Process Compression for Structural Simulations from ANSYS

To shorten the design cycle of a product, simulation departments need to deliver simulation results faster. At the same time, more simulations are required to reduce the need for physical prototyping. The ultimate goal is to obtain the right design even before the first prototype is created. Delivering more results faster —is the challenge simulation departments face.

Over the past 15 years, a shift has occurred: Simulation transformed from validation tool to design tool. In this new role, simulation needs to deliver much more than a single yes/no answer.

Going beyond the true/false answer requires a complete change in the way simulation is used. As a result, analysts need to reconsider how they spend time doing simulation.

Structural engineers might spend a long time setting up and solving a model, leaving limited time for analyzing results and investigating design variations. An analyst can better use time by spending less effort on setup and more time on understanding the results. After all, an analyst is expected to analyze.

Simulation once focused on setup, with little time spent analyzing results (left). Today, an accurate analysis involves spending the bulk of total simulation time answering what-if questions and analysis.

To address the need to deliver more results at a faster pace, simulation processes need to be reviewed to maximize simulation outcomes. The three aspects that will most impact process compression are model setup, analysis of results and the ability to perform design variations.

Model Setup

Before starting any simulation, organizing the simulation as a project provides a very fast way to capture all types of analyses to be performed on a given design. Once the engineering intent has been captured, the user is guided through the steps to be taken. When sequential simulations are involved, all necessary data is automatically transferred, so the user does not have to worry about files, formats and commands to exchange data.

The schematics captures the engineering intent and ensures automated data transfer between simulations.

The starting point of a simulation is often a geometric model. The model can be obtained from neutral files, but usually it originates from a CAD system. A direct bidirectional connection to the CAD system is highly desirable to create a straight path between the CAD designer and the structural engineer.

Bidirectional CAD data transfer increases the quality of the geometry and allows the user to easily perform design variations based on geometric modifications.

Once the geometry has been imported into the simulation system, a few steps are required to prepare the model, such as defining the relations between parts of an assembly, meshing the model, and applying loads and boundary conditions. In all these areas, the ANSYS Mechanical interface provides time-saving features. Automated meshing based on physics rules, geometry-based loads and boundary conditions reduce setup time. Automated contact detection saves time since modeling assemblies has become standard practice. Finally, the availability of robust default options and settings for the solver allow convergence of a large proportion of models.

Automated contact detection saves time, especially for large assemblies.

Results Analysis

The role of the structural engineer is to provide insight into a given design. This is done by carefully and thoroughly reviewing the results of a model. The post-processing capabilities of ANSYS Mechanical software provide a means to fully understand the current design. From the usual contour plots to cutting planes, from vector plots to local probes, a very large set of tools is available to analyze results.

ANSYS Mechanical offers a wide variety of post-processing tools.

Because standard results are not always enough and engineers needs to compute additional quantities based on basic deformation or stress results, many capabilities are available from data export to the computation of custom compliance checks.

Design Variations

Answering what-if questions via simulation is a key role for structural engineers, who are members of the greater design team. Answering such questions requires going beyond single-point solutions, a process that can be performed at minimal cost. The parametric capabilities of ANSYS Structural Mechanics solutions provide an efficient way to perform design variations. Both discrete or continuous variations of a given design can be performed; studying the results can lead to a deeper understanding of the design's behavior as well as to determining designs that meet requirements.

Response surfaces provide continuous variations of product performance (stresses, deformations, mass) with respect to design parameters such as CAD dimensions.