Epsilon Structural Analysis Ltd - Leading Providers of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Solutions

›› ABOUT

OptiStruct is an award-winning finite-element based technology for conceptual design synthesis and structural optimization. OptiStruct helps engineers and designers rapidly develop lightweight, structurally efficient designs by creating innovative concepts.

By predicting optimal shapes of structures early in the design process using topology optimization methods, OptiStruct facilitates an analysis-driven design process that results in more efficient designs in shorter design cycle times.

As the design process advances, OptiStruct's powerful shape and size optimization capabilities can be applied to further improve design performance. Using highly advanced optimization algorithms, OptiStruct can solve the most complex optimization problems with thousands of design variables in a short period of time.

›› BENEFITS

Reduce Development Time
Through OptiStruct's design synthesis approach, CAE is applied upfront in the product development cycle, thereby driving the design process and enabling a reduction in the number of design iterations

Improve Design Performance
OptiStruct helps to develop structurally sound, lightweight products by applying the most advanced optimization methods to solve the design problem.

Higher Productivity Through HyperWorks Integration
OptiStruct's integrated analysis and optimization approach enables computationally efficient concept design synthesis and design optimization studies. A highly organized and intuitive user-interface greatly simplifies user effort through the optimization process.

Explore More Design Alternatives
OptiStruct's advanced optimization engine allows users to combine topology, topography, size and shape optimization methods to create more alternative design proposals. Manufacturing requirements can also be defined as input to the simulation to create design proposals that are easier to interpret and to manufacture.

Innovative Methods for Efficient Multi-Disciplinary Optimization
OptiStruct's innovative, first-to-market methods allow for efficient and accurate MBD and system level optimization, fatigue-based concept design and optimization, concept design to design detailing of laminate composites and stress-based topology optimization apart from others.

›› CAPABILITIES

Design
OptiStruct's award-winning design-synthesis technology uses the topology optimization approach to generate innovative concept-design proposals. In the initial phase of the development process, the user enters the package space information, design targets and manufacturing process parameters. OptiStruct then generates a manufacturable design proposal that is optimized for the given design targets. The manufacturing process parameters are important in achieving interpretable, feasible designs.
In sheet metal parts, beads are often used to reinforce structures. For given allowable bead dimensions, OptiStruct's topography optimization technology will generate an innovative design proposal for the ideal bead pattern of reinforcement.

Composite Optimization
OptiStruct’s new comprehensive composite design and optimization package streamlines composite structure design work for both the designer and the analyst. This ply-based approach simplifies the interpretation of the concept design results from free-size optimization. OptiStruct also considers manufacturing requirements early in the design process to achieve practical designs and proposes a lay-up sequence that meets these requirements.

Multi-Disciplinary Structural Optimization
Analyzing the performance of structures is only one of the many steps in the product development process. Based on the analysis results, product engineers make part modification proposals in order to meet stress, weight or stiffness requirements. OptiStruct's seamless integration of state-of the-art, gradient-based optimization methods make multi-disciplinary size and shape optimization easy.

Size optimization defines ideal component parameters, such as material values, cross-section dimensions and thicknesses. Shape optimization is applied on existing product components. OptiStruct’s free-shape optimization can be used to reduce
high-stress concentrations. OptiStruct can also use HyperMesh's morphing technology to update finite element meshes during optimization. As a result, OptiStruct can easily propose design modifications without a need for underlying CAD data and with minimum user interaction. Within the OptiStruct environment, optimization parameters can be defined with only a few mouse clicks.

OptiStruct can use responses from many different disciplines in the optimization process such as static, buckling, frequency response, random response, thermo-mechanical, heat transfer, acoustic analysis. In addition to these, OptiStruct has innovative methods for system level optimization and fatigue optimization.

System Level Design Optimization
Equivalent Static Load Method (ESLM) is an innovative method implemented for simultaneous optimization of both flexible bodies and rigid bodies. This first in-industry, innovative method, allows for the optimization of system level multi-body dynamic models. Additionally ESLM can be applied to concept design synthesis and design fine-tuning.

Fatigue-Based Concept Design and Optimization
OptiStruct’s fatigue optimization capabilities allow concept design synthesis (topology, topography, free-size) and design fine-tuning (size, shape, free-shape) based on fatigue performance. Damage and life from either stress-life or strain-life fatigue analysis can be used as design criteria. This capability allows concept design using fatigue responses and is computationally efficient compared to fatigue-based optimization using third party applications.

Easy Model Set-up, Post-Processing, Automation
OptiStruct is tightly integrated into the HyperWorks environment enabling fast and easy model set-up in HyperMesh. Animations, contour plots and charts can be generated using the post-processing tools in HyperView. Moreover, jobs can be easily automated by using the powerful automation and data management layer available in HyperWorks.

›› NEW FEATURES

Fatigue-Based Concept Design and Optimization

Concept design synthesis and design fine-tuning can be carried out based on fatigue performance.
Damage and life from either stress-life or strain-life fatigue analysis can be used as design criterion.
Computationally efficient compared to fatigue-based optimization using 3rd party applications.

System Level Design Optimization

Innovative method that enables optimization of both flexible bodies and rigid bodies
First in the market to do system level concept design and optimization
Allows free-size, topography, size, free-shape, shape and material design variables in the optimization study

Acoustic Response Optimization

Acoustic pressure can be used a design criteria in optimizing vehicle NVH characteristics

Thermo-Mechanical Optimization

Temperatures from heat transfer analysis and structural responses can be used to optimize a coupled thermo-mechanical system.

Random Response Concept Design and Optimization

Responses to non-deterministic, probabilistic loading in the form of PSD or RMS values can be used as design criteria.

System Identification

Enables matching of a set of design responses to a corresponding set of defined target values

Contact

Surface-to-surface input allows easier modeling than CGAP elements
FREEZE option allows modeling of tied interfaces for static, normal models, and other linear analysis types

Solver Performance

SPMD version for multiple static, linear buckling, direct frequency response load cases
Iterative solver for static solution