Altair > Case Studies > DECKED: Revolutionizing Storage Solutions for Pickup Trucks

DECKED: Revolutionizing Storage Solutions for Pickup Trucks

Altair Logo
Technology Category
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Storage Services
Applicable Industries
  • Automotive
  • Retail
Applicable Functions
  • Product Research & Development
Use Cases
  • Manufacturing Process Simulation
  • Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
About The Customer
DECKED is a company founded by entrepreneurs Lance Meller and Jake Peters. They identified a gap in the market for a robust and useful storage solution for pickup trucks. The company's target customers are both commercial users and private owners of pickup trucks. The storage solution needed to be versatile enough to fit into a wide range of pickup models from various manufacturers including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, and Nissan. The company aimed to create a product that could withstand heavy loads, provide secure storage for smaller items, and be available at a compelling retail price.
The Challenge
The challenge faced by DECKED, a company founded by entrepreneurs Lance Meller and Jake Peters, was to create an innovative, robust, and useful storage solution for pickup trucks. The storage system needed to be able to withstand a load of 2,000 lbs, fit into a wide range of pickup models including those from Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, and Nissan, and be manufactured for a compelling retail target price. The main issue was that the large capacity of a pickup truck often came at the expense of storage. The loading area was typically a simple box with no ability to store smaller items safely or secure them from theft. This presented an opportunity in the marketplace for a well-built alternative.
The Solution
DECKED selected Altair ProductDesign as its partner to deliver conceptual design work along with advanced engineering and prototyping services. Altair ProductDesign’s industrial design group, Thinklabs, was invited to participate in the process of developing design themes encapsulating product branding, form, function, and aesthetics for the storage solution. Altair’s virtual simulation suite, HyperWorks, was used to investigate the structural performance of the product to see how it would perform in real conditions. Based on the results of these studies, Altair ProductDesign was able to suggest design changes to improve the performance of the product such as its load capacity. Altair ProductDesign also worked on simplifying the design and tooling, enabling DECKED to manufacture several variants of the product with the same tooling, thus keeping manufacturing costs low.
Operational Impact
  • DECKED successfully met its performance and manufacturing cost targets while creating a product that is simple to fit and use. The storage solution is now on sale throughout the US and is proving to be popular with both the trade and consumer markets. The company continues to use Altair ProductDesign for product improvements, future design iterations, and product extensions. The product's success is evident in its reception, as DECKED received a prestigious SEMA Award for ‘Best New Van/Pickup/SUV Product’ for 2015 during the SEMA show in Las Vegas.
Quantitative Benefit
  • DECKED's storage solution can withstand a load of 2,000 lbs.
  • The storage system fits into a wide range of pickup models from various manufacturers.
  • DECKED was able to manufacture several variants of the product with the same tooling, reducing manufacturing costs.

Case Study missing?

Start adding your own!

Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.

Add New Record

Related Case Studies.

Contact us

Let's talk!
* Required
* Required
* Required
* Invalid email address
By submitting this form, you agree that IoT ONE may contact you with insights and marketing messaging.
No thanks, I don't want to receive any marketing emails from IoT ONE.
Submit

Thank you for your message!
We will contact you soon.