About Us
Mechanical System Dynamics Pty Ltd (MSD) is an engineering consulting company specialising in the areas of heavy vehicle dynamics and stability, vehicle/infrastructure interaction, and the measurement and analysis of road surface unevenness. We apply specialised numerical modelling and simulation tools to investigate and solve problems in these areas.
Its Director, Dr Hans Prem, and Dr Luan Mai (formerly a Director now retired), have worked collaboratively for more than 40 years, servicing the needs of local and overseas road transport industries, providing expert engineering and delivering practical solutions backed by R&D and design innovation. We have delivered a wide range of outcomes to government and private sector interests through project-based work ranging in scope, size and duration.
MSD is strongly committed to improving heavy vehicle safety, productivity, and infrastructure utilisation.
Commencing in the late 1990s, MSD staff played a central role in developing the national PBS Scheme and the PBS Safety Standards. MSD Directors, formerly as PBS Assessors, through their customers have delivered more than 2,500 PBS combinations nationally across all commodity sectors.
Staff Profiles
Dr Hans Prem
BE(Mech), PhD, FIEAust, MSAE, CPEng, NER, RPEQ, RPEV
Director and Senior Consultant
e: hans@msdynamics.com.au
p: +61 3 9588 1000
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In 1979 Hans received a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Melbourne. He continued his studies at the same university and undertook research in vehicle dynamics and in 1984 was awarded a PhD. His engineering and research experience covers a diversity of vehicles, ranging in size from motorcycles early in his career progressing in a series of logical steps to innovative large off-highway mining trucks with gross weights approaching 500 metric tonnes. Over the last more than 20 years his interests have centred on road transport across all commodity sectors and the heavy vehicle fleet with it’s broad make-up ranging from 2-axle rigid trucks through to innovative multi-trailer road train combinations. Topics include performance-based standards for heavy vehicles, new and novel active control systems that augment safety performance, the dynamics of vehicle-infrastructure interaction and road network access, crash investigation and reconstruction.
Hans has been involved in the measurement and analysis of road surface unevenness (road profiles), and was responsible for the development of Australia’s first laser-based highway-speed road profiler. Current versions of the profilers, now manufactured and operated by ARRB Systems Pty Ltd, are a flagship product and a global service offering used for major surveys of road condition performed at the network level. Hans’ interest continues in pavement rideability (ride quality measurement and assessment).
For a brief period Hans took to the air helping to design and develop a vibration isolation system for an aerially towed SQUID magnetometer used in minerals exploration.
Formally a Chief Scientist with ARRB Group Ltd., Hans has been pursuing his professional interests for many years now as co-director of Mechanical System Dynamics.
Further information and recent activities can be found at the following links:
Dr Luan Mai (retired)
BE(Mech), PhD
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Luan was awarded a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from Monash University and the J.W. Dodds Memorial Medal and Prize for the best Graduate in 1976. In 1982 Luan completed a PhD for outstanding research in the dynamics and control of load-sensitive pumps. Luan’s interest in dynamic systems and control was put to good use in a landmark study of road tanker rollover stability, in which experimental verification of computer-based models was achieved using measurements from a purpose-built full-scale heavy vehicle tilt table facility – the first such facility in the southern hemisphere. The outcomes and recommendations from this research led to nationwide safety improvements for articulated heavy vehicles.
Luan’s activities have extended into innovative mining systems, where significant contributions were made in a number of key areas, including assessments of continuous miners, high-angle conveyors and cross-pit transporters. The influence of various blasting methods on overburden stripping by draglines was also investigated. These projects were in preparation for a major project led by Luan, involving the design and development of the first radio remote-controlled highwall coal mining system in Australian, uncovering about $50M of coal per year of otherwise inaccessible reserves. Luan’s career-long interests and passion for computer-based modelling and simulation have also extended into mining and steel rolling mill control systems.
As a co-director of Mechanical System Dynamics Pty Ltd and consultant, Luan’s interests and expertise in heavy vehicle dynamics, control systems analysis and computer-based modelling and simulation including all conventional and innovative combinations that makeup the Australian heavy vehicle fleet.