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HyperWorks from Altair ( altairhyperworks.com ) is a general-purpose, computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation program with a variety of targeted applications for modeling, linear and nonlinear analysis, structural optimization and other engineering considerations related to car designs. Many of the modules within HyperWorks have been bumped up to release in 2017, such as Radioss, a structural analysis solver; OptiStruct, a structural analysis optimization program; and MotionSolve, a graphical multibody builder for solving equations, evaluating system behavior and optimizing build performance. Here are some of the new features in these modules worth noting for vehicular structural engineering. STRUCTURALLY SPEAKING Radioss improvements involve composites, materials, crash and safety and metal forming. Ply and stacks are now independent objects with their own ID. Moreover, analyzing sandwich composites is better because plies can use different material laws. In practice, the regular sandwich shell property, PID11, allowed only one material type for the whole sandwich. Now, a new orthotropic composite shell property, PID51, lets each ply have multiple material LAW types per ply. PID51 also lets each ply have multiple integration points in the thickness. Overall, PID51 more accurately captures the bending behavior of each ply. (Note: No more than 10 integration points are allowed for each ply, and the total number of plies is limited to 200.) Radioss also has a new shell element for predicting composite failures, particularly in crash and BVID (Barely Visible Impact Damage) applications. The new shell element, PLY-XFEM, based on the standard Batoz shell element (fully integrated), requires both stack and ply inputs. It also takes in data about the additional relative interplay displacement (degrees of freedom) between each ply. XFEM also helps evaluate crack pattern propagation when the crack hits adjacent edges, as well as resolves the visualization of cracked 4-nodes shells (triangular holes). A new way to evaluate hyper-visco-elastic behavior based on Arruda-Boyce formulation has also been added. LAW92 simplifies material characterization. Better, it is user-friendly: Test data can be used as input, thereby eliminating the need to manipulate data to determine Advances in Structural Simulations HyperWorks 2017 helps engineer strong, light, efficient structures. BY LAWRENCE S. GOULD / Contributing Editor 40