Structural finite element simulations of components and assemblies.
Simulation is a powerful tool for assessing the suitability of specific concepts or design variants at an early stage of the product development process. The overall behaviour of a component (or assembly) can be analysed using simulation: structural, thermal, fluid mechanical, electromechanical, chemical, or any coupling of these fields. However, the goal is never to model every detail of component behaviour with the highest possible level of realism. Instead, the focus is on obtaining sufficiently accurate results for the intended application in the most efficient way.
Finite element simulations (FE analyses, computational structural mechanics – CSM) are at the core of our work, complemented by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In the field of FE simulation, we address not only linear structural and/or thermal analyses, but also nonlinear problems. Such nonlinearities occur, for example, in elastoplastic or viscoelastic material behaviour, large deformations, multiphysics coupling (thermo-electro-mechanical behaviour, etc.), or when considering damage mechanisms and fracture behaviour.
However, simulation alone does not yet create value. Only when a simulation is validated – i.e. when its results have been successfully compared with experimental measurements – does it provide the required added value. Therefore, simulation is very closely linked to experimental work. A major advantage of the Institute of Product and Production Engineering is its extensive experimental infrastructure for mechanical component testing and material analysis. For example, fracture loads, natural frequencies, or force–displacement profiles of forming processes can be measured within a short time and used to validate FE results.
At the Institute of Product and Production Engineering, the primary FE software tools used are NX Nastran, ADINA, ABAQUS, and ANSYS.