HyperWorks® is the most comprehensive open-architecture simulation platform, offering best-in-class technologies to design and optimize high performance, efficient and innovative products. HyperWorks includes finite element modeling, analysis and optimization for structures, fluids, multibody dynamics, electromagnetics and antenna placement, model-based development, and multiphysics. Users have full access to a wide suite of design, engineering, visualization, and data management solutions from Altair and its technology partners.
The 2017 version of the HyperWorks suite offers many new functionalities in areas such as model-based development, electromagnetism, composites structures analysis, efficient modeling and meshing, multiphysics and multi-disciplinary analysis, structural optimization and design exploration.
New Products
HyperWorks stretches your software dollar through its patented value-based licensing method. The 2017 release adds the following to the list of products available under HyperWorks units:
| 1. | A new model-based development suite, comprising of three products: |
| a. | solidThinking Activate is a tool to model, simulate and optimize multi-disciplinary systems. Activate’s intuitive block diagram environment empowers users to rapidly build demonstrations of how real world systems function and easily experiment with new ideas without any need to build prototypes. |
| b. | solidThinking Compose is an interactive and unified programming environment based upon a high level, matrix-based numerical computing language for all types of math operations. |
| c. | solidThinking Embed – formerly known as VisSim Embedded - is a visual environment for model based development of embedded systems with highly efficient diagram-to-code capabilities. |
| 2. | Comprehensive Electromagnetic (EM) Analysis and Design: |
| a. | HyperWorks’ Computational Electromagnetics Solution has been expanded through two acquisitions. The low-frequency EM solution Flux as well as the wave propagation software Winprop are now available under HyperWorks Units. |
| b. | Flux captures the complexity of electromagnetic and thermal phenomena to predict and optimize the behavior of future products with precision. Flux is well suited to simulate applications such as: electric rotating machines, actuators and sensors, high power electrical equipment, heat treatment or electromagnetic compatibility. |
| c. | FEKO, for high-frequency EM simulation includes significant enhancements to efficiently solve large and complex multi-scale EM problems such as antenna design and placement, electromagnetic compatibility, radar cross-section and scattering. A new meshing engine shortens the modeling process dramatically. |
| d. | Winprop is a close relative to FEKO. It helps modeling wireless networks, car-to-car communication and many other relevant topics related to connected devices and Industry 4.0. |
| 3. | Material modeling and advanced manufacturing: |
| a. | Multiscale Designer is another acquisition now made available under HyperWorks Units. It provides advanced solutions to develop and simulate multiscale material models of continuous, woven, and/or chopped fiber composites, honeycomb cores, reinforced concrete, soil, bones, and various other heterogeneous materials. |
| b. | RADIOSS physics modeling has been expanded through new material and failure models including a link with Multiscale Designer. |
| c. | Altair’s offering for manufacturing process simulation now includes solidThinking Click2Extrude for both metals and polymers. Click2Extrude is a virtual press where users can visualize material flow and temperature inside a die during extrusion, and make necessary changes to ensure balanced flow, while identifying and eliminating product defects. |
Key Enhancements
The new HyperWorks 2017 release includes key enhancements in the areas of usability, efficient model management, multiphysics analysis and scalability.
| 1. | Usability and efficient model management |
| a. | A brand new desktop tool called ConnectMe™ has been developed to efficiently manage, launch and update products within the HyperWorks suite., ConnectMe could be defined as the desktop twin of Altair Connect, Altair’s web customer portal. |
| b. | HyperMesh now includes a complete, robust solution for model management and part library, dramatically expanding the Part Library and Configuration Management capabilities from the previous release. |
| c. | Important features for crash and safety users have been implemented inside HyperMesh, including dummy positioning, seat belt routing and mechanism tool. |
| 2. | Multiphysics analysis and computational performance |
| a. | Major speed and scalability improvements have been implemented for all the Altair solvers. In particular, FEKO, OptiStruct, and RADIOSS employ modern computer architectures and latest solver technology to make the solutions faster and more scalable on compute clusters. |
| b. | A significant development effort has been made to expand OptiStruct’s structural nonlinear analysis capabilities. All typical finite elements are now supported for large displacement analysis. In addition a number of plasticity and hyper-elasticity materials as well as latest contact models are available for complex modeling. Non-linear transient simulation is a new solution sequence. |
| c. | AcuSolve now provides a complete array of turbulence and transition models required for industrial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. All of the supported models come with the well-known robustness of AcuSolve. |
| d. | Complex multi-physics, solver coupling has been expanded dramatically |
| • | AcuSolve and OptiStruct for direct coupled fluid-structure interaction |
| • | Flux and OptiStruct for vibro-acoustic analysis |
| • | Flux for electro-magnetic-thermal coupling |
