Introduction:

Cowl chassis, primarily manufacturedfrom steel, is considered to be the mostcrucial element that gives strength andstability to vehicles under different drivingconditions. There is a huge demand forlighter and stronger chassis systemswhich will sail through all regulatoryrequirements of different geographies.There are on-going developments tointroduce progressive features in cowlchassis systems which are key to boostautomotive chassis systems market.

Digital innovation in automobiles isgradually mapping into the chassismarket which is reshaping traditionalauto industry structures.

A European truck maker wanted tointroduce its international range of trucks

to the Indian market. They wanted to re-design the cowl chassis for Indian drivingconditions while maintaining theirbenchmark European Cab Chassis

Standards in a short period of time.

The Customer:

One of the world's largest truck manufacturer basedout of Europe.

Business Scenario:

Re-design and prototyping of a European product witha very short lead time. The final product has to belocalized and customized to suit Indian drivers anddriving conditions.

Solution:

Right from concept designing to prototyping – theprocess was divided into phases with constant gatereviews with the customer. We collaborated with thecustomer for benchmarking against the existingEuropean model. We also studied the entire model andmade a list of the parts that need to be retained,modified and removed or redesigned.

The entire engineering solution including design andprototype parts for the first proto build of the newlystyled cowl was delivered within scheduled timelines.

This re-designing replaced the existing tiltable cabinwith cowl mounting brackets.

CUSTOMIZINGCOWL CHASSIS DESIGN

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Design changes implemented:

Ÿ Shifting of Accelerator, Brake and Clutch pedal

Ÿ Seating arrangement modified based onergonomics layout studies

Ÿ Outer rigger power steering system

Ÿ Rerouting of the gear shift and air intake after coolersystem

Ÿ Front cross member and front bumper redesign

Ÿ Electrical wiring harness & Control system redesign

Ÿ Managed supply chain for manufacturing and deliveringprototype parts which included casting & fabricatedparts, rubber & plastic parts, pipes.

Key Benefits to Customer

Ÿ Our capabilities in embedded software and hardwaredevelopment for Autosar compliant platforms helpedthem in faster regulatory approvals.

Ÿ Rapid Development of Simulators, Telematic Systems,and testing Equipment's helped them in their time tomarket.

Ÿ End to end design-thinking capabilities proved useful asthe customer was able to build the demo vehicle muchahead of the scheduled demo launch.

Ÿ This also helped the customer to launch their vehicle forthe Indian market much ahead of their competition –thus having the first mover's advantage.

Why AXISCADES

Why partner with AXISCADES?Integrated solutions offering acrossdesign, manufacturing and supply chain.Efficient delivery process and qualityprocedures for regulatory and safetycompliance.

Strong program management practicesand capability in terms of technologyand scalability.

Flexible engagement and cost modelsfor offshore and onsite development.A reliable ecosystem for sourcing,prototyping, and manufacturing

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