Cruden now positioned to support auto makers' regional technical centres and beyond

Roy Park

Interview with Roy Park, Cruden Asia Pacific

Cruden has recently opened an office in Melbourne, Australia to help grow sales and better support customers across the Asia Pacific region. The operation is headed up Roy Park, a mechanical engineer by profession and one of the leading names in motion simulation in Australia and New Zealand. Backed up by more than 25 years in the industry with a persistent focus on advanced motion control systems, he has worked for leading companies such as Eaton, Parker, Bosch Rexroth and Moog. He has designed, manufactured and provided service support for simulators for the automotive, defence and entertainment markets in Australia, Singapore, Korea and China.

Q: Why is Australia significant to the simulator market?
A: Simulation has long been a predominant technology in defence and civil aviation and many of the global players in the market like CAE and Thales, have operations in Australia. Global car manufacturers such as Ford, GM and Toyota have regional technical centres based in Australia, and simulators can be used to help develop models for the local market and for the wider Asia Pacific region to improve efficiency and compliment existing test capabilities.

Australia is also leading much of the academic progress in simulation. Universities like Monash and QUT are collaborating with OEMs to carry out driver behavioural research.

Other industrial sectors like rail, defence and mining are prominent in Australia. Companies investing millions in equipment such as excavators and dump trucks require motion simulation technology to help train employees on their safe and careful operation. As a result of these diverse needs there is a sizable pocket of simulation expertise in this part of the world.
Q: What do you see as the major benefit of motion simulators such as the Cruden Hexatech to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers?
A: The benefits of simulation are well known to the automotive industry. The use of realistic driver simulators put drivers 'into the loop' and accelerate how prototype components can be evaluated and optimised to minimise the cost of using real cars and tracks. With simulators, companies soon see the return on their investment and enjoy quicker development times.

Motion adds the all-important 'feel' to vehicle development. If you are adjusting damper ratios for suspensions, the driver needs to feel it in a variety of realistic conditions and scenarios, not just rely on calculations. Cruden provides the tool to allow evaluation in conditions as close to reality as possible. Test drivers and senior managers alike can feel and experience first-hand the performance differences between option A and option B and that can make the product development decision-making process a lot easier.

Where Cruden brings an advantage, is in providing an affordable, full turn-key system - the know-how to create a high fidelity motion simulator combined with an external physics package that allows customers to automatically and quickly input their own vehicle models.
Q: Where do you see the growth for motion simulation?
A: As the accuracy of motion simulation, vehicle and road modelling improves, the technology becomes much more useful to automotive and motorsport companies. It is still quite early days, and despite the acceptance by many OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, there is still a lack of knowledge of the systems available, more so how affordable and quick to install they are. OEMs are increasingly recognising the power of simulators as a means to translate technological developments - in the development of tyres, damper, shock absorbers, suspension, ride and handling, to name a few examples - to non-technical target audiences at motor shows, press launches, focus groups and corporate hospitality.

In mining, defence and other industrial sectors, the next opportunity comes from more sophisticated motion; a move from fixed base or 3-DOF motion to the 6-DOF capabilities of the Hexatech simulator.

Also, we are seeing potential in automotive research and civil engineering applications. Monash University Accident Research Centre in Victoria is involved in accident research and driver behaviour. Road design is another field which could benefit greatly from the use of simulators. Large toll road investment projects have experienced design-related problems at complex interchanges and junctions that could be optimised for safety and cost by simulating their use 'off-line' prior to construction. Entry points, lighting, tunnel design, camber and signage could all be tested under realistic everyday conditions with real drivers.
Q: Finally, since joining Cruden, what has surprised you the most?
A: The fact that an extremely wide range of customers is taking a strong and immediate interest in our superior capability from a technical and cost benefit perspective. The interest has exceeded our expectations. What probably surprises me the most is the level of interest from private buyers. There are a number of people out there looking for experiences which take them to the absolute edge of risk, something that is quite hard to get from the typical motorsport experiences on the market. High net worth individuals who are performance driving enthusiasts with incredibly busy lifestyles can use the simulator as a tool to let them practice and keep up their skill level.