A Multibody Mathematical Model to Simulate the Dynamic Behavior of Aerial Work Platforms Using Python

Understanding and knowing the extent of dynamic loads (forces and moments) acting on critical points of structures from the early stages of new product design allows companies to reduce product time-to-market and cut costs associated with physical validation tests. This is made possible through the use of commercial software that enables the simulation of the dynamic behavior of a wide range of mechanical systems, and beyond. However, the use of such software is not straightforward and often requires a specialist within the company to have in-depth knowledge of both simulations and the software itself. Consequently, many companies give up the use of these tools, compromising the whole product development process, falling into the design and testing iterative loop. The multibody mathematical model developed in this study, simulated using python programming language, allows easy retrieval of all the necessary information without requiring the user to be a specialist in multibody dynamics simulations. This model is intended as a tool specifically designed for the type of product (aerial work platform) that serves, during the conceptual and preliminary design phases, to predict dynamic loads through calculations. The balance between the simplicity of such a tool and the accuracy of the results is the key point for the success of this work.