Mining load bodies operate under extreme conditions. Every reduction in mass can lower fuel consumption and operating costs, but structural integrity must remain uncompromised. Redesigning heavy-duty equipment is never simply about making it lighter — it must perform reliably under constant loading, abrasive materials, and demanding site conditions.
VR Steel (Pty) Ltd needed to validate a new, lighter truck load body design while proving that performance and durability would not be sacrificed. By implementing Altair EDEM, the company was able to simulate real-world loading and unloading behaviour, reduce physical prototyping, and deliver measurable operational improvements.
Client Snapshot
VR Steel (Pty) Ltd designs, builds, and repairs fabricated mining equipment attachments, including truck load bodies used in heavy-duty mining operations.
To streamline design validation and reduce development costs, the engineering team integrated Altair EDEM virtual prototyping into their workflow. This enabled them to test new design concepts digitally before committing to fabrication.
The Challenge
The objective was clear: reduce the mass of a truck load body while maintaining structural integrity and increasing performance.
Customers required proof that the redesigned load body would:
- Unload material more quickly
- Lower operating and fuel costs
- Withstand harsh, heavy-use conditions
Traditional validation would have required multiple physical prototypes, extensive field testing, and significant cost. VR Steel needed a more efficient and data-driven method to evaluate performance.
The Solution
VR Steel implemented Altair EDEM to simulate bulk material interaction with both conventional and newly designed load bodies.
Engineers imported 3D CAD models directly into the software and developed realistic material models to replicate the types of media encountered in mining operations. This allowed them to simulate loading and unloading patterns under controlled, repeatable conditions.
By using Altair EDEM as a virtual prototyping platform, VR Steel could:
- Compare conventional and lightweight designs under identical test scenarios
- Analyse unloading behaviour and material flow
- Conduct 100% repeatable testing
- Evaluate multiple design iterations without building physical prototypes
The virtual environment reduced uncertainty and allowed design decisions to be backed by measurable simulation data.
Results
“EDEM made it possible to evaluate and prove our product’s loading and unloading patterns and establish the impact it would have on operation efficiency.”
– Bertus Haasbroek, Chief Design Engineer, VR Steel
The simulation-driven redesign delivered measurable improvements:
- Reduced unloading time
- Reduced body mass by 20%
- Reduced fuel consumption by 11%
- Fuel savings of approximately 70 000 L per year per truck (estimated annual savings of approximately R1 045 000 per truck)
Altair EDEM also reduced the need for repeated physical prototypes. Design options could be evaluated in a controlled virtual environment under identical conditions, accelerating development and lowering testing costs.
Why It Matters
Bulk material behaviour is often difficult to predict through theoretical calculations alone. Real-world performance can differ significantly from design assumptions, particularly when dealing with granular media and impact loading.
Altair EDEM enables engineers to validate loading and unloading patterns early in the development cycle. By replacing trial-and-error prototyping with high-fidelity DEM simulation, manufacturers can optimise geometry, reduce mass, and improve efficiency with greater confidence.
For mining operations, reduced fuel consumption and faster unloading times translate directly into operational cost savings and increased productivity.
The Bottom Line
By adopting Altair EDEM, VR Steel successfully redesigned a truck load body that was lighter, more efficient, and fully validated through repeatable virtual testing.
The result was measurable fuel savings, improved unloading performance, and reduced reliance on costly physical prototypes — all while maintaining structural integrity under heavy-use conditions.
If your engineering team is designing equipment that interacts with bulk materials, Altair EDEM can help you optimise performance, reduce development risk, and shorten design cycles.
Speak to the Simutron team today to explore how Altair EDEM can strengthen your simulation-driven engineering workflow.
Content adapted from the original case study published by Altair.
