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The Autodesk Solution for DigitalPrototyping: Deliver Better ProductsFaster with Simulation

AUTODESK

WHITE PAPER

Gaining Insight with SimulationEvery physical prototype you produce can cost thousands or even millions of pounds. Physicalprototypes can cost even more in time, with building and testing of prototypes consuming valuableresources and slowing time to market. The market demands innovation and quality, so its critical thatyou understand and improve product performance. That can often mean several rounds of physicalprototypes, but the pressure to cut costs and accelerate product development cycles makes excessive

reliance on physical prototypes impractical.In response to competitive pressures, many manufacturers have decreased their reliance on physicalprototypes by using a viable alternative: Digital Prototyping. Digital Prototyping enables you to design,visualise and simulate a complete product. Simulation is a critical part of a Digital Prototyping work ow,giving you the understanding typically associated with time-consuming and expensive physical testing.

With simulation technology, you gain deeper insight into how a product will perform in the real worldbefore you build it. Simulation helps you to understand the implications of design choices as you makethem. Its easier to investigate product behaviour, test innovative concepts and optimise designs fromthe earliest stages of the design process. You can even explore design alternatives such as the impactof di erent materials on overall product weight, strength and cost.

Simulation allows you to do three key things: validate, predict and optimise. Using a virtual testingenvironment, simulation helps you to:

Validate designs as you design them. The e ects of material choices and part interactions revealthemselves early in the design process, making it easier to improve designs and avoid costly mistakes.

Predict how a product will perform in a variety of real-world scenarios. Run virtual performance teststhat deliver comprehensive insight into how products will respond with ordinary and extreme use.Use this insight to help ensure that the product will perform as needed and to reduce the risk of failure.

Optimise designs to lower production costs without compromising safety or performance.Prevent expensive over-engineering and reduce the use of raw materials.

The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping provides a wide range of simulation capabilities thatcan expand along with your simulation needs, enabling you to study your products earlier, more oftenand in greater detail.

This paper introduces the integrated and powerful simulation capabilities within the Autodesk solution

for Digital Prototyping, highlighting how you can use digital prototypes to gain insight into criticalproduct characteristics, which will help to reduce costs and save time throughout your design andmanufacturing processes.


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AUTODESK WHITE PAPER

Validate, Predict and Optimise with Autodesk Simulation SoftwareThe Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping supports the entire product development work ow,enhancing and accelerating virtually every aspect of the design process. Digital Prototyping helps youto experience a product before its built.

The tightly integrated simulation tools within Autodesk Inventor software help you to design fasterand smarter. Autodesk Algor Simulation software expands your simulation toolkit with comprehensivemechanical simulation tools that make it easy to predict product performance and to troubleshoot

design aws. Autodesk

Mold ow

products bring a similar level of insight to plastic part and injectionmould designs.

Embed simulation in your design process with Autodesk Inventor softwareAs you design and visualise products in Autodesk Inventor software, embedded simulation tools allowyou to validate, predict and optimise product performance as you work. The tools within Inventor putthe most commonly used simulation capabilities at your ngertips, so you can use them when theyprovide the most bene t.

The simulation capabilities in Autodesk Inventor software include:

Dynamic simulation: Study motion and related structural stress within Autodesk Inventor software.The motion simulation features in Inventor use the assembly constraints of your 3D model to identifyrigid bodies, generate joints and predict dynamic behaviour. As you explore how a design moves, yougain a better understanding of the position, velocity and acceleration of its parts. Use this insight toimprove assembly movement and avoid mechanical performance issues such as part interference.

Linear static stress and modal analysis: Predict stress and de ection with easy-to-use simulationtools. By examining deformation of parts and assemblies under static loads, you can help to make surethat your designs are safe. Study oscillating modes to explore the natural frequencies of your design.Then, apply this insight to your digital prototype to help prevent unwanted vibrations.

Parametric design optimisation: Create parametric studies to understand the impact of di erentdesign parameters and the e ect of changes to your designs. As you evaluate and validate designalternatives, you focus more quickly on optimal design con gurations and resolve potential issuesearlier in the design process.

Injection moulding simulation: Automate key aspects of the design of injection moulds for plasticparts. Guiding you through the mould design process, Autodesk Inventor software helps you todetermine material ow rates, select gate locations, assess shrinkage and establish process parameters.You save time and reduce costs by detecting and resolving manufacturability issues earlier.

When manufacturers turn to the simulation capabilities of Autodesk Inventor software, they save timeand money while enhancing product quality. For example, Viking Yacht Company (Viking), a leadingproducer of high-performance sport and cruising yachts, has successfully incorporated the simulationcapabilities of Autodesk Inventor into its Digital Prototyping work ow to deliver better products faster.According to Kurt Bender of Viking, Now that were using Inventor to simulate real-world conditions,we dont need full-scale physical prototypes. Its saving us substantial time and money on eachboat design.


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Extend your simulation capabilities with Autodesk Algor Simulation softwareAutodesk Algor Simulation software allows you to predict product performance accurately with acomprehensive set of mechanical simulation tools. Autodesk Algor Simulation software integrates withAutodesk Inventor software, making it easy to incorporate detailed performance insight into your designprocess. Autodesk Algor Simulation provides direct data exchange with most CAD software so you canalso bene t from a more informed design process in a multi-CAD software environment.

Autodesk Algor Simulation software goes beyond the capabilities of mainstream simulation tools,allowing you to further minimise reliance on physical prototypes, even for your most complex products.Increase e ciency, reduce costs and decrease the risk of errors with a deeper understanding of yourdesigns by using a wide range of simulation tools, including:

Fatigue: Perform complex fatigue analysis and predict fatigue-based failure. You can design fordurability and safety more easily by subjecting a product to cyclic stresses and determining theproducts expected design life.

Linear and non-linear static stress and dynamics: Study stress, strain, displacement, shear andaxial forces for a wide range of materials. As you enhance designs to reduce deformation and stress,make decisions that improve structural integrity while avoiding over- and under-engineering.

Mechanical event simulation (MES): Simulate complex, real-world situations using multi-bodydynamics along with support for large-scale motion, large deformation and large strain with body-to-body contact. As you study motion and impact, explore options for improving overall productperformance.

Computational uid dynamics (CFD): Investigate thermal characteristics of designs and betterunderstand the ow of uids. Heat transfer simulation allows you to study changes in temperature.Fluid ow simulation helps you to determine ow patterns, velocity and pressure as well as the e ectof uids on your product.

Electrostatics: Understand the impact of voltage, current and electric elds on product performance.

Multiphysics: Study how multiple physical factors act simultaneously by combining results frommultiple simulations to better predict a products real-world performance.

Manufacturers who apply the comprehensive mechanical simulation capabilities of Autodesk AlgorSimulation software are dramatically reducing time spent on product testing and validation. TuckerSno-Cat Corporation, a leading manufacturer of snow vehicles, reduced product development timefrom two years to six months and slashed design validation costs by nearly 60 percent by usingAutodesk Inventor combined with Autodesk Algor Simulation software.


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Enhance plastic part designs with Autodesk Mold ow softwareAutodesk Mold ow injection moulding simulation software provides tools that help you to optimisethe design of plastic parts, injection moulds and the injection moulding process. Autodesk Mold owsoftware works seamlessly with Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Algor Simulation software, so you canbetter understand the design and structural performance of plastic parts. Autodesk Mold ow softwarealso supports a wide range of CAD data, allowing you to incorporate plastic injection mouldingsimulation into a multi-CAD software environment.

Autodesk Mold ow software enables you to simulate:

Plastic ow: Model the ow of melted plastic to identify potential part defects such as air traps,sink marks and weld lines. Rework designs to avoid manufacturing problems and optimise the injectionmoulding process.

Feed systems: Explore how runner systems and gate locations impact on part quality.Optimise runner and gating con gurations to improve plastic parts and manufacturing processes.

Mould cooling: Model cooling system components including circuits, ba es and bubblers.Optimise systems to improve cooling e ciency, reduce part warpage and decreasemanufacturing costs.

Thermoset ow: Study thermoset injection moulding, resin transfer moulding, RIM/SRIM andrubber compound injection moulding to understand thermoset ow. Optimise the process to avoidmanufacturing problems including short shots, air traps and poorly placed weld lines.

Shrinkage and warpage: Predict part shrinkage and warpage based on processing parameters andmaterial data. Explore ways to optimise part and mould designs, material choices and processingparameters in order to meet necessary tolerances.

With Autodesk Mold ow software, manufacturers study a wide range of injection moulding processesvirtually, honing in on processes and parameters that deliver desired cycle times and part quality.Pentair Water Pool and Spa (Pentair), a pool and spa equipment manufacturer, chose AutodeskMold ow software to optimise its mould design process. Since turning to Autodesk Mold ow software,Pentair has reduced material use and cycle times, resulting in signi cant annual cost savings.

ConclusionBy bringing the simulation capabilities within the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping into yourdesign work ow, you reduce reliance on physical prototypes. This allows you to cut costs and get betterproducts to market faster. But most importantly, simulation allows you to validate, predict and optimisethe performance of products as you design them. You design greater innovation and superiorperformance into products more quickly, so your products stand out in a competitive marketplace.

Autodesk, Algor, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor and Mold ow are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or a liates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarksbelong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services o erings and speci cationsand pricing at any time without notice and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in thisdocument.

2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Autodesk Ltd. Meadow Gate Avenue

Farnborough Business ParkFarnboroughHampshire GU 4 FGUnited Kingdom

www.autodesk.co.uk

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