Velocity and temperature results.
Altair has announced that the 2015 release of HyperXtrude is able to validate die designs using CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) tools directly from CAD (Computer Aided Design) models. The workflow is simplified to the point that the simulations can be performed by engineers with little training, right on the shop floor.
The ability to analyze the material flow and heat transfer through the die on the fly will reduce costs and trials performed by an extrusion company. This is key as extrusion companies are consistently pressured to reduce prices, speed up part turnaround and increase profile mixes.
Jeff Skinner of Thumb Tool and Engineering’s R&D said, "CAE tools give us additional confidence in the design process … When extruding materials, it is critical to avoid imperfections while meeting structural requirements. Our outputs undergo a very high level of scrutiny with respect to finish quality, and HyperXtrude helps us achieve that quality, every time."
Billet, flow volume, bearings and chamber all organized and set up simply in the CAD model.
The physics-based extrusion solver has been coupled with a revamped GUI designed to automate routine steps in model building while maintaining mesh and result accuracy. Therefore, the user will be able to perform a simulation with little knowledge of modeling or software.
HyperXtrude sets up the analysis within the CAD model. Meshing and complex operations are performed under the hood to make finite element analysis (FEA) simple enough to perform in 15 minutes. Traditionally, an assessment of this type could take a simulation expert two to four hours to complete.
Mahender Reddy, Development Director at Altair, said, “HyperXtrude 2015 takes a giant leap forward, making CAE accessible to the engineer on the shop floor … Our next-generation framework is much easier to use, allowing model setup in a CAD-like environment that is very easy to use. It bridges the gap between engineers, analysts, and manufacturing specialists, making communication among departments much more seamless.”
The HyperXtrude 2015 release will support steady-state metal extrusion, solid/hollow profiles, direct/indirect extrusion and multi/single hole dies. Flow-volume can be assessed to determine the negative space in the die solid with just a few clicks of a mouse. Finally, the release enables sketching to produce lines, surfaces, points, solids and other geometries.
HyperXtrude 2015 fixes the part for simulations.
A few key features for simplifying the workflow in HyperXtrude 2015 are the Simplify/Patch tools. The tools ensure users can clean up the geometry of imprints, rounds and fillets before running the simulation. The tools will even plug holes and/or produce bridges and patches.
Other improvements in the HyperXtrude 2015 release include:
- Mass calculations
- Measurements
- Different unit system support