Training:

Relevant data for this tutorial:

Step 1: Start MSC Apex Generative Design

The program starts and you can directly create your optimisation model

Step 2: Model generation

You can either create the geometry directly in MSC Apex Generative Design or import already existing files. You can import .xb, .xt, .step, and .sldprt files into the program.

• First of all import the existing assembly in which you want to replace one ore more parts (the colours are changed to distinguish the parts better)

• In this case there are three parts that are to be consolidated and one part that is to be retained

Create initial Design Space

• Open the Optimisation Tools and click on the Design Space Tool Tool

• Choose the option Create Design Space enclosing parts and choose the three parts you want to consolidate

• You can choose the Alignment Type and an Offset Factor in the Advanced Properties. In this case an offset percentage of 5% was chosen to give the optimiser more room to operate.

• The input is confirmed and the Tool creates a new part with the initial Design Space

Create Access and Clearance Regions

• Next some help geometries are created that will be subtracted from the initial Design Space. For these steps the Design Space is hidden.

• Non-Design Spaces are created where the exact Geometry after the optimisation is needed

• With the Offset-Method of the Non-Design Spaces Tool the six Non-Design Spaces are chosen as shown in the picture (offset of 2 mm)

• After this the Access Regions based on the Non-Design Spaces can be created.

• Therefore, the Access Region Tool in the Optimisation Tools is activated

• A sufficient extrude Distance is entered and the face of the Non-Design Space is chosen to create the according Access Region

• It’s recommended to choose a scaling factor for the Access Regions to have a little bit extra space for the assembly work later on (like 1.1)

• The inner surface of the Access Region is defeatured to create one filled volume. To ensure that there is also some free space on the other side, the Push/Pull Tool can be used. Drag the surface 20 mm in the positive y-direction.

• The Bracket is subtracted from the Access Region to ensure that the Non-Design Space isn’t Part of the Access Region solid

• With the same technique all Access Regions can be created. The result looks like the picture below

• Next the Clearance Region and the Access Region for the Sensor are defined

• The Clearance Region Tool is used with an offset of 0.3 mm. All faces except the one that faces towards the attachment point is chosen.

• To create the Access Region the Access Region Tool is used again - only this time the “cross section” method

• All help geometries are created and they can be subtracted from the initial Design Space to create the final Design Space. Start by subtracting the Access Regions.

• Then subtract the sensor geometry. The corresponding Clearance Region is automatically subtracted as well.

• The final Design Space is created and looks like the picture

Definition of final Non-Design Spaces

• Next the final Non-Design Spaces are defined using the Offset Method on the surfaces of the final Design Space

Definition of Machining Allowances

• Machining Allowances should be applied to every functional surface. Adjacent Faces should be selected at once, to create one coherent Machining Allowance. Therefore the automatic execution mode can be turned off.

• Tip: To have an easier access to the Non-Design Spaces choose the picking Filter “Cells” and hide the Design Space Cell so that only the Non-Design Spaces are visible. Simply choose a whole Non-Design Space by drawing a rectangle like shown in the picture below.

• Create the material in the Materials editor and assign it to the Design Space

• The specific values needed are the Young's Modulus (70000 MPa), Poisson ratio (0.27) and Density (2.7e-6 kg/mm³)

Step 3: Definition of boundary conditions

Go to the Loads & Boundary Condition Tool to enter the loads and fixations. Displacements, Forces, Moments, Gravity and Pressure Loads can be applied using different selection options.

In this case four forces and one moment are defined. The first two on both of the upper Non-Design Spaces and the last three on the Non-Design Space that is connected to the sensor:

Three constraints are created and attached on the Non-Design Spaces on the lower side:

Step 4: Definition of load cases

The next steps are defined in the Studies area.

All boundary conditions must be assigned to the specific load cases, which are defined as Events. The number of Events can be changed by adding/deleting Events to the GD Scenario. The assignment of the boundary conditions to the Events can be made in the Loads & Constrains Window. The already created loads and constraints that concern the Design Space are listed in this window and can be activated for each Event individually.

• Active in Event1: Force-Moment 1, Force-Moment 3, Force-Moment 5, Constraint 1, Constraint 2 and Constraint 3

• Active in Event1: Force-Moment 2, Force-Moment 4, Constraint 1, Constraint 2 and Constraint 3

Step 5: Definition of optimisation parameters

The optimisation parameters are selected in the Studies Area as well.

• Select the Strut Density: Medium

• Select the Shape Quality: Balanced

• Set the Complexity Setting: 16

• Enter theStress Goal: 17 MPa

Don’t forget to save the project!

Step 6: Starting the optimisation and visualizing the results

If all data is correct, the optimisation can be started and tracked in the Post Processing. The Analysis Readiness function checks if all information is provided and the optimisation can start.

All result iterations are displayed as soon as they are available. Furthermore, you are able to stop the optimisation in this selection area. However, a Restart is not directly possible.

The optimisation is finished after 64 iterations (Shape Quality: Balanced).

Generative Design

• You can always change the Strut Density, Stress Goal and Complexity to influence the results and try out different options

• The Complexity can be increased for a higher resolution and more detailed result (increased calculation time!)

• The Strut Density influences the structures which are formed during optimisation

The whole MSC Apex Generative Design project with all results can be downloaded here:

You might also be interested in these tutorials:

• Symmetry Optimisation - Bridge

• NURBS Retransition Full Workflow - GD-Bracket