CAE model build at the vehicle level is a key task in the virtual testing of a full passenger vehicle for different structural performance attributes such as crash, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and durability. The growing number of vehicle model variants increases the number of CAE models that automotive OEMs need to be handle.
We asked Erick Brun, 3DEXPERIENCE Engagement Manager with SIMULIA who developed this workflow, to provide answers to some common questions.
Q: Why does this workflow need to be analyzed?
A: The build-up of a CAE model at the vehicle level is a complex and time consuming process. There is a strong need to reduce the lead time of the vehicle model build and quickly update the CAE model build after the CAD design changes.
Q: Describe the workflow.
A: This particular analysis is applicable to the Transportation & Mobility industry, but can be extended to any industry with large CAD assemblies such as Aerospace & Defense or Industrial Equipment industries.
The main tasks of the Automotive Body in White model build workflow include:
- Extract CAD mid-surfaces from CAD solid geometries (mainly pressed parts).
- Surface meshing of the resulting mid-surface geometries based on meshing rules, which depends on performance attributes, i.e. crash, NVH, durability.
- Extract thickness from solid geometries and apply it on surface meshes.
- Import CAD fasteners (spot welds) and build CAE fasteners models.
- Check the FEM model for mesh quality, shell thickness plot, fastener meshes, etc.
All those modeling tasks are automated as much as possible. Then the analysis scenario has to be defined depending on the performance attributes. The job has been run locally or on a remote machine with High-Performance Computing (HPC) and the results are visualized locally.
An NVH workflow (free-free modal analysis) in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on a Body in White CAD is described here (click image to enlarge):
Q: What are you trying to learn from the simulation?
A: The objective is to set-up a CAE model of an automotive Body in White CAD assembly. The CAE model build of the Body in White CAD assembly (200 – 300 parts) has to be automated as much as possible. Then any CAD design change, like a new CAD part version or a new CAD fasteners configuration, can be propagated in the CAE model without user modifications.
Q: Which SIMULIA solutions did you use?
A: 3DEXPERIENCE Finite Element Modeling Specialist (SFM) is used to set-up the CAE model of the Body in White CAD assembly. Automated Modeling (batch modeling) is included in the SFM Role. 3DEXPERIENCE Mechanical Analyst (SMU) is used to build the complete structural scenario of the simulations (static, modal, NVH) and allowed to visualize analysis results (post processing). Simulation Tokens (SET) are needed to run the simulation jobs locally or on a remote machine.
View these and other 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation roles
Q: What were the advantages of using simulation on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform?
A: 3DEXPERIENCE offers all the capabilities and features to build the CAE model of a Body in White CAD assembly in an automated way. It provides the services to distribute the work in an organized way, and to create a complete CAE model at the vehicle level when different analysts have worked on different parts of the CAD assembly.
In addition, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a single source of truth and, therefore, all the CAE teams are using the same data and are informed of each other’s progress since the data is automatically managed. The users/teams have the ability to reuse existing meshes and embed them in a large assembly for different workflows.
