Altair Releases Inspire2018 Simulation-Driven Design Software

Altair has released Inspire 2018 simulation-driven design software. It is available through its SolidThinking channel partner network and directly to its HyperWorks user community.

The software enables designers and engineers to leverage simulation to develop high-performance, innovative products. It is designed to integrate into large manufacturing enterprises for rapid simulation and lightweighting insights, and has an intuitive user experience for businesses with little or no simulation experience.

Applied at the beginning of clean-sheet design programs and for design exploration of current production parts, the software enables designers and engineers to assemble and simulate dynamic mechanical systems, automatically resolving loads on system components for optimization and analysis; generate weight-efficient design proposals to specified conventional or additive manufacturing processes with the company’s topology optimization technology; simulate the performance of competing design concepts for static loads, normal modes and buckling; and export Inspire CAD geometry to 3D printers.

Designers and engineers can generate optimized lattice and mixed solid-lattice structures, visualize simulation results in 3D and export lattice designs in STL file format. The Load Cases Table enables users to view and interactively assign loads to load cases and import/export design loads in CSV file format. Overhang shape controls help reduce overhangs to create more self-supporting structures. The PolyNURBS Fit Tool automatically optimizes the fit of PolyNURBS CAD geometry to generative design results.

The software is available immediately as an application software download and will be available later this year as a cloud-based offering called Inspire Unlimited. The cloud offering will include additional features include secure data management, team collaboration tools and on-demand high-performance computing (HPC).