Report Highlights Role of Simulation in Enhancing Sustainability in Industry

Ansys has released a report that uses a new methodology for incorporating simulation to measure and assess the sustainability impact of decisions made in the early design stages and throughout the product lifecycle. The report incorporates research and analytical support from McKinsey & Co. that details how this methodology was used at Danfoss Drives, Infineon, and Mars.

Findings show that, in some cases, these companies reduced direct, indirect and/or downstream greenhouse gas emissions across the product lifecycle by at least 10% using Ansys simulation solutions.

Ansys simulation enables businesses across industries to respond to market challenges with agility and can help support sustainability efforts, the company reports. Ansys simulation helps companies predict return on investment for sustainability initiatives through virtual prototyping, process optimization, and high-fidelity results via four sustainability-focused solutions pillars:

• Clean environment encompasses simulation solutions for emission tracing and control; carbon capture, utilization, and storage; water treatment and management; environmental noise, dust, and orbital space debris.
• Materials and circularity include materials management and selection, packaging, light-weighting, chemical safety, compliance and traceability, recycling, and reuse.
• Energy solutions center on simulation solutions for wind, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, and other alternative energy sources; integrated energy systems; energy storage solutions; electric motors; fast-charging batteries, and fuel cells.
• Manufacturing and operational efficiency includes advanced manufacturing, digital twins, prognostic health management, energy consumption efficiency, reliability and durability, workflow optimization, process automation, and safety.

In addition, the report outlines a four-step methodology to clearly identify how simulation positively impacts sustainability efforts: identify and prioritize key metrics; evaluate and rank initiatives; assess simulation's contributions, and quantify and aggregate impact.

"Advanced simulation technologies can play a pivotal role in helping companies meet their global emissions targets," says Jan Paul Stein, partner at McKinsey. "The four-step methodology laid out in this report clearly shows how to identify the most relevant opportunities to leverage simulation for driving sustainability in engineering and product design and also quantify their impact. This is critical for achieving an even larger contribution to sustainability targets from using simulation tools."

"The Ansys suite offers a range of solutions to evaluate environmental impact at every stage of product development for any type of application or industry," says Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer and executive sponsor of Ansys' sustainability programs. "Addressing climate change and reducing global emissions depends on how fast we act. Ansys' leading solutions empower customers to develop innovative and sustainable products more efficiently and in significantly less time, ensuring compliance with current regulatory standards and preparing companies for future regulations."

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.