Concept modelling and simulation in truck chassis design

Finding the optimal chassis concept for trucks is a very challenging task given the large variety of configurations, use conditions and the number of requirements which must be fulfilled. Strength, durability, weight and stiffness need to be balanced and optimized. Several design concepts need to be evaluated in the concept phase and during the engineering process. The analysis method presented, enables fast evaluation of many configurations in geometry and parameter settings. The approach is based on an automation of full vehicle model creation and analysis with linear models in the frequency domain, following the approaches used in random vibrations. System synthesis techniques are used in very fast parameter studies, allowing evaluation of different vehicle responses simultaneously.