Optimization capabilities within Inspire Structure – Altair Inspire
Creating a feasible design to meet the requirements of a project is only half of the struggle. Just because a design is feasible (it conforms to the specifications) does not imply that it is an optimal design. Optimal designs conform to the specifications whilst having the best distribution of material and typically having less material than a generic feasible design.
Altair Inspire is an inclusive design package that enable users to sketch, model, and analyze new concept designs or prototypes. Within Inspire there is a structures toolbar that enable users to perform static structural simulations. The solution of these simulations can be used to perform an optimization subroutine.
Optimization types include topology, topography, gauge, topography and gauge, lattice, and polyNURBS shape optimization. Each optimization type can typically be optimized to maximize stiffness, maximize frequency, or minimize mass. In addition, each optimization type can be constrained using various linear or nonlinear constraints.
Topology optimization refers to the layout or distribution of material in the design space of a component and can be constrained by a frequency or thickness constraint. Topography optimization refers to a change in the shape of a shell structure by adding stamped beads and can be constrained by bead options or frequency constraints.
The objective of gauge optimization is to determine the optimal thickness of a design space and it can be constrained by gauge thickness, stress, or frequency constraints. To optimize a shell structure according to its thickness while adding stamped beads, topography and gauge optimization can be used where it is constrained by target mass, bead options, gauge thickness, and frequency constraints.
Lattice optimization tries to fill a design space with lattice structures and can be constrained by lattice structure geometry options, target mass, and frequency constraints. PolyNURBS Shape optimization changes the configuration of the shape of a design and can be constrained by stress or frequency constraints.
