News

DST Announces SimWise V9.8

Integrated Motion, FEA and Optimization product receives new capabilities and expanded interoperability

(Canton, MI March 31, 2017) – DST (Design Simulation Technologies, Inc.; www.design-simulation.com), a leading provider of affordable and flexible physics based simulation software for the professional and education markets, today announced the availability of SimWise V9.8. This release continues to expand the Optimization, FEA, CAD Integration, and Interoperability capabilities of the product.

SimWise V9.8 introduces integration with the Onshape CAD system (www.onshape.com). Onshape parts and assemblies can be opened from SimWise. Onshape assembly constraints will be converted to SimWise Motion constraints. The Onshape parts and assemblies can be used for Multibody Dynamics Simulation, Structural and Thermal FEA analysis, Durability (Fatigue) analysis, and in optimization studies. Changes made to an Onshape part or assembly can be automatically applied to the SimWise model.

A new capability to export a SimWise Motion model to ADAMS® is available in SimWise V9.8. ADAMS® is a widely used, high-end, Multibody Dynamics (MDB) analysis tool from MSC Software. A motion model built and simulated in SimWise can be transferred completely to ADAMS®, including all of the motion specified objects, where it can be immediately used in an ADAMS® simulation. Many other Multibody Dynamics Simulation systems can read ADAMS files which allows SimWise to transfer Multibody models to them also.

More information about solutions for Multibody Simulation can be found at our Solutions for Multibody Simulation page.

A SimWise Motion model can also be exported to the Simscape Multibody product from Mathworks. This expands the ways that SimWise can work together with control and other systems modelled in Simulink. SimWise has always had the ability to act as a Simulink plant model enabling co-simulation with MATLAB/Simulink allowing control systems, hydraulic systems, and power systems modelled in Simulink to control and receive feedback from Multibody Dynamics models modelled in SimWise. This new capability transfers the SimWise Multibody model to Simscape Multibody and allows it to be simulated completely within the Simulink environment.

This capability allows assemblies built in CAD systems to be transformed into working Multibody Simulation models in SimWise and transferred, ready to use, to Simscape Multibody. Workflows that formerly took days or weeks to complete, can now be completed in less than an hour. More information about this capability can be found at our Solutions for Simscape Multbody page.

The integration with Simscape Multibody has placed SimWise as an integral component in the nascent but evolving CAD-to-Chip™ workflow. A growing number of control applications require a model of the mechanical assembly being controlled to be present in the controller hardware. The model can be used for inverse/forward kinematics, path planning, and feed-forward controls where the controller can evaluate strategies using the simulation model prior to sending commands to the mechanical assembly. SimWise is link between the CAD system and the control simulation software that integrates the mechanical model with the control software.

SimWise delivers 3D kinematic and dynamic motion simulation tightly coupled with 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Optimization in a single, affordable package integrated with leading CAD systems allowing fundamental engineering questions such as “Does it work?” and “Will it break?” and “How can it be made better?”, and with the release of SimWise Durability, "How long will it last?", to be answered. Knowing the answer to these questions early in the design cycle allows necessary changes to be made at the most cost effective time without going through the expensive and time consuming steps of building a physical prototype, testing it, and redesigning it.

“This release of SimWise has focused on integrating better with other leading CAD and simulation tools” said Alan Wegienka, DST President. “We now work with the newest and most innovative CAD system, Onshape, and provide much better capabilities for utilizing the SimWise model for downstream activities. Through it all, SimWise continues to deliver high end engineering capabilities at a very affordable price.”

Major capabilities of SimWise now include:

• 3D dynamic motion simulation featuring a robust 3D contact capability that allows real-world interactions between moving parts to be simulated.
• 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) coupled with the motion simulation allowing stresses due to dynamic loading to be quickly calculated. Features such as automatic adaptivity provide high quality results. Normal modes, buckling, steady state and transient thermal and combined thermal-structural analyses are also provided.
• A Simulink interface that allows control systems modeled in Simulink to be co-simulated with a mechanical system modeled in SimWise.
• Keyframed animation for producing fly-throughs and other sophisticated visuals that aid in understand how a design is actually performing.
• Associative interfaces with SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Autodesk Inventor, SpaceClaim Engineer, Geomagic Design, Onshape.
• Ability to read CAD data from Catia V5, NX, Creo/Elements, SolidWorks, Inventor, Solid Edge, ACIS, Parasolids, STEP, IGES, and STL.
• Optimization using results from 3D Dynamic Motion simulation and 3D FEA analyses.
• Fatigue Life calculations with add-on Durability Module.
• The ability to export data to high-end analysis systems including NASTRAN, ADAMS, and Simscape Multibody and all other systems that can read their file formats.

About DST

DST develops physics based simulation software. The company's products are used by engineering professionals to build and test virtual models of their mechanical designs, and by STEM educators and students in the classroom to teach and learn about physics and engineering kinematics, dynamics, and machine design.

With DST's SimWise 4D, Working Model 2D, and Dynamic Designer products, users evaluate design performance, by conducting complete, accurate simulations. Engineers, professors and students can quickly perform “what-if” analyses, find and correct design problems, plus refine and validate designs without the need for physical prototypes.

Students in high school and college use Interactive Physics, DST's award-winning educational software, to explore and understand the physical world through simulation.

DST develops, markets, and supports these software tools for commercial and academic users worldwide. Selected DST products are available from leading CAD suppliers and CAE resellers. Learn more by visiting the DST website at www.design-simulation.com.