2022 NA VI-GRADE ZERO PROTOTYPES SUMMIT

Tire models have long been a requirement for both vehicle development and tire design teams. The tire represents the physical link between the vehicle platform and the ground and has a direct impact on the overall performance of the tire/vehicle system. Stackpole Engineering Services has witnessed the requirements, expectations and usage of the tire model, and its place in the design and development cycle, change significantly over the past two decades. Initially used in support of basic handling performance with off-line simulations, tire models have continued to mature and become more complex, capable of reproducing ride, noise, and vibration characteristics. With the mainstream use of DiL/HiL simulators (such as the VI-grade solution) and the mainstream use of the virtual environment, the expectations for complexity, accuracy, and drivability of tire models have grown exponentially. This growth, coupled with increased utilization of tire models in the design process, presents model developers with new challenges. Stackpole Engineering Services (SES) has met these challenges with the development of advanced modeling tools and methods aimed at ensuring tire models perform accurately in the virtual environment. SES has developed categories of tire models to ensure engineers have access to tire models in each phase of the design process, from early concept and prototype phases to final design analyses. Partnering with commercial testing facilities and model physics developers, SES has developed advanced tools and methods to create tire models for use in off-line simulations and DiL/HiL applications. With a focus on the development of tire models for use in the virtual world, and the development of tools that provide engineers with the ability to analyze and adjust tire models for simulator use, Stackpole Engineering Services continues to stay on the forefront of tire modeling for the Virtual World.