Fix Simulation Geometry with SimStudio
Autodesk’s Simulation Portfolio.
The batch release of Autodesk Simulation 2016 will offer simulation analysts and engineers workflow improvements to various CAE, FEA, and CFD software. The current release includes Autodesk CFD, Autodesk Helius Composite, Autodesk Moldflow, and of course, Autodesk Simulation Mechanical.
Users of CFD, Mechanical and Moldflow will be introduced to the new application, SimStudio, which can help prepare geometry for simulation. The tool can edit, repair, and simplify geometry to ensure fast and accurate results. Additionally, SimStudio can be used as a modelling system to build simulation geometry from scratch.
Preparing an electronic part in the SimStudio tool.
“You can create standard assemblies, but you can also create ‘idealized’ representations, such as mid surface geometry, point masses, and fluid volume domains that are very specific to simulation,” said Derrek Cooper, director of simulation products at Autodesk.
However, Cooper explained that SimStudio isn’t a complete pre-processor. It will only be able to fix up the model geometry.
“Traditionally, pre-processors allow users to set up the materials, mesh and boundary conditions,” he said. “Some pre-processors have editing and geometry tools, but these tools tend to work on the mesh level. Unfortunately, once you get down to the mesh level, you lose the associativity of the mesh to the CAD model. SimStudio, however, will keep this associativity between CAD and mesh. Once the geometry is fixed users will need to use a pre-processing tool to define the materials, boundary conditions, and produce the mesh.”
He added: “Today’s simulation engineers deal with geometry from multiple sources: CAD systems, neutral files, scanned data. These geometry files often come in with either two much detail or imperfections that require manipulation and simplification prior to simulation. Historically, users needed to be experts in the ‘pre-processors’ to deal with these models. SimStudio, however, is a built from scratch approach.”
Workflow Advantages with and without SimStudio.
He has also noted that SimStudio has received positive feedback from beta users about productivity boosts. This is significant as analysts spend a significant chunk of time preparing their geometry.
"Autodesk SimStudio Tools supports my simulation workflow much better than a traditional CAD system can,” said Harald Götz, product innovation manager at Vibracoustic. “It has also helped me enhance my Moldflow reports with improved visuals and model imagery.”
Cooper mentioned other tools in addition to SimStudio that can fix simulation geometry; geometry wrapping and the geometry assessment tool. However, with a release boasting improved workflows, it’s confusing that they were not combined into one tool.
“The simplest answer is that the specific problems that the tools address are encountered by different personas at different parts of the design process,” Cooper explained. “Take geometry wrapping, for example, that person may or may not ever have a need for the geometry assessment tool.”
“But more importantly, instead of waiting for all of the technology to be merged into SimStudio, we decided to expose it to users in the interfaces that they are already accustomed,” he added. “You can imagine in the longer term, they will all be on one unified SimStudio environment. But for now, we’d rather expose the tech and get feedback.”
Autodesk’s Version of CFD on the Cloud
Autodesk’s new CFD solver has 80% scaling ratio and Cloud capabilities.
Autodesk Simulation 2016 also focused on optimizing CFD to the cloud with a new solver. This will further reduce the need for expensive high performance computing (HPC), traditionally limited to larger organizations. Therefore, the optimized cloud CFD solver is likely targeting consultants and smaller companies . The solver’s linear scalable capabilities also enable larger simulations.
“Many of the traditional CFD solvers are optimized to scale to a high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure that require expensive and specific hardware and high speed interconnects,” explained Cooper. “In some of the larger companies, they may have already made this investment, but for many of our customers either the cost is too high or they are looking to offload some of this computational load to third party cloud services.”
Coper said Autodesk has had its CFD tool on the cloud for years, but that this previous CFD solver is optimized to HPC. “The new solver was built for Autodesk 2016 and is able to scale to CPU environments on the cloud,” he added. “It does not require the excessive hardware requirements of the past, allowing users to work with lighter machines. To my knowledge, we have the only CFD solver optimized specifically for the cloud.”
It should be noted that users will not be forced to utilize this new CFD solver. Some organizations might not feel comfortable adopting the solver right away until it is tested by the industry. Therefore, users can use the previous CFD solver if it better fits their workflow or company policies.
Added physics and improvements include:
- Radiation models to simulate phenomena, like sunlight through windows
- New turbulence models, including one for the simulation of cyclones
- Conformal cooling models
- Improved geometry issue detection
- Automated surface wrapping
Autodesk Moldflow 2016 Improvements
Path lines help users determine changes in pressure, temperature, and injection speed that can create surface defects.
“Perhaps the biggest release in so far as advancements is Moldflow 2016,” said Cooper. “We have had a lot of feedback from beta users. The focus has been on user experience, process improvements, and real-time technology.”
The release promises improved workflows for plastic parts injection simulations. For example, analysts can use templates to streamline the setup of similar simulations. Cooper explained that “users can copy and paste the settings from one part to another using the template function.”
The use of path line flows in the plastic mold was a sought-after improvement from the Moldflow user community. “This is an old trick taken from CFD,” said Cooper. “It helps users to identify sudden changes in speed, temperature, and pressure that can arise due to flow defects.”
As manufactured fiber orientation and material properties included into simulations.
Users can also export their mapped Moldflow data into Abaqus and ANSYS using the Advanced Material Exchange (AME). This will allow manufactured material properties, fiber orientations and residual stress and strains to be included into simulations.
Finally, the conformal cooling CFD capabilities will also be packaged into Moldflow. This will enable users to simulate cooling channels without an additional CFD license.
Other improvements to Moldflow include:
- Export wrap analysis into CAD for future stress analysis
- Simulating controlled valve gate opening injection molding
- Induction heating
- Microcellular injection molding
Autodesk Simulation 2016 FEA Improvements: Nastran In-CAD
Benefits of Nastran In-CAD.
Cooper seemed proud of the improvements to Nastran In-CAD capabilities. “Autodesk is drastically changing the playing field of what embedded and integrated FEA is all about,” he said. “We have implemented an industry standard, trusted and robust technology (Nastran) in a way that is accessible to those that are driving Inventor and SolidWorks on a daily basis.”
Below are Nastran capabilities that users should look out for:
- New nonlinear models
- Improvements to Nastran In-CAD workflows and performance
- Applying moment loads to solid element faces
- Surface-based solid meshes
- More accurate meshing process bar
Source Autodesk.