Training:

Relevant data for this tutorial:

Step 1: Start MSC Apex Generative Design 2020

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, .step and .sldprt files into the program.

Import/create the Design space including the Nondesign spaces in MSC Apex Generative Design 2020 as one solid. For this pressure tutorial the already prepared Design space with several solids was imported.
After the import you should combine all the solids with a Boolean operation. Ensure that you marked the box “Merge Solids As Cells”.

Now you have one solid with different cells
Next create the material in the Materials editor and assign it to the Design space
The specific values needed are the Young's module (210e3 MPa), the Poisson ratio (0.3) and the density (7.8e-6 kg/mm³)
Nondesign spaces have to be selected using the optimisation Tools. In this case the two flanges and four bolts in each of them are selected as Nondesigns.

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 two pressure loads are defined (one on the upper surface and one on the lower surface of the pipe):

Name	Force/Moment/Pressure/Gravity	Value in N

Name	Force/Moment/Pressure/Gravity	Value in N
pressure upper	Pressure	5 MPa
pressure lower	Pressure	5 MPa

To apply the pressure loads choose the Pressure Load option and define a name and magnitude. Keep in mind: Pressure loads can only be defined on faces.

Eight constraints are created and attached on the attachment points on the flanges:

Tip: To simplify this you can choose more than one cell at once. This way you can attach the constraints to all eight points with only one condition.

Name	Direction

Name	Direction
Constraint 1	all

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 Meshless Generative Design 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 Event 1: Pressure 1, Pressure 2 and Constraint 1

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
Enter the Stress Goal: 70 MPa

Don’t forget to save the project!

Step 6: Starting the optimisation and visualizing the results

If all data are correct, the optimisation can be started and tracked in the Post Processing. The Analysis Readiness function checks if all information are 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 (increased calculation time!)

Step 7: Visualization of Stresses, Displacements & Mass

The legend can be influenced in different ways. You can add and reduce the stress/displacement steps, enlarge different steps and set new minimum and maximum values.

The first scenario is optimised with the settings from the tutorial. The second scenario is taking the warning of the first optimisation into consideration and the Code “BF1584446026” from the Warning Message was added to the Advanced User Settings. A slight difference between the result geometries is visible. More information regarding Warning & Error Codes can be found here.

MSC Apex Generative Design 2020 - Help section

Generative Design - Pressure