The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will lay down binding requirements for the cyber security of machines and digital products from 2027. Processes in the automotive, aviation and other safety-critical industries Companies must adapt their processes to the new standards in digitalisation, AI and IT security. Violations of the regulations can be penalised with fines in the millions. Mechanical engineering companies and SMEs in particular face the challenge of revising their processes and certifying their products in accordance with the new regulations in order to ensure their competitiveness. Go to the German version for more information

In order to minimise losses due to breakage during rice processing, machine manufacturer Bühler AG relies on particle simulations with Ansys Rocky software. Milling the grains is a critical process in rice processing. The less breakage, the better. In a detailed interview with CADFEM, Clément Zémerli, Senior Simulation Engineer at Bühler AG, explained how the engineers at Bühler use Ansys Rocky software to analyse and better understand the process dynamics and thus optimise the machine design and processing conditions for the millions of grains of rice. In the interview, he describes how large simulation projects are carried out with Ansys Rocky and how the results are implemented.

Sustainability currently only plays a central role in product development for around a quarter of companies. This is the result of a survey of participants at the Blueprint Talk on the topic of green engineering on 12 November. The fact that sustainability is not yet more important is also due to the challenges associated with it. Blueprint moderator Sarah Yvonne Elsser’s panellists largely agreed on this. Bernd Vojanec from drive manufacturer Wittenstein emphasised that sustainability is made up of many facets. ‘These include the reparability of a product, a longer service life and an optimised design, which in turn can lead to compromises in terms of reparability.’ Experts and participants agreed that another facet is energy consumption during production. Sustainability in product development is also a challenge because it requires expertise and rethinking, said Therese Seiringer from Thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology. ‘Where processes have been established for years, you have to retrain and build up knowledge internally, and that also means high investment costs.’ Sustainability is also a very complex issue: ‘When we talk about sustainability, there are always social aspects…

Resource consumption, CO2 emissions, recycling: the environmental impact of a new product, from planning through production and use to disposal, is primarily decided in the early phase of product development. The Blueprint Live Talk is aimed at cross-industry decision-makers and employees who are responsible for digitalisation or digital engineering in companies. The aim is to give all participants impetus for their own implementation. The audience and their projects and questions are also included. More than 1,000 interested parties from business and technology registered for the last round of talks on the topic of AI in companies. The event will be broadcast live from the CADFEM headquarters in Grafing near Munich on 12 November from 11.00 am. The recording will be available online afterwards. Participation is free of charge. The live talk will be in German.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key to enormous leaps in efficiency; numerical simulations and engineering processes are ready to be put to use. Simulation specialist CADFEM has brought PI Probaligence on board as a partner with outstanding solutions and expertise to provide customers with targeted support as they move into the world of AI. The megatrend of artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone’s tongue these days. Huge amounts of information are processed in artificial neural networks using high-performance computers and cloud computing in order to interpret or generate texts and images. Other AI approaches have specialized in design optimization, experimental planning, or the disclosure of important correlations. These include machine learning (ML), which is an AI approach that learns by training on experiments, simulations, and other engineering data. As a result, ML offers enormous potential for using an existing data pool to massively accelerate and improve development and decision-making processes. Machine Learning (ML): AI for Engineering CADFEM, the specialist for simulation and digital…

From April 1, 2022, the new CADFEM company building on the Schammacher Feld in Grafing replaced the long-standing headquarters at the Marktplatz. Much space has been created - for fresh ideas, for pleasant working and for healthy growth. Everything under one roof Energy efficiency, solid wood construction and clear structures characterize the building. Moreover, the extraordinary floor plan, with its unique corners and edges, adds a great deal of individuality. The building is used by CADFEM International GmbH, CADFEM Medical GmbH and CADFEM Germany GmbH. The new company building of CADFEM Germany GmbH was designed and implemented by nbundm* Architekten CADFEM Germany GmbH The formerly named CADFEM GmbH took the move as an opportunity to change its name. CADFEM in Germany follows the naming convention of all national companies within the CADFEM Group. Pay us a visit Sometimes a handshake is much better than an email. Customers, business partners and friends…

Analyse complex problems from a new perspective Rocky DEM and Ansys Rocky DEM is fully integrated with the Ansys Workbench suite of products, allowing engineers to perform various coupled analyses of particle simulation together with other physics such as structural, fluids, and thermal modeling. Making use of this integration enables you to reduce the costs associated with design iteration. By linking together Rocky with other Ansys software, Workbench saves you time by automatically transferring data between the programs and automatically updating linked projects based upon the results calculated. Being fully integrated within Ansys Workbench allows Rocky to: - Maximize the design of your geometry components by using Ansys SpaceClaim. - Parameterize simulation and setup components by using Ansys DesignXplorer. - Conduct FEA analysis of particle forces acting upon geometry components by using Ansys Mechanical. - Study how fluid forces and convective heat exchange affect particle flow and temperature by using Ansys…

The optimization of mixing processes with the simulation software Rocky dem Traditionally, the quality assessment of mixing processes in many companies is still based on time-consuming test series, which, especially in batch processes, provide insufficient data on the time course and the overall spatial distribution of the mixing quality. Liebherr Mischtechnik reports in our Cadfem journal article (see link on the right) how the use of particle simulation with ROCKY-DEM helps to optimise process parameters - to improve energy efficiency and compound quality as well as to save costs. With ROCKY-DEM, input parameters such as particle sizes and size ratios as well as the speed and residence time of the product could be varied quickly. An evaluation of the mixing quality was now possible over the entire mixing trough and at any time. Statements about required torques and optimum speeds can also be made in this way. In addition, statements on new developments or design changes can be made by means of simulation without the need for cost-intensive…

Particle simulation in mechanical process engineering with Rocky DEM Realistic modeling of any shape or size of solid is the secret to Rocky DEM’s success. When ingeniously combined with multi-GPU capabilities and CPU processing power, you get the best results in the shortest time with full integration within ANSYS. Highlights at a glance - Indispensable in mechanical process engineering - Minimize downtimes and wear and tear - Improve quality and cut costs - Precisely dimensioned machines and plants - Design better machines faster - Uniquely fast and realistic simulation - Comprehensive physics catalog

Learn more about Rocky DEM and subsribe to the ESSS Newsletter Rocky DEM is a revolutionary way to handle a problem through computer simulation. It can be used to optimize life expectancy of conveyor belts and components, minimize material spillage in a design, reduce the need for dust control and suppression, among numerous other applications. Stirred Mills, SAG mills, Crushers and High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) can be optimized with Rocky DEM 3D simulations. This software analyzes media flow patterns and energy absorption rates, particle breakage, energy spectra analysis, and more. Rocky DEM performs efficient separation on spherical or non-round particle shapes to evaluate screening performance, mass flow distribution, force distribution, and surface wear. It also has the ability to couple with external FEA solvers (ANSYS) to analyze various forces. Rocky DEM is a product developed by ESSS and GDI. ESSS was created in 1995, in Florianópolis – Brazil, with the objective of establishing a link between the scientific…