Making Realistic Simulation an integral business practice

By Tim Webb

Editor’s note: This commentary was sponsored as part of DE’s Visionary Voices section in the magazine’s15th anniversary issue.

Dassault Systèmes’s CATIA V6  PLM 2.0 suite includes DesignSight,  which uses Abaqus technology to perform realistic simulations.

In 1978, David Hibbitt, a founding member of Hibbitt, Karlsson, and Sorensen, Inc. (HKS), put forward a view that engineers would want to get as close to real-world behavior as possible. While the majority of finite element analyses at the time were performed using a simplified approach, he believed that users of FEA software would need to solve engineering problems in the nonlinear domain. As computing power has become faster and less expensive, his vision has proven accurate, as many engineers in a range of industries are migrating from legacy (linear)  methods to higher-fidelity nonlinear methods, using tools such as Abaqus FEA from SIMULIA.

  During the same time period,  Dassault Systèmes (DS) embarked on a strategy to help companies move from 2D to 3D design, providing digital mockups of complex products and introducing the idea of managing the complete product lifecycle. The DS strategy included the principle that as companies designed, collaborated and communicated in 3D—with the associated intellectual property managed within a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution—they would need to incorporate realistic simulation as a standard and integral business practice.

  The acquisition of ABAQUS,  Inc. (previously HKS) by DS, brought the mutual visions together. Today,  SIMULIA is the DS brand for realistic simulation. Our commitment to strengthening Abaqus as the unified FEA technology with advanced materials and mechanics capabilities is as strong as ever. We are also responsible for developing solutions for multiphysics, process automation, design optimization,  and simulation lifecycle management.

  The Future Today
In terms of future significant changes to simulation in product development, it is important not to dismiss what is possible with today’s technology. Many companies are just beginning to realize the ROI from the people and methods at their disposal. Their successful application of today’s design analysis solutions will drive significant growth in the use of CAE.  

  For customers to truly realize the full business benefits of realistic simulation moving forward, we are providing analysis solutions to designers with the same robust capabilities found in our advanced simulation products.

  DesignSight, our newest product suite and part of the DS V6 PLM 2.0 solution, enables CATIA users to take advantage of proven Abaqus technology to perform realistic simulations as part of their natural design experience. This product suite provides powerful linear and nonlinear simulation capabilities in the design environment in a robust and easily accessible manner. By providing built-in checks and balances,  DesignSight guides users to correctly set up and perform their analyses. DesignSight is fully integrated within the DS V6 PLM 2.0 platform, which enables analysts and designers to easily collaborate through the use of common technology and methods.

  When combined with SIMULIA’s Isight, engineers have access to a suite of visual and flexible tools for creating simulation process flow to automatically explore design alternatives and identify optimal performance parameters. This results in higher quality designs, with lower costs and faster time-to-market, making our customers more competitive in their respective industries. In addition, the DS V6 platform is allowing SIMULIA to provide a robust portfolio of solutions to manage simulation data, processes and applications, as well as collaborate.

  We are very enthusiastic about the future of realistic simulation and feel privileged to be able to interact with so many talented engineers and scientists from all industries. There is so much value the simulation community brings to improve our society and help protect our environment. We are engaged with our customers on a daily basis to make realistic simulation an integral business practice, with the goal of accelerating exploration, discovery, and innovation.

  For more on SIMULIA’s solutions and customer papers, visit the Resource Center at 3ds.com/products/simulia.

Tim Webb is director of Marketing & Communications, SIMULIA.