Case Study: Integrated Design & Engineering Solutions (IDES) achieves a robust, safety-critical G-Wagon ROPS in record time with Altair HyperWorks (Altair)

Building a Safe, Optimally Robust, Mission-Critical Defence Vehicle Module in Record Time

Integrated Design and Engineering Solutions (IDES), a Melbourne-based engineering product development and systems-integration company serving the Australian Defence Organization, faced a tight-deadline safety challenge on the LAND 121 Phase 3A program: design a robust rollover protection structure (ROPS) for the Mercedes‑Benz G‑Wagon surveillance & reconnaissance (S&R) module to protect a rear observer. Physical, destructive pendulum testing would have required multiple prototypes and unacceptable time and cost, so IDES turned to Altair and its Altair HyperWorks suite to meet the schedule and safety requirements.

Using Altair HyperWorks (including Altair HyperMesh to build finite-element models, Altair Radioss to simulate pendulum tests, and Altair HyperView to process results), IDES iterated and optimized a tubular roll‑cage ROPS virtually, drastically reducing physical prototyping. The result—delivered within the allocated time and budget—was a validated, high-strength ROPS whose physical test showed good correlation to the simulations; the G‑Wagon S&R module is now in service with the Australian Army, and Altair HyperWorks materially saved time, cost, and effort.

Integrated Design and Engineering Solutions

Reymond Van Rensburg

Design Manager