Altair SolutionSimulation technology used to analyze rack performance and suggest design changes
Benefits• Significant reduction in design time• Reduction in component damage
Key Highlights
Success Story
“Altair ProductDesign’s team was been able to make improvements to our racks without wasting time, effort, cost, or material on a faulty design. They were able to pinpoint exact problem areas and adjust as needed.”
Jeremy Hartwell, MLM Rack Design Manager, FCA US LLC
FCA US Success Story
This level of uncertainty can potentially
lead to hundreds of shipping racks being
produced that will not adequately protect
the parts. The racks can require retrofitting
which can incur significant costs to FCA US.
In order to tackle this problem, FCA US
approached Altair’s product development
division, Altair ProductDesign, due to the
company's long standing relationship. The
initial collaboration involved a study to see
whether finite element analysis (FEA) could
be used to accurately predict the behavior
of the components in the rack during
transportation loadcases. To achieve this,
Altair ProductDesign utilized Altair's own
suite of virtual simulation tools, HyperWorks,
to build FE models of a rack with
components and subjected them to a series
of impact, drop and vibration tests. The
simulation study would note any movement
or dislodgement of the components as well
as any damage to the rack.
The results of the finite element (FE)
studies were compared to physical test data
collected by FCA US and proved that the
simulation process would allow the team to
visualize overall behavior of the panels in
the rack, locate stressed areas in panels,
locate areas with permanent deformations
and evaluate the structural integrity of the
rack itself.
Simulation to Improve Product Protection
Following this success, the Altair
ProductDesign team was tasked with using
a simulation process to provide guidance on
design improvements. The objective was to
identify potential issues with a rack design,
early on in the design process, prior to final
build of the rack. This included:
• Reviewing the behavior of the panels
and identifying possible improvements
to eliminate excessive movement
• Locating high-stress areas in the panels
• Pinpoint areas of the panels that move
outside of the pre-determined tolerance
of the panel
Model of a rack showing door components becoming dislodged during impact tests
The project focused on the racks designed
for what were considered to be sensitive
components that were likely to become
damaged if dislodged during transportation.
This included parts with high levels of
complexity (e.g. rail assemblies), flimsy
structures or flange sensitive parts (e.g.
roofs, bodyside outers, hoods, etc.).
One of the racks investigated during this
stage of the project was designed to
transport vehicle rear door outer panels. To
explore the suitability of the design, Altair
ProductDesign built detailed models of the
panel and rack before running a series of
simulated tests. Within the HyperWorks
suite, the rack was loaded with its capacity
of 38 panels and subjected to the FCA
US standard rack testing protocols which
includes a 2 mph impact test into a rigid wall
from multiple angles, two along the short
side of the rack and two along the long side,
which could ultimately cause the panels to
be damaged.
The test showed that some panels had
moved out of the rack’s dunnage (the
packaging material laid beneath the
component for further protection). Although
the movement was relatively minor, the
potential was there for the rear doors to
become dislodged with further impacts,
which was deemed to be unacceptable
and needed to be rectified. Following the
impact analysis, a virtual 4 inch drop test
was conducted and repeated along each
side of the rack's edge. The analysis again
showed that some of the components were
becoming dislodged from the dunnage
material. Both tests were correlated with
physical tests conducted at the FCA US
physical test partner, PIRA.
Using the information gained from the
simulation results, Altair ProductDesign
was able to rapidly explore multiple design
variations and suggest changes to the
dunnage material to better protect the doors.
The team found that modifying the angle of
the dunnage under the door to increase the
slope on which the components sit during
transportation by 7 degrees was enough
to ensure that the doors no longer become
dislodged during the testing.
Accelerating Development, Reducing Costs
Being able to rapidly investigate the
suitability of the design before the physical
panels were available successfully
accelerated the rack development program.
The relatively minor modification required
to better protect the components was
discovered early in the development
program, so the cost of making the change
was low. This represented a significant
change from the previous method where the
company very little time to react once the
final parts were being produced.
The results of the program have proven to be
extremely successful for FCA US. Damage to
components during transport is being kept to
a minimum as the racks are more effective
at holding the components in place.
Due to the success of the program, Altair
ProductDesign now works as the FCA US
simulation partner for all its new rack
development programs.
For more information please visit:
www.altairproductdesign.com
A 7 degree change to the dunnage successfully stopped the components becoming dislodged
Original Modified
Virtual test results correlated well with physical tests
Altair®, HyperWorks®, RADIOSS™, HyperMesh®, BatchMesher™, HyperView®, HyperCrash™, HyperGraph®, HyperGraph®3D, HyperView Player®, OptiStruct®, HyperStudy®,
HyperStudy®DSS, MotionView®, MotionSolve™, Altair Data Manager™, HyperWorks Process Manager™, HyperForm®, HyperXtrude®, GridWorks™,
PBS Professional®, and e-Compute™ are trademarks of Altair Engineering, Inc. All other trademarks or servicemarks are the property of their respective owners.
Altair Engineering, Inc., World Headquarters: 1820 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48083-2031 USAPhone: +1.248.614.2400 • Fax: +1.248.614.2411 • www.altair.com • [email protected]
Visit the Altair ProductDesign library of
at www.altairproductdesign.com
Success Stories
Altair empowers client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimizes the analysis, management and visualization of business and engineering information. Privately held with more than 2,000 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 30-year-plus track record for high-end software and consulting services for engineering, computing and enterprise analytics, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries. Altair has more than 5,000 corporate clients representing the automotive, aerospace, government and defense, and consumer products verticals. Altair also has a growing client presence in the electronics, architecture engineering and construction, and energy markets.
Altair ProductDesign is a global, multi-disciplinary product development consultancy of more than 800 designers, engineers, scientists, and creative thinkers. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Altair Engineering Inc., this organization is best known for its market leadership in combining its engineering expertise with computer aided engineering (CAE) technology to deliver innovation and automate processes. Altair ProductDesign utilizes proprietary simulation and optimization technologies (such as Altair HyperWorks) to help clients bring innovative, profitable products to market on a tighter, more efficient time-scale.
About Altair
About Altair ProductDesign
www.altairproductdesign.com
HyperWorks is an enterprise simulation solution for rapid design exploration and decision-making. As one of the most comprehensive, open-architecture CAE solutions in the industry, HyperWorks includes best-in-class modeling, analysis, visualization and data management solutions for linear, nonlinear, structural optimization, fluid-structure interaction, and multi-body dynamics applications.
About HyperWorks
www.altairhyperworks.com