A simulation-driven design process is proven to generate improved, more robust and cost-effective designs within a shorter design cycle. Incorporating simulation and optimization early in the design cycle helps shape the concept designs so less iterations and rework is necessary as the design matures. This paper is intended to discuss the initial steps that can be taken when using a simulation-driven design approach to design and engineer products. Several of Altair’s design and engineering tools will be coupled to achieve various design goals.

Altair’s work on Driver vs. Driver, Wilson Golf’s television competition that followed aspiring golf club designers in their journey to develop Wilson’s next club in production. Our industrial design team worked with each of the contestants to develop and model the designs in Evolve while our CFD experts helped them simulate and optimize the aerodynamics of the club in Virtual Wind Tunnel.

In order to compete in the fast-paced retail industry, a chain of more than 100 sporting goods stores operating across the United States needed a more efficient and accurate method for preparing and analyzing data to enable management teams to quickly make strategic operational decisions.

One of the key research activities within the institute is concerned with the development of enhanced human surrogate models for sports personal protective equipment (PPE) research. Impact surrogates are used to provide a representation of a living human which can then be impacted under injurious loading conditions such as a ball impacting the thigh to understand the response behaviour.