Allows CAD users to refine their designs using simulation before they are passed to FEA analyst who conduct more rigorous FEA simulations on the already highly refined design.
Why use FEA?
At some stage in a product's development cycle it will be physically tested. If the product fails during physical testing it has to be redesigned and retested, usually at great expense. This costly development cycle is still used by some companies.
- FEA allows for virtual testing of a product before it is built
- it is less costly to redesign a product at this early phase of its product development cycle
- variations on a design can be tested extensively before committing to the final stage or to the prototype stage.
- FEA can also be used to determine why a part failed
- What does Design Space do?
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Design Space is the entry level product of the ANSYS family of products for FEA.
It is possible to use existing CAD model data, turn it into an FEA model and subject it to a series of virtual tests, similar to those tests that would be undertaken during physical testing on a real part or assembly.
It is capable of solving linear structural and thermal FEA models of single parts or assemblies of parts subjected to static loads, or loads that change slowly.
Stresses and deflections under those loads can be visualised to an extent not possible with physical testing.
If there is too much deflection or if stresses are excessive on some parts of the model, informed decisions can be made on where to add or remove material to improve the design.
Design space can be used to analyse and improve products like brake callipers, suspension control arms.
- Use early in the design phase
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Easy enough to be used early in the design phase by CAD designers
One customer, a tier 1 automotive supplier, has several Design Space licenses which are used by their CAD designers. There are 20 CAD users and 3 Analysts. The CAD designers don't need a deep theoretical understanding of the mathematics used behind the scenes; this is the domain of the analysts. The CAD designers only need to know if their results make sense and that they are applying their loads correctly.
They were very pleased with the ability to mesh complicated parts without much need for making changes to geometry.
This allows the CAD users to refine their designs before they are passed to FEA analyst who conducts more rigorous FEA simulations on an already highly refined design.
This improves overall productivity by freeing up analyst who used to do much of the design refinement with assistance of CAD designer. The analyst now has more time to conduct the more rigorous FEA simulations that lead to a final design of the component.
- Cost Savings
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The cost savings are calculated based on how many grams are shaved off a component. As the component is mass produced, tiny savings here and there as the customer described it, lead to significant cost savings in the long run.