For each deliverable FE-Model a FEM description report needs to be generated. Since this document contains always the same type of information, it is an ideal candidate to automate the creation of this report. Based on the Hyper Report Tool from Altair, RUAG Space and Altair developed a tool to automatically generate the FEM Description Report. The tool requires the HyperMesh data base and the output files from FEM checks as inputs. Together with the tool template, guidelines are provided on how the data base needs to be set up, such that the report can be created automatically. The main structure of the FEM Description Report is dependent on the assembly structure of the HM data base.

1. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated
FEM
Description
Report
T. Pagano
Senior Mechanical Engineer
RUAG Space AG, Switzerland
European Altair Technology Conference
Paris, 30.09.2015

2. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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 The FEM description report describes the FE model (range IDs, material and
property cards, mesh etc.) and reports the FEM checks performed to validate
FE model (static check, strain energy check, free-free check etc.)
 The information needed for the FEM description report is therefore contained
either in the HyperMesh database or in the solver output files (*.f06)
 The Altair HyperReport application has been used to develop, together with
RUAG Space, a tool capable of accessing automatically the information from
the Hypermesh database and from the solver output files (*.f06) and write it in
a Microsoft World document
 Goal of the tool is to reduce the documentation throughput time in projects
INTRODUCTION

3. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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Input for the HyperReport tool
Microsoft World
Solver Output (for example *.f06)
FEM database, views and Templates

4. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport configuration GUI – Chapter Tree Tab

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Automated FEM Description Report
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• The components must be organized in assemblies.
• The assembly level which should be reported is selected within the HyperReport GUI.
• Only the defined assembly level is taken into account when tables or pictures are
created automatically.
FEM database main requirement

6. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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FEM Main coordinate system picture
• Template file to set the model
appearance (wireframe, shaded,
etc.)
• View file to set the showing view
HyperReport GUI – Example 1/6

7. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport GUI – Example 2/6
Boundary condition picture
• Template file to set the boundary
condition appearance
• View file to set the showing view

8. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport GUI – Example 3/6
General Overview picture
(2 general overviews are shown to
underline the capability of the tool to
include as many pictures as needed)
• Template file to set the model
appearance (wireframe, shaded,
etc.)
• View file to set the showing view

9. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport GUI – Example 4/6 Assembly pictures
(only one picture is shown but the tool
produces three pictures per selected
assembly level)
• Template file to set the model
appearance (wireframe, shaded,
etc.)
• View file to set the showing view

10. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport GUI – Example 5/6
Table preparation
• Template file to set the table
appearance (title, border, etc.)

11. Lead time reduction in CAE:
Automated FEM Description Report
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HyperReport GUI – Example 6/6
Text from solver output file
(only one example is shown but the tool
can extract text from all specified output
files)
• Starting and ending strings

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Automated FEM Description Report
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 The time needed for setting the tool
the first time is comparable with the
time needed to write the document
in a “traditional” way (preparing the
templates, the view files, the
Microsoft world files and properly
setting the chapter tree). The time
saving is achieved with document
updates.
CONCLUSION
 Running time : ~10 minutes for the presented FE model (120000 nodes) to
produce a document with ~70 pages
 Next step: improvements are expected to avoid that Hyperworks, Microsoft
World and Excel are blocked while the HyperReport Application is running

13. Thank you for your attention!
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