MSC Software Corporation

MSC Software helps Thai Steel Cable apply Multibody Dynamics & Finite Element simulations to design the structure of a Robotic Arm with Polyamide

From load simulation via generative design to manufacturing and verification – optimisation of a wheel carrier for FormulaStudent with MSC Software

Using MSC Nastran and Actran – engineers at Avio were able to accurately predict the effect of noise vibrations on the structural integrity of its launchers.

Lacking a productive tool for taking advantage of hex mesh in product development missions, engineers reviewed and benchmarked MSC Apex versus their legacy workflow and tools, and found quite a few benefits from using the new workflow.

Regulators are continually increasing the performance standards required of automobile manufacturers. An example is FMVSS 105 and 121 which define the performance of braking systems and are intended to ensure safe braking performance under normal and emergency conditions for heavy trucks and trailers. A typical change in these regulations is to reduce the distance required to stop the truck under emergency conditions. This can be achieved by designing bigger, heavier, more expensive brakes. Ragnar Ledesma, Principal Engineer for Meritor, took a different approach by addressing the algorithms used to control anti-lock braking systems used in nearly all mediumand heavy-duty trucks.

The simulation showed the proposed control system brings the vehicle to a complete stop in less than 4 seconds in a stopping distance of 177 feet (54 meters), demonstrating a way to meet the requirements of a tougher regulation without major changes to braking hardware. The results show a nearly constant deceleration response at the driver seat as opposed to the cyclical response with conventional ABS braking. The explanation for the improved performance is explained by the simulation results. The wheel angular velocities and tire slip ratios do not fluctuate from their desired values; hence the new ABS control system can sustain maximum braking forces almost over the entire braking cycle.

• Leveraged Adams-Controls Integration to provide virtual testing of the new braking algorithms used in the ABS system
• Achieved a reduction in truck stopping distance by over 30% using current disc braking systems
• Evaluated the truck braking performance without many expensive prototypes iterations
• On-demand access to the Adams Controls module via the MSC One token licensing system

The aerospace industry is one of the most demanding industries in terms of quality and reliability. There is an enormous potential for the use of additive manufacturing as this technology gives the opportunity to create function-oriented part designs for a highly purpose-oriented geometry.

In a research project of the Direct Manufacturing Research Center in combination with an industrial partner, such a function-oriented component optimisation was developed using MSC Apex Generative Design. A fixture has been identified and selected for redesign which is installed less than 100 times per year. The previous design consists of a two-part assembly in which the individual components are milled from a solid aluminum block and then connected to each other by several rivets. This produces a correspondingly high amount of waste in the production process.

Tyvak considered and evaluated MSC Apex because of its “smart” nature, ease of use, and seamless compatibility with MSC Nastran. When utilizing MSC Apex for pre-/post-processing an FE model, engineers conveniently achieved firstrun- success in simulations.

The collector box ground cable retention feature was improved over the earlier design further for better performance. An economical and reliable feature was to be redesigned to meet the requirements of the intended retention force which ensures that the feature is always under pre-stressed condition. In the process of design modification of this existing feature, several parameters like length of the arm, width and thickness at the root, etc. were considered. The retention forces were estimated through a structural simulation using non-linear isotropic material properties (glass-filled Polybutylene Terephthalate material). The extracted retention force for this redesigned feature was found to be exceeding the intended force value which in turn caused the failure of the feature. However, the physical test results showed that the features were safe, and the retention forces measured were also in the acceptable range. Hence to understand the influence of fibre orientation in such glass-filled components; extended FEA studies were carried out using Digimat software.

Numerous cities around the world are facing changes in the way urban transportation is considered. The need for lower particle emissions and for a safer and quieter environment are key concepts shaping the future of mobility. Among sustainable transport system enablers, recent technological progresses in electric and autonomous vehicles are accelerating user adoption.

Designing electric and autonomous vehicles is a challenge for the NVH design and engineering teams that need to cope with increasing acoustic comfort expectations while dealing with new noise sources and structural designs.

For Scania, a world-leading provider of transport solutions, the acoustic comfort of drivers and passengers has always been of great importance in the design engineering process. Not only is a pleasant drive critical for buyers or commuters, but it also impacts health and productivity. Scania is focused on getting their vehicles up to speed with today’s acoustic expectations by addressing the level and quality of vehicle interior noise. The development of increasingly optimized NVH properties is supported by extensive testing and by the introduction of new methods based on vibroacoustic simulations. In this endeavor, the calculation team at Scania Bus decided to use the new capabilities of Actran Virtual SEA approach to assess the vibro-acoustic performances of their design at mid- and high frequencies.

Transfer prototyping into serial manufacturing. Using the example of a filigree blade geometry we consider the challenges of traditional manufacturing.

Generate variant diversity with the help of additive manufacturing. This technique helps you save time and money. Reach the first-time-right approach through simulation.

More than 380 teams from 36 countries compete in the Formula Student with racecars they developed themselves. The students combine business and technical achievements, theory and practice with the sporting challenge. MSC Software support the Team HofSpannung Motorsport with free licenses for Adams, the standard product for vehicle motion design at all big automotive OEMs.

Team HofSpannung Motorsport e.V. from Hochschule Hof launched their development “Bonnie” in Varano de´ Melegari in the Italian province of Parma. The 40 members team took on company-specific roles and shared tasks like marketing, fundraising and sponsor search, and finance, as well as the actual vehicle development. “By working in this small “company” we were able to directly apply what we learned and gain a significant advantage for our transition into into professional life,” said Frank Meyer, head of suspension and braking system. The 25-year-old mechanical engineering student has been an active member of Hofspannung since 2016. “I particularly enjoy taking on responsibility and making significant contributions to the racecar design.”

• Adjust suspension design of an electric racecar
• Model validation with the help of test curves
• Simulate the Formula Student competition test situation

In a common innovation project called LightHinge+, EDAG Engineering, voestalpine Additive Manufacturing Center and Simufact Engineering jointly developed a new hood hinge. The project team used the extended possibilities of additive production in order to re-think the component, to re-construct it and subsequently to manufacture it additively. As a result, the new hinge was built with 50% weight reduction compared to the original part, and with the additional advantage to have nearly the entire pedestrian protection functionality integrated within one part. It takes fewer component parts and less assembly steps to build the new hood hinge.

The design was done supported by topology optimization, which finally led to a bionic-like extremely filigree and lightweight structure. Such parts can only be reasonably produced by utilization of AM technology.

The transportation industry is facing various new technological changes. Among them, the replacement of traditional internal combustion engines by electric powertrains makes new vehicles quieter. Still, new challenges in noise and vibration are rising, in particular during the design of electric motors. In order to develop efficient architectures meeting the expectations both in terms of performance and acoustic comfort, engineers need to access new methods and tools.

Motor design generally starts with the torque as the main purpose of an electric motor is to deliver the required torque at a given speed range. Then, the dimensions of the motor start becoming apparent and efficiency analysis, radial force analysis, structural analysis, and acoustic analysis enter the loop.

“Acoustics analysis should be part of the process and not applied at the end of it” explains Dr. Berker Bilgin, Research Program Manager and Chief Engineer of Canada Excellence Research Chair in Hybrid Powertrain program at McMaster University. If not, it will become difficult to reduce acoustic noise from the motor once the motor design is finalized. Electric motor noise is mainly due to the impact of electromagnetic radial forces (see Figure 1) that excite the stator structure.

By including Actran in their design process, McMaster researchers developed current control techniques to limit acoustic noise: “Without making any changes in the motor we can actually reduce the acoustic noise just by optimizing the current, because the radial forces are also related to stator excitation, and we experimentally verified drastic noise reduction in switch reluctance motors”, said Dr. Berker Bilgin.

The use of simulation tools has reduced significantly the cost of prototyping and allowed a more advanced analysis of the designed product. Another added value of simulation is of course the attention paid to details thanks to 3D acoustic modelling capabilities. In addition, Actran’s visualization capabilities offer a great possibility for students to train and dig deeper in their research.

In the future, CERC in Hybrid Powertrain team plan on working on how to modify the structural modes without affecting the torque performance of the motor, focusing on current controls of the motors, or modelling the damping ratio of the motor for accurate estimation and reduction of acoustic noise in electric motors.

One of the manufacturing processes in which Safran Additive Manufacturing is more specifically interested in, is the Laser Beam Melting (LBM) process. The simulation of this process aims at identifying issues associated with part distortion during the manufacturing process, as well as the potential risks of failure of the part and its supporting structure. Safran called on MSC Software, which offers a solution that uniquely covers the entire manufacturing process, from the initial melting step of the part to the completion of a final HIP treatment (Hot Isostatic Pressing), including all post-processing operations such as a stress-relaxation heat treatment, baseplate cutting and supports removal. This solution is Simufact Additive.

Safran Additive Manufacturing has taken full advantage of the added value of the Simufact Additive solution in order to secure the integration of the additive manufacturing processes into its “product-process” development processes, both upstream during product design and downstream for the production launch.

Safran Additive Manufacturing is now focusing on extending the use of the Simufact Additive solution to different types of parts and different grades of material, in order to improve the design process for additive manufacturing as a whole. MSC Software supports Safran Additive Manufacturing and the Group in achieving this objective through this solution that integrates into the global additive manufacturing value chain, ensuring a quality and open digital continuity.

The use of Simufact Additive has enabled us to save considerable time in production preparation thanks to the predictive nature of the software, which limits development by manufacturing iterations by using virtual development upstream, but also during the part design phase, by enabling us to anticipate the effects and limitations of the process at the product design level.

One of the added values of the Simufact Additive solution is that it allows us to bring together two activities: engineering and production. On the one hand, people from engineering who design parts with a strong focus on part performance in service, and, on the other hand, the methods office who master the industrial processes and its associated constraints. Simufact Additive is a solution well adapted to simultaneous engineering that facilitates dialogue between the different business activities involved in the same project. In addition, the software is easy to use, with an intuitive, business-oriented interface that allows for quick and easy appropriation/ownership.