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HyperWorks Assists SOGECLAIR Aerospace in Developing Innovative Aircraft Flooring Concept
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Automation & Control - Human Machine Interface (HMI)
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
- Transportation Simulation
Services
- System Integration
- Testing & Certification
The Challenge
SOGECLAIR aerospace, a major partner in engineering and prime contractor for the aerospace industry, was tasked with the development of a new flooring concept for aircraft cabins. The challenge was to create a lighter structure, adjustable panels for all types of aircraft, and ensure easier installation and maintenance. The aerospace industry has always been at the forefront of weight optimization and lightweight design, hence it was not surprising that aerospace also was one of the first industries to use alternative materials such as composites. The engineers had to consider conflicting issues such as weight, design, maximal dimensions, strength, stiffness etc. The use of optimization technology is the solution to combine all of these constrains with respect to an optimal composite layout. In this context SOGECLAIR aerospace investigates innovative materials and processes to integrate them in the design, analysis, and optimization.
About The Customer
SOGECLAIR aerospace, part of the SOGECLAIR group, is a major partner in engineering and a prime contractor for the aerospace industry. The company is present in several countries including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Tunisia, and Canada, as well as in the dollar zone and off-shore (India and Turkey). With a team of nearly 1000 highly qualified people, SOGECLAIR aerospace offers a variety of services including aero structures, systems installation, configuration and product data management, equipment, and manufacturing engineering. The company also provides Innovation & Development (I&D), project management, industrial cooperation programs, industrialization, integration, certification, processes, quality, IT resources, procurement, subcontracting, support, aftersales and more.
The Solution
To address these challenges, SOGECLAIR aerospace employed Altair's HyperWorks suite, particularly HyperMesh and HyperView as a pre- and postprocessor, OptiStruct for optimization issues, RADIOSS for linear and nonlinear simulation, and solidThinking Evolve/Inspire for concept modeling. In a typical project, the first step is a feasibility study of the objectives to clear up whether it is possible to create an efficient solution. To develop composite structures, the engineers conduct Freesize and Size optimizations defining different patches and layer thicknesses of the composite material, followed by a shuffle optimization to determine the optimal stacking sequence of the single layers. Also gauge optimizations are conducted in order to reach the optimal dimensions of the composite stiffener. In the subsequent development process, the engineers compare the numerical analysis results with tests data, in particular the strains in different stackings.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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