Case Study: Engineering the Supacat MEP600

MIRA's role as development partner on the Supacat MEP600

MIRA played a key role in the development of the Supacat MEP600 6x6 high mobility vehicle; taking responsibility for the vehicle’s EMC and noise performance, in addition to contributing to the development of the vehicle’s thermal management systems.

MIRA supported development of  the Supacat MEP 600's

EMC, thermal management and noise performance

EMC Design Authority

A key element of the Supacat MEP programme was ensuring that the vehicle met stringent targets for Electromagnetic Compatibility.  In order to achieve this MIRA developed a complete EMC programme prior to contract which was used to focus investigation and design activities throughout the project.  To maintain an optimum level of control over the vehicle's EMC programme MIRA used project management methods based on the PRINCE2 process model and its supporting components including the use of a detailed Risk Register adhering to the fundamental principles of risk management.  The risk register was used to focus all working group and technical meetings hosted by MIRA to ensure that high and medium level issues were dealt with quickly and effectively.

Over the 24 week EMC programme, MIRA designed, developed and prototyped 12 ruggedised high performance EMC enclosures and filters.

Thermal Management

MIRA played a key role in the development of the Supacat MEP’s thermal capabilities including:

• Powertrain cooling and heating - ensuring that the vehicle will operate efficiently and effectively in extreme climatic environments.
• Occupant comfort - development of the heating and air-conditioning system to ensure effective cabin temperature control and occupant comfort across a wide range of vehicle operating conditions.

Supacat MEP 600 vehicle defrost test in one of MIRA's climatic chambers

Drive-by-noise

Meeting drive-by-noise legislation with high power and relatively low weight vehicles such as the Supacat MEP 600 presents considerable challenges.  MIRA took responsibility for ensuring the vehicle met the demands of the latest directive.

Working under tight time pressures, MIRA’s NVH engineering team took responsibility for delivering a compliant solution this involved:

• Assessment of the core vehicle
• Identifying and ranking the sources of noise
• Redesign& packaging of the exhaust system
• Predictive analysis using MIRA’s LAMPS software
• Optimisation of the noise reduction systems
• Prototype build – exhaust
• Prototype build – noise reduction pack
• 1999/101/EC compliance test and sign-off
  

Customer Benefits:

Working with MIRA enabled the customer to contain outsourcing of  these complex engineering issues to one supplier, reducing the number of prototypes and time taken to deliver the fully developed vehicle.  With regard to the EMC programme Steve O’Leary, Program Manager Specialist Vehicles within SUV IPT (Specialist and Utility IPT) commented:

“MIRA have overcome all hurdles to deliver an EMC compliant vehicle platform. Not only have MIRA exceeded all expectations by completing the EMC programme within the timescales set prior to contract commencement, they have also exceeded the stringent EMC performance targets required for the vehicle platform to operate within its intended EM environment – whilst remaining within the agreed budget. MIRA have shown an outstanding level of commitment to delivering the EMC programme and have illustrated why MIRA are one of the world’s leading engineering solution providers”