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Optimizing Heavy Hauler Manufacturing with IoT: A Case Study on Hitachi Truck Manufacturing
Technology Category
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Intrusion Detection
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Mining
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Hitachi Truck Manufacturing was faced with the challenge of reducing material costs for their large mining trucks while adhering to standard specifications. The trucks, designed and built at their Guelph, Ontario plant, are massive rigid-body vehicles used for surface mining in various parts of the world. These trucks can be up to 30 feet wide and carry a payload of 316 tons. Given their size, they must be shipped in sections and assembled on site. The design engineers at Hitachi Truck Manufacturing (HTM) were tasked with reducing materials costs, meeting ISO specifications, and maintaining payload performance. The main challenge was predicting the behavior of the truck's structure, particularly the welded steel cab structure, to ensure it met ISO 3471 ROPS (rollover protection system) and FOPS (falling object protection system) specifications.
About The Customer
Hitachi Truck Manufacturing is a company that designs and builds large, rigid-body mining trucks. These trucks are used for surface mining in various parts of the world, including China, Colombia, and Indonesia. The trucks are massive, with some being up to 30 feet wide and capable of carrying a payload of 316 tons. Given their size, these trucks must be shipped in sections and assembled on site. The company is part of a family of heavy equipment manufacturers, producing everything from excavators to boring machines. The company's main challenge was to reduce material costs while adhering to standard specifications and maintaining payload performance.
The Solution
The solution to HTM's challenge came in the form of HyperWorks, a comprehensive open-architecture simulation platform. Harry Tempelman, a HyperWorks expert, joined HTM as technical analysis manager in 2005 and introduced the use of HyperWorks. His focus was on reducing the mass of the welded steel cab structure while still meeting ISO specifications. Tempelman used HyperWorks to design the structure and run a finite-element analysis (FEA) to verify that it would meet ISO 3471 specification. After a few days and multiple iterations, HTM had a structure that exceeded the ISO specification in calculation. The required physical tests on the prototype confirmed that all the nonlinear behaviors of the structure had been correctly predicted using HyperWorks tools. HTM also used Altair HyperView, a visualization environment for simulation and test data, to share analysis results with managers. Altair MotionView and MotionSolve were used for multibody analysis of the entire truck.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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