Case Study: Supashock’s CAE Capabilities in Designing an Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launcher for the Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Supashock is an Australian engineering business that specialises in the design and development of innovative technologies that enhance capability, mobility and safety in Defence. Supashock has designed a lightweight, modular Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launcher (ATGM) for Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The ATGM Launcher was developed and manufactured at Supashock’s advanced manufacturing facility in South Australia.

The ATGM Launcher was required to meet challenging weight, performance, and structural requirements. Supashock’s dedicated Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) team was engaged throughout the design process and played a key role in the project’s success.

Requirements Review

The customer’s specification included hundreds of requirements for all aspects of the system, with 27 key requirements influencing the structural and mechanical design. The requirements were categorised across five main themes: kinematic performance, static loads, dynamic loads, shock, and vibration. Supashock’s CAE team assessed each structural requirement as part of the holistic requirements set and provided feedback to the customer regarding requirements feasibility and the associated trade-space. Where requirements incompatibilities were identified, Supashock outlined possible trade-offs and proposed changes that would still meet the functional needs of the customer. The acceptability criteria for each requirement were quantified, and the means of verification developed and agreed.

Analysis Plan

To verify compliance with structural and mechanical requirements, Supashock’s CAE team developed an analysis plan, including the following assessment types:

• Analytical kinematic performance assessment,
• Multi-body moving assessment,
• Static Finite Element Analysis,
• Shock analysis using Transient Finite Element Analysis, and
• Random Vibration Analysis.

Various ATGM Launcher models were created using a variety of software tools (including ANSYS Mechanical and MSC ADAMS), to assess the design and to confirm system functionality.

Composite Material Design

Supashock’s design and analysis team identified that in order to meet the customer’s weight and performance requirements, the ATGM Launcher would require a combination of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and metallic structures.

Supashock’s CAE team developed an optimal CFRP material system to meet weight and deflection requirements. The composite material properties were initially calculated using analytical methods, and the resulting material incorporated into a FEA simulation using a custom material model developed within ANSYS’s Composite Analysis tool.

Figure 1: Composite Assessment using ANSYS Finite Element Analysis

Analysis Based Design and Verification

The ATGM Launcher was design collaboratively between the Supashock Mechanical Design and CAE teams.

The performance of mechanical systems, including the shock and vibration attenuation and deployment actuation systems, were initially assessed using analytical tools developed by the CAE team. This allowed rapid prediction of system performance and easy iteration and optimisation of the design. Once the design concept was established, the CAE team then verified performance using multi-body simulation, using MSC ADAMS.

Figure 2: Multi-body Simulation of System Deployment Kinematics

The structural design of the ATGM Laucher was assessed using Finite Element Analysis. This included assessment of both metallic and composite structures. The design was refined over several iterations to reduce weight and improve stiffness, while still meeting all strength requirements. The structural design was also optimised to ensure no damaging structural resonance when subject to vibration.

Figure 3: Strength Assessment using Finite Element Model

Reporting and Customer Review

All results of Supashock’s analysis were recorded in a design report. This report also included a detailed record of the assessment methodology, assumptions, load cases and acceptance criteria. The report was submitted to the customer for review by their in-house analysis team and accepted without caveats.

Testing and Verification

Alongside the analysis based verification of the ATGM Launcher, Supashock is also undertaking a testing based verification program. The ATGM Launcher is currently undergoing a suite of qualification tests, including:

• Vibration,
• Shock,
• Dynamic deflection,
• Environmental exposure, and
• Functional integration.

Supashock is also conducting independent composite coupon testing to validate the performance of composites and epoxies compared with analytically calculated and simulated properties.

Conclusion

Supashock’s CAE team demonstrated their expertise in the design and verification of complex structures throughout the development of the ATGM Launcher. Through a systematic approach to requirements review, analysis planning, composite material design, structural design verification, and reporting, Supashock was able to develop solutions to satisfy the customer’s exacting requirements.

Contact

Supashock Advanced Technologies

2-6 Ardtornish St

Holden Hill, SA, 5088, Australia

Phone: +61 08 8333 1123