Altair > Case Studies > Altair HyperWorks and Product Design Consultation at Force Protection: Analysis Support for a New Class of Military Vehicles

Altair HyperWorks and Product Design Consultation at Force Protection: Analysis Support for a New Class of Military Vehicles

Technology Category

Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)
Sensors - Haptic Sensors

Applicable Industries

Automotive
National Security & Defense

Applicable Functions

Human Resources
Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Personnel Tracking & Monitoring
Vehicle Performance Monitoring

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

Force Protection, Inc. (FPI) is a rapidly-growing company based in South Carolina that specializes in the creation of military vehicles. Their pioneering design, the Buffalo, is a large and intimidating vehicle built on a Mack truck chassis, designed for the purpose of clearing out land mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). This design became the basis of a new U.S. military vehicle design standard known as MRAP (Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected). FPI continues to innovate and develop new products under the MRAP standard, including the Cougar, a smaller, more versatile version of the Buffalo.

The Challenge

Force Protection, Inc. (FPI), a South Carolina-based company, had developed a new class of military vehicle, the Buffalo, designed for clearing out land mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The Buffalo's pioneering design, with a monocoque hull designed to deflect blast away from personnel inside, became the basis of a new U.S. military vehicle design standard known as MRAP (Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected). However, as U.S. military involvement in the Middle East increased, the need for personnel transports that could withstand the kind of anti-insurgency war U.S. soldiers were fighting became apparent. The Army requested FPI to produce a smaller, more versatile version of the Buffalo, which was named the Cougar. This new vehicle had to meet a series of military, SAE, and NTSA standards, requiring documentable analyses to ensure compliance. FPI, however, lacked a formal in-house analysis capability.

The Solution

To meet the Army's requirements, FPI hired Harley Wattrick, a retired Ford employee with extensive FEA experience, to set up an analysis group. Wattrick and fellow analyst Lorraine Pizzirani, both experienced design engineers and CAE specialists, integrated analysis into the engineering process at FPI. They used Altair HyperWorks tools and assistance from Altair Product Design consulting services to develop a series of products under the MRAP standard. The HyperWorks tool allowed for clean import of FPI’s SolidWorks CAD geometry, eliminating the need for manual cleanup of CAD geometry after importing CAD files. This improved FPI's ability to respond quickly to requests for analysis. As FPI continued to grow and develop new vehicles, the workload on the two-person analysis shop increased. To manage this, FPI outsourced analysis expertise to Altair Product Design consulting operations.

Operational Impact

The integration of analysis into the engineering process at FPI, facilitated by the use of Altair HyperWorks tools and consulting services, has significantly improved the company's product development process. The ability to import CAD geometry cleanly has eliminated the need for manual cleanup, increasing efficiency and responsiveness to analysis requests. Furthermore, the outsourcing of analysis expertise to Altair Product Design consulting operations has allowed FPI to manage the increasing workload as the company continues to grow and develop new vehicles. Most importantly, the development and deployment of FPI's MRAP vehicles, including the Buffalo and the Cougar, are achieving the company's primary goal: protecting the lives of the soldiers who use these vehicles every day.

Quantitative Benefit

FPI has an estimated 5000 MRAP vehicles in operation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The use of Altair HyperWorks tools and consulting services has improved FPI product quality and shortened the product cycle.
The clean import of CAD geometry with HyperWorks has increased FPI's ability to respond quickly to requests for analysis.