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In some situations, designers need quick and powerful instruments to provide information for philosophical choices in powertrain layout. The increase of computational capabilities favors the implementation of complex equations and the possibility of making powerful software for supporting technical decisions. The paper presents a numerical model of a shaft that provides information about shaft dynamic and structural behavior. The model can be used for simulating gearbox shaft, drive shaft or axle shaft. By means of a MATLAB/Simulink® model, a finite element (FE) procedure is implemented: the shaft is depicted as its inertial and stiffness features and it is also possible to evaluate stresses, strains and boundary condition forces. In addition, MATLAB/Simulink® powerful allows evaluating shaft behavior during working or test conditions, such as the abuse maneuver, and not only in an abstract situation used by analysts for structural and dynamic calculations.

Rattling noise is one of the most significant noises pertinent to manual gearboxes. The paper deals with modeling and numerical analysis of commercial powertrains. Multi-body modeling is adopted to investigate gear rattle phenomenon in several engine operating conditions. The linear and nonlinear models include: crankshaft with pistons and flywheel, friction clutch, primary and secondary shafts with their corresponding gears pinion, differential crown wheel, axle shaft, tires and vehicle body. In order to analyze the gear rattle, the numerical analysis is made with respect to teeth relative displacement, teeth contact force and index β.