Hyundai Motor Company, Hwaseong-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 445-706, Korea Dieter Featherman

This paper presents an industrial application of the analytical target cascading (ATC) methodology for the optimal design of commercial vehicle systems. It is the first milestone of a recently initiated research effort between Altair, Hyundai and the University of Michigan, whose objective is to develop and introduce a computational ATC tool platform into Hyundai's product development process so that the latter can be enhanced and streamlined. Two pilot studies are considered: the suspension design of a heavy-duty truck and the body structure design of a bus. An implementation novelty is the use of OptiStruct models for integrated analysis and optimization of the subproblems. The ATC results provide useful insight on the feasibility of system-level design targets and the adequacy of the subproblem design spaces. Nomenclature RF = axle load K = stiffness Dh = gab between chassis and helper spring CB = relative free cambe