FEA, Digital Prototyping Prepare Sno-Cats for Rough Terrain

由于SNO-CAT在南极等苛刻的地区进行操作，因此它们必须非常耐用且可靠。Tucker使用Autodesk Algor机械仿真软件进行FEA和MES，模拟零件的运动并验证其设计质量。
图像由Tucker Sno-Cat Corp.提供。

Involved in the first motorized crossing of the Antarctic, Tucker also invented the four-track vehicle design, which features superior traction, stability, safety, and climbing ability.

塔克（Tucker）使用Autodesk Inventor设计了其车辆的数字原型，并通过使用Algor Mechanical Simulation软件通过有限元分析（FEA）和机械事件模拟（MES）验证设计。这些复杂的工具使Tucker能够进行复杂的模拟，以评估最恶劣环境中设计的性能。借助这些设计工具，塔克能够：

•制造零件之前生产更少的物理原型
•将工程变更订单减少80％
• Use materials more efficiently, cutting waste and material costs
•通过执行FEA和内部MES来节省50-60％的成本
• Cut the product development cycle from as long as two years to six months

These design methods grew from a need to meet customer needs for custom vehicles more quickly. “A customer may want to change the deck size or mount a special plow blade or forklift attachment,” says Albert Allen, mechanical designer at Tucker. “To get the sale, we need to model how it will look and work in a few hours.”

由于将FEA内部用于分析这些结构元素之类的组件，因此Tucker节省了高达60％的成本和设计验证时间。

One of the earliest adopters of Digital Prototyping, Tucker uses a single digital model throughout its product development process. Designers use Autodesk Inventor software to sketch concepts and create complete 3D models of their Sno-Cats. Electrical engineers refer to the model to determine requirements for the wiring systems they design. Engineers then validate the design using Algor Mechanical Simulation for FEA and MES. Finally, the company’s manufacturing vendors rely on the same digital model to produce parts exactly as designed.

无论是用于量身定制现有车辆还是设计全新的SNO-CAT，Autodesk软件都可以帮助Tucker迅速生产设计。设计人员可以轻松地重用现有的零件设计，例如发动机，转向柱，散热器和车轴。当他们创建新零件时，设计师会在直观的3D环境功能工具中工作，该工具可以自动化并加快许多常规设计任务。

The advantages of Digital Prototyping couldn’t be clearer for Tucker. It decreases the need for costly physical prototypes and reduces engineering change orders late in the development cycle. It also helps the company minimize material waste and avoid recreating designs from scratch every time there is a change.

由于塔克车辆在南极像南极一样苛刻的地区运行，因此它们必须非常耐用和可靠。Tucker使用机械模拟软件进行FEA和MES，模拟零件的运动，并比以往任何时候都验证其设计质量。例如，塔克（Tucker）并没有将FEA外包在其滚动保护结构上，而是更有效地进行内部进行分析。

Analysis and simulation time has also dropped drastically since Tucker started using Algor several years ago. “By bringing FEA and MES in-house, we’ve slashed both the time and cost for design validation by 50-60%,” concludes Allen. “The bottom line is that Autodesk supports our ability to innovate quickly and cost-effectively.”

欧特克公司。
www.Autodesk.com