Best New Technology in Simulation-Driven Design

The latest release of Altair’s HyperWorks open architecture CAE simulation platform includes several new products, feature enhancements, updated functionalities, and licensing methods to help users:

• Get to the right design: Expanded optimization and nonlinear solver capabilities.
• Save time in the process: Accelerated meshing, assembly, and graphics.
• Access the latest technologies: New tools added, and new products in the Altair Partner Alliance.

Key highlights offered by the release:

• OptiStruct’s capabilities have been elevated to include more nonlinear analyses, new contact and optimization algorithms, and numerous improvements in solution speed. A breakthrough solution for the design and optimization of lattice structures has been developed to support additive manufacturing.

“With OptiStruct 14.0, it is now possible to run larger, full vehicle NVH models for more accuracy without the errors generated by our existing NVH solver on the same computer," says Tae-Won Park of SsangYong Motors

• HyperMesh has a new part and assembly workflow which promotes flow of data directly from Product Data Management (PDM) data structures. Combined with the new high-velocity graphics engine tuned to handle even the largest models, HyperMesh 14.0’s performance is up to 15x faster for large FE models with solid elements and up to 60x faster for geometry models, while using less hardware memory.

“The new HW 14.0 graphics engine is nothing short of amazing. We can achieve much better performance even with low-end graphics cards,” says Patrick Bandeira of Prodrive Aston Martin Racing.

“With this release of HyperWorks we’ve introduced parts and assemblies in HyperMesh that directly correspond to those in the CAD and PDM world,” said James P. Dagg, Chief Technical Officer, User Experience at Altair. “The new assemblies are extremely flexible, allowing for modular modeling where entire subsystems can be replaced or updated automatically, keeping your CAE model synchronized with design." 

• Multiscale Designer, a practical tool for the seamless integration of modeling, simulation, testing and optimization of engineered products using complex materials, is now part of the HyperWorks suite.

• FEKO, the best-in-class software for electromagnetic simulation related to antenna design and placement, electromagnetic compatibility, radar cross-section, and other applications is now fully merged into HyperWorks with added features to reduce modeling and computation time. An integration with HyperStudy has been added for advanced optimization.

• MotionSolve now provides an improved 3D rigid-to-rigid contact and advanced co-simulation capabilities, and the automotive multi-body simulation library has been expanded for full vehicle simulations.

• HyperWorks Unlimited Solver Node is an alternate solver licensing scheme offering unprecedented enterprise-scale value.

• Click2Cast offers the easiest casting process simulation on the market, requiring neither special training nor an extensive technical user background. It is a very effective and powerful design tool, and provides high value at the critical intersection of manufacturing and product design.

• The Altair Partner Alliance (APA) continues its portfolio expansion of third-party technology with applications from over 45 strategic partners, directly accessible using HyperWorks Units in domains including: durability and fatigue, noise-vibration-harshness, 1D systems simulation, injection molding simulation, composite modeling, stress analysis, material libraries, thermal analysis, and rapid prototyping.