DESIGN,ENGINEERING TECH
Hexagon | December 02, 2022
Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division has today introduced Elements, new simulation software that helps engineering teams understand the behaviour of systems that are becoming increasingly complex in modern products. Using the software, teams can evaluate the performance and feasibility of new design concepts quickly to inform more efficient product development and reduce risk and cost.
Elements addresses the growing importance of integrated, multi-disciplinary system development and end-to-end workflows. Customers in every industry are demanding technologies that consider many physics domains and tackle mechatronics challenges in a robust way, fuelling a growing trend towards system-level engineering. Achieving this requires the integration of all relevant engineering disciplines, control systems, and third-party supplier systems to understand how the domains interact, and how a design decision in one discipline impacts others.
Systems engineers can easily learn to use the Elements software, using its drag-and-drop environment to model any physics type or logic and analyse systems by intuitively connecting blocks – regardless of whether they represent electrical, hydraulic, mechanical components – to solve system-level engineering problems. It is based on the Modelica language, which is an open and widely used standard for building fast, flexible, and customisable models.
Systems modelling is indispensable in the early design phases because little information is required – often a CAD model, equation, or lookup table is sufficient and a 3D mesh is not required. Elements further speeds up engineering development because it also ensures that system-level models compute quickly and efficiently by optimising equations and code for fast calculation, but with no loss of fidelity.
As the design develops, and components and subsystems are detailed in specialist simulation software, the components can be routinely integrated into a larger system through full compliance with the FMI standard and Hexagon's proprietary SmartFMU technology. SmartFMU unlocks the Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) for supported Hexagon products so that changes can be made directly in the Elements system-level model without having to go back to the specialist Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software and its expert user. This helps to avoid resource bottlenecks, time-consuming switching between applications, and versioning problems.
Hexagon's roadmap will see its best-in-class CAE technologies readied for easy and productive use with Elements. At launch, the software provides SmartFMU connectivity with Adams multibody dynamics software and Easy5. Future plans are likely to include workflows with Cradle CFD thermal-fluid dynamics and Actran acoustic simulation products, among others.
Both standard FMI support and the novel SmartFMU plug-and-play capabilities offer immediate value and address challenges of system complexity, including those for transportation electrification; for example:
Helping automotive engineers to find optimal solutions to vehicle range optimization issues by considering a vehicle's energy use under different driving conditions, taking into account eDrive design, regenerative braking, climate control, ADAS safety requirements, and battery choice.
Improving the flexibility and accuracy of industrial robotics by designing control systems that take detailed mechanical system vibrations and interactions from multi-body dynamics simulation into account.
Right-sizing heavy battery systems in new eVTOL aircraft designs by helping engineers understand the power draw during take-off and landing, safety margins, and thermal management system controls.
Implementing safer, more sustainable long-life battery systems by using Elements to design control systems that balance the improved performance of lithium-ion batteries at elevated temperatures with the impact heating has on cell degradation.
Elements was developed in close cooperation with Maplesoft, building upon its powerful maths engine to optimise system equations and deliver fast efficient simulation to Hexagon's customers.
"We are excited to begin this long-term collaboration with Hexagon, which has an impressive vision and track record of innovation. By combining the tried-and-tested Maplesoft system-level modelling technology with the extensive Hexagon CAE portfolio, engineers in many industries benefit from new productivity-boosting solutions that significantly reduce simulation effort."
-Chris Harduwar, VP of Strategic Solutions at Maplesoft
Mahesh Kailasam, General Manager for Design and Engineering Software at Hexagon, commented, Elements offers engineers an easy way to explore behaviour of systems quickly and find better solutions to problems using simulation, before committing designs to subsequent resource-intensive engineering processes. We look forward to a long-term collaboration with Maplesoft, using its powerful and open technology foundations to realise synergies with our extensive Hexagon CAE ecosystem portfolio and deliver valuable capabilities to our customers.
About Hexagon:
Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility applications. Our technologies are shaping production and people related ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future. Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division provides solutions that use data from design and engineering, production and metrology to make manufacturing smarter.
About Maplesoft:
Maplesoft is a leading provider of high-performance software tools for engineering, science, and mathematics. Maplesoft Engineering Solutions provide advanced tools and services for system simulation, calculation management, and systems engineering, helping organisations maximise the power of their engineering knowledge so they can complete their projects quickly and successfully. The Maplesoft product suite includes Maple, the world's most powerful math engine; Maple Flow, math software for engineering calculations; MapleSim, the advanced system-level modeling and simulation tool; and MapleMBSE, which supports a model-based systems engineering approach to requirements management. Maplesoft products and services are used in machine design, robotics, aerospace, automotive, industrial automation, and many other fields where engineers face complex challenges. Maplesoft is a subsidiary of Cybernet Systems Co. Ltd.
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CONSTRUCTION
Granite | November 22, 2022
Granite (NYSE:GVA) announced today that it has been selected as the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) for the Albion River Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation project. Located near Albion, California, the project will be delivered using the CM/GC method, which includes the contractor early in the design process to incorporate the contractor’s perspective in the planning process. This method provides more opportunities for innovation and efficiency than traditional project delivery methods. The construction portion of the project is anticipated to be valued in a range of $50 million to $85 million and awarded in 2026.
The current Albion River Bridge is a wooden-deck truss bridge that carries Highway 1 across the Albion River near the coast in Mendocino County, California. Built in 1944, wood was used for large portions of the bridge because of WWII steel and concrete shortages. At 26 feet wide, the 970-foot span does not meet modern safety standards for width and the steel truss across the center section has become significantly corroded and does not meet safety standards for critical components.
Despite the functional limitations of the existing bridge, it is a beloved local landmark and unique for being the only remaining wooden truss bridge on Highway 1. There are many alternatives, including rehabilitation and a “no build” alternative, that need to be studied and obtaining local community engagement is critical to identifying the most sustainable solution. Granite’s team will support the Caltrans Delivery Team with additional expertise, creating an integrated project delivery team to deliver a successful project.
“The selection of Granite for this CMGC project demonstrates that clients appreciate our ability to work shoulder to shoulder with planning, environmental, and design experts to deliver the best solution for a community, Our team used local knowledge, innovations from around the company, and nationwide CMGC experience to deliver an exceptional proposal to provide maximum value to Caltrans at every stage of the project.”
-Bill McGowan, Alternative Delivery Project Manager and Vice President Granite.
About Granite:
Granite is America’s Infrastructure Company™. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE:GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granite’s Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability.
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ENGINEERING TECH,CONSTRUCTION
Microdesk | January 20, 2023
On January 19, 2023, Microdesk, a leading BIM, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) services provider, announced a new collaboration with One Click LCA, the global leader in construction Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) software.
Building LCA is a scientific methodology for quantifying a building's lifetime environmental impacts, and One Click LCA makes the assessment simple as the science is built into the tool. One Click LCA assists in measuring and reducing the ecological consequences of buildings, achieving green building certifications, and complying with legislations that are now required in many countries.
Michael DeLacey, Chief Executive Officer at Microdesk, commented, "Joining forces with One Click LCA gives Microdesk a tremendous opportunity to help our clients achieve and accelerate their goals to decarbonize the AEC industry and support sustainability." He also added, "We are committed to providing the most effective and innovative technologies and tools and One Click LCA delivers that with software that adds value to all facets of planning and building while supporting the environment in a meaningful way."
(Source – PR Newswire)
The environmental goals the construction industry strives to achieve extend to the products used in construction of the projects as well. As a result, manufacturers are responding to the growing demand for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in order to reliably quantify and convey the lifetime environmental effect of their products. The LCA and EPD solution from One Click LCA provides manufacturers with an easy way to deliver third-party validated EPDs based on US and international standards.
About Microdesk
Headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, Microdesk is a leading BIM, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) services provider. It was founded in 1994 as an Autodesk Reseller with a mission to help Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner/Operators, and GIS organizations improve workflows and integrate project delivery technologies. The company has over 30 years of experience adopting innovative technologies and processes, as well as sustainable design and building initiatives. Its increased emphasis on digital transformation is another indication of the company's tradition of introducing new tools to the AEC industry in order to boost sustainability, efficiency and the ability to respond to macroeconomic changes.
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