Minimized Material Usage through Numerical Structure Optimization
Customer: coffee machine manufacturer
Efficient use of materials brings both ecological and economic benefits in the manufacture of mass-market products. Optimized structure design improves properties such as rigidity and weight. At the same time, it reduces the amount of material used, so unnecessary damage to the environment is avoided. The energy consumed in the manufacturing process and in transportation is also reduced.
Incorporating the finite element (FE) simulation into projects at an early stage shortens development times. So-called topology optimization ensures that optimized concepts based on FE models are developed right from the start. Validation is provided quickly – sometimes even before the construction is finished. Change loops between trial, construction, and calculation later on are reduced or completely eliminated.
Structure optimization procedure:
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The input for topology optimization comprises the available dimensions and the key working loads.
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The optimization targets and constraints are then defined.
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The optimizer calculates the best structure from these parameters.
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Finally, the simulation results are used as the basis for the definitive construction.
