TALK - ESI Group · ACI and ESI Group have successfully validated the potential benefits of a...

PAMN E W S F R O M T H E V I R T U A L T R Y- O U T S P A C E

PAM-RTM 2004 enablessimulation of very largecomposites structures

using the VARI process

product news

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Adopting 3G PLM solutions

AmeriPAM 2004, all in one event

events

strategy Placing digital simulationat the heart of the automotive design processRenault

1st Crash &Occupant SafetyUser Conference

Since the mid 80’s, crash testand the simulation of restraintsystems, have driven FE basedsimulation advances in theautomotive market.Don’t miss this unique opportunity to share your concernwith users and the PAM-CRASH 2G and PAM-SAFE 2Gdevelopment teams.

10:00 Overview of the PAM-CRASH 2Gand PAM-SAFE 2G solution

12:30 Lunch14:00 Technical thematic workshops on scalability,

material rupture, optimization16:00 Coffee break 16:30 Crash Safe User Group open discussions.

1st European CastingUser Conference Discover the new releases of Calcosoft 2Dand 3D 2004, PAM-CAST 2004.1and don’t miss out on the overviewof ProCAST 2005. Meet other usersand learn from their experience.

10:00 Casting solutions product news& product strategyOverview of R&D research projects Parallel processing for casting applications

12:30 Lunch14:00 Technical thematic workshops on casting model

set-up and meshing, mold filling scenario for different processes, material databases and material property predictions, porositypredictions, coupled stress calculations

16:00 Coffee break16:30 Product validation procedures and applications

Specific software tutorialsOpen user group discussions

2nd European StampingUser Conference

Join the 2nd European Stamping User Conferenceto be updated on the best-in-class developmentsof PAM-STAMP 2G 2004. Use this opportunity toexpress your requests for future developments,meet other users and the people behind PAM-STAMP 2G.

10:00 Introduction 12:30 Lunch10:15 PAM-DIEMAKER 14:00 User presentations11:00 PAM-QUIKSTAMP 16:00 Coffee break 11:30 PAM-AUTOSTAMP 16:30 Discussion - Closing

2nd European Vibro-AcousticsUser Conference

Conference will focus on:Analysis of real-life trimmed structures for both low andhigh frequencyUse of Statistical Energy Analysis SEA and deterministicsimulation solutions that deploy both Finite Element andBoundary Element Reduce modeling time and expertise to meet the time constraints imposedby concurrent engineeringModel building productivity improvement thanks to the deployment ofexisting model morphing tools and use of custom scriptsRecent developments related to structure-borne noise simulation

Whether you are currently using physical test for vibro-acoustic predictionand considering simulation, or you are actively involved in simulation,this event will provide you with plenty of material to pursue the mosteffective vibro-acoustic strategy for your company.

17th SYSTUS User Conference

The 17th edition of the SYSTUS, SYSPLY, SYSWELD, SYSMAGNA UserConference, for French speaking users, will take place at Forest Hill*** ParisLa Villette, situated in the immediate neighborhood of the Cité.For more information, please go to:

http://www.esi-group.com/Consulting_services/customer.html

OOP simulation using PAM-SAFE

editorial

Why turn to PLM?

The acronym PLM, for Product Lifecycle Management,gathers large opportunities and challenges. BasicallyPLM stands for integrating product and processinformation in a global loop, aiming at optimizing theproduct processes. Expected benefits for industrialgroups are huge; all of them are looking to reduce costsand lead-times, to speed-up time-to-market, to worksmarter, faster and in a collaborative way, creating value,improving quality, etc.

Beyond just connecting processes and product data,PLM involves re-thinking the organization, rationalizingprocesses, setting up connections between multiplefunctions, departments and suppliers. To achieve trueinteroperability and data sharing, a PLM strategy requiressolid foundations. Pillars underpinning PLM are at thesame time, Computer Aided Design with digital mock-ups, Computer Aided Engineering or simulation, ProductData Management, Digital Manufacturing and CustomerRelationship Management.

Taking into account the physics of materials, ESI Group’s3G PLM solution provides for a global and dynamicdecision-making tool. Known as the Virtual Try-OutSpace (VTOS), this open and collaborative virtualenvironment will allow predictive evaluation andcontinuous improvement of virtual prototypes andprocesses with all the actors of the extended enterprise,particularly by coupling product and simulation data andenabling process automation.

The acquisition of EASi’s technology and the integrationof its advanced development platform EASi-Vista / EASi-Process will provide our customers with a new andunique combination of advanced simulation softwareembedding an innovative process methodology tosupport industry’s critical transition towards simulationbased design. ESI Group is putting in place thecornerstones of an adaptive and open 3G PLM solutionthat integrates simulation data management and CAE re-engineering services, allowing automation of customer’sprocesses and workflow.

Partnering with Dassault Systèmes, ESI Group iscommitted to deliver the next-generation VirtualPrototyping and Manufacturing Solutions within theCAAv5 environment. The CAAv5 strategic developmentagreement will help create the ideal platform for product,process and resource optimization, reducingdevelopment time, minimizing the requirement ofhardware prototyping. New ESI Group CAAv5 basedproducts will augment the dynamic communication ofsimulation based design methods within the PLMenvironment.

Let’s move forward and take the PLM turn

contents

ditorial

Vincent ChaillouPresident and Chief Operating Officer, Products Operations, ESI Group

PAMTALK is issued quarterlyby ESI GroupExecutive Editor: Vincent ChaillouEditor-in-Chief: Danièle Burdin-Dumont

ESI Group MarketingPARC D’AFFAIRES SILIC99 RUE DES SOLETS - BP 8011294513 Rungis Cedex - FRANCE Tel: +33 (0) 1 41 73 58 00Fax: +33 (0) 1 46 87 72 [email protected]

Design: Agence TETRAKTYS

ISSN 1635-866X

Impression : IMPRIMAIL - ZI des Sablons - 89100 SENSDépôt légal : Août 04

S U C C E S S S T O R YChaining PAM-CRASH & PAM-STAMP, ACI achieves cost and mass reduction

S T R AT E G YPlacing digital simulation at the heart of the automotive design process

Adopting 3G PLM solutions

P R O D U C T N E W SPAM-RTM 2004 enables simulation of very large composite structuresusing the Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) process

B I O M E C H A N I C STowards legal virtual crash tests for vehicle occupant safety designusing human models

C A S T I N GUmicore tunes the manufacturing process of a thin-walled zinc safety spool with ProCAST

Material properties for process simulation

ESI Group’s extended casting solutions on show: METEF 2004 / 13th solidification course 2004

E V E N T SEuroPAM 2004, an opportunity not to be missed AmeriPAM 2004, all in one event

C O R P O R AT EDr. E. Haug, 31 years of commitment to ESI Group

Argiris Kamoulakos

Highest distinction awarded to Guillaume Pierrot

Upcoming events / ESI Group reinforces its international leadership

ESI Group and LSTC to collaborate on future releases of EASi-CRASH DYNA

What’s new at www.esi-group.com?

All PAM and SYS products are trademarks of ESI Group. All otherproducts, names and companies referenced are trademarks orregistered trademarks of their respective owners. All text and imagesincluded in the articles are the copyright of the companies presentingtheir applications and simulations tasks.

Photo credits: ACI, Continental AG, EASi, Karibo, Renault, TRW,University of Le Havre, Umicore, ESI Group.

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success story4 www.esi-group.com

Taking into account forming effects, PAM-CRASH/PAM-STAMP

coupling proves efficient for design optimization

of Renault’s Megane II suspension arm and opens

new perspectives for other automotive components.

simulated using PAM-STAMP’sembedded mapping feature. Thematerial history, specifically residualthickness and equivalent plastic strainsafter forming, is transferred from PAM-STAMP to PAM-CRASH. The areaslocated around point A (see fig. 1) andall along the flange are subject to highthickness variations and large plasticstrains leading to significant localizedmaterial property changes. As a matterof fact, with a 10% equivalent plasticstrain, the initial yield stress increasesby 60%. As mechanical characteristicsare not homogeneous, the resultingbehavior is a compromise between thestrength loss due to thinning and thestrength gain due to work hardening.

More realistic yield stressresults with coupling

The objective is to determine thegreatest admissible load, whilstavoiding any plasticity in case of anabuse load such as an emergencybrake. Both thickness and equivalentplastic strains are transferred fromPAM-STAMP to a multi-purpose FEAcode. The suspension arm is designedto sustain this force without plasticity.Simulation proved that withoutcoupling, the maximum load is only 4%above the prescribed requirement,while it is 31% above what is requiredwhen taking into account the formingeffects.

“The coupling method allows us toincrease the admissible load and this isthe most evident benefit” statesLaurent Taupin. “Two large areas of thearm exceed the criterion of acceptancewhen neglecting the forming effectswith the increased load, whereas thewhole arm remains within anacceptable level when using a coupledcalculation. Ignoring the formingeffects could cause the rejection of arelevant technical solution, or theselection of an “overkill” materialgrade, with potential problemsdownstream.”

Chaining PAM-CRASH & PAM-STAMP, ACI achieves cost and mass reduction

Mégane II frontand rear suspension

offering a high level ofsafety for all occupants

Controlling and reducingvehicle weight has becomea strong incentive in theautomotive industry to limit

gas emissions,” says Laurent Taupin,CAE manager sheet parts, AutoChassis International (ACI). “The use of

high strength steels in chassismembers can be a good compromisebut has to be carefully analyzedbecause of the increasing complexityof the forming process.” In this context,1 - The suspension

arm is fastened to theengine cradle at

points A and B bymeans of elastic

bushings and to theknuckle at point E

through a ball joint

ACI and ESI Group have successfullyvalidated the potential benefits of acoupled product/process engineeringapproach based on crash and stampcoupling with correlation of simulationand experimental results.

A vital component subjected to high loads during stamping

Renault Mégane II suspension arm hasto match stringent stiffnessrequirements to ensure an accuratetracking of the wheels and goodvehicle handling. In addition, this heavyduty, safety critical component isdesigned to sustain abuse loadingconditions, such as emergencybraking, pot holes, pavement shock orfatigue cycles. Its patented designinvolves a complex set of flanges andstiffeners and is made from a singlesheet of four millimeters thick highstrength steel.

Three main forming stages have been

A

B

E

“

SUCCESS STORY STRATEGY PRODUCT NEWS BIOMECHANICS CORPORATECASTING EVENTS

success story 5www.esi-group.com

Buckling analysis revealssubstantial cost savingsThe buckling analysis of the armassesses the maximum collapse load ofthe part when applying a displacementalong the X or Y direction at point E.This value is part of the technicalrequirements and needs to be carefullymonitored as it is strongly dependent onthe thickness and the quality of thematerial. As this calculation involveshigh levels of plasticity, the ability toretrieve both thickness, and residualplastic strains from PAM-STAMP in theanalysis code is of major importance.

In comparison with the standardmethod, the coupled calculationpredicts a 15.7% increase of thecollapse force along the X direction, and6.3% along the Y direction. “Thesevariations are way under physical testsresults where the collapse loads canexceed up to 30% the uncoupledsimulated ones. In the same way,coupling allows significant costreductions and can be applied to otherbody-in-white components” concludesL. Taupin.

Shock calculations greatly benefit from couplingTo meet the technical requirements, thearm has to withstand shock loads withvarious thresholds and impact severitieswithout exceeding the maximumadmissible deformation value measuredat critical points. Two kinds of shocksimulation are performed with PAM-CRASH, taking into account, or not, theforming history in both thickness andresidual plastic strains from PAM-STAMP.

Straight wheel longitudinal pavement shockIn this configuration, the applied load atpoint E is predominantly oriented along

the X direction. Thestiffness of the armbetween points B and E istherefore of majorimportance. Tremendousdifferences appear betweenthe standard and coupledcalculations. A completecollapse of the arm can beobserved after shockwithout coupling, whereasthe coupled simulation

presents no visible deformationafterwards. A better correlation betweencalculations and physical tests cantherefore be achieved using a coupledapproach. This shows that the stiffnessof the arm is not only conditioned by theflange geometry but also by materialhistory. In addition, the plastic strainappears to be the factor of higherinfluence on the results since thethickness of the flange area is onlyslightly affected by forming.

Steered wheel lateral pavement shockThis time, the applied load at point E isequally distributed along the X and Ydirections. Here, the work hardeninginduced stiffness is even more importantfor this shock. Similarly to the physicaltest, the coupled simulation sustains theshock without damage, whereas thedeformation obtained without couplingis catastrophic, with a rotation of thearm around point A where the workhardening is as influential as in theflange between points B and E. Thethickness reduction due to forming inthe area of point A is compensated bythe work hardening effect.

“For both configurations,” says LaurentTaupin, “a coupled PAM-CRASH/PAM-STAMP approach greatly improvescorrelation between calculations andphysical test results, revealing the stronginfluence of residual plastic strainscompared to the thickness effect. Themethod brings considerable benefitsmainly for simulations involvingplasticity, such as buckling or shock. We

are now considering applying it to otherchassis components or automotiveparts requiring complex stampingoperations and presenting high residualwork hardening effects. Work is ongoingto improve theaccuracy of fatigueresults and to limitthe size ofcomputations. Nextstep will be theintegration ofcoupled simulationsin the early stagesof the projects forincreased time andcosts gains.”

A coupled PAM-CRASH/PAM-STAMP approach bringsconsiderable benefits, helping to design parts to their ‘just needed’performances.

As a Tier 1 supplier, Auto Chassis International designs, manufactures and sells suspension

and chassis systems for vehicle manufacturers worldwide. Over 100 million vehicles have

been equipped with Auto Chassis International systems and components.

Auto Chassis International is established in Europe, Slovenia, Romania, Turkey, North America, Mercosur and

Asia. The company employs 4,000 people and has a turnover of 1 billion Euros.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

2 - With coupling, the arm sustains an emergency brake load case

Without coupling (PAM-CRASHsimulation)

PAM-CRASH / PAM-STAMP coupling

3 - Results of the straight wheel longitudinal pavementshock calculations

Without coupling (PAM-CRASH simulation)

PAM-CRASH / PAM-STAMP coupling

4 - Results of the steered wheel lateral pavementshock calculations

Without coupling (PAM-CRASH simulation) PAM-CRASH /

PAM-STAMP coupling

About ACI

Longitudinalpavementshock test rig

A

B

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strategy6 www.esi-group.com

Placing digital simulation at the heart of the

automotive design processBernard Thomas,CAE

expert engineer, Renault,

draws an overview on the

on-going partnership with

ESI Group for numerical

calculation simulation

Bernard Thomas has contributedfor more than 25 years to thedevelopment of the digitalsimulation process at Renault and to its implementation both inside the group and in cooperation with its partners.

Bernard Thomas started his career

at Renault in 1975 to develop

vehicle structural analysis. Taking

advantage of this knowledge and of

the technical advances, Thomas

extended simulations to stamping

process and to bodywork assembly,

since 1988. He became Expert

Engineer in the field of CAE for

Vehicle Body in 1995.

PAMTALK: What is therelationship between PLMand simulation at Renault?

Bernard Thomas: Simulation atRenault is linked to the product digitalmock-up, providing numerical data foreach part or component. In addition, weare using a set of directories to storesimulation data, but we are not currentlysharing and managing resourceinformation in a PLM framework.

This subject has been largely discussedand may lead to a decision soon.

PAMTALK: What are themajor challenges?

B. Thomas: We have to finalize theintegration of digital simulation in thedesign process.

Major challenges are as follows:■ Quick implementation of digital

simulation to provide results allowingdecision-making in the early stages,

■ Accurate model representationensured by reliable linking with thedigital mock-up and reliability of data( a s s e s s m e n t o f s i m u l a t i o nconfidence),

■ Tracking and capitalization ofsimulation results,

■ Due to the increasing volume andcomplexity of simulations, productdata management is required moreand more frequently

PAMTALK: How isRenault currently workingwith tier 1 suppliers? Whatkind of simulation data arethey providing to Renault?

B. Thomas: Business relations with ourpartners are based on mutualconfidence. Renault group does notinterfere with working methodologies ofsuppliers in charge of producing organsor vehicle assemblies.

However, Renault group takes specialcare to specifying numerical exchangerules, in particular for parts orcomponents modeling. Retrieving ofsimulation results attesting for correctdesign is sometimes required togetherwith modeling.

Meshing tasks are more and more oftensub-contracted; numerical models ofparts are transferred to the supplier whoprovides in exchange thecorresponding meshing, in accordancewith Renault specifications.

Design externalization of a modelbelonging to a vehicle range leads tolarger simulation data exchanges,including whole models assemblies.

PAMTALK: What is theforeseen solution?

B. Thomas: The implementation ofsimulation data management system isgetting more and more crucial.

Expected capabilities have beenbasically defined by Renault.

Virtual crashsimulationof a Renaultvehicle

Future Renault’sdigital designprocess loop


strategy 7www.esi-group.com

PAMTALK: How are youworking with ESI Group inthis field? Is thispartnership useful,efficient, why?

B. Thomas: We have been working inpartnership with ESI Group for morethan two years to develop a newcomputation environment which will beclosely linked in the future with asimulation data management system.Due to the exciting launch of thepartnership, the extent of the projectwas slightly underestimated and we arenow behind schedule; however, the firstpart of the project, COMPOSER dealingwith virtual digital mock-up is ready.

For other topics more strictly controlled,the partnership worked in a veryefficient way.

With the acquisition of EASi’s CAEsoftware, ESI Group has significantlystrengthened its ability to develop thenew jointly defined computationenvironment.

PAMTALK: What are thefirst benefits? The expectedfuture ones?

B. Thomas: First benefits should beeffective from September 2004 with theoperational use of COMPOSER. Firsttests confirm the expected time savingswhen retrieving and validating thedigital mock-up.

The use of new generation data editorslinked to COMPOSER and of automaticsolving procedures for standardcomputation chains should generatefurther time reductions, in the nearfuture.

PAMTALK: What are thenext steps?

B. Thomas: The next step is theavailability of new generation editors, asI just mentioned, followed by thedevelopment of the computationdatabase.

The Renault group has over 350 industrial and commercial sites in over 40countries, and employs 130,740 people worldwide. In 2003, the group generatedrevenues of EUR 37.5 billion, an increase of 3.8%. The group’s profitable growth strategy is based on three main priorities:competitiveness, innovation and international development. Renault’s bi-nationalalliance with Nissan - 5,357,315 vehicles sold in 2003, one of the world’s top fiveautomobile manufacturers - is part and parcel of this strategy.

The Alliance owns five brands: Nissan and Infiniti for the Nissan group; Renault,Dacia and Samsung for the Renault group.

C O M P O S E R

Renault group, early adopter of the COMPOSER application forBody-in-White finite element model generation and management

Simulation Data Management module supporting 3G PLM

R ealistic physics-based simulation allows decisions to bemade earlier using virtual prototypes. Besides product diversity,the evolution of data through the various project phases and

the number of virtual tests or load cases largely increases datavolume. Simulation data are now getting as important as CAD data.They must therefore be managed in a similar way to preserve theirquality and develop efficient model build-up and update processes.

Using COMPOSER application, CAD and simulation data aresynchronized for project milestones using CAD meta data and linkinformation. A specific mechanism enables an easier update ofsimulation models: as a new configuration needs to be tested,COMPOSER module helps the user identify which parts have changedand must be updated.

COMPOSER manages simulation data at a generic level, whichincludes mesh and link information, before the models are specializedfor a given discipline.

COMPOSER data can be shared across a large range of simulationfields, such as crash, NVH, fatigue, assembly or stamping. Thesecrossed analyses all share the same product definition, but may usedifferent meshes. Simulation data are stored in a specific database,which includes both product models and loading accessories such ascrash test dummies or barriers.

In this way, COMPOSER brings a decisive answer to themanufacturing industries’ needs for improving the product/processdesign cycles and accelerating time-to-market.


Renault Group:creating automobiles

PAM-CEM 2004 simulationof the environment of a Renaultvehicle under externalelectromagnetic aggression

strategy www.esi-group.com

Adopting

3G PLM

solutions

8

■ Deployment of licenses from ESI Group for solutions and related services involving numerical simulation of crash testsand sheet metal stamping.

■ Development by ESI Group of several innovative projects relating to modeling and electromagnetic compatibility.

■ Implementation of numerical simulation data management, establishing direct communication between the numericaldefinition, the simulation and subsequently, the physical tests. Based on the technical data management applicationsalready in place at Renault, the new system will make it possible to combine all information relating to the simulationof a vehicle, including static and dynamic calculations, as well as, crash, endurance and acoustic data.

Renault partnership: from the digital mock-up to the digital prototype

1G solutions: to understand

and improve tests

3G solutions: for global decision making without prototypes

ESI Group’s 1G, 2G, 3G solutions

2G solutions: to replace certain

prototypes

ESI Group is deliveringa complete solution for thegradual implementation ofvirtual engineering that can be

adapted to industrial companies’methodologies.

“1G applications” or industry-specific simulation software The objective of single tradeapplications is to understand, improveand replace specific tests byfundamentally integrating the physics ofmaterials. ESI Group’s product portfoliocovers all areas of applied mechanicssuch as: ■ Prototype performance (ex.

Regulatory tests: crash-test, drop-test, rupture under vibration,…)

■ Production process tuning (ex.Stamping, welding, casting,forming,…)

■ Real-life usage conditions (ex.Aerodynamics, aeroacoustics,electromagnetic compatibility, virtualhuman,…)


ESI Group’s 3G

PLM strategy will

allow predictive

evaluation and

continuous

improvement of

virtual prototypes

and processes,

allowing on-line

decision-making in

synchronization

with all the actors of

the extended

enterprise

“2G solutions” or multi-tradevalue chainsAllowing online improvements anddecisions, “2G” solutions integrate intooptimization loops all “1G” applicationsfor one design discipline, thus targetingthe elimination of physical prototypesduring the product design anddevelopment phases. They aredeveloped in response tomanufacturers’ needs to achievecoherence between the various types oftests involved in product design,optimization and manufacturing.

Recent customer applications fromKarmann, Arcelor, and ACI (cf. pages 4-5) have demonstrated how couplingPAM-CRASH with PAM-STAMPreduces the number of physicalprototypes, while increasing accuracyand optimizing the processes.

“3G PLM” solution, theadvent of the Virtual Try-OutSpaceESI Group’s 3G PLM offering involvesan integration protocol, currently beingdeveloped by ESI Group, which willallow all the company’s solutions towork with each other and with solutionsdeveloped by other extendedenterprise players. By combining multi-trade value chains within the 3G PLMsolution, ESI Group is building a globaland dynamic decision-making tool. The Virtual Try-Out Space is the “3G”digital environment for the realisticevaluation and continuous improvementof virtual prototypes within the extendedenterprise. This solution generatessignificant benefits in terms of cost, time,quality and innovation for large,international industrial groups, theirpartners and suppliers. The partnershipwith Renault Group and the endorsementof Dassault Systèmes’ CAAv5 platformare essential building blocks of ESI

product news 9www.esi-group.com

ESI Group’s composite solutions

ESI Group’s industrial solution for predictive simulation

of composite and plastic structures behavior includes:

■ SYSPLY for design optimization and composite analysis,

■ PAM-FORM and PAM-RTM for process optimization

of composites and plastics,

■ and specific PAM-CRASH modules for testing

of composite crashworthiness behavior.

PAM-RTM 2004 is available on PCs (Windows NT, 2000, XP), on Unix workstations from IBM, and hardware vendors’ supportedLinux platforms.

Infusion (VARI) simulation of a boat hull with

PAM-RTM 2004

Courtesy University of Le Havre

PAM-RTM 2004 enables simulationof very large composite structures using the Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI) process

“With PAM-RTM 2004, engineers arenow able to anticipate futuremanufacturing issues or problems thatcould not be simulated before whendesigning large components. It helpsthem drastically reduce manufacturingcosts, as any failure would generatetremendous waste due to the largeamounts of resin and fibers involved inthese projects, not to mention the costof the mold,” said Patrick de Luca,Product Manager, ESI Group.

The optimization of PAM-RTM 2004CPU management offers a versionthat is twice as fast as the previousrelease. Among the many newcapabilities found in PAM-RTM 2004,are a new contact resistance forthermal modeling and improvedfunctionality for air bubblesentrapment detection. In addition,users can now define their ownviscosity and curing functions, whichenables them to simulate new resinsas they come to market.

The user-friendly interface, based onMicrosoft Windows architecture,offers improved visualization: a modelexplorer, for instance, helps locatematerials or boundary conditionsdirectly on the model. Data outputanalysis is also further simplified

with the possibility of generatinganimations.

PAM-RTM 2004 offers a seamlessintegration of the solver pre and post-processing. Automatic meshmodification is available for runnersand injection points. This newfunctionality offers significant time-saving in the process-tuning andoptimization of runners andpositioning of injection gates, sincethe mesh modifications are donedirectly in PAM-RTM 2004 rather thangoing back to the CAD model.

Availability

PA M - R T M 2 0 0 4provides rapid solutions forpreliminary design, as wellas, refined calculations for

process and mold optimization andfinal design verification. The product isuniquely suited to simulate a widerange of manufacturing processes,including Resin Transfer Molding(RTM), Vacuum Assisted RTM(VARTM), and now with the 2004release, Vacuum Assisted ResinInfusion (VARI). VARI is one of the fewprocesses that can be used toefficiently manufacture very largecomposite parts such as windmillblades, ship decks and hulls, andlarge aircraft parts. Due to their size,such large structures cannot bemanufactured with traditional closedmolds. VARI simulation is nowpossible because the permeabilityvariations caused by the deformationof fibrous reinforcement during resininjection are taken into account.


biomechanics www.esi-group.com10

In the context of virtual testing,current endeavors aim at theestablishment of a procedure thatpermits legal crash tests to be carried

out by simulation, instead of performingthe physical certification tests presentlyrequired for the homologation of newpassenger car models.

Currently, the effect of car accident onhuman occupants is studied from theresponse of mechanical occupantsurrogates (legal crash dummies) duringnormalized legal crash tests. Passivesafety devices must be designedtogether with the vehicle structure inorder to minimize the risk of injury in acar accident. This risk is assessed fromforce, displacement and accelerationreadings taken on the instrumentedlegal crash dummies used during a

crash test. Regulatory and consumertests require that the vehicle prototypesare crashed in a number of prescribedlegal crash tests. Although the numberof tests has increased over time, it mustremain limited due to the great amountof cost and lab time required to performthese tests. Legal certification of newcar models is granted when the car anddummy successfully pass these crashtests in the laboratory.

On the other hand, virtual testingenables not only crash dummyresponse simulation in a number ofdifferent conditions, but also humanresponse simulation in such events.Comprehensive computational modelsof cars and crash dummies havecontributed greatly to the safety oftransport vehicles over the last twentyyears by allowing considerable designspeedup, but also design optimization,before the expensive prototypes arebuilt and crash-tested. The nextchallenge is the establishment of legalvirtual crash test procedures usingdummy and human models.

Virtual testing with human modelsVirtual testing can be accepted when itsprocedures, codes and models areuniversally defined and deposited withlegal checking authorities, in futureglobal regulation works, officialguidelines, procedure manuals anddatabases, so that the results of crashsimulations become independent of theanalyst and software.

In order to define validated humanmodels for the simulation of selectedlegal crash tests and objective criteria torate the quality of the numerical results,the procedures shall include thefollowing items:■ Human geometry and discretization

based on the variety of humananatomy, and according toscaling/morphing/aging andpositioning conventions, algorithmsand mesh rules

■ Biomaterial laws, tests and databases■ Human Injury criteria and validated

injury threshold values■ Stochastic rules to cover biomaterial

and anatomical scatter■ Validation procedures for component

and whole body tests, guidelines formodel validation procedures andhuman model certification procedures

■ Objective numerical result ratingprocedures

■ Certified crash scenarios (rules for theutilization of the certified models)

Human geometry and discretizationEncouraging steps towards humanbiomechanical models have beenundertaken. The organ, muscle andskeleton geometries have beenrecorded from a frozen cadaver in theframe of the European project HUMOS(HUman MOdel for Safety). The recorded geometry data have beenstandardized and finite element mesheshave been prepared according to theprescriptions of the project consortium.

Towards legal virtual crash testsfor vehicle occupant safetydesign using human models

Virtual testingprocedures and human models to replace physicalcertification tests

From the paper presented by Eberhard Haug, Muriel Beaugonin, Nicole Montmayeur, Christian Marca (ESI Group) and Hyung-Yun Choi (Hong-Ik University, Korea) at the International Crashworthiness and Design Symposium (ICD03)

Sub-adults and variants of adult average males

(average, athletic, fat, thin, elderly)

Human geometry andmeshing techniques(HUMOS Project)


These results and prescriptions are afirst step in creating a general databaseand future regulation works. Theongoing HUMOS2 European project willrefine the procedures and elaboratealgorithms for scaling, morphing andpositioning of human geometries, whichis part of such works. Similar projectsexist and are being mounted in Japan(JAMA / JARI) and in the USA(Consortium lead by GM). In order to reach global virtual testprocedures, these projects mustcoordinate their efforts.

Bio-materials

Biological materials can be linear ornonlinear, isotropic, orthotropic, ratedependent, plastic or hyper-elastic andthey are characterized by respectivebehavior laws. As an example, ESIGroup has developed for PAM-SAFEsoftware product, an anisotropic hyper-elastic material model for kneeligaments.In addition, biomaterial tests are neededto identify the material parameters, inparticular, for soft tissues. New testprotocols must be worked out anddocumented to test such tissuesaccording to normalized standardprocedures.

Injury criteria

For the more structural bio-materials(bone, tendons), modeling human partsresembles standard engineeringanalysis, where stress, strain and injury(fracture, rupture) are clearly correlatedwith biological tissue and organ injury.However, for the soft tissues there maynot be any straightforward correlationbetween the mechanical quantities andinjury or impairment of biologicalfunctions, in particular for the brain. Thematter is complicated by the fact thatliving soft tissue material properties areinfluenced by blood pressure, while thismust be reestablished artificially inisolated organ tests. The SIMonconcept (Simulated Injury MONitor byDOT/NHTSA/NTBRC) provides theengineer with appropriate injury criteriafor the head and brain. ESI Group and IPS-I are jointly workingon a new head/neck model, called H-Neck, based on material tests andcalibrated on whiplash volunteer tests.This model is part of the ESI Group’s H-Model family of human models; it isequipped with active muscle elements

that will permit the study of the influenceof muscle pre-tension and activation onthe whiplash response of the head/neckcomplex.

Stochastic rulesHuman anatomy and material propertiesexhibit considerable scatter around“average” values. Human models fortransport vehicle occupant safetydesign should reflect the noted scatter.This can best be achieved by runningthe required crash simulation scenariosnot only with the “average” humanmodels, but also with a number ofstochastic variants of the models, wherethe anatomical and material scatter istreated in a representative way. Rules fordealing with stochastic variants shouldbe stipulated in future regulation works.

ResultsOnce the models and procedures areestablished, calibrated and validatedaccording to the prescriptions of thefuture regulation works, the models canbe employed in simulations of crashscenarios and replace physical tests. Atthis stage, the use of a dedicated toolsuch as MODEVAL from PSA andFaurecia can avoid subjectivity of resultinterpretation, both in the validationprocess and in exploitation runs, wherethe results obtained with experiments,different models, crash codes andanalysts should be comparedobjectively.

ESI Group human models for impact biomechanicsESI Group has developed a range ofadvanced numerical models withdetailed geometrical and materialdescriptions of bones, flesh, muscles,ligaments, organs and other soft tissues.The models provide deep insight intohuman body behavior in real-lifesituations, for a better understanding ofbiomechanical phenomena and theprevention of injuries.

Presently, the H-Model family is beingfurther developed by the Hong-IkUniversity (Seoul), by IPS-I and by ESIGroup, for impact biomechanics andpedestrian impact. ESI Group also hasits own encoded version of the HUMOSfinite element model for use with PAM-SAFE, and is a partner in the ongoingHUMOS2 project.

The H-Model is currently used by theautomotive industry, in complement tocrash dummy-based analysis, toprovide further information about realhuman kinematics and injurymechanisms. As an example, BMWsuccessfully used the H-Model, incomparison with the EuroSID dummymodel, for side impact analysis (cf. PAMTALK 25).

Validated biomechanicalhuman models have thepotential - and are theonly alternative - toreplace legal crashdummies for legalvirtual testing assoon as allowed byregulations. Then,more profoundinvestigations ofoccupant safety incrash tests can bemade since the digitalsimulations and theirparametric variants can beperformed rapidly once the base linecomputer models are established. Inaddition, virtual human models providedirect relevant information on humanresponse and injury.

biomechanics 11www.esi-group.com

G L O S S A R Y

■ IPS-I: Integrated Professional System International■ NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration■ DOT: Dept. Of Transportation ■ NTBRC: National Transportation Biomechanics Research Center■ JAMA: Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association■ JARI: Japan Automobile Research Institute

For more information on HUMOS2 project, please visit:http://humos2.inrets.fr


Human neck model forwhiplash simulation

H-Model: a range of deformablefinite element modelsof the human body

casting www.esi-group.com

Umicore tunesthe manufacturing processof a thin-walled zinc safetyspool with ProCAST

12

Zamak, the lifetime of the casting molddid not exceed 50,000 cycles andresulted in expensive post-machiningoperations and increased productioncosts.

From the initial design of the part’stooling, based at that time on trial-and-error, Umicore successfully developeda new spool weighing less than 120gand meeting the required technicalspecifications:

■ extended operating temperaturerange from -35°C to 80°C,

■ minimum part lifetime of 12 years,

■ crash test performance.

Assessing process feasibilityand in-service performance

To successfully manufacture the part inhigh-pressure die casting, two majordifficulties had to be addressed:significantly reduce the overall partthickness for weight reduction, andposition spokes to guarantee in-serviceperformance. To meet this challenge,various internal tests and studies wereconducted, but important decisionswere also based on casting processsimulation with the Finite Elementcasting process simulation solution,ProCAST.

Umicore performed several simulationsto optimize the mold design. With thehelp of ProCAST, the first initialprototype mold proved successful formold filling; however, twelve additionalmodifications of the part geometrywere necessary to satisfy in-serviceperformance.

Using the foundrysimulation software package,ProCAST, and based onvarious internal tests and

studies made in the past, Umicore wasable to propose to its customers a newsolution made of zinc alloy (Zamak),which successfully met the requiredtechnical specifications at a verycompetitive price.

A difficult thin-walledcomponent with stringent

safety requirements

Back in the seventies, thespool, a safetycomponent integrated in

the safety belt mechanism,was made of zinc weighing

between 230 and 270g. Sincethe mid-eighties, aluminum has

replaced zinc because of its lowerweight; however, with higher operatingtemperatures, as aluminum is beingprocessed at over 600°C vs 400°C for

ProCAST helps

Umicore to validate

the manufacturing

tool of a critical

foundry component

and to successfully

move to production

Average thickness 0,7 mm

Safety spoolin zinc alloydeveloped byUmicore


castingwww.esi-group.com

ProCAST benefits

Casting process simulation withProCAST enabled Umicore to developand optimize the manufacturingprocess of a new zinc spool with verythin walls and stringent technicalrequirements in terms of in-serviceperformance.

The part is now being produced at avery competitive price in Germany, Italyand South Korea for production seriesof over one million units. UsingProCAST allows decision-making earlyin the design phase and generatessignificant time and cost savings fortool development and production.

Another significant competitiveadvantage of the new zinc spool islinked to the reduced operatingtemperatures. Because of the lowermelting point of zinc, the die lifetime is10 times longer than what wasobtained with the aluminum spool.

13

ProCASTallowed us to validatethe productiontooling of this newcomponentproduced inmore thanone millionpieces usinghigh-pressuredie casting.

‘ ‘‘ ‘

Umicore is an international metals and material group. Its activities are centered on five business areas:Precious Metals Services, Precious Metals Products and Catalysts, Advanced Materials, Zinc and Copper. Each business area is divided into market-focused business units.

Umicore focuses on application areas where it knows its expertise in material science, chemistry and metallurgycan make a real difference, be it in products that are essential to everyday life or those at the cutting edge ofexciting, new technological developments. Umicore’s overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based onthis ambition to develop, produce and recycle metals in a way that fulfills its mission: materials for a better life.

The Umicore Group has industrial operations on all continents and serves a global customer base: it generateda turnover of €4.7 billion in 2003 and currently employs some 11,500 people.

More information on: http://www.umicore.com

Evolution of the flow frontand the temperaturefield during filling withProCAST

Optimizing die designwith ProCAST

The spool is a complex, non-symmetrical component includingnumerous small internal geometricalfeatures with an average thickness notexceeding 0.7mm. To successfullydevelop the high-pressure die castingprocess, the following issues need tobe addressed:

■ define the optimal piston velocities,

■ design the runner geometryfor optimal mold filling,

■ determine the position andthickness of the gates,

■ prevent the risk of misruns,

■ define the size and position of theoverflows.

Based on simulation results and usingan iterative process improvementapproach, all of these issues wereinvestigated with ProCAST. Gate andrunners can be optimized so as toprovide the most regular flow inside themold. Misruns or incomplete filling,resulting from excessive alloytemperature drop, can easily beidentified from predicted alloytemperatures during the filling phase.

The progression of the metal frontinside the cavity can be simulated andoverflows can be dimensioned andpositioned from the last filling areas toevacuate oxides appearing at the metalfront caused by the contact of the alloywith air. Also, metal front junctionscombined with temperature fields canbe visualized so as to avoid weld linesinside the component, which oftenresult in local defects with poormechanical resistance.

UMICOREProducing materials for a better life


casting www.esi-group.com

Comparison between calculated andexperimental data for various alloys

(experimental data from AuburnUniversity).

Calculated enthalpy (a), solidfraction (b), density (c) and thermal

conductivity (d) for an A356aluminum alloy

Calculated enthalpy (a), solidfraction (b), density (c) and thermal

conductivity (d) for an A356aluminum alloy

14

Calculated enthalpy (a), solid fraction (b), density (c) andthermal conductivity (d) for an A356 aluminum alloy

a

Comparison between calculated and experimental datafor various alloys (experimental data from AuburnUniversity).

Fraction of solid evolutions forrespectively A204 (AlCu4MgTi),

A332 (AlSi11CuMg) and A356(AlSi7Mg) aluminum alloys

c

Based on the alloy chemicalcomposition, Scheil or Lever modelsare used to obtain fractions of solid andenthalpy data, specific heat and latentheat being extrapolated from theenthalpy. The temperature dependantdensities of the liquid and solid phasesof the multi-component systems arethen calculated using a simple mixturemodel and the liquid viscosity iscalculated using the Andrade’sformulation of pure liquid metals. Thethermal conductivity is also providedbut at this stage limited to aluminum alloys.

Microstructure modeling

The use of thermodynamic calculationsin ProCAST is not limited to providinginput data for process simulation.Thermodynamic databases are alsoused in a multi-componentsolidification model, coupled with thethermal and flow solvers, for theprediction of microstructures includingphase fractions, grain size, nodulecount and dendrite arm spacing.

For cast irons, mechanical properties,which are of great interest for in servicecasting performance, can in turn bepredicted from microstructuremodeling to provide information onyield strength, tensile strength and hardness.

Th r o u g h o u t t h emanufacturing industry,process simulation is nowaccepted as an important tool

in product design, processdevelopment, improving yield and insolving processing problems. However,the availability of accurate thermo-physical material properties stillrepresents a challenge and hasbecome critical for reliable simulationsof the complex solidification and solidphase transformation processes. Whilemost casting process simulationsoftware are provided with standardmaterial properties, these databasesare rarely sufficient to include allmetallic alloy grades currently usedthroughout the industry.

Thermodynamic databases

Thermo-physical material propertiescan be calculated in ProCAST for thefollowing alloys:■ aluminum, ■ iron and steel,■ magnesium, ■ nickel,■ titanium,

with up to 16 different alloyingcomponents. The prediction of thethermo-physical alloy properties islinked to databases provided by thecompany CompuTherm LLC(www.computherm.com) andcontaining thermodynamic modelparameters for each phase of the alloy.The thermodynamic data used hasbeen extensively tested and validatedfor most commercial alloys. Thefollowing properties are calculated:■ solid fraction,■ enthalpy,■ density,■ conductivity,■ viscosity.

Material properties for process simulation Predicting thermo-physical material propertiesfor casting process simulation

Yield strengthprediction (MPa)of an Inconel 713

investment castingassembly

b

d


casting 15www.esi-group.com

METEF 2004: meeting point in the extrusionand die casting industry

2004 offered anoverview onscientific andtechnologicalinnovations inthe field of diecasting, withpapers andcontr ibut ionsfrom a veryqualified panel

of experts, both academic and industrial.

METEF bi-annual tradeshow isdedicated to aluminum, extrusion,foundry, die casting, machinery,

equipment, products, raw materialsand applications. Almost 20,000visitors, met in Montichiari (Brescia),Italy, on April 21-24 for the biggestEuropean exhibition on technologiesand equipment for foundry.

Extrusion and die casting sectors arecontinuously growing, both atdomestic and international levels, andthe Brescia surroundings have thehighest concentration of operators,which explains the attractiveness of the event.

T he thirteenth solidificationcourse, organized by CalcomESI, gathered 37 people from

industry and 9 from academics comingfrom 21 countries. This one weekcourse was held in Les Diablerets,Switzerland, from May 23-28, 2004.

Dedicated to metallurgists and foundryengineers, the solidification course isorientated towards the application ofsolidification theories to industrialcasting processes. Special emphasis isgiven to the control of microstructuralfeatures and to defect reduction like

porosity, cracks and segregation.

This year’s edition featured an intensiveagenda with lectures presented byrenowned personalities from state-of-the-art Swiss, French and Americanhigh schools and universities.

Year after year, the solidification coursehas gained an established reputation.Since its first edition in 1992, thecourse has gathered 417 participantscoming from 161 companiesdistributed in 29 countries representingall 5 continents.

13th solidification course 2004:at the top of industrial metallurgy

ESI Group’s extended casting solutions on show

15

ProCAST die-castedparts on display(left, courtesy:Karibo)E SI Group took part in Metef,

showcasing its strengthenedportfolio and competence in

metallurgy and casting processes.ProCAST, CALCOSOFT and PAM-CAST were displayed on ESI Groupbooth in partnership with HP andthe Italian agent Ecotre.

In parallel to the exhibition, the 2ndinternational High Tech Die CastingConference was held April 21-22.ESI Group gave a paper on Stressand fatigue analysis in die castingwithin the symposium “Technologyfor the die”. The Conference HTDC


events16 www.esi-group.com

Information and on-line registration at:http://www.esi-group.com/EuroPAM2004/

Innovate with simulation;this will be the EuroPAM 2004’smotto. In other words, this means

moving away from the traditional trial-and-error methodology and embracingSimulation-Based Design, a newparadigm more favorable to innovation.During this three-day event, userconferences (see agenda and details inpage 2) and industry session paperswill demonstrate how digital simulationand virtual prototypes canprogressively replace physical tests ina more effective process for productexcellence and reduced time-to-market.

Keynote speeches from Volker Tietz,Head of Department for CAE methods,

Volkswagen AG, and from YvesCourage, Courage Competition, willalso draw the audience’s attention tothe pressing need to quickly introducenew and reliable products forenhanced competitiveness.

Attending EuroPAM 2004 is, more thanever, a major opportunity to hear fromrespected industry specialists aboutthe latest advances in CAE and highperformance computing. As in previousyears, the agenda includes executiveworkshops, a partner panel sessionand an exhibition area. The high-techLa Villette congress center is the idealplace to meet and share experiences,discuss enhancements and learn aboutcurrent and future industrial challenges.

AmeriPAM 2004,all in one event

EuroPAM 2004 industrysessions highlights 12 and 13 October■ Automotive Crashworthiness

• Arno Eichberger - Magna Steyr EngineeringDevelopment of a FEM-procedure for an effective Design ofthe Car Body in the Rollover Load Case

■ Automotive Manufacturing• Sébastien Ott - RenaultUse of FE Simulations to Predict Distortions After Welding

• Dr.-Ing. Michael Rethmeier - Volkswagen AGVision of VW with Respect to the Usage of WeldingAssembly Simulation in Design, Production andManufacturing

• Sven Roeren - IWB MunichA Way to Realise the Simulation of the Process ChainWelding-Forming

• Petr Hanák - SIWEDeep Drawing Die Design Based on Realistic Prediction of Drawpiece-Shape Within Drawing

■ Aerospace• Nathalie Pentecote - DLRCrash on Water: a Highly Multi-Physics Problem

• Dr. Michael McCarthy - University of LimerickMaterial Modelling of a Fibre Metal Laminate (GLARE) forSoft Body Impact Problems

• Dr. Michael McCarthy - University of LimerickBird Impact on a Fibre Metal Laminate (GLARE) AircraftLeading Edge with an SPH Approach

■ Automotive Occupant Safety• Karl Koschdon - ESI Group / Bhavik Shah - FTSSNew and Enhanced PAM-SAFE Models of Crash TestDummies

• Daniel Muñoz - Fundación CIDAUTApplication of FPM Method in the Simulation of the EarliestStages of Airbags Deployment

■ Fabricated Materials• Christophe Palloteau - TREVESDash Insulator Thermoforming Simulation

• Prof. Christophe Binetruy - Ecole des Mines de DouaiThe Potential of the Mixed FE-SPH Method to Simulate the Manufacturing of Polymer Composites

Preview of the 14th European conference andexhibition to be held October 11-13 in Paris, France

D E T R O I T

The sixth annual NorthAmerican user conference andexhibition will be held November

3-4 near Detroit at the Troy Marriott, inTroy, Michigan, USA.

The first day of AmeriPAM 2004 isdedicated to a half day user’s forum,followed by a user conference, with fivebreakout sessions held in parallel on thefollowing topics:■ Crash & Occupant Safety ■ Stamping ■ Casting ■ Vibro-Acoustics ■ CFD.

The second day, AmeriPAM 2004 willfeature in-depth presentations on ESIGroup’s simulation software and real-life deployment in a wide range ofapplications. Conference topics willcover numerous simulation applications

in product development includingbiomechanics, material rupture, noise,vibration, harshness, durability, aero-acoustics, electromagneticcompatibility, welding, heat treatment,and forming of composite and plastics. The conference will bring together topexecutives, managers, engineers anddesigners representing major Americanautomotive manufacturers andsuppliers, as well as a wide spectrum ofindustries including aerospace,defense, energy and manufacturing.

As in previous years, senior executives,key members of the development teamand product managers from ESI Groupwill be available to listen to theattendees’ requests, thus contributingto continuously improving products.

EuroPAM 2004, an opportunity not to be missed


corporate 17www.esi-group.com

Eb e r h a r d H a u g w a sresponsible for R&D projectsconcerning the PAM-SYSTEM

structural mechanics advancedsoftware range. He holds a PhD in civilengineering from the University ofBerkeley (1972) and an engineeringdegree from the University of Stuttgart(1964). Dr Haug began his career asResearch Manager of numericalapplications for the design of flexibleand deployable structures at theUniversity of Stuttgart, followed byResearch Specialist for the Institute forStructural Dynamics (ISD). He joinedESI SA in 1973 to head developmentprojects for PAM-CRASH, PAM-SAFEand PAM-STAMP, and has morerecently specialized in thebiomechanics field. EberhardHaug is a co-founder of ESIGmbH (1979).

E b e r h a r d H a u gcontributed to manypapers and lectures (cf.pages 10-11). He is also atthe origin of PAMTALKmagazine, which he intended asa newsletter relating the latest ESIGroup’s product developments andservices and establishing a linkbetween the company, its usersand scientific partners.

The whole ESI Group team, havingclosely worked with Eberhard wisheshim a nice and active retirement.

ESI Group’s ScientificDirector officially retired in August at the age of 65

Doctor Eberhard Haug, 31 years of commitment to ESI Group

Highest distinctionawarded toGuillaume Pierrot,ESI Group / EcoleCentrale ParisD r. Argiris Kamoulakos

has been nominated this yearas Secretary of the ESI Group

Scientific Committee. This committeegathers renowned professors toactively contribute in decision-makingof ESI Group’s best investmentstrategy in all technological sectors.

Argiris has a prestigiousacademic background with

the highest degreesincluding: a Bachelor ofScience in AeronauticalEngineering (1980) fromThe City University inLondon, a Master of

Science in Aeronauticsand Astronautics and a

Master of Science inMechanical Engineering (1982)

from the MIT in the USA, where hisstudies were financed by aNASA/DOE Research Assistantship.He then obtained in 1987 a PhD inAeronautical Structures from theImperial College of Science andTechnology in London. He receivedalso in 1980 the Tokaty Award and theRoyal Aeronautical Society Prize.

After a professional career dedicatedto performing many projects anddevelopments, he joined ESI Group inearly 1994 as Deputy TechnicalDirector. For 10 years he wasinstrumental in the implementation ofseveral developments in the PAMcodes like hyperelastic materials,rotating tyre models, fabric compositeshell models, Smoothed ParticleHydrodynamics, rupture models.

Argiris also participated in some highprofile studies like the hypervelocityimpact studies with the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA) and the fluidstructure interaction studies withBoeing for the American AircraftHardening Project in the aftermath ofthe Lockerbie accident investigation.He is a Fellow of the RoyalAeronautical Society, a CharteredEngineer, and a Senior Member of theAIAA. He is the author of 18 scientificpublications and was deeply involvedin the implementation of the so-calledEWK (ESI-Wilkins-Kamoulakos)rupture model.

All in all, as Argiris said when hearrived at ESI, his real expertise staysin solving problems by usingc o n v e n t i o n a l m e t h o d s i nunconventional ways.

Gu i l l aume P ie r ro treceived his PhD aftersuccessfully defending his

dissertation on Development andanalysis of a meshless method for firstorder hyperbolic systems on June 23 ofthis year. This graduation marks thecompletion of his engineering degreefrom Ecole Centrale Paris, one of themost prestigious engineeringinstitutions in France,and of a three-yearresearch work atESI Group.

T h e b a s i cmotivation for thisPhD work was to improve andextend remeshingtechniques such asthe Smoothed ParticleH y d r o d y n a m i c s (SPH) method to fluid dynamics, witha c c u r a c y a n d consistency.The interest of the scientific communityfor meshless methods has beengrowing over the last decade to handlecomplex geometries or very largedeformations.

As an example, ESI Group is currentlymarketing its Finite Point Method(FPM), a meshless solution for accurateairbag deployment simulation.Guillaume Pierrot has developed a newmeshless method for solving first orderhyperbolic systems, that appear inmany physical problems such as gasdynamics, hyper-elastic materials ormagneto-hydrodynamics.

Now Guillaume is working full-time forESI Group in the CFD team, applyinghis skills to push away other fluiddynamics boundaries.

Dr. ArgirisKamoulakos

Graduation in presence ofmany renownedprofessors

Dr. Eberhard Hauga passionatesupporter of ESI Group and an eminentscientist


Information and registration on www.esi-group.com

Date Event PlaceSept. 20-21 2004 Equipment Expo organized by the Investment Casting Institute Covington, KY (USA)

Oct. 6-8 HK 2004 60th colloquium for heat treatment, material technology, Wiesbaden (Germany)manufacturing and process technology

Oct. 11-13 EuroPAM 2004 14th European Conference and Exhibition on Digital Paris (France)Simulation for Virtual Engineering

Oct. 26-30 EuroBlech 2004 18th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition Hannover (Germany)

Nov. 3-4 AmeriPAM 2004 6th North American Conference and Exhibition on Digital Detroit, MI (USA)Simulation for Virtual Engineering

ESI Group participates in the following events:

Nov. 8-9 HanPAM 2004 10th Conference and Exhibition on Digital Seoul (South Korea)Simulation for Virtual Engineering

Nov. 11-12 PUCA 2004 15th Conference and Exhibition on Digital Tokyo (Japan)Simulation for Virtual Engineering

Nov. 15-16 ChinaPAM 2004 3rd Conference and Exhibition on Digital Beijing (China)Simulation for Virtual Engineering

18 www.esi-group.com

ESI Group reinforces its international leadership

serve customer needs and meet thedemands of the industry”. Through thissubsidiary, ESI Group addscomplementary remote developmentknow-how, recognized by such majorAmerican car makers as GM and Ford,and will provide for existing customersgrowing needs of support. In order tosustain business growth, the teams willmove to a new premises by the end of2004.

ESI Software India Pvt. Ltd: 213, 3rd Main, 4th Cross. Chamarajpet. Bangalore 560 018, India.

Zhong Guo ESI Co., Ltd.Distribution and Services division

The take-over of ESTI EngineeringSimulation Technology Inc., based inCanton, is part of ESI Group’s strategyto build a large distribution network on

Opening celebration of ESI Software India.

From left to right: J.-L. Duval, Business

Development Manager,ESI Group,

Nagesh, ManagingDirector, ESI Group India

and O.Philippe, Human Resource

Director, ESI Group

SUCCESS STORY STRATEGY PRODUCT NEWS SAFETY CORPORATECASTING EVENTS

Asian markets with high potential.Acquiring control of its former Chineseagent allows ESI Group to extendexisting partnerships with such keycustomers as Shanghai Volkswagen,First Auto Works, Dong Feng Motorsand Harbin Hafei Motors and withleading universities in this area.

ESTI Engineering SimulationTechnology Inc. was set up in May2000 to market ESI Group’s simulationsoftware in China. Since its creation,ESTI has shown its capacity to build upa customer base, including manyChinese industrial leaders. With a teamof seven highly qualified employees,ESTI posted still-modest but fastgrowing sales of USD 540,000 in 2003.Today, Zhong Guo ESI employs ninepeople full-time, one of them beingbased in Beijing, the capital city. A newoffice should be opened before the endof the year in Shanghai, the largest cityof China.

Zhong Guo ESI Co., Ltd: Unit 608A, Guangdong Soft-Park, No. 11 Caipin Road, Complex building, Guangzhou Science City (GSC),Guangzhou city 510663, China.

To find the nearest office, please go towww.esi-group.com

Creation of two subsidiaries in India and China

corporate

ESI GROUP INDIA Pvt LtdSoftware Publishing division

ESI Group’s Indian subsidiary wasfounded last February, following theacquisition of EASi USA’s intellectualproperty rights to the EASi CAEsoftware. Announced in September2003, the integration of EASi technologywill allow ESI Group to offer a powerfulCAE software solution within the overallVTOS simulation environment.

Based in Bangalore, ESI Software Indiais a wholly-owned subsidiary. A team of36 high-level engineers, previouslyemployed by EASi India, is developingthese efficient and productive CAEsoftware environments. “The majorityof our team has graduated fromleading universities with post graduatedegree and has a strong industrialbackground, says Nagesh, ManagingDirector, ESI Software India. “They areskilled at combining users experiencein engineering design and analysis to

The 6th floor of the building

hosts the ZhongGuo ESI team in Guangzhou

city

corporate 19www.esi-group.com

ESI Group and LSTC to collaborate on futurereleases of EASi-CRASHDYNA for LS-DYNA

Partnership will enable an enhanced

solution for crashworthiness and

occupant safety simulation to car

manufacturers and automotive suppliers

ESI Group and LSTC announce a multi-year collaborativeagreement to continue the development of EASi-CRASH DYNA,a comprehensive CAE environment for multi-body and finite

element occupant safety simulations using LS-DYNA.

In 2003, ESI Group acquired the intellectual property rights of EASi’sCAE software, including EASi-CRASH, EASi-Vista and EASi-Process.

■ EASi-Vista is a software environment that fully exploits the power of object-oriented technology, ensuring highperformance and productivity.

■ EASi-Process is an advanced technology for creating,automating, and standardizing CAE processes.

ESI Group will reinforce the development of these tools to provide acommon user environment for an extended range of CAEapplications, including LS-DYNA solver.

EASi-CRASH DYNA will continue to be developed by the same teambased in Bangalore, India, and will be sold by ESI Group worldwide.

Together, ESI Group and LSTC will provide simultaneous releases ofLS-DYNA and EASi-CRASH DYNA to ensure continuity and theintegration of future enhancements to meet market and customerrequirements.

LS-DYNA, from LSTC, is a general-purpose transient dynamic finiteelement program capable of simulating complex real worldproblems.

What’s new at www.esi-group.com?

N ew computational fluiddynamics and multiphysicssolutions acquired from CFDRC

are now online in a new productssection. The Advanced CFD pagesinclude a product description, with anoverview of the modules and capabilitiesfor CFD-ACE+, CFD-CADalyzer, CFD-FASTRAN and CFD-TOPO. Manyindustrial applications in the area ofsemiconductor, biotechnology, fuel cells,MEMS (Micro Electro MechanicalSystems), plasma, aerothermics andaerodynamics are presented.

The worldwide conferences andexhibitions on digital simulation for virtualengineering are largely advertised on ESIGroup’s web site. In particular, EuroPAM2004, the first of a series of five annualevents, allows visitors to access, directlyfrom the home page, the agenda of thededicated user conferences and industry

sessions, short biographies of keynotespeakers and other practical information.AmeriPAM, HanPAM, PUCA andChinaPAM will be held in November,respectively in Detroit, Seoul, Tokyo andBeijing. Corresponding web sites will beregularly enriched with updated data.

Finally, the latest issues of ESI Group’selectronic newsletters, PAMTALK and“News on-line”, are posted at the bottomof the page for download or on-linesubscription.

Please, come and visit the ESI Group homepage frequently to get the latest news. If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to use [email protected] e-mail addressor the contact web page

SUCCESS STORY STRATEGY PRODUCT NEWS SAFETY CORPORATECASTING EVENTS

EASi-CRASH DYNA,a complete, efficientand productive CAEenvironment formulti-body and finiteelement occupantsafety simulationsusing LS-DYNA

HP Workstation c8000Extreme UNIX power, whisper quiet

The HP Workstation c8000 is a 64-bit workstation that brings2-way and 4-way computing power to the desktop, supportsthe latest industry-leading AGP 8X graphics and is compatiblewith existing HP-UX application environments.

The HP c8000 is designed to address the most demanding technical workloads in

automotive, aerospace and electronic design enterprises, with four times the processor

and memory I/O bandwidth and 25 percent lower memory latency of previous

generation PA-RISC workstations. It is ideal for handling the complexities of large

model, system assemblies, design analysis and simulations. The HP c8000 also

features breakthrough graphics performance with industry-standard AGP 8X graphics

on a UNIX workstation. No longer are you captive to antiquated, proprietary graphics

cards that trail industry innovation.

For more information, visit www.hp.com/workstations

HP Workstation c8000

2 or 4-way system using dual corePA-8800 processor modules at 900 MHz or 1.0 GHz with 32 MB of L2 cache

HP Scalable Processor Chipset zx1

HP-UX 11i TCOE or HP-UX 11i MTOE

Up to 16 GB PC2100 registeredECC DDR-266

ATI FireGL T2-128p and ATI FireGL X1-256pAGP-8X graphics

© 2004 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warrantystatements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Screen image courtesy of Dassault Systemes

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