Modular product system for chassis components of heavy-duty commercial vehicles

Project Completed - Contact: ftm@ftm.mw.tum.de

Motivation

The product variance of heavy commercial vehicles is a central challenge for internationally operating manufacturers due to the interplay of diverse application scenarios, legal requirements and long product life cycles. In order to master the diversity of variants and to ensure the long-term profitability of the company, sustainable variant management is required. Modular systems as a consistent continuation of established module and platform approaches are a promising approach to be able to realise the variants demanded by the market as cost-efficiently as possible and without impairing customer-relevant vehicle characteristics such as driving behaviour. The chassis of heavy commercial vehicles, i.e. frames including add-on parts, chassis and axles, are affected by a particularly high number of variants in different sub-areas, i.e. at different system levels. A consistent modular system promises to provide a remedy here in the area of conflict between customer requirements and economic efficiency.

Goal

For the chassis of heavy commercial vehicles, a consistent modular system is to be designed which, in interaction with the overall vehicle architecture, allows the greatest possible reduction in development costs.

Procedure

• Analysis of existing product structures and modular approaches
• Stakeholder analysis to assess the impact of a modular system (e.g. construction, package, testing)
• Identification of suitable interfaces between subsystems or individual modules
• Development of a consistent system of key figures for modular management
• Creation of a documentation concept for the modular system to establish standards in specialist areas