SIMUFACT - Simulating Manufacturing
Simufact is the core of Hexagon | MSC Software’s Virtual Manufacturing and Costing solutions. Simufact is the result of years of manufacturing experience of both OEMs and advanced industrial research, combined with the world-class nonlinear solver, Marc. There is no equivalent solution when it comes to the virtual process modelling of forming, welding and additive manufacturing processes.
Virtual Tryout – virtual mistakes cost less than the ones on the factory floor
Simufact enables engineers and manufacturers to rapidly and efficiently evaluate multiple design options and scenarios without costly and time-consuming physical prototypes and trial-and-error testing. The CAE technology helps to identify and avoid potential manufacturing defects earlier in the product development process. The insights provided by Simufact reduce material wastage, time-to-market and risks associated with manufacturing processes.
Digitise Experience & Educate Innovation
Though built on the advanced, nonlinear solver of Marc, Simufact’s intuitive GUI is developed to include non-FEA specialists and new-generation engineers. This advantage means that all the unique knowledge and legacy experience can be captured in a digital environment, confirming and verifying existing processes, while also allowing new engineers and artisans to explore manufacturing techniques, processes and sequences. Simufact is an excellent tool to teach and understand all the aspects involved in manufacturing and material science. It allows businesses to simultaneously innovate and produce to stay ahead of demand and competition.
Different Simufact Solutions of Different Manufacturing Processes
Simufact’s 3 products cover all the major metal-based manufacturing processes. Results can be shared between different products to retain the effects of manufacturing. Results can even be shared with other FEA tools to analyse performance (strength, fatigue life etc.) based upon the effects of manufacturing.
Simufact Forming covers all essential areas of forming technologies, including forging, cold forming, sheet metal forming, incremental processes and mechanical joining. It provides insights into microstructures, load calculations, material flow and influences of heat treatments.
Used for modelling and optimising a wide range of fusion and pressure welding processes, Simufact Welding is an excellent CAE tool to explore the effects and influences of weld sequences, clamping strategies and energy inputs. The technology can also assist with heat treatment and material normalisation. Simufact Welding provides users with both thermal and mechanical effects caused by the process and supports weld processes like arc welding, laser beam welding, spot welding and generative processes like Direct Energy Deposition (DED).
Simufact Additive is a scalable CAE solution for metal-based additive processes which includes powder bed fusion and binder jetting. The technology predicts and compensates for distortions and residual stresses during the printing, heat treatment, cutting hot isostatic (HIP) and machining processes. The insights provide engineers and manufacturers with the vital knowledge to prevent defects, collisions and other quality issues. The software also provides cost estimations, recommended build orientations, support optimisation as well as the ability to compensate for distortions.
Although the milling/machining manufacturing process is seen as “subtractive” manufacturing, the same technology in Simufact Additive applies to the process, but only in reverse. Simufact Additive enables engineers to visualize and predict the effects of different materials removal sequences during machining processes. This provides manufacturers with the ability to explore different strategies to achieve desired quality parts.
Design for Manufacturing
Moving out of the manufacturing realm, Hexagon | MSC Software also provides engineers with the tools before the manufacturing process happens. Various performance aspects can be evaluated to ensure that products perform as intended. This is especially relevant for additive manufactured products. The MSCOne licensing system provides a powerful ecosystem for parts consolidation, mass optimisation and reverse engineering to equip engineers with the tools and knowledge to deliver high-quality products cost-effectively in an ever-competitive world.
