Digital Twins

Digital Twin is enjoying a breakthrough, fueled by advances in the sophisticated use of physics-based simulation models of varying fidelities. Connected and informed by data from the field with the help of artificial intelligence, Leonardo S.p.A. validates the performance of product systems virtually in the early stages of design to accelerate the development of their next generation of products.

AAM has been providing mechanical drivelines to automotive customers for more than 25 years. As the automobile transitions to electrification, so too must the driveline. AAM has developed a suite of innovative, lightweight, compact and cost-optimized electric drive units and electric beam axles to meet the growing global technology demand as electric vehicles continue to expand over the next decade. Engineering simulation, optimization and validation tools were significant enablers to increase the validation confidence and reduce the time to market for these new products.

AI-powered real-time melt-pool analytics for accelerated product development and production.

The ever-advancing digitization is being driven by the convergence of simulation, data, and HPC. While virtual methods, interoperable tools, and standardized interfaces become state of the art, the engineers and their management will play a significant role to break down silos and benefit from a Digital Thread. In this fireside chat, we will discuss the importance of people to unleash the potential of Digital Twins, how they can combine the different fields of product development and what is still missing to make the connection.

Gaining insights into a product’s performances has never been easier. With the HyperWorks Design Explorer, users can easily set up and execute the design of experiments (DOE) and optimization studies, learning which attributes contribute the most to the different performances, review, plot, and compare results from multiple runs, and ultimately identify optimal designs. The quick and easy setup process is solver independent, yet fully integrated with Altair’s structural analysis solutions. On the other hand, many design specifications are quantifiable and can be confirmed by physics but optimizing a design for subjective design requirements such as the look and feel of a product requires a different approach. This is when expertAI can help. It uses machine learning to enable you to include criteria that have traditionally been considered purely subjective or expert-driven in design optimization. The AI algorithms cluster your designs with respect to their subjective behaviors allowing them to be labeled to train a model aligned with your preferences.

With lightweighting at the forefront of the sustainability discussion, Altair HyperWorks has introduced a targeted environment to rapidly create models for topology optimization. The complete HyperWorks Design Space environment includes an automotive-only non-design space library, collision detection, and a fast and efficient voxel Boolean mesh engine. It facilitates the creation of new model variants in seconds without the need to go back to CAD. In addition to automotive BIW architecture studies, it supports design space local and global modeling for generic sub-systems throughout different industries. The concept adhesive workflow is also available to identify location of structural adhesive.

The Digital Twin concept is broadly applicable to all Altair customer base wanting to develop better products faster. We will explain how to maximize the value you can get from the Altair Platform for Digital Twins. We will illustrate how this solution helps diverse engineering teams develop better, more complex products faster by avoiding work in silos. This will include proven uses cases for the convergence of simulation and data.

Nowadays, many Machine Learning techniques able to identify dynamic models from data are taking hold. But, can we support the learning phase leveraging our expertise obtaining models with better generalization property? To tackle this need and others we have developed a novel approach, romAI. This application combines AI and system modeling techniques to generate reusable continuous dynamic models extremely time-efficient, hence used as Reduced-Order Models to speed-up system design and optimization or in Digital Twins/Simulators for real-time applications.

In this session, we showcase the build and assembly of a full system model. Driven by Parts, Subsystems, and Connectors, the Altair HyperWorks™ model build and assembly workflow facilitates representation, revision, and configuration management for subsystem and system-level model building. We also demonstrate Altair’s AI-driven workflow to automatically group identical or similar parts.

In this session, we will showcase HyperWorks’ brand-new sketching tools, and some of the latest developments around geometry handling and mesh generation techniques, including midmeshing, mesh controls, tetra, and hexa meshing. We also show examples of using morphing to reshape parts for design, optimization, or assembly purposes.

In this session we will highlight how Altair HyperWorks supports efficient data processing and visualization, thereby helping users to make decisions faster. From the simulation-driven design workflow, fully integrated with HyperWorks’ model build functionalities, to the high-performance visualization and reporting of simulation results, HyperWorks provides the best framework to visualize, process, and report data

Altair products are quickly evolving into AI-driven products. Starting from the modeling and visualization products, the latest release of Altair HyperWorks includes features like shapeAI, which quickly finds and classifies parts “by shape” inside geometry files or finite element meshes - when you want to locate all of the bolts, shafts, and gears in a complex assembly - by applying machine learning.

What makes artificial intelligence a game changer is not what movies depict with the loud destructive powers of artificially intelligent robots. It’s the opposite, it is the silent creative destruction that it brings as apps in our phones or features in the tools that we use such as spam filters, fraud detectors, and recommendation engines. When combined, these tools make our lives more enjoyable, safe, and productive. In a similar spirit, at Altair, we have been working on powering product design and development with AI to make your work lives more enjoyable, and productive. Our focus has been improving processes and outcomes by reducing repetitive, labor-intensive, non-value-added tasks as well as emulating experts and enriching performance predictions with real-time field predictions. What makes these offerings unique is their no-code integration to the tools that you are already familiar with and hence not requiring you to have to leave your own working environment. In this presentation, examples of such AI-Powered product design processes will be demonstrated. The presentation by Dr. Fatma Kocer, VP of Engineering Data Science at Altair, aired at Future.AI in June 2021, and is almost 30 minutes long. Ready to see how your company can drive innovation with AI-powered design? Contact our solutions experts today. View all Future.AI 2021 Presentations

TransAnt GmbH is an Austrian joint venture by ÖBB Rail Cargo Group and voestalpine Stahl GmbH with the aim to bring more efficient and effective transport alternatives on to the market and thus making rail freight transport more attractive and sustainable.

In this presentation the company talks about the development of their freight wagon “TransANT” - a revolutionary platform concept that reacts to the changing needs of their customers. Its 20% lighter underframe creates a payload advantage of up to 4 tonnes per wagon. Industry-specific wagon bodies and straightforward swapping make for ideal logistics solutions - adaptable to every type of logistical requirements. Using Altair software, the company is currently making TransANT assemblies ready for serial production.

Presented at the ATCx Heavy Equipment in May 2021.

Speakers: Anja Schmid, Key Account Manager & Andreas Tomschi, Development Engineer, TransAnt

Duration: 20 minutes

Several OEMs currently face the challenge of information silos due to poor integration of models across the product life cycle. Furthermore, there is limited reuse of models between programs and the variation of modeling maturity across various Engineering disciplines results in lack of traceability. In this short presentation, we will look at solutions and workflows that leverages a systems model as a common language of communication while facilitating various types of real time dashboards and visualization to help understand and optimize the entire Mechatronic system performance.

Presented at the ATCx Heavy Equipment in May 2021.

Speaker: Keshav Sundaresh, Global Director – Smart Systems & Mechatronics, Altair

Duration: 20 minutes

In order to ensure the safety of passengers and on-board personnel, finite element calculation is used at SNCF as part of the acquisition, renovation / modernization projects of trains as a decision aid and preparation for testing approval of trains. This is the main case of the mechanical strength of bolted and screwed assemblies, and more and more of the integration of composite materials into rolling stock structures in order to make them more capacious and less energy intensive. To do this, SNCF is developing methodologies to make the modeling of bolted assemblies and composite parts more reliable, as well as topology optimization. The tools of the HyperWorks suite, and in particular, the OptiStruct solver, allow SNCF to represent its types of materials, as well as these phenomena (bolted assemblies + topology optimization).

Presented at the ATCx Heavy Equipment in May 2021.

Speakers: Patrick Jumin, Derik Joël Kengne Tapchom & Karim Slimani, SNCF

Duration: 20 minutes

G.S. Vidyaprakash presents how Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd. drives the design process with simulation. In his presentation First Time Right Machine Design with CAE Simulation, he discusses reliable simulation techniques to predict & prevent failure modes.

Controller strategy expert Lorenzo Moretti presents how to improve Cobot collaboration. In the context of virtual commissioning, he discusses how more meaningful controller design is possible with realistic plant models.

Dr. Fatma Kocer VP, Engineering Data Science at Altair showcases the impact of AI in development environments. In particular on how CAE tools will evolve and Design Exploration is taken to the next level.

Brett Chouinard, President and COO of Altair discusses Development challenges in Industrial machinery and illustrates how Altair's scalable simulation solutions provide the environment for simulation-driven innovation and how machine learning expands the capabilities furter.

Benoit Pelourdeau presents how Stanley Robotics SAS drives the design process with simulation, to develop the world's first robotic car storage service. Learn from him how the interdisciplinary mechatronic product development team succeeds with accurate virtual prototypes.

Daniel Jauss, Application Engineer CAE, gives a Demo Sessions on Altair Simulation Solutions for faster evaluation of real-world machines, explaining how to realize vibration reduction with topology optimization performing a modal analysis & Optimization of a machine portal, identifies economic manufacturing alternatives, and conducts a topology optimization for sheet metal constructions.

Christian Kehrer, Business Development Manager System Modelling, gives a Demo Sessions on Altair Simulation Solutions for faster evaluation of real-world machines, explaining how CNC control optimization is performed to realize toolpath error correction of a CNC milling machine, with system simulation and how more effective controller design with realistic plant models is realized.

Indradev Babu, Managing Director, UCAM PVT LTD, explains how he developed a CNC Jobshop to the largest manufacturer of CNC Rotary tables—presenting different development examples, he explains how Simulation Driven Design helps him to differentiate and what simulation Strategies he implements in the customer-centric development for the following generation Machine Tools at UCAM.

Industry expert Dennis Baum presents how Weber Maschinenbau applies simulation, how simulation can be used along product lifecycle and which benefits arise to customers and internal processes.

Industry Innovator Luca Gatti Luca invites you to a virtual coffee break, to see why it is necessary to model and deeply study the physics behind a cup of coffee. Learn why Gruppo Cimbali SpA is creating digital twins of their coffee machines to fully embrace the digital transformation.

Mr. Vijay Zala and Mr. Pragnesh Zala present development methodologies for new economic machine generations and showcase why Jyoti CNC Automation Ltd. sets simulation at the core of the development strategy.

Andrew Dyer, Senior Tech Specialist at Altair in the US, Gabriele Piombo, EngD Partner with Altair at the University of Warwick, and finally Prof. James Marco, Professor of Systems Modelling and Simulation at the University of Warwick, present - Rapid Battery Layout Optimization using 0D / 1D in a Systems Environment. Together they will discuss the use of a 1D Systems approach to simulate a battery module. This includes the cell, cooling plate & busbar and is subjected to a typical extreme duty cycle. A typical event is simulated where the maximum allowable temperature is exceeded which triggers an increase in the cooling flow rate. This system is then optimised.

Dr. Royston Jones, CTO and Dr. Anthony Hahnel, Technical Director, give their keynote presentation during the ATCx Driving Innovation in Electric Powertrain 2021.

Altair CTO James Dagg presents an overview of the journey Altair took to develop the leading modeling and visualization technologies we have today, and provides a look at what’s coming next to help you reduce your product delivery time. James Dagg has been at Altair for more than 30 years and is a visionary behind Altair’s software strategy and development activities. He has also led the development of Altair’s concept design technologies and oversaw the development of Altair’s CAE software suite for more than a decade.

In his presentation, Dr. Darren Ashby, CAE Group Leader at Jaguar Land Rover discusses some of the technological developments that have led to reduced meshing time and enhanced model quality at Jaguar Land Rover. Additionally he shares some thoughts on the direction of finite elements modelling, future functionalities, and new technologies which will enable further productivity gains at the company. Dr. Darren Ashby, CAE Group Leader at Jaguar Land Rover has been at the company for over 30 years, having joined as a technical apprentice and progressing to where he is now as the CAE Group Leader for Virtual Model Build and Analysis. He holds a PHD in philosophy focused in mechanical engineering from Coventry University.

Steve White looks after Altair’s UK technical support team having joined the company in 2018. In his presentation, Steve is going to give us a brief overview and demo of the HyperWorks pre- and post-processing solutions, demonstrating the intuitive user interface and efficient workflows that can lead to significant time reductions in your model build activities.

Ross Atherton is a Structural Systems Design Engineer in the Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace Future Programmes Engineering department. After a period of supporting Rolls-Royce’s growing large engine fleet, Ross turned to future products; and has since led a small team designing, assessing, and enhancing the conceptual product architecture of future market opportunities. Ross’ presentation will go into detail on how Rolls-Royce have deployed the Altair Hyperworks toolset to enhance the structural efficiency of their UltraFan engine, covering: rapid model and mesh creation; new insights from structural optimisation and robust design; integrated post-processing; and the resulting acceleration of the engineering design iteration cycle.

Gonçalo Pereira, Principal Application Engineer at Altair, gives an overview of the all new HyperWorks CFD to demonstrate the latest streamlined workflows and optimised technologies dedicated to CFD Application. This new App opens the door to a Solution focused workflow that enables each user to access intuitive CAD clean-up tools, efficient surface and volume meshing and easy to use model set-up for flow and thermal simulations.

Matt Bone, CFD engineer at Totalsim takes us through Totalsim's deployment of Altair’s pre-processor, which now comes equipped with a full suite of tools for CFD meshing and model set-up. We’ll see some of the automated tools can fill holes and gaps between parts and wrapping techniques to create exterior watertight meshes or cavity meshes, all built around saving you time with you CFD model build.

Julien Hoyez, Senior Application Engineer at Altair takes us through Altair’s revolutionary new composite modelling workflow, aimed at accelerating and simplifying every stage of pre-processing. Julien will show us how the dedicated Composites Browser in HyperWorks 2020’s streamlined and intuitive interface enables you to rapidly model, manipulate and review ply-based models.

Matt Kedgley from Engenuity introduces us to FiRMA, an analysis method that tackles the difficult task of predicting the structural performance of randomly oriented fibre composite components. This method has been developed and made possible using a customisation of Hypermesh. The Finite Element (FE) models are pre-processed into the FiRMA format before being submitted for analysis solve through HyperStudy.

Kenneth King is a Stress Engineer for the aerospace sector for Atkins. He’s is a chartered engineer with over 10 years’ experience in stress analysis using hand calculations and finite element analysis. While working at Atkins Aerospace he has been involved in projects on Airbus A350 and Single Aisle Aircraft. In addition to aerospace sector, he has worked in infrastructure, rail, offshore wind, nuclear and oil & gas sectors. Kenneth shows us a real life example of how Hypermesh has saved modelling time of finite element models when designing composite bridge structures. He will show us how the Hypermorph module in Hypermesh can be used to drive the design analysis cost down by reducing model creation lead time.

This presentation is by Program Manager Rob Jopson. It’s a given that the simulation models we build are intended to capture and predict physical behavior, the data used to create them is not always representative of the manufacturing process used to build the physical part. For layered composite parts in particular, this mismatch can cause significant overhead in managing the simulation data as the model is created and evolves. To solve this problem, Altair’s ply-based modeling methodology strives to maintain a 1:1 relationship between the simulation data and the manufacturing process, independent of solver. The latest developments of this methodology will be presented as a workflow in the new Composite Browser, available in HyperWorks. The recording is about 18 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This workshop on end-to-end workflow for modeling layered composites in HyperWorks was conducted by Program Manager André Möenicke. The recording is about an hour and 37 minutes long, and and was first presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.