In an optimization driven design process, going from a conceptual optimization result to a CAD geometry can be a tedious and time consuming activity. Learn how to take advantage of the unique freedom from PolyNURBS technology to unleash your creativity and create CAD concepts in an intuitive, easy and fast way.

1. 2015 European Altair Technology Conference
September 29 to October 1 | Paris
Technical Seminar
Reengineering of Topology
Optimization
Alejandro Cervantes – cervantes@altair.de
Join, Contribute, Exchange
See full agenda at www.altairatc.com/europe

2. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• How to be more competitive using high-end technology?
• New manufacturing processes, like ALM, allows high level of design
freedom, which could lead to:
• Cost savings
• Weight savings
• Performance increase
Innovation
Cost
PerformanceWeight
Source: http://www.lzn-hamburg.de/technologien/weitere-
qualifikationen/konstruktion/bionische-gestaltung.html

3. Simulation/CAE-driven Innovation
vs.
Virtual Product Development

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Simulation Leading Design
CAD
CAD
CAE CAE
CAD
Defeaturing
Modeling Results
Too late!
Traditional Approach
Time
Design Performance
Maturity
Details
CAD
CAD CAE
CAE
CAD
CAE-Driven Design
Time
Design Performance
Maturity
Details
CAE
Previous Design
CAE

5. Optimization Technology

6. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Optimization Driven Design process uses a CAE based conceptual
optimization (e.g. topology optimization) to define the best structural
concept upfront (first time right).
• Combined with manufacturing freedom of ALM can dramatically:
• Reduce cost
• Increase performance
• Reduce weight
Optimization Driven Design
Source: http://www.airbusgroup.com/

7. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Classical design
• Optimization Driven Design
Design processes
Concept Design
Stress
Analysis
Detailed Sizing
Detailed
Design
PDM/DMU Stress certification Manufacturing
Topology freeze Concept freeze Design freeze
FEM/STRESS CAD/DESIGNERCAD/DESIGNER
Product
Development
Design Stress Optimization
STRESS/OPTIMIZATION
Model
preparation
Conceptual
Optimization
Concept
Interpretation
Concept
Design
Detailed
Optimization
Detailed
Design
PDM/DMU Stress
certification
Manufacturing
Topology freezeConcept freeze Design freeze
CAD CADCAD/OPTIMIZATION OPTIMIZATION STRESS/OPTIMIZATIONCAD/OPTIMIZATION

8. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Separation of tools and expertise cause discontinuity of the workflow in
the engineering process.
• Complexity and limitations of tools.
• Subtractive parametric CAD modeling limit the speed of generation and
modification of concepts.
• Design, stress and optimization tools requires an expert on each area to be used
properly.
Optimization Driven Design Today

9. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• To integrate 3 disciplines (Design, stress and optimization) in a non-
expert, yet robust tool
• State-of-Art Optimization platform (Powered by OptiStruct Optimization).
• State-of-Art Stress platform (Powered by OptiStruct Analysis).
• State-of-Art Design platform (Powered by PolyNURBS).
• Focus
• Ease of use.
• Seamless integration of CAD-CAE.
• Speed.
Solution

10. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Aircraft bracket
• Material Aluminum 7075
• 8 fasteners
• 4 load cases
• Current mass: 0.34926 kg
• Max displacement 2.069 mm
• Buckling factor 1.11
Aerospace bracket

11. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Topology optimization provides initial concept ideas
• No one-click solution
• Input required to create optimal designs
• Experience
• Engineering criteria
Design Optimization

12. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
Design Optimization
Generate design
variants
• Multiple
optimization
results
Understand
structural behavior
• Abstraction
of structural
principles
Selection winning
design
• Discard
designs
Realize winner
into geometry
• Apply
engineering
principles to
create
geometry

13. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Define different optimization settings
• Minimize mass
• Maximize stiffness
• Volume fraction 10%, 15%, 20%....
• Stress constraint
• Displacement constraint
• Manufacturing constraints
• Submit jobs
• Local
• HPC environment
Generating design variants

14. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Generating variants
Demo 1

15. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Abstract function of the obtained structure.
Understand the function of the design
• Main load path
• Shear members
• Compression/Tension members

16. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Compare performance parameters of several designs
• Stiffness
• Mass
• Stress
• Etc…
• Support with raw numbers your idea
Selection of winning idea

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• Understanding structure and Down selection
Demo 2

18. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Create a virtual representation (geometry) of the selected design.
• Different methods
• 3D parametric modeling
• Direct modeling
• Mesh
• NURBS
• Hybrid
Realizing designs
"CAD Modeling" by Nicola L.K. - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CAD_Modeling.gif#/media/File:CAD_Modeling.gif
"Freeform1". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freeform1.gif#/media/File:Freeform1.gif

19. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Which method suits best?
Realizing a design
Method History tree
(parametric)
Speed/ease
of use
PLM
compatible
Organic
modeling
3D parametric
   
Direct Mesh
   
Direct NURBS
   
Hybrid
K K  

20. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• PolyNURBS is a type of 3D Direct NURBS geometry that can be
generated and modified directly by managing a polygon bounding box
that has 3 different control entities: Points, Edges and Faces.
• Allows easy generation of organic geometries
• Surface continuity (G2 continuity).
PolyNURBS Technology

21. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Creating PolyNURBS
Demo

22. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• PolyNURBS allows quick modifications to test new ideas
• Allows user to learn from experience
• Manual fine tuning optimization effortless
Improving design
Critical area
Test idea
Low stress structure.
Where to remove further
weight?

23. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Detailed shape
Demo

24. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
Final result
Design Baseline ALM
Mass (kg) 0.349 0.219 (38%)
Max Displacement
(mm)
2.069 0.91 (57%)
Min Buckling 1.11 3.34 (300%)

25. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Optimization driven design is a feasible reality
• Inspire reduces drastically time from concept to a final design
• Simplified processes of design, stress and optimization
• Reduce non added value work
• Reduce repetition of tasks
• Creating topology optimized designs is a time consuming task.
• Traditional tools:
• Require expert users
• Modifications downstream are expensive
• PolyNURBS offers speed, freedom, flexibility and ease of use.
• Perfect tool for organic optimized design
• ALM
• Also for other manufacturing methods
Conclusion

26. Copyright © 2015 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.
• Thank you
Questions?