Revamping Highway Safety Systems with IoT: A Case Study on Energy Absorption Systems, Inc.
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Metals
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
- Transportation Simulation
About The Customer
Energy Absorption Systems, Inc. is a world leader in the design and manufacture of crash cushions, impact attenuators, and other energy-absorbing safety devices. The company's products are designed to protect people and equipment in highway work zones from vehicle traffic impacts. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, the company has a dedicated product development lab and accredited testing facility in Rocklin, CA, and manufacturing facilities in Alabama and Indiana. The company's safety systems are in use in all 50 states in the United States and 60 countries worldwide, and have helped save more than 25,000 lives on highways.
The Challenge
Energy Absorption Systems, Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacture of crash cushions, impact attenuators, and other energy-absorbing safety devices, faced a challenge with their TMA-180 truck-mounted attenuator. This device, consisting of a hinged steel frame containing energy-absorbing air-filled aluminum baffles, extends from the back of parked construction vehicles to protect people and equipment in highway work zones from vehicle traffic impacts. The company found a more reliable and economical supplier for the hydraulic cylinder that powers the rotation of the frame. However, the differences in cylinder geometry and loading necessitated a redesign of the clevis linkage connecting the cylinder to the frame. The challenge was to execute this redesign as quickly and reliably as possible to reduce the time to market for the improved product.
The Solution
The company used ANSYS Workbench to redesign the clevis linkage. This software allowed engineers to determine stresses and deflections for a reduced part thickness and evaluate alternative materials for sufficient part strength. The bi-directional CAD associativity of Workbench enabled engineers to iterate back and forth quickly to converge on an optimal design. Workbench is integrated into the Autodesk Inventor, the design tool used by Energy Absorption. This integration allowed engineers to extract part geometry to build a simulation model with a single menu pick, then quickly modify the CAD geometry based on simulation results. This cycle could be repeated multiple times without rebuilding the simulation model, saving significant time and resources.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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