Category Archives: Industry

Software Tools for the Development of Embedded Code

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In today’s ultra-competitive environment, product differentiation increasingly depends on embedded software. From automobiles to airplanes to medical devices, systems architecture and embedded software are important parts of product development cycles. Being able to manage these processes effectively so that you get the desired results is becoming a differentiator.

Today, the cars that we drive have more that 10 million lines of code! Can you imagine the hours it takes to come up with the definitions of what the car should do and how it should do it — let alone implement all this correctly through software code? It’s a time-consuming process, and getting it right the first time is challenging. We’ve all seen examples of what happens when the code isn’t correct. Incorrect code can cost companies millions of dollars, and more importantly, it erodes customers’ trust in that brand.

By using model-based, production-proven software tools for the development of embedded code, products can be developed in a faster and safer manner. And, when coupled with a certified automatic code generator, compliance for standards like DO-178B/C in aerospace, ISO 26262 in automotive and EN 50128 in rail is more rapidly achieved. Continue reading →

This Week’s Top 5 Engineering Technology News Articles

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Happy Friday, folks! This week’s breakdown of interesting engineering technology news articles includes a sound camera that can pinpoint the trouble spot under the hood of your car and a 15 year old who wants to be the first astronaut on Mars.

Enjoy!

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Gateway to STEM Education

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What do iPhones and 3-D printers, drones and self-driving cars, cloud computing and composites airliners all have in common? They are all man made, made by minds and hands, made by those with expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Referred to as STEM, it is the foundation for a U.S. education initiative. Yet we seem to learn daily about the coming shortage of engineers and scientists.

From corporate boardrooms and the halls of ivory towers to humble classrooms at high schools with a few dozen students, leaders in technology and education are looking for answers to the same question. How can we improve education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics?

National Robotics WeekNational Robotics Week provided us with a unique opportunity to answer this question. Development of robots is a challenging field that combines many engineering disciplines. Most robotics endeavors require knowledge of at least electrical, mechanical and software engineering. When students are exposed to robotics, they gain invaluable broad-based experience in these and other STEM fields. Continue reading →

Design of Solid Composites Made Simple

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As you’ve learned from a recent blog by Joe Manich, the acquisition of EVEN AG by ANSYS has added some layers to ANSYS Mechanical. The design of composites is a very exciting and challenging topic, and our new colleagues will definitely help us to further enhance our solutions.

I started hearing about composites many years ago during my engineering studies. At that time, my understanding of composites was not really deep. The applications I saw were mostly for thin structures, such as ship hulls and aerospace components. Now that I’m more involved with composites, I realize how vast the subject is. I’m seeing more complex structures being made out of composites, such as fan blades, tanks and pipe components. These are all but thin structures, and their simulation requires more than just mere definition of plies on a given surface. With thicker parts comes the need for looking at stresses in the direction of the thickness as well as out of the plane shear stresses that
thin models cannot accurately capture. Continue reading →

The Physics of Split-Second Events: Explicit Dynamics

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What happens when a bird runs into a plane while the plane is soaring through the air? How do you identify exactly what happened in that split second? And since every action has a reaction, how do you determine if the plane is designed to survive a bird strike? Understanding the physics of split-second events: This is the arena of explicit dynamics analysis.

Now consider split-second impacts in golf. United States Golf Association specifications regulate the speed limit with which a golf ball leaves the face of a driver. Using a standard of approximately 109 mph clubhead speed, approved golf balls leave the face of the driver at about 180 mph on average. If you’re charged with designing balls and clubs, how do you get to the optimal design that meets specs?

Animation courtesy Advanced International Multitech Co., Ltd. Continue reading →

Automotive Simulation World Congress: Call for Presentations

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On October 29 through 30, 2013, ANSYS once again hosts the Automotive Simulation World Congress (ASWC).

As I announced at the 2012 ASWC held in Detroit in October 2012, the event is an annual international conference that rotates across the three major regions of the world — the Americas, Europe and Asia. Slated to move from the Americas to Europe this year, the ASWC will be held in Frankfurt, Germany at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel, with an evening event at Klassikstadt.

This international event focuses on advances in simulation technology applied to the ground transportation industry, which includes car, light truck, heavy truck, bus, off-highway, agricultural, motorsport, railway and two-wheeler segments. Continue reading →

Passenger CARE and Aircraft Design

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A few days ago, while I was waiting to board a flight, I ran into a childhood friend who I hadn’t seen in 20 years, and he was waiting for the same flight. We talked about all the developments in our lives over the last two decades, and it was wonderful catching up. I told my friend about how I had graduated in aerospace engineering, that my specialization is in CFD, and that I get to work with aerospace customers. He was quite interested in learning more about how our software helps with aircraft design.

airplane approaching the gateWe could see our aircraft approaching the gate through the pane glass window as we started to discuss how  external aerodynamics analysis influences the design of wings, fuselage, engines and flaps. Just around that time, the announcer issued the boarding, and so we boarded the flight and managed to get seats side by side.

While we continued our discussion, the aircraft was on the tarmac and began acceleration for take off. All of a sudden, my friend grabbed my hand. I was quite surprised and looked at him, even more shocked to see his tensed face with eyes closed and ears filled with cotton. Continue reading →

Designing the Body of the Car for Maximum Fuel Efficiency

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As we continue our 54.5 by 2025 blog series, we turn our attention to designing the body of the car for maximum fuel efficiency.

infographic section fuel efficiency and the bod of the car

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The body of the car provides two major opportunities for improving fuel efficiency:

  1. Reducing overall weight
  2. Improving aerodynamics to reduce drag

Much design work and ingenuity is required to reduce a car’s overall weight, and many interesting advances have been made in the field, such as the use of composites materials. Considering that car manufacturers have been working on streamlining and designing aerodynamics since the time of the Model T, we now need fresh ways to approach the issue.

The question is: What will be the most effective innovation, or combination of innovations, for the future?

Reduce weight by designing composites effectively

Replacing steel with light, strong and durable composites materials is one possible way of reducing weight in new automobiles. But the process has its challenges. Continue reading →