Products and solutions Sep 11, 2002 2:00 AM
ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems analyzes cab roll - Cab suspensions as a system solution
The development of non-type-specific system solutions is gaining in importance not only for passenger cars but also for commercial vehicles. One example of this is a driver`s cab suspension system which has been developed by ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems and is already being used by a number of commercial vehicle manufacturers.
In developing the cab suspension system, it is particularly important to simulate the interaction of the individual components as realistically as possible. This holistic analysis provides far greater scope for optimizing costs, weight, maintenance requirements, safety and comfort than would be the case when examining each component separately.
In conjunction with commercial vehicle manufacturers, ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems is currently investigating the roll and pitch behavior of various cab suspension systems. One area of particular interest here is the way the systems perform when simulating tight cornering. ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems carries out the necessary kinematic analyses using ADAMS - a multi-body simulation program that helps identify the center of roll for the front and rear suspension components. Here in particular, the advantages of a holistic system observation are obvious. Only by observing the interaction of the front and rear suspension elements can the roll axis be determined. The position of this axle reveals the kinetic action of the cab suspension. If roll behavior is to be optimized, the roll axis must be as close as possible to the cab`s center of gravity. Analyses performed with the ADAMS simulation program - such as repositioning the kinematic points so as to shift the roll axis toward the cab`s center of gravity - make it possible to further optimize these objectives for future cab suspensions.
The findings of ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems` current analyses have aroused great interest among commercial vehicle manufacturers. Interested visitors to the trade show can find out more about this work at the ThyssenKrupp Automotive booth.
Picture: ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems makes cab suspension systems for various manufacturers at its Werdohl, Germany, plant.
Copyright: ThyssenKrupp Automotive
Picture: Kinematic model of the front and rear cab Suspension.
Copyright: ThyssenKrupp Automotive