An Integrated Experimental And Analytical Methodology To Design Modern Cabs For Commercial Vehicles

The need to optimize the design of the commercial vehicle's cab requires an accurate evaluation about

• - structural performance and weight
• - driving comfort
• - vehicle aerodynamics
• - visibility and cab space layouts

The actual Computer Aided Engineering development process allows an integrated design of the cab and vehicle as a system. The CAE approach involves experimental and analytical modelling activities in a coordinate process to define and evaluate from the earliest design phase:

• - the loads and the boundary conditions entering the system
• - the behaviour of the components, subassemblies or entire product, in the nominal or extrapolated environment
• - the performance and the expected operating life for prescribed mission.

Target of the paper is to show trough some pratical and representative examples how is possible by interation on mathematical models and with guided experimental tests to approach the different fields to obtain the required characteristics.