ACADEMIA

To meet the needs of transmission engineers for improved levels of strength, weight and cost optimization in new product designs, Ricardo plc -- one of the world's foremost independent automotive engineering and management consulting firms -- has announced its latest innovative simulation package called SABR. Based on technology developed and proven by Ricardo's transmission and driveline engineering teams -- whose application experience ranges across all types of vehicles from off-highway to motorsports -- SABR provides a comprehensive toolkit for the simulation, analysis and concept design of transmission gear, shaft and bearing systems. "In keeping with our commitment to provide superior software tools, we are proud to announce our SABR simulation package," said Steve Sapsford, director of Ricardo Software. "SABR is another example of our dedication to software and applications research and development, with the goal of assisting our customers with improved product designs." With a three-dimensional quasi-static simulation, Ricardo's SABR was specifically developed for transmission shaft and bearing system analysis, providing a user-friendly graphical environment to enable whole transmissions to be constructed rapidly and accurately. The advanced solver enables the transmission to be assessed in terms of bearing life, shaft deflection and shaft stress concentration. Key features of SABR 1.0 include: -- Transmission Modeling - The building block construction of SABR allows modeling of virtually any transmission. Shafts are modeled with simple spreadsheet-type input to reduce build time and allow rapid assessment of conceptual shaft sizing. In addition, bearing locations and types are specified, allowing rapid selection of bearings and bearing arrangements. -- Bearing Catalogues - A global bearing database allows for consistent development across an organization. A local bearing database stores an individual conceptual bearing design. -- Duty Cycles - Any number of power flows can be specified with torque and speed directions, including torque reduction, at any point during the power flow. -- Results Presentation - Shaft deflections and slopes are represented graphically and numerically. Shaft stresses, bending momentum and shear force diagrams are represented graphically and shaft stress contours are shown. In addition, bending momentum and shear force diagrams for each shaft and load case give the designer essential information for shaft design. Customers can also identify gear misalignments and compare against defined targets for rapid problem identification. Ricardo Software offers a portfolio of advanced simulation software for engine and powertrain design. Anchored by WAVE, a market-leading engine performance and one-dimensional gas dynamics code, Ricardo's software suite also includes VECTIS, ENGDYN, VALDYN, PISDYN and RINGPAK. When integrated with industry-standard analysis, computer-aided design and finite element packages, Ricardo Software facilitates the robust "analysis-led design process" practiced by Ricardo and leading original equipment manufacturers around the world. With its North American headquarters in Van Buren Twp., Mich., Ricardo has been a world-leading vehicle system and powertrain technology provider for automotive manufacturers, heavy-duty manufacturers and tier one suppliers since 1915. Ricardo is the premium global deep-content engineering and management consulting partner for automotive, commercial vehicle and related industry sectors. The company provides complete engineering services from strategy through product concept, design release and validation, and all phases of the product lifecycle. Ricardo technical expertise lies in powertrain and driveline, vehicle engineering, hybrid and fuel cell technologies, controls and electronics, niche volume manufacturing and advanced simulation software. Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge. A public company based in the U.K., Ricardo plc posted sales of $272 million in fiscal year 2005 and is a part of the FTSE techMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit its Web site.