applications


used to identify design changes that are necessary because of a particular manufacturing process and the specific constraints that are introduced through the use of this process. Schramm explained that, in order to


plan a design effectively, users can include manufacturing constraints in addition to the load paths to understand how these manufacturing processes might impact the strength of the given design. Although failure to do so may not result in


the failure of the part, it may exacerbate the fatigue and stresses imposed by the shape and composition of the material and the load that it is subjected to. However, Schramm was keen to highlight that


topology optimisation is not tied to a specific manufacturing process. Schramm said: ‘It helps you to get better-performing designs because you are using the material in the optimal way and it gives you a quicker time to market because you are starting with a material distribution that actually fits your loading conditions, your use case, and that gives you a better chance to find the right design.’ Schramm stated that it is a case of developing


specific manufacturing constraints associated with a given process and integrating those with the other constraints specific to the design of the part. Another aspect of optimisation technology


is the application of mathematical optimisation principles to any aspect of the design process. Esteco developed modeFRONTIER, a multi- objective optimisation and design environment, to couple CAE tools for finite element, structural analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). modeFRONTIER is a GUI driven soſtware, written in Java that wraps around the CAE tool. It is used to perform optimisation of a given parameter by modifying the value assigned to the input variables, and analysing the outputs based on pre-defined objectives or constraints of the design. Carlo Poloni, president of Esteco said: ‘Cost


reduction, time reduction, and performance enhancement: all of these three major categories are touched by optimisation. ‘Tat may mean reduced scrap material or it


may reduce the actual mass of the components; it may decrease the energy costs for the manufacturing. Really any parameter that you want minimise or maximise can be considered with an optimisation environment,’ said Poloni. Poloni said: ‘We are independent of the code


which is coupled to modeFrontier to do the simulation.’ Poloni commented that some optimisation


characteristics are oſten present in the soſtware packages that couple to modeFrontier, but Esteco soſtware allows the coupling of multiple systems around any number of objectives and constraints.


www.scientific-computing.com l


A technology demonstration created in solidThinking Inspire, which enables design engineers and architects to generate structurally efficient concepts


@scwmagazine OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 39


He sees this as critical to a multi-disciplinary optimisation process that can take manufacturing processes into account. Poloni said: ‘If you want to bring to the highest


level, it is important that we design for the manufacturing process. Instead of separating the two problems you may face them together and this has some important advantages because there are some components that can be built with a particular manufacturing process and some that cannot. ‘Tis means that you can design an


optimisation process that is at a higher level because you can manage a complete process’ concluded Poloni.


YOU CAN CHASE ONE WRONG DECISION IN YOUR GEOMETRY FOREVER


Poloni stressed that to truly integrate


engineering and manufacturing processes into the design of a part requires collaboration between the various teams or individuals that are responsible for these areas, something that has increased in recent years but that still must be improved for users to see the most benefit. Poloni said: ‘ModeFrontier can help with


that, because you may have different teams that deal with the functionality on one side and another team of people that deals with the manufacturability on the other side. If the two teams can effectively share information then you may end up with the complete process.’ ‘Tat really is the next challenge. More than the


optimisation itself,’ Poloni concluded. Poloni stated that part of the driving force


behind Esteco’s continued success had been its mission to work with a wide selection of soſtware packages and workflows. Poloni said: ‘We never wanted to get too focused on a single product; we think that optimisation is a horizontal technology that must fit different application areas.’ Tis has meant that the company has had


to develop a means of integrating the various outputs from more engineering soſtware codes so that they can be identified quickly and easily by the modeFrontier soſtware. Poloni explained that there are many ways


that modeFrontier might interface with other soſtware packages. Te most tried and tested of these methods is to ‘extrapolate the variables to individual text files and this is done through a graphic interface.’ However with modern soſtware platforms


this can become very complex in short order, so Esteco has also established direct interfaces with more than 40 industrial soſtware packages to date. ‘When a code has become more established


at an industrial level, it has usually evolved to the point of having APIs that allow you to build a direct interface to the product. In those cases, you do not need any special coding. Te parameters will actually be recognised by the soſtware,’ said Poloni. He explained that, in the majority of cases,


Esteco will form partnerships with these companies because there is a mutual benefit as modeFrontier is enhancing the use of the soſtware by enabling automation of multiple simulations. Although manufacturing constraints con be


considered at the very inception of a new product, ➤


Altair


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