The application of FEM-Analysis becomes more and more important in industrial CAE-product development. To support econimical requirements, specialised software packages have to be developed, which will satisfy the benefits of CAE-engineering in regard to short development and production periods.
A special appplication in FEM-Analysis, called Structural Optimization, will be an importnat subject in the future. With the aid of structural optimization, the cae-engineer is able to find the best analysis structure concerning optimal structural responses.
In order to support such special cae-problems as
    • Short product development periods
    • Optimal products
    • Simple and efficient application of structural optimization methods
    comes the software package FEOptim.
    The main purpose of this program is to givethe cae-engineer a powerful tool for creating design models in a simple and efficient manner. The program includes the following optimization related basic features.
    • Simple graphic interface
    • Powerful 3D-display visualizing analysis-/design model
    • Extremely fast inut/output data interfaces to major CAE-programs (MSC/NASTRAN, SDRC/I-DEAS, etc.)
    • Fast and efficient handling of large scaled FE-models
    • Visualizing of pre-/postprocessing data concerning structural optimization
    • Creation of design-models concerning MSC/NASTRAN statement terminology
    • Updating of analysis structure with optimized parameters
      FEOptim - preprocessing phase of design optimization Get on top
    FEOptim ofers the CAE-engineer an efficient interafce between FE-Analysis and optimization of FE-structures. The program has the capability to visualize the FE-model in a dynamic 3D-graphics display and to overlay the structure with analysis results (e.g. stresses, displacements). Based on this information, the engineer can interactively create a design model for MSC/NASTRAN, which includes
    • Design variables (lower/upper limit)
    • Design constraints (lower/upper limit), based on
      • Design variable
      • Structure property
      • Structure response
      • Synthetic response
    • Design Target Function (min/max Optimium)
    This design model created by FEOptim will be output completely in MSC/NASTRAN format (BULK DECK - Design Model). In combination with the analysis model, the user is able to generate an FEM-analysis/optimization job (MSC/NASTRAN - SOL 200) for large scaled FE-models (> 100 000 DOFs) with less effort and without errors.
    After finishing the analysis/optimization job (MSC/NASTRAN - SOL 200), the user has the problem to control th elarge amount of data (optimization history/result data), which the job will produce. FEOptim reads and stores data in an object related database and is managingthe data interactively by a graphical display user interface.
    To control and evaluate the data FEOptm is able to visualize selected optimization parameters as list charts, bar/column charts and graph charts. To reduce th elarge amount of data in an efficient way, FEOptim offers several criterias (e.g. max. component weight, max. shell thickness)
      FEOptim - Product characteristics Get on top
      External Data Interfaces
    • SDRC/IDEAS (Universal File)
    • MSC/NASTRAN (OP2, XDB, Punch, Bulk, F06)
    • CSA/NASTRAN (OP2, Punch, Bulk, F06)
      User Interfaces
    • OSF/Motif 1.2 GUI
    • On-line context buttons
    • Control tool panels
    • 3D - graphics
      Hardware platforms
    • SGI (IRIX) - OpenGL
    • HP (HP-UX) - PHIX library
    • IBM (AIX) - OpenGL
    • All Unix-systems with OSF/MOTIF
    • Operating system - Unix
    • Disk memory: 20-30 MB
    • Other platforms upon enquiry
      Target industries
    • Automotive
    • Aerospace
    • Ship building
    • Railway
    • Machinery
      Preprocessing optimization
    • Design model (MSC/NASTRAN Bulk Data)
    • Implementation of basic FEA-results as designmodel constraints (displacement, eigenvalue, frequency response, acoustic, stresses
    • Linking of design variables
    • Creation of equations concerning
      • Physical properties
      • Static responses
      • Dynamic responses
      • Acoustic responses
      • Frequency responses
    • Synthetic response (DRESP2)
    • Creation of various target functions (Beta-method inclusive)
    • Library crossections
      Postprocessing optimization
    • Optimization history and results (MSC/NASTRAN Punch-, F06-, XDB-File)
    • Evaluation of optimization history concerning efficient design variables, properties and responses dynamic linking of design variables to model parameters (weight, volume, shell, thickness, beam properties, etc.)
    • Analytical Model Update with optimized parameters
    • Visualization of output lists, graphs and bar charts
    • Coloured 3D geometric description
    • Contour plots
    • Animation
    • Weight analysis
      Sensitivity Analysis to design variables
    • Static responses (displacements, stresses, forces)
    • Dynamic resonses (eigenvalue)
    • Frequency response (frequency spectrum)
    • Transient response (time spectrum) - disp, velo, acc, stress, force