Fibersim software version 2012 reduces risk throughout the wind energy, aerospace, and automotive industries by optimizing design and manufacture of innovative, durable, and lightweight composite structures. The software, developed by Vistagy, was acquired by Siemens on December, 2011. Fibersim 2012 reduces uncertainty in the performance of composite parts by defining, communicating, and validating required fiber orientations throughout a product’s development, ensuring it meets specifications. By eliminating design interpretation errors, the new release reduces the risk of producing over-engineered parts that behave unpredictably, or are heavier and more costly than necessary.

The software assist with support for conceptual designs, defining detailed laminates, simulating ply layup and generating manufacturing data feeds to verifying quality. Fibersim works with industry-leading, 3D commercial CAD systems. A few benefits of Fibersim 2012 include:

• ·         Increased confidence in the way manufactured composite parts perform by providing a new Spine-Based Rosette. It allows defining fiber orientations along a path that can be validated throughout a development cycle. Maintaining fiber orientations in manufactured parts—whether an airframe stringer, an automotive C frame, or a 60-m wind turbine blade.
• ·         In 2010, the software introduces advanced material and process simulations for multilayered materials, including non-crimp fabric and ply forming simulations. Fibersim 2012 builds on these capabilities to simulate a greater number of materials and manufacturing processes used with the first-ever Spine-Based Simulation for parts produced using steered-fiber methods. Steering fibers along the path of a wind-turbine-blade mold will cause localized buckling and deformation. Identifying these issues early in the design cycle allows making decisions to ensure expected part strength in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• ·         The recent version allows the exchange of Multi-axial Material and Core data for the communication of two critical design components between analysts and designers. Accurate analysis of part stiffness and strength necessitates the inclusion of multi-axial and core materials commonplace in aerospace, automotive, and wind energy designs.

• The software simplifies composite development with intuitive tools for design and documentation for engineers with different levels of composites experience. The most challenging and time-consuming design task is capturing drop-off specifications for regions of varying thickness. Fibersim 2012 introduces Stagger Editor, a visual drag-and-drop method for capturing those specifications. Large panels, such as wings, have a significant number of different drop-off profiles. The Stagger Editor makes it easy to develop the profiles and reduce design errors.

Siemens PLM Software
www.siemens.com/plm.

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