Developing a Complete Simulation Environment on the Example of Coil Springs1 Anders Winkler Dassault Systemes AB, Klara Södra Kyrkogata 1,SE-11152,Stockholm,Sweden TEL:+ 46-72-571-4715 e-mail:
[email protected] Alan Tan and Kazuhiro Maeda Dassault Systemes K.K., ThinkPark Tower 2-1-1 Osaki, Shinagawa-Ku,101-0038 Tokyo, Japan Modern simulation tools and technology allow engineers to conduct deep going investigations on the objects they are working on and to draw vital conclusions which greatly accelerate both progress and innovation, ultimately enhancing product experience. Current tools allow the analyst to conduct detailed assessments of individual parts in a simulated process chain. As such, a seemingly not apparent challenge lies in creating a framework where these assessments are linked in a logical fashion so that the focus is placed on the total engineering value output, rather than the connection between tools. Such a framework can be referred to as a simulation environment. A good simulation environment will provide the analyst with greater flexibility and more time to make the right engineering decisions. Coil springs are versatile machine elements that are well suited for virtual assessment; manufacturing, treatment, structural integrity and durability are parts of a simulation environment. These parts can be evaluated according to specifications and requirements, but also better understood and certainly optimized, with the right framework in place. In this work we have evaluated individual processes in a simulation process chain of coil springs with respect to real life applicability, and drawn up a map to chart the interactions between the processes. In addition we have tried to develop a generic way of creating simulation environments for coil springs, but one that is also applicable to other machine elements. This reference can hopefully be used to facilitate similar simulation tasks.
Keywords : Simulation Environment, Manufacturing, Structural Integrity, Durability, Virtual Assessment, Optimization, Engineering Value, Coil Springs
Disclaimer: All statements are strictly based on the authors’ opinions. Dassault Systèmes and its affiliates disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a result of the use of any information or advice contained in this article, either directly or indirectly. 1
1.
INTRODUCTION
main in which the surroundings are made of experience, knowledge, research, cutting edge technology
Simulation tools and capabilities continu-
and a will to constantly improve the numerical rep-
ously improve with time. As technology develops,
resentation of the physical world. This allows the or-
so do the simulation tools we apply, and as a subse-
ganisms working in the simulation environment to
quent result, our investigations do too. Complexity
produce feats of wonder, such as the philae comet
increases, we are able to extract more information to
lander, the autonomous drive motor car or a real
feed our engineering curiosity and we begin to think
model of the beating human heart.1)-3)) To perhaps
about our simulations from a new perspective. This
help facilitating such wonders in the future, we want
notion is not new, but it is ever present and very of-
to propose a different way of thinking when changes
ten neglected. With new perspectives follow new
occur in the innovation ecosystem; the complete
questions. What can we analyze now that was not
simulation environment, a universal and systematic
possible before? How should we set up our analyses
thought process for quick deployment of any simu-
to make the best use of the new technology? What
lation method, workflow or strategy, regardless of
are the new limitations? These questions are the re-
the topic at hand.
sult of individuals contemplating the influences imposed on their daily work. The role of simulation is
2.
A COMPLETE SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT
also ever changing, and presently we are operating in an age where experience and innovation are the key drivers of change, albeit in a reciprocating fash-
From a general point of view, a simulation environ-
ion. Such a situation is very challenging for all par-
ment needs to contain interfaces and to obtain infor-
ties involved; innovators, designers, analysts and re-
mation from the following sources;
searchers alike. A common denominator for the
•
challenges is the way we perceive ourselves, our skills and our contributions on a larger scale. It is very difficult to organize company IP, engineering know-how and experience in charts, tables, dia-
•
grams and similar. One gets lost in detail too easily. Instead, we want to propose thinking about changes from a more complete/holistic viewpoint which benefits all parties involved; the simulation environ-
•
ment. The simulation environment can be thought of as a constituent of the innovation ecosystem, in
•
which all participants are interacting organisms. Being defined by the interactions between organisms as well as between organisms and their respective environments, there is no physical limitation regard-
•
ing the size of the ecosystem. In less complex terms, one can imagine the “limits” of innovation as the combined efforts of all organisms and environments interacting in the ecosystem. As these are organic
•
one may theoretically imagine that innovation has no limit. The simulation environment is thus a do-
•
Raw materials
• • •
microstructure availability batch sensitivity
Design
• • •
standards & guidelines methodologies experience
Manufacturing
• • •
cost quality effectiveness
Assembly
• • •
manual semi-automated automated
Field deployment
• • •
testing environment specified usage unforeseen usage
Software and hardware capabilities
• • •
Technological capability level reliability validation depth
Academia and Research
• • •
theory innovations experimental breakthrough
3.
THE COIL SPRING
technological advance
The above can easier be put to use if depicted in a
In general, springs can be thought of as machine el-
mind map, as shown in Fig. 1 below.
ements that deform elastically under the influence of force, and in the case of unloading at least partially release the potential energy having been stored as a result of the applied load.8)) With respect to the material designation it is reasonable to consider two main categories, metallic and non-metallic. The two categories may be further subdivided as follows;
Metallic o
Steels
o
Nonferrous metals
Non-metallic o
Elastomers
o
Woods
o
Fluids
o
Polymers
The function of a spring is diverse, and the table below provides a general overview only. Fig.1.The complete simulation environment idea in mind map form Each source needs to be assessed to such an extent, that the creation of an expert system4)) regarding the particular topic is created. As such, databases will grow systematically as more information and expe-
Table 1. Examples of functions, tasks and applications for coil springs. Function force closure
rience are gathered over time. It is therefore para-
Task ensure the transmission of power between two points
Application clutches, brakes, contact springs
mount that an efficient interrogation system is available and that database interconnections may be utilized to allow for applied lateral thinking.5)-7)) A hard but necessary requirement placed on the simulation environment is the capability to use all available information directly without the need for unnecessary simplifications. The purpose of the requirement is to guarantee maximum simulation transparency, in order to minimize potential human error. If the results can be both reviewed and under-
energy storage
controlled elastic recovery
valve trains, loading mechanisms
clearance compensation
thermal expansion, wear
clutches, bearings
damping & suspension
frictional work
wheel suspensions, engine mounts
frequency response system
dynamic force excitation
shaker tables
stood by all parties involved, it is our opinion that the innovation success rate will increase dramati-
The following section focuses on the coil spring.
cally. In the following sections, we will demonstrate
Coil springs can be used to transfer tension, com-
the deployment of the complete simulation environ-
pression and bending. The manufacturing process of
ment based on the example of a coil spring.
a coil spring can be divided into three stages; coiling, hardening and finishing. Each stage can be said to contain a number of steps, as exemplified below.
assessment outlined implicitly in section 2, incorpo1) Coiling
rating the general coil spring overview in section 3.
a)
cold winding
The following interacting organisms and key char-
i)
acteristics have been identified.
limited by the wire diameter
b) hot winding i)
applied to be able to coil thicker wire or bar stock
ii) produces a brittle spring that requires
Table 2. Interacting organisms, characteristics and their impact on the complete simulation environment.
subsequent tempering 2) Heat treatment a)
Tempering to remove residual stress
3) Finishing a)
Grinding i)
Design with flat ends
b) Shot peening i) c)
For increased fatigue strength
Setting i)
Full compression of all coils
ii) Fixes the length and pitch d) Coating i)
Prevent corrosion (1) Paint (2) Liquid rubber (3) Plating with Zn or Cr
e)
Packaging i)
Designed to minimize damage or tangling of the springs
Ultimately, the application specifications and requirements will drive the spring design in terms of
Organism
Characteristics Parametric Associative Transferable Representative Aspects to consider A1. How quickly can design changes be transferred to simulations and vice versa? A2. What information depth can be retained when moving between different simulation disciplines? A3. How can the changes in design be visualized in the most effective manner? Design
Manufacturing
Cold winding Hot winding Setting Tempering Grinding Shot peening Coating Packaging Representative Aspects to consider A4. Can we simulate the coiling process in a tractable fashion pertaining to time? A5. Can all subsequent steps be considered? A6. Will the results be accessible to all organisms in the environment?
product development. At the same time, the possibilities for innovative thinking in this context based on virtual studies are immense, and as such can facilitate the transition between traditional or “classical” thinking and the unexpected creative solutions emerging as a result of the innovation ecosystem. 4.
CREATING THE COMPLETE SIMULA-
Assembly
Alignment Compression Fixation Representative Aspects to consider A7. Can we consider tolerance effects? A8. Can we investigate the optimum combination of assembly parameters A9. Can we transparently assess the effects of misalignment on subsequent product quality?
TION ENVIRONMENT Field Deployment As an example of how to use the complete simulation environment thinking, we will now provide an example applied to an automotive coil spring. As given background information we refer to some papers.9-13) This constitutes our starting point for the
Proving ground Customer end usage Representative Aspects to consider A10. How do we account for the entire duty cycle? A11. Can we address multiaxiality? A12. Can we consider statistical aspects?
Software and Hardware Capabilities
Contact
the expert system. Table 3 shows the manual opera-
Large deformation
tion of this task. For this particular case we have
Nonlinear materials
used Dassault Systemes brands as members.
Residual stresses Temperature effects Hardening Representative Aspects to consider A13. Is our representation of contact physically correct? A14. How do we cope with cases of convergence difficutlies? A15. How do we enable the use of application specific constitutive behaviour? Academia & Research
Theory innovations Experimental breakthrough Technological advance
Representative Aspects to consider A16. How can we quickly incorporate new data? A17. How can we pragmatically apply a new theory? A18. How can we determine the potential value of a not yet validated concept pertaining to our application? Raw Materials
Microstructure Availability Batch sensitivity
Table 3. Manual member assignment. Aspect A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 A16 A17 A18 A19 A20 A21
Member CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA DELMIA, SIMULIA SIMULIA SIMULIA SIMULIA SIMULIA SIMULIA SIMULIA ENOVIA, SIMULIA ENOVIA, SIMULIA ENOVIA, SIMULIA BIOVIA, SIMULIA BIOVIA, SIMULIA BIOVIA, SIMULIA
To better visualize the assembled complete simulaRepresentative Aspects to consider A19. How can we consider supplier variations in material properties? A20. How can we consider batch variations in material properties? A21. How can we objectively compare materials against each other?
The number of representative aspects in Table 2 has been kept small, simply to demonstrate the simplicity with which they can be identified. More complex environments can of course contain as many aspects as needed, and in an ideal case, these aspects will have been identified by an expert system. The expert system is an indispensable element of the complete simulation environment. The aspects can now be listed and individual members assigned to each of them. This is also a task which can be completed by
tion environment, the mind map from Fig. 1 is modified and redrawn in Fig. 2. As an expert knowledge base we plan to deploy ENOVIA. We will also make use of the SIMULIA SLM (Simulation Lifecycle Management) to add engineering value.
4) Draft the expert system 5) Feed the expert system a)
Supply all information from steps 1-3
b) Run a series of automated variations of 1-3 6) Let the expert system suggest the best way to create the spring based on questions from the parties involved in spring design. 5.
SUMMARY
In this paper we have attempted to outline, explain and deploy an innovation facilitation technique termed “complete simulation environment”. The technique is intended to allow for fast and easy setups and deployments of simulation environments in an innovation ecosystem, independently of simulation discipline, components analyzed, techniques deployed and available information input. A comFig.2.The complete simulation environment concept
plete simulation environment has been created for
for the coil spring in mind map form
the example of a coil spring, based on an assessment conducted with the help of a small amount of theo-
The complete simulation environment has thus been
retical and experimental research input. A system-
drafted and is ready for trial. The framework for or-
atic trial of the complete simulation environment
ganic interaction between all disciplines and aspects
functionality is currently being conducted, with in-
has been laid out and the degree of complexity can
dividual steps listed in section 4. It is the aim of the
be increased at any time. Repeated use of the envi-
authors to present the detailed results of this trial at
ronment will also feed the expert system with the
a later date.
necessary input at a steadily increasing fast rate, enabling the environment to function as a power
6.
CONCLUSION
source for continuous innovation. Innovation can be defined as the response to a direct Describing the details of the trial of the environment
or indirect challenge, issued as a result of change in
is beyond the scope of this paper. However, the steps
the general current state of equilibrium. This con-
involved are presented below, and offers an insight
cerns, but is not limited to, corporate competition,
into the holistic nature of the environment.
the global climate, technological advance and so on. At the same time, innovation needs to be powered,
1) Create the initial spring design
lest it is unable to rise to the challenge. Simulation
2) Simulate the spring
is a major power source for innovation, yet its com-
a)
Manufacturing
plexity and diversity sometimes makes it more dif-
b) Assembly
ficult to utilize than it needs to be. The current trend
c)
in simulation is to constantly make it more user-
Proving ground
d) Client end usage 3) Review and assess the spring performance a)
friendly, more accessible and more valuable to a larger group of people.
Requirements
b) Possibilities for improvement
The “complete simulation environment” is a tech-
c)
nique aimed at enabling rapid deployment of best
Deploy improvement technologies
practice simulation systems which deliver total
decision making for the 21st century,
transparency and value appreciation to all parties in-
(Academic Press 2002), ISBN 978-0-12-
volved or affected by them. It is an easy- to-apply
443880-4, pp.1-22
systematic process, with limitless room for diversi-
5)
E. DeBono, Lateral thinking: creativity step
fication and expansion. It works the same way irre-
by step, (Harper & Row 1970), ISBN 0-14-
spectively of the engineering discipline, the level of
021978-1
detail, the number of people involved and industry
6)
focus. The “complete simulation environment” can therefore be considered universal.
E. DeBono, Po: Beyond Yes and No, (Penguin Books 1972), ISBN 0-14-021715-0
7)
E. DeBono, Serious creativity: using the power of lateral thinking to create new ideas,
The authors have chosen to create a sample “complete simulation environment” for coil springs and
(Harper Business 1992), ISBN 0-88730-635-7 8)
W. Steinhilper and B. Sauer,
trialing it using Dassault Systemes products. The in-
Konstruktionselemente des Maschinenbaus 1,
tention however, is to see the technique deployed by
(Springer Verlag, 2008), pp.199-267.
as many engineers as possible, utilizing the tools at their disposals, whilst exploring new ways to constantly improving their own simulation workflows, powering the innovations of tomorrow.
9)
G. Berti and M. Monti , Experimental and numerical analysis of the cold forming process of automotive suspension springs
10) G. Berti and M. Monti, FEM analysis of the forming process of automotive suspension
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