Design optimizationis something of a trendy topic right now, thanks largely to the advances in processing power coupled with the new design space allowed by additive manufacturing. Shapes that were previously impossible to manufacture are being realized, and with them, engineers are given a whole new pallet of possibilities to work with.

So it stands to reason that design software would have to evolve to meet the needs of designers working within this area.

The latest company to jump onto the design optimization bandwagon is Siemens, who has recently announced the addition of two new features into its STAR-CCM+ multiphysics analysis package.

The first feature, dubbed STAR-Innovate, incorporates HEEDS technology, which was acquired by Siemens as part of its 2016 acquisition of CD-adapco. HEEDS technology is a design optimization package that allows users to automate the design process for optimal topology for fluid flows and other computational fluid dynamics operations.

In one case study, engineers used HEEDS software to evaluate the position of a cooling system inside a computer case design. After inputting the standard model, it took just two days and 50 cores to evaluate 200 different design configurations, resulting in a 10 percent increase in cooling performance and a 50 percent reduction in heatsink mass.

Take HEED(S)! Design optimization can save time and money by automatically showing the most optimum designs. (Image courtesy of Siemens.)

The second main addition to the latest version of STAR-CCM+ is the Design Manager feature, which allows users to evaluate a number of computer-generated design options based on performance requirements.

I firmly believe that single-scenario engineering simulations are about to become a thing of the past, said Jean-Claude Ercolanelli, senior VP of product management at Siemens PLM Software. If you know how to use STAR-CCM+, you will instinctively know how to use Design Manager. This means that every engineer who installs STAR-CCM+ v12.04 can now conduct design exploration studies with ease to discover better designs faster.

You can read more case studies on how HEEDS is helping engineers to increase productivity and performance at the HEEDS Design Exploration Blog.

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STAR-CCM+ Update Incorporates HEEDS for Design Space Exploration - ENGINEERING.com