MSC Software Corporation

As one of the UK’s leading manufacturing companies, Leyland Trucks Ltd. is PACCAR’s established center for light and medium-truck design, development, and manufacture. Leyland used MSC ADAMS to access ride behavior of trucks earlier in the design cycle. In addition to studies of detailed procedures such as cab tilt, lane-change maneuvers, and ride comfort, MSC ADAMS simulation allowed Leyland to rapidly assess the effect of minute changes in suspension, wheelbase, tires, or payload position. For Leyland, the use of VPD tools led to significant benefits in terms of final design quality and considerable time savings.

As design technology has improved, the details of the truck have evolved almost beyond recognition. For instance, new materials have been introduced in recent years, leading to global initiatives to reduce weight through the use of these advanced high-strength steels. Other design details are changing – trucks are now using disc brakes rather than drums – and Leyland engineers must balance incorporating these details while improving quality and still keeping costs under control.

• A full MSC ADAMS truck model contains a flexible body and chassis, springs, roll bars, axles, cab and engine suspension, the steering mechanism, and any frequency dependent rubber mounts. Extra detail, such as brakes, propeller shafts, and out-of-balance engine forces can be included on an ‘as needed’ basis.
• Simulation also allows several aspects of the operation of crane-bodied vehicles to be better understood, such as vehicle stability on slopes and uneven surfaces, the need for stabilizing legs, and the effects of loading and unloading.

• Significant benefit in terms of final design quality,
• considerable time savings
• A recent project named LF was completed two years faster than the previous equivalent one – in a four-year design cycle rather than six.