VISTAGY’s FiberSIM 2009 Software Enhances the Composites Design-to-Manufacturing Process

By DE Editors

VISTAGY, Inc. has announced the latest version of its suite of composites engineering software, FiberSIM 2009, which enables users to define composite parts, provides improved functionality for resolving manufacturing issues, and enhances the link between analysis and design.

FiberSIM 2009 simplifies composite part design with the addition of the global stagger profile, partial boundary editor, and design checker, as well as enhancements to zone-based design and core definition tools.

Global stagger profile allows users to select a desired drop-off profile for FiberSIM to assign that profile to the entire part, which improves the ability to update designs by eliminating the need to manually adjust each transition.

The partial boundary editor gives the user the ability to reduce layer boundary calculations by highlighting a specific region of the part, which reduces time spent waiting for recalculations.

The design checker is a new design status report that alerts users when flat patterns need to be generated, plies need to be spliced, or objects are out of date.

The simplified zone-based design allows users to define a trimming or extending angle for zone transition areas, which greatly simplifies the generation of complex transitional shapes. In addition, the ability to display zone name, thickness, and ply count as well as control zone highlight colors based on assigned laminate specifications also enhances zone visualization, making it easier to interpret designs.

FiberSIM 2009 also defines additional core types that simplify core panel definition. The software also improves error detection and reporting while eliminating inconsistencies, according to the company.

In addition, VISTAGY has developed improved tools for resolving manufacturability issues in FiberSIM 2009 with enhancements to the optional Automated Deposition Design (ADD) module.

FiberSIM 2009 also features expanded integration of analysis and design with enhanced definition and interoperability between CAE and CAD for composite design. By maintaining separate analysis and design zones with linked laminate specifications, users can propagate analysis updates without manual intervention. This speeds the preliminary design process so a greater number of iterations can be performed, resulting in an optimized design.

FiberSIM 2009 will be available for shipment in April 2009.

For more information, visit VISTAGY.

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