Case Study: Politecnico di Torino helps Comau cut development costs with MathWorks Simulink and Simscape

Politecnico di Torino Graduate Student Demonstrates Value of Physical Modeling and Dynamic Simulation to Industry Partner Comau

Politecnico di Torino worked with industry partner Comau to show how modeling and simulation could improve the design of an industrial lifter capable of raising payloads up to 500 kg. Using MathWorks tools, the team set out to validate the design faster, reduce prototype risk, and demonstrate potential savings in both development time and cost.

Using Simulink and Simscape Multibody, MathWorks helped the student model the lifter, run dynamic simulations, and size the DC motor more accurately than static analysis alone. The approach exposed a torque issue before prototype build, and even a simplified model identified the same design error in just two hours. Politecnico di Torino projected 20–40% development cost savings and a shorter time to market, with Comau planning to apply the method to future projects.

Politecnico di Torino

Massimo Violante

Politecnico di Torino