Daimler India Commercial Vehicles inaugurates new, state-of-the-art Mechatronics Lab with transformed efficiency
Accelerates product innovation and development of new software architecture of vehicles
Enables 70-80% reduction in cost with significant improvements in software feature functionality verification and validation
New technologies can be verified and validated before in-vehicle testing
Chennai – Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, today announced the inauguration of a new state-of-the-art Mechatronics Lab inside its Oragadam facility. This lab significantly increases the efficiency of software architecture verification and validation, and ensures cost efficiencies in the range of 70-80% when compared to traditional methods. Agile methodologies deployed in the lab facilitate the rapid identification and resolution of software bugs through a close-loop feedback system. Testing and verification methods that earlier took weeks and months now take days, thereby drastically improving the efficacy of quality and testing processes.
DICV’s Mechatronics Lab verifies and validates software feature functionality for trucks and buses that not only meet current safety standards, but also helps Daimler Truck products manufactured in DICV stay ahead of the curve in meeting future global safety regulations.
Mr. Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan, President of Product Engineering & Chief Technology Officer at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, “Our new Mechatronics Lab signals a transformative phase in our Research and Development operations, ushering us into an era that underscores enhanced agility and breakthrough innovations. Beyond validation, our Mechatronics Lab stands as a hub for innovation, positioning us uniquely on the global stage. Already, the lab is the core of our future electrical and electronic architectures. The DICV Mechatronics Lab complements the company's long-term vision, positioning it at the forefront of technological advancements in the commercial vehicle sector. It underscores our commitment to 'Make and Develop in India, for India and the World’, embodying our vision to not only cater to domestic needs but also to set new benchmarks internationally.”
Mr. Dilip Shrivastava, Head of Mechatronics and Software Technology, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles added, “Our Lab can verify and validate around 300 features, encompassing over a thousand signals within 10 days, and can verify 600 fault codes in a developing product in just a few weeks, which otherwise would have taken months. Our aim is to ensure our software architecture gets verified and validated before it gets embedded in our trucks and buses as early identification of software bugs which saves enormous developmental cost. Keeping our long-term vision in mind we are bringing such efficiencies that can accelerate product development cycles for which our Mechatronics Lab will play a lead role. By establishing the lab, evaluation of diverse vehicle architectures has become seamless, eliminating the need for multiple test vehicles while enhancing the overall efficiency.”
DICV’s Mechatronics Lab will be instrumental in driving DICV’s research and development efforts, particularly in enhancing the efficiency, safety and performance of its trucks and buses as well as expediting the development time of new generations of vehicles. It also enables the simulation and confirmation of rare fault cases, that are challenging to reproduce in real-world conditions, ensuring comprehensive verification and validation.
The lab's infrastructure includes a flashing station for pre-production verification of all ECUs, ensuring hardware and software compatibility before production, thus minimizing errors, and reducing the need for re-releases. The ADAS setup allows on-road data to be reproduced in the lab, aiding initial software modifications and reducing vehicle dependency, saving time and cost. The lab also enables safe verification of Driver State Monitoring (DSM), avoiding risky in-vehicle trials.
Over the last decade, DICV has set high standards for safety and efficiency in the commercial vehicle industry. Recognized for industry-leading total cost of ownership, DICV trucks provide lower operational costs and increased productivity. The new Mechatronics Lab will drive this legacy of innovation forward, introducing advanced safety features like AEBS, Blind Spot Assist, Driver Drowsiness Alert, and Lane Departure Warning. DICV remains committed to delivering vehicles that are leaders in safety, efficiency, and overall value, ensuring our customers' success now and in the future.
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Media Contact:
Sushant Balsekar, +91 75503 29990, sushant.balsekar@daimlertruck.com
Further information on Daimler Truck is available at: Asia.daimlertruck.com and www.daimlertruck.com
Daimler Truck at a glance
Daimler Truck Holding AG ("Daimler Truck") is one of the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, with over 40 main locations and more than 100,000 employees around the globe. The founders of Daimler Truck have invented the modern transportation industry with their trucks and buses a good 125 years ago. Unchanged to this day, the company's aspirations are dedicated to one purpose: Daimler Truck works for all who keep the world moving. Its customers enable people to be mobile and get goods to their destinations reliably, on time, and safely. Daimler Truck provides the technologies, products, and services for them to do so. This also applies to the transformation to CO2-neutral driving. The company is striving to make sustainable transport a success, with profound technological knowledge and a clear view of its customers' needs. Daimler Truck's business activities are structured in five reporting segments: Trucks North America (TN) with the truck brands Freightliner and Western Star and the school bus brand Thomas Built Buses. Trucks Asia (TA) with the FUSO and BharatBenz commercial vehicle brands. Mercedes-Benz (MB) with the truck brand of the same name. Daimler Buses (DB) with the Mercedes-Benz and Setra bus brands. Daimler Truck's new Financial Services business (DTFS) constitutes the fifth segment, the product range in the truck segments includes light, medium and heavy trucks for long-distance, distribution and construction traffic and special-purpose vehicles used mainly in the municipal and vocational sector. The product range of the bus segment includes city buses, school buses and intercity buses, coaches and bus chassis. In addition to the sale of new and used commercial vehicles, the company also offers aftersales services and connectivity solutions.
Daimler Truck Asia at a glance
Daimler Truck Asia (DTA), under Daimler Truck AG, is an organizational unit that jointly operates Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) – an icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with 90 years of history with its FUSO brand – and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), an up and rising challenger in the Indian market. DTA adopts a strategic business model that allows its group entities to collaborate on product development, production, exports, sourcing and research activity to provide innovative, cutting-edge and best value products to customers. DTA’s vision is “to develop mobility solutions to embrace a better life for people and the planet,” and is aligned with Daimler Truck’s purpose, “For all who keep the world moving.”
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. at a glance
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, Germany, and operating under the umbrella of Daimler Trucks Asia, is a full-fledged commercial vehicle player in India with a brand dedicated to its home market: BharatBenz. DICV produces and sells trucks from 10 to 55 tons, as well as BharatBenz buses, Mercedes-Benz coaches, and bus chassis. DICV’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Oragadam near Chennai spreads over 400 acres (160 hectares) including a highly modern test track and is home to the company’s headquarters, R&D, and training operations. With one global quality standard, it also produces Daimler Trucks’ brands of FUSO, Mercedes-Benz, and Freightliner. Products and parts are exported to more than 60 markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. DICV represents an overall investment of more than INR 9,560 crores.
