Streamlining Truck Component Testing at IVECO Australia with HyperWorks and Altair Partner Alliance

IVECO Australia, a manufacturer and distributor of commercial vehicles, faced a challenge in reducing the size, weight, and solving time in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) while improving the durability of components. The company had to conduct physical durability testing, which often led to redesigning components that failed during the test. This unnecessary design loop extended the target release date and increased the idle time of trucks during repairs. The company sought to validate components through FEA to eliminate this design loop during physical durability testing. The challenge was to predict the durability and test pass rate of components before creating a prototype, while also meeting strict cost and weight targets. The battery box, mounted on the truck chassis, was particularly susceptible to mechanical vibration, which could cause structural damage and hamper battery life.

IVECO Australia is a manufacturer and distributor of light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles for the Australian road transport industry. The company, formerly known as International Harvester and International Trucks, has been a part of Australia's way of life since 1902. IVECO is wholly owned by CNH Industrial, a global leader in capital goods that implements design, manufacturing, distribution, commercial, and financial activities in international markets. IVECO Australia manufactures ACCO, Powerstar, Stralis AS-L and AD/AT models, and bus chassis at its plant in Dandenong, Victoria. It also imports its Daily light commercial range, Eurocargo, and Stralis ATi models from IVECO plants in Europe and South America. IVECO Trucks Australia employs 600 people Australia wide, and the investment in the Australian truck market creates local employment for thousands more people in related industries, from operations to component suppliers.