lPiaggio GroupCUSTOMER CASE STUDY

Maneuvering Through Traffic
MTS helps one of the world’s largest scooter manufacturers maintain its
leadership position.
C US T OM E R CH A LLEN G E

Two-wheeled vehicles have become the preferred mode of transportation in many partsof the world. This is especially true in the crowded cities of Europe, Asia and Latin
America that were not designed for automobiles and have serious traffic problems.
As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles –including the popular Vespa® brand – Pontedera, Italy-based Piaggio Group produces
more than 600,000 vehicles annually. Seven brands are supported by five research anddevelopment centers and 6,700 employees in 50 countries.

“MTS has proven to us that it offers the best total
value of any test solutions provider.”Stefano Borghesi
Mechanical Laboratory Director,
Piaggio Group

Despite its strong brand equity and product leadership in the markets it serves, Piaggio
faces intense competition from other manufacturers seeking to meet the rising demand
for these nimble, fuel-efficient vehicles. Consequently, the company must find new ways
to increase innovation while reducing development costs, in order to get feature-rich
new products to market with greater frequency and at attractive price points.
“The first and most obvious place we looked to improve efficiency was the proving
ground,” said Stefano Borghesi, who heads the Mechanical Laboratory in Pontedera forPiaggio. “Track testing is expensive and essentially non-repeatable, and you end up withlimited amounts of information that you can actually apply toward your prototype designs.
“However, the biggest disadvantage of track testing is how long it takes from start
to finish,” Borghesi added. “The typical track test requires drivers to log thousandsof miles in a variety of operating conditions, which takes months to complete. In
today’s competitive landscape, we no longer have the luxury to spend that much timevalidating a design.”
M T S S OL UT IO N

In November 2008, Piaggio worked closely with MTS to integrate the MTS Model 320
2-Post Test System into its Mechanical Laboratory facility in Pontedera. The system
is affixed to a proprietary “seismic mass” insulating device installed below floor level,
designed to prevent hydraulic actuation forces from dissipating outward across the lab
and away from the test specimen.
The system ran its first official test in April 2009. Piaggio was one of the world’s firstscooter manufacturers to make such advanced simulation technology part of its
product development process.

be certain.

CUSTOMER CASE STUDYThis two-axis, tire-coupled simulator
leverages MTS RPC® Software to precisely
and repeatably replicate road-induced
forces across the entire vehicle prototype,producing loads and moments that closely
resemble those on the proving ground,including tests on uneven road surfaces.
Since these are also the conditions that thetypical rider will encounter during everyday
use, test professionals have a clearer idea
as to how vehicles will ultimately perform
after years of real-world use.
Previously, Piaggio used simulation systems
for component testing only, requiring thecompany to rely heavily on track testingfor evaluating full-vehicle durability andperformance.
“We are now evaluating the full range ofvehicle types and sizes both in the test
laboratory and on the test track, which isproviding us with new levels of insight atearlier stages of development,” Borghesi
said. “Equally important, this testing canbe completed in a fraction of the time thatwould be required on a test track, resulting
in new development cost savings for Piaggio.”

C US T OM E R B EN EFI TS

According to Borghesi, the MTS Model
320 2-Post Test System has helped Piaggio
achieve new competitive advantage, byallowing his company to bring better
product designs to market in less timeand at a lower cost.

lMTS Systems
14000 Technology DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344-2290 USA
Telephone: 1.952.937.4000
Toll Free: 1-800-328-2255
E-mail: info@mts.com
Internet: www.mts.com
ISO 9001 CERTIFIED QMS©2021 MTS Systems
100-227-469 PiaggioScooters Printed in U.S.A. 09/21“With our new laboratory simulation
capability, we have improved the performanceof our vehicles while meeting customer
demand for lower emissions and higher
fuel-efficiency,” Borghesi said. “We havealso improved vehicle fatigue life by
subjecting our prototypes to the mostdemanding operating conditions in thiscontrolled laboratory environment, andhave made significant advances in termsof ride and comfort.”

In addition, Piaggio test engineers routinely
use the test system to verify model results,
providing the team with greater confidence
in the validity of its calculations and theintegrity of its test data.
“MTS has proven to us that it offers the best
total value of any test solutions provider,”Borghesi said. “From high-quality products
to an expert team of field service engineers,
MTS was instrumental in helping us
successfully simulate the most critical andrevealing road events in our laboratory. We
look forward to continuing to work with
MTS well into the future.”

MTS and RPC are registered trademarks of MTS Systems within
the United States. These trademarks may be protected in othercountries. Vespa is a registered trademark of Piaggio & C. S.p.a.
RTM No. 211177.