The latest simulation software from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division helps engineering teams understand the behavior of increasingly complicated systems in today’s products.
By using the software, teams can efficiently evaluate the performance and feasibility of new design concepts to inform faster product development while reducing risk and cost levels.
The Elements software has been designed to be easy to use, with a drag-and-drop environment enabling systems engineers to model any physics type or logic and analyze systems by connecting blocks – regardless of whether they represent electrical, hydraulic, mechanical components – to solve system-level engineering problems. Hexagon’s software is based on the Modelica language, an open, widely used standard for building fast, flexible, customizable models.
Systems modeling is viewed as indispensable in the first design phases because little information is required, with CAD models, equations or lookup tables often being enough, and 3D mesh not being needed. Hexagon’s software speeds up engineering development because it ensures system-level models compute quickly by optimizing equations and code for fast calculation with no loss of fidelity.
As designs become more complex and components and subsystems are detailed in specialist simulation software, the components can be routinely integrated into a larger system through full compliance with the FMI standard and Hexagon’s proprietary SmartFMU technology.
SmartFMU unlocks the functional mock-up unit (FMU) for supported Hexagon products so changes can be made directly in the Elements system-level model without needing to go back into the specialist computer-aided engineering (CAE) software and its expert user. This helps avoid resource bottlenecks, switching between applications and problems with alternative versions.
Hexagon aims to ensure its CAE technologies are readied for easy and productive use with the company’s latest Elements software. Upon launch, the Elements software will provide SmartFMU connectivity with Adams multibody dynamics software and Easy5.
Hexagon created the Elements software in collaboration with Maplesoft, building on the company’s powerful math engine to ensure the optimization of system equations and provide efficient simulation to customers.
“We are excited to begin this long-term collaboration with Hexagon, which has an impressive vision and track record of innovation,” explained Chris Harduwar, VP of strategic solutions at Maplesoft. “By combining the tried-and-tested Maplesoft system-level modeling technology with the extensive Hexagon CAE portfolio, engineers in many industries benefit from new productivity-boosting solutions that significantly reduce simulation effort.”
“Elements offers engineers an easy way to explore the behavior of systems quickly and find better solutions to problems using simulation, before committing designs to subsequent resource-intensive engineering processes,” added Mahesh Kailasam, general manager for design and engineering software at Hexagon. “We look forward to a long-term collaboration with Maplesoft, using its powerful and open technology foundations to realize synergies with our extensive Hexagon CAE ecosystem portfolio and deliver valuable capabilities to our customers.”
