Innovative Sit-Ski Development through Composite Technology at National Composites Centre
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Plastics
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
- Virtual Reality
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The National Composites Centre (NCC) is an open-access, industrial-scale, state-of-the art non-profit UK facility for technology development in the manufacture of advanced composites. Established by the University of Bristol, the NCC aims to accelerate the growth of UK industrial output by enabling design and manufacturing enterprises to deliver winning solutions in the application of composites. Since its inception in August 2011, the facility has doubled in size and serves as the primary composites catapult facility in the UK, playing an integral part in the UK’s composites initiative since the government launched its Composites Strategy in November 2009.
The Challenge
The National Composites Centre (NCC), a non-profit UK facility, was tasked with the development of an advanced technology demonstrator, a Sit-ski, using composite materials. The Sit-ski, a device used for sports on mountain slopes by individuals with lower extremity limitations, required a design that would showcase the Centre's capabilities while also delivering performance improvements for the skiers. The challenge was to understand the performance of existing Sit-skis, build kinematic models of the suspension behavior, and design a system that would be lighter and more efficient. The design process needed to consider the use of composite structures at an architecture/system level, and the importance of cost and manufacturability in the product development process.
The Solution
The NCC, in collaboration with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and University of Warwick (WMG), used simulation-driven design for the assessment of performance and structural reliability before manufacturing any component. The Altair HyperWorks™ suite was utilized throughout the development process. Altair MotionSolve™ was used to model the kinematic behavior of an existing coil-over suspension system and compared to the new composite leaf spring and damper concept. Altair HyperStudy™ was used in conjunction with Altair MotionSolve to optimize the kinematic behavior and assess the positions and sizes of various structural and suspension elements. Altair OptiStruct™ was used to perform detailed sizing of the laminates in the spring and chassis elements along with the use of the morphing capabilities in Altair HyperMesh™ to optimize the geometry. Altair Inspire™ and Altair Evolve™ were used for visualizing the full assembly and producing images for the reports and presentations.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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