Saving Product Weight Outside the Automotive & Aerospace Industries
altairenlighten.com - Thursday, May 23, 2013
This post has been contributed by my colleague, Lars Fredriksson, Director at Altair ProductDesign, Germany
When it comes to reducing the weight of products using advanced materials or design optimisation, there are two industries which make the majority of headlines. The automotive and aerospace industries are motivated by the increasing cost of fuel and need to deliver energy efficient products to market to meet tougher regulatory requirements and customer demand. However, it would be wrong to think that it is these two industries are alone in pushing for lighter design solutions.
Which Components Would Give the Biggest Weight Saving?
Royston Jones - Thursday, May 2, 2013
This post has been contributed by my colleague, Lars Fredriksson, Director at Altair ProductDesign, Germany
As engineers in an ideal world, we would use design optimization techniques on every single component in a product in order to ensure the entire structure is as lightweight as possible. In reality however, this is rarely a practical exercise as we all need to meet development schedules with a limited amount of resources.So when faced with an existing design and often hundreds of components that could potentially be optimized, how do you know which ones could yield the biggest weight savings?
Optimization Strategies for Multi-Material Vehicles
Mike Heskitt - Friday, March 22, 2013
This post has been contributed by Regu Ramoo, Director of Engineering at Altair ProductDesign
Many studies on automotive mass reduction have been undertaken over the years by various steel, aluminum, magnesium, and composites consortia, all expounding the virtues of substituting a particular material. Altair has participated in studies with all these organizations over the years and has understood the strengths, limitations, and constraints of working with various materials.
Fuel Economy & Footprint: What Does it Have to do with Mass Reduction?
Jay Baron - Friday, March 15, 2013
CAFE standards for model year 2017 have automakers looking towards lightweight materials to help meet automotive fuel economy benchmarks.
Simulation’s Year of “Everyday” Applications
Detlef Schneider - Tuesday, March 5, 2013
This post is taken from Simulate to Innovate
As noted in the 2012: Simulation’s Year of Discovery post that I wrote last December, the impact of simulation continues to reveal itself, enhancing everyday products and our daily lives.
Optimization Goes Way Beyond Weight Reduction
Mike Heskitt - Wednesday, February 27, 2013
This post has been contributed by Panduranga Rao Chirala, Vice President of Altair ProductDesign, India
It has been a constant human endeavour – across the globe – to make things better and last longer. In the developing economy, the culture is one of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” The availability of pure research or development funds may be scarce but not the quest to cut cost and / or to get more out of something for little investment.
Advancing Composites in the Auto Industry: Seven Questions to David Mason
Tony Norton - Thursday, February 21, 2013
Success in developing the new generation of cars and trucks has demanded advancements in many arenas, including powertrains, fuels, materials, manufacturing methods and design. Computer-aided engineering tools from Altair have advanced as well allowing design engineers to improve vehicle efficiency and performance while at the same time lightening the vehicle structure. Altair’s Vice President of Global Automotive, Dave Mason offers answers to some of the most important questions about Altair’s role in the use of composites for today’s vehicles.