Developing high-performing vehicles in reduced time and cost

The Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that works alongside the Namyang Research and Development Centre (NRDC) to develop and manufacture vehicles. For nearly 40 years, HMC has partnered with Hexagon by utilising our design and engineering simulation software to iterate and develop their vehicles rapidly. Adams, a key component of Hyundai’s system dynamics toolkit for more than 25 years, has played a crucial role in providing HMC with the simulation capabilities necessary to remain competitive in the challenging automotive market.

The Dynamics Functional Concept Development Team (DFCD) within NRDC is responsible for establishing initial vehicle concepts and providing direction for achieving the desired ride and handling performance by HMC vehicles. Recently, DFCD faced the need to cut both time and cost during the development phase of car and suspension designs.

Driving toward seamless integration and rapid iteration goals

DFCD conducts research at NRDC using a Dynamic Driving Simulator for vehicle handling performance improvement and development. Previously utilised tools and platforms suffered from a cumbersome integration process: the team had to obtain results from Adams Car or actual Suspension Parameter Measurement Devices (SPMD) and then model the vehicle again with each iteration.

Accommodating even a minor update in the simulation model could take up to three days. Multiple design iterations are required to reach optimal ride and handling performance and this tedious process resulted in delayed development. At times, resetting the entire configuration for each iteration added weeks to the product development cycle.

Ultimately, the team’s goal of improving the development process was to accurately simulate the optimised suspension configuration in the testing process without sacrificing time.

Creating more accurate simulations in less time for a comfortable ride

In Hyundai’s search for solutions, Adams Real Time proved capable of integrating with the Dynamic Simulator and supporting parametric modelling, avoided the need to create a new model for every iteration. Integrating Adams Car, Adams Real Time, cosin FTire, Ansible Motion Dynamic Simulator Delta S3, Concurrent RealTime, RedHawk Linux and SimWorkbench provided a comprehensive solution offering a seamless process to rapidly make changes to the vehicle model and feel the impact on riding behaviour in the simulator.

This technological integration provides a more realistic representation of the vehicle dynamics by incorporating higher fidelity representations of the subsystems. One example is the use of flexible bodies for a precise representation of suspension components. Adams Real Time offers an accurate representation of ride comfort in the Dynamic Simulator with the added flexibility of on-the-fly design modifications. With Adams Real Time, Hyundai has reduced the simulation lead time by 95%. Now, model modifications and iterations can be made in as few as five minutes, rather than delaying prototypes by days or even weeks, effectively eliminating the constraints and delays associated with the previous process’ real-time operation.

“We’ve discovered that with this technology, it’s possible to evaluate ride comfort performance in the Dynamic Simulator subjectively,” explains Youngsuk Jung, team leader of the Dynamics Functional Concept Development Team.

Jung adds, “This opens up opportunities to further extend the utility of the Dynamic Simulator, shorten the automobile development process, and, in turn, reduce development costs and time. We have high expectations for the positive impact this will bring, in addition to our ROI with a faster iteration process.”

Transformative benefits

Hyundai says that Adams Real Time has been transformative for design and testing procedures.

• Modification and iteration agility
• Increased efficiency across the automobile development process
• Improved roll-motion simulation in vehicle handling performance
• Fewer physical prototypes resulting in reduced manufacturing costs
• Reduced project timelines and production costs
• Optimised suspension configuration, maintaining a standard of comfort
• Innovation exploration across business units
• Business expansion into adjacent sectors

HMC is pleased with the ‘amazing’ success of the Adams Real Time implementation. The newfound agility to make modifications quickly and easily has significantly streamlined the automobile development process and ultimately reduced associated costs.

Immediate improvements were seen in the simulation of roll motion in vehicle handling performance. The addition of cosin F-Tire/HIL enabled more realistic assessments of ride comfort, providing a more holistic understanding of vehicle performance without the need for physical prototypes. These integrated solutions offer new possibilities in the Dynamic Simulator by way of extending the applications and innovation derived from the Dynamics Simulator platform.

Ansible Motion Dynamic Simulator Delta S3 with Adams Real Time and cosin FTire at NRDC.

 

A simulator screen view for the simulator control team

 

FTire simulation with Adams Real Time

“Our partnership with Hexagon has been a game-changer for our organisation,” explains Wookyoung Kim, Senior Research Engineer, MLV Chassis and Body CAE team. “The impressive return on investment, improved iteration capability and accelerated project completion have positioned us for sustained success in an ever-evolving business landscape. Thanks to the seamless integration of Adams’ technology solutions, we experienced a significant reduction in project delivery time. This not only allowed us to meet tight deadlines but also provided us with a competitive edge in the market. The enhanced speed of project completion has positively impacted our market positioning and customer satisfaction, further reinforcing the value of our collaboration with Hexagon.”

HMC plans to capitalise on their improved development process by expanding the Hexagon platform solutions to leverage Adams Real Time into the growing eMobility sector. The team aims to look beyond precision analysis to increase real-time simulation capabilities and improve integration with hardware. The company aspires to make significant contributions in the fields of Hardware-in- the-Loop (HIL) and Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) testing, aligning with the evolving landscape of automotive technology.

The expanded use of Adams Real Time for wider applications within the Dynamics Simulator and electronic control HIL testing showcases Hyundai’s forward-thinking approach. By exploring Adams Real Time to its fullest potential, the company will continue to innovate and improve efficiency across all facets of the development process.