Material is removed from regions that are less essential for carrying the loads. The solution process involves a finite element model in which the density of the material is essentially a variable. The user defines the volume that the structure may occupy, and its loads and attachment points. It is used to generate efficient structures that carry or transmit prescribed loads. Topology optimization is a remarkable technology. Inspire is a tool for these design-responsible expert engineers. The expert engineers engaged in defining product architecture are usually not skilled in applying CAE or CAD tools. Topology optimization is best applied during the product ideation stage, while there is still freedom to decide on system packaging and overall product layout where concepts must be quickly explored, and there is not time to engage a team including CAE and CAD specialists to do an optimization study. In creating Inspire, solidThinking displays innovation and a deep understanding of the design and product development process. Further, it fits the need to apply topology optimization at the concept stage, ahead of detailed CAD design and the usual simulation process for product validation. Inspire removes the need for an expert understanding of FEA and CAD to apply topology optimization. Seeking to broaden the market for topology optimization, solidThinking (an Altair company) has now embedded the technology in a stand-alone, purpose-built tool, solidThinking Inspire. The inclusion of manufacturing and other constraints improved the applicability of the technique, but it remained something that required expert knowledge of both FEA and CAD to utilize. Since then, topology optimization has become routine in industries where efficient structures are important, like aerospace and automotive. Topology optimization is one way to “discover” structural geometry that is optimized to meet a prescribed set of performance targets while satisfying constraints like minimum weight or maximum stiffness.Īltair pioneered the commercial availability of topology optimization with OptiStruct in the early 1990s. In this paradigm, geometry is fully a part of the design discovery process. They envision a systems engineering approach, where the physical design is derived or synthesized from its performance and other requirements. Leading thinkers focus on the idea that the geometry of a product design should be a result of the design process, not a starting point. Particularly as simulation drives into the early part of the product development process, to help select product concepts and to define product architecture, the tools must be simpler, faster, and more capable to support critical product decisions that cross multiple disciplines. The organic shapes generated with this technology are functional and often aesthetically appealingĪs the revolution in digital product definition continues, strong forces are seeking to democratize the tools that are employed, to make them easier to use and accessible to a wider audience.solidThinking Inspire is finding applications in industries beyond automotive and aerospace, including architecture and industrial design.Customers report that topology optimization results in first-time capable designs and eliminates iterative redesigns to meet performance requirements.solidThinking Inspire is a purpose-built topology optimization tool that can be used by design engineers up front in the product development process.Altair, the parent company of solidThinking, pioneered the commercial availability of topology optimization with OptiStruct.Topology optimization generates efficient lightweight structures that meet performance requirements for weight, stiffness, and strength.CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online ArchiveĬIMdata News solidThinking Inspire Democratizes Optimization-Driven Concept Design: A CIMdata Commentary