MSC Simufact
Simufact
Manufacturing Process Simulation for Metalworking Industry
Simufact is an industry leader in providing simulation solutions for all of the metal manufacturing process chains. These include metal forming, mechanical and thermal joining operations, and additive manufacturing processes. Simufact’s product solutions can optimize these manufacturing processes by reducing costs and time to market, while consistently providing accurate results.
A Simulation Tool for Distortion Prediction in Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing
Simufact Additive is a powerful simulation environment for “right the first time” optimization of powder bed additive manufacturing processes (SLS, SLM,LBM, DMLS , EBM)
Simufact Additive predicts the distortion and residual stresses in the part and guides the production engineer in how to compensate to ensure a quality part the first time. Process control variables may be selected to optimize the 3-D printing process to reduce time and waste.
Simufact Additive can be used to explore the process space, including examining the influence of:
- Material selection
- Power vs. speed
- Powder characteristics
- Build path / hatching pattern
- Support / Internal structures
Simufact Additive simulates the total process including:
- Powder Bed printing
- Heat Treatment
- Pressurization
- Detaching Part
- Removal of support structure
Simufact Additive uses efficient computational methods to predict:
- Shrinkage
- Warpage
- Residual Stresses
- Optimal location of part
- Support Structure
Simufact Additive allows you to build the part right the first time.
Simufact Forming covers the complete spectrum of forming technologies and guarantees a realistic portrayal of the processes with full 3D functionality and 3D representation of all the tools and parts. Accurate simulations are possible by capturing the key aspects that affect the processes, which include:
- The kinematics of the machine,
- Nonlinear material behavior of the workpiece including plasticity, rate dependency and temperature effects,
- Friction and contact between tools and forming parts,
- Self-contact of forming parts to predict folds, and
- Thermodynamics of the process: initial heating conditions, temperature increase due to forming energy and friction, and heat transfer between tools, workpiece and environment.
Multiple modules are available to address the processes of interest to you. The core module of Forming Hub includes the key functionality necessary for the operating and handling ability of the simulation software (GUI, solver, material database etc.), along with capabilities to perform cold forming and hot forging simulations. Users can choose from any of the others listed below to augment their simulation capabilities.
- Sheet metal forming
- Rolling
- Ring rolling
- Open die forging
- Heat treatment
- Mechanical joining
Additional modules are available to help with die stress analysis and microstructure calculations, faster performance, CAD import, customization, and access to material databases.
Simufact Welding helps simulate complex welding processes that may involve multiple welding sequences and predicts distortions of the components, while considering phase transformations occurring during the process. With Simufact Welding, users gain insight into the properties of the weld seam, and welding defects such as hot cracks, helping them to address problems prior to putting the process into use.
By coupling Simufact Welding with Simufact Forming, users can simulate a combination of various process chains with upstream and downstream welding processes. Easy data transfer allows not only consideration of the forming history, but also strength analysis of simulated welded seams.
