The Best Simulation Experts are also
Good Engineers.
Frustrated by
Contract CAE Services Who Don’t Seem to Know Anything
about Engineering?
Upwind Technology specializes in solving complex Finite Element
Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) problems
requiring high levels of engineering knowledge and expertise.
You can go to a lot of places to have Computer Aided Engineering
(CAE) work done. Their sales people will always tell you that
they can solve your problems no matter what they are. Then the
company will assign a fresh college grad or junior engineer to
build a computer model and generate a lot of pretty pictures for
you. They’ll loosely call this “Analysis” although it’s probably
not what you’d call true analysis from an engineering viewpoint.
Some CAE companies use overseas affiliates or their own
employees located overseas to offer very low labor rates.
They’ll do exactly what you say; even if you’re not sure it’s
right because they don’t know any better. If your CAE project is
straightforward, easily definable, or something you’ve done for
the hundredth time, it’s not a bad idea to use these companies.
They’ll almost always be less expensive.
Don’t Pass Up Your Chance to See
What No One Has Ever Seen Before
If you’re dealing with highly complex geometries, complicated
physics, or trying something you’ve never done, you’ll need a
lot more collaboration, guidance, and engineering expertise. In
addition, one of the greatest benefits of doing CAE analysis is
that it enables you to see things that you could never see by
physical testing or observation. We consider CAE as being a
pathway to new discoveries. CAE models will enable you to see
things that no one has ever seen before. And when properly
harnessed, this capability can lead you to major product and
process innovation. But the computer modeler who just got his
engineering degree six months ago most likely won’t recognize
these opportunities. His interest is in building the model and
getting a converged solution, not in looking for engineering
insight. Likewise, you may also miss the opportunity if you
don’t have time to deep dive into the models.
There is No
Substitute for Education AND Experience
It’s situations like these where Upwind Technology offers its
greatest value. We have been providing CAE services to major
automotive manufacturing customers and suppliers for over ten
years. Automotive CAE applications are some of the most
challenging in the business. The Upwind Technology staff
consists of MS and PhD level engineers who have significant
practical experience solving real world engineering problems and
providing our customers with greater engineering understanding.
These include:
Computational Fluids Dynamics (CFD)
• Engine cooling
• In-cylinder flows
• Intake/exhaust
• Water pumps and turbo machinery
• Climate control
• Exterior aerodynamics
• Under hood and underbody flows
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
• Engine thermal and stress
• Gasket contact/seal
• HVAC modal and frequency response
• Thermal fatigue
• Paint oven heat transfer
• Heat treatment quenching
• Dynamics/Crash
• Electronic packaging
One Secret to Doing CFD Faster
Upwind Technology is also the primary distributor in the United
States for SC/Tetra CFD software developed by Software Cradle in
Japan. SC/Tetra is the fastest growing CFD software in Asia and
is starting to become recognized in North America. Using
SC/Tetra provides Upwind Technology with major cost and
efficiency advantages when doing CFD simulations. SC/Tetra’s
powerful mesh generation and diagnostic capabilities rival
highly specialized 3rd party software for identifying and fixing
problems in the mesh. This leads to dramatic reductions in the
time required for modeling complex geometries. If you’ve been in
the CAE business very long, you know that grid generation is one
of the foremost challenges in the modeling process and the most
time consuming. And it’s an even greater challenge for CFD than
it is for typical FEA applications.
We realize you’re not likely to choose a CAE firm to do your
computer simulation work based on what’s said on a company
website. But if you’ve been in the CAE business for any length
of time, you’ll know that most of the concerns we’ve raised here
regarding contract CAE services are true. Whatever CAE questions
you may have, whether you’re just getting started in CAE or
you’re an expert, we’d be interested in talking with you and
helping you get started in the right direction.
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