ANSYS, Inc. in the Automotive Industry ANSYS nCode DesignLife

Fatigue occurs over time as materials within a product are stressed by repeated usage. Engineering simulation analysis using ANSYS nCode DesignLife technology helps product developers avoid such in-field failures along with resulting warranty problems and costs. Advanced fatigue analysis capabilities of nCode DesignLife, a leading durability software from HBM used by OEMs and their suppliers around the world, has been fully integrated into the ANSYS Workbench environment. Using ANSYS nCode DesignLife, mechanical engineers can address complex product life and durability issues, all before a prototype is ever built. The combination of the ANSYS Workbench platform and nCode DesignLife technology creates a simulation environment in which fatigue analysis can easily be added, using a standard drag-and-drop interface, to the structural mechanics process. A predetermined time series of loadings — for example, as measured in a vehicle on a test track — is applied using the finite element simulation responses from ANSYS Mechanical software over a large number of repetitions. Based on material failure data gathered from experiments, the fatigue failure that occurs as a result of the simulated cyclic loadings can be predicted.