Simulation and Component Design

Service offer

Holistic simulation and design of process-, material- and stress-adapted construction solutions

Our core expertise is holistic simulation and component design, starting from the joining process up to the loaded structural component. Thanks to the close cooperation with the process development team (e.g. laser beam welding, friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding) and our expertise department in materials technology, we are able to generate and analyze realistic simulation models.

Many different benefits can be derived from our simulations:

  • Innovation: Designed to meet the requirements of the process and the loading
  • Cost and time savings: Shortening of product development times
  • Safety: Securing and increasing component reliability
  • Lightweight construction: Utilizing the potential of lightweight construction

Welding

Structural welding simulation

  • Laser beam welding (LBW)
  • Friction Stir Welding (FSW)
  • Magnetic Pulse Welding (MPW)
  • Arc welding

Forming

Creep forming simulation

  • Sheet metal forming (deep drawing, stretch forming)
  • Cold and hot forming (e.g. creep forming of welded Al-sheets)

Further joining technologies

Design of adhesive joints
© Fraunhofer IWS
Design of adhesive joints
  • Press fits
  • Adhesive joints (design)
  • Joining by forming

Statics

Mechanical and thermo-mechanical coupled simulations

Static simulation.
© Fraunhofer IWS
Static simulation.
  • Welded large components
  • Lightweight steel construction, lightweight body construction, engine components
  • Scaffold structures (µm scale)
  • Development of material models

Fatigue

Fatigue assessment using nominal, structural, notch stress concept

Numerical fatigue design.
© Fraunhofer IWS
Numerical fatigue design.
  • Welded powertrain components / transmission parts (car, truck, aircraft)
  • Lightweight steel construction, lightweight body construction, engine construction
  • Material modelling 

Scaffold structures

Medical and industrial applications

Compression-loaded TPMS scaffold structure.
© Fraunhofer IWS
Compression-loaded TPMS scaffold structure.
  • Design of scaffold structures for individualized implant applications
  • Optimal TPMS-Designs for structural applications (TPMS: Triple Periodic Minimal Surfaces)
  • Numerical stress and fatigue assessment
  • Material modelling

Crash

Crash simulation and crash design

Crash simulation
© Fraunhofer IWS
Crash simulation
  • Crash Boxes
  • Laser-strengthened lightweight body structures
  • Welded body structures

Simulation software

  • Autodesk Inventor
  • PAM-CRASH implizit (static and dynamic structural analysis, temperature field analysis)
  • PAM-CRASH explizit (crash simulation)
  • SYSWELD (Structural welding simulation)
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
  • Matlab
 

Highlight

Development and Design of laser welded transmission components for the aviation industry

Holistic, digital development and manufacturing strategy based on an overall digital chain of component and process simulations, adaptive laser-based manufacturing technologies and multi-axial fatigue strength assessment.