Simulating the working process of construction machines
T. Gruening, Günter Kunze, André Katterfeld · 2010
The working process of mining and construction machines is a complex interaction of the machine itself and the bulk material. Especially when optimising the design or operation of an excavator for instance, a deep understanding of the ongoing processes is essential. Computer simulations based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) offer a possibility to comprehend the bulk material behaviour. In contrast to other DEM simulations, the bulk material has a strong influence on the machine dynamics during the excavation process. Hence, realistic simulation results are only possible, if the DEM simulation can be combined with a simulation of the whole machine, including multi body systems and hydraulics. This paper presents an introduction to the simulation techniques and the coupling principle used for an examplary simulation of a bucket excavator and a wheel loader.