A new design approach to the use of composite materials for heavy transport vehicles
by Tommaso Ingrassia, Gianluca Alaimo, Francesco Cappello, Antonio Mancuso, Vincenzo Nigrelli
International Journal of Vehicle Design (IJVD), Vol. 44, No. 3/4, 2007

Abstract: In order to keep or to reach a high level of competitiveness and performance of a product, it is necessary to explore all the possible solutions that allow the best compromise between costs and project requirements. By this point of view the study of alternative designs and/or materials to use, is an important aspect that can identify a new concept or way of thinking about a product. This paper presents how to make use of composite materials in the field of heavy vehicles transportation. A new semitrailer in composite material has been designed, using a methodical redesign approach and an optimisation process. The main innovation in this project is, besides the use of the Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GFRPs), also a new topology of the vehicle frame; the designed semitrailer, in fact, has a monocoque structure.

Online publication date: Thu, 10-May-2007

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