Case Study: Electro-Motive Diesel achieves faster, more reliable locomotive design with ANSYS Mechanical

Electro-Motive Diesel - Customer Case Study

Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), the world’s largest supplier of diesel‑electric locomotives, developed the SD70ACe — an AC‑drive locomotive delivering 157,000 lb continuous tractive effort — and faced tight requirements for performance, reliability, fuel economy, crashworthiness, operator comfort and long‑term durability while needing to shorten development time and minimize costly physical tests. To meet these challenges, EMD used ANSYS and the ANSYS Mechanical solution to drive simulation‑based design from concept through release to manufacturing.

Using ANSYS Mechanical, EMD applied structural, vibration, modal and durability analyses, modeled the entire locomotive and verified critical parts — including underframe tension/compression capacity of one million pounds — to guide shape, topology and subsystem design. ANSYS-enabled simulation reduced physical testing, supported trade-offs among stiffness, weight and natural frequency, improved fuel efficiency and vibration isolation, and helped launch the SD70ACe on schedule and within budget while preserving long‑term durability.

Electro-Motive Diesel

R. Thomas Scott

Manager, Noise Vibration and Structural Analysis