How FEM and CFD simulations accelerate development processes, reduce costs and ensure quality – insights from the field.
Product development today is under enormous pressure: shorter development cycles, increasing demands on quality and safety as well as new rules for acceptance criteria are putting companies under pressure. The answer? More and more are turning to simulation-based processes – above all FEM simulation (finite element method) and CFD simulation (computational fluid dynamics).
Dr. Frank Brehmer and Dr. Yannick Lattner from itb Ingenieurgesellschaft für technische Berechnungen mbH showed what this looks like in practice. Their conclusion: simulations shorten development times, reduce production costs and help to reliably comply with standards.
Dr. Brehmer began by classifying the topic: “Simulation is a growth market. According to the RAPIDO research project, 79 percent of the companies surveyed already use simulation processes in early development phases – above all structural-mechanical calculations and strength analyses. At the same time, the CFD software market has grown significantly over the last ten years, as flow simulations are now an integral part of many digitalization strategies.
Dr. Lattner then gave a practical insight into FEM and CFD simulations. The basic idea behind FEM is that a complex component is broken down into many small elements in order to virtually test and optimize mechanical or thermal properties – long before a physical prototype is created. This allows weak points to be identified at an early stage and development processes to be accelerated. As an example, Lattner showed the calculation of the structural load of a load-bearing device. Typical FEM applications in mechanical and plant engineering include
- Static structural analyses: loading of machine frames, racks, tool holders
- Vibration analyses: natural frequencies, resonances in drives or conveyor systems
- Thermomechanics: Temperature-related deformations in machine tools or heating systems
- Topology optimization: material savings with the same rigidity
CFD simulations, on the other hand, calculate speed, pressure and temperature in flow fields. Lattner demonstrated this using the thermal analysis of an actively cooled graphics card. Further CFD applications: Pipe flows including particle emissions, heat exchangers and pressure loss calculations.
How does a typical project at itb work? From kick-off and clarification of objectives, through quotation and order, to creation of the simulation model, execution of the simulation, quality control, evaluation and discussion of results.
The speakers also shed light on the question: simulate internally or externally? According to RAPIDO, the main arguments in favor of external solutions are a lack of capacity, expertise and the complexity of the tasks – rather than the cost of the tools. And: New regulations require special software add-ons, to which the market is already responding.
In the concluding exchange of experiences, it became clear that simulation is not a “nice-to-have”, but a decisive factor – especially in times when shorter development cycles and cost reductions are decisive for competitiveness.
Organizer
The event was organized by ProduktionNRW. ProduktionNRW is the cluster for mechanical engineering and production technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks with each other and along the value chain. Significant parts of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.