The simulation models, from ixent, were generated for a boat entered in the 2007 Americas Cup. Wind turbine blades would be another example of complex composites.
Composites are getting more attention as design firms work to remove weight from products. MSC Software Corporation, a developer of multidiscipline simulation software that accelerates product innovation, says that ixent GmbH is using MSC Nastran for the layout and simulation of composite structures.
Lightweight design is a primary objective for engineers at ixent GmbH. Aerospace and automotive industries were the first to take advantage of composite materials, which combine advanced mechanical properties and require both technology and expertise to model and simulate. The benefits of composites are being recognized across industries along with the use of simulation software to help better understand the behaviors and complexities of the materials.
Employees of ixent GmbH are specialists in the area of composites. The company’s engineers use MSC Nastran for fast and numerically correct calculations. The software is well suited for demanding simulations and complex multidiscipline applications.
The numerical analysis and optimization of lightweight structures is a substantial component of the work at ixent GmbH. Their focus is on:
- Concept definition with topology and shape optimization
- Design of composite structures at the component level with optimization of thickness, fiber orientation, fiber characteristics and plies, and
- Detailed optimization on the basis of existing concepts
“We concentrate on the design of function-optimized components where the possibilities of lightweight materials can be fully utilized,” said Thomas Hahn, General Manager of ixent GmbH. “MSC Nastran is a central component of our work. Aside from its reliability and accuracy, many of the programs used by us and our customer offer MSC Nastran interfaces, which facilitate our work significantly.”
GmbH ixent
www.ixent.de
MSC Software
www.mscsoftware.com
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