HyperWorks' Optimisation Solutions Give the Airbus-Sponsored 'Team Invictus' a Winning Edge in the International C-class Catamaran Challenge 2010

LEAMINGTON SPA, United Kingdom, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair Engineering, a leading global provider of simulation technology and engineering services that empower client innovation and decision-making, announced today that Team Invictus, a dedicated group of Airbus engineers and professional sailors, has deployed the HyperWorks suite of simulation tools to aid in the design of a new racing catamaran. The Bristol-based team, sponsored by Airbus, is leveraging the flexible model build and optimisation technologies within HyperWorks to minimise development time and overall weight for their bespoke racing catamaran. The team is scheduled to enter the vessel for the International C-class Catamaran Challenge (I4C) at the New York Yacht Club later this year, a competition not won by a British team for almost 40 years.

HyperWorks' optimisation solution, OptiStruct, has become a standard tool for Airbus when designing lightweight components and composite-material structures to reduce aircraft fuel consumption. The same technology is now being deployed by the aerospace engineers to reduce the mass of critical catamaran components to ensure a minimum-weight, maximum- speed design. One example of how Team Invictus used OptiStruct for optimised component design is the development of a new, lightweight mast fitting. The component, a cone at the base of the wingsail, undergoes extremely heavy loading during use. Team Invictus used OptiStruct's topology optimisation module to automatically identify the ideal location for structural material that would meet all required performance criteria. The cone was then manufactured from titanium powder using laser sintering, the first use of this process for a structural component within Airbus.

"The design of the cone was a real challenge for us, since it is heavily loaded but needed to remain light and simple to manufacture. It's one of the most important parts of the boat, and we cannot afford any breakages there," said Julien Chaussee, future project engineer at Airbus and a member of Team Invictus. "Having access to the Altair HyperWorks suite via Airbus, we were able to apply the experience gathered in our day-to-day work to shorten the development cycle. The topology optimisation took only a couple of hours to run from setup to final results. Combined with the highly innovative manufacturing process available to us, thanks to Airbus and EADS Innovation Works, it allowed us to obtain a complete solution from design to assembly in a matter of days, rather than months—all this for less than one kilogram!"

With the HyperWorks suite proving to be a highly successful solution for Team Invictus, the optimisation technology will be used more aggressively as the final design of the catamaran takes shape.

"It is exciting to see the HyperWorks suite being implemented by Airbus engineers on this ambitious project," said Maurice Linscott, regional director of Altair UK. "The drive to reduce the weight of aircraft through optimisation and the integration of more composite materials draws many parallels with the business drivers affecting our clients in the boat and yacht manufacturing industries worldwide. Team Invictus has the engineering experience, along with the best simulation tools available to make its bid for the I4C a success. I would like to wish the team members the best of luck in this and future races."

About Team Invictus

Team Invictus is a Bristol-based team comprising a number of aerospace engineers and professional sailors, who share a common vision to produce a highly efficient, exceptional and original craft to compete in the next I4C Challenge. The team has grown in capacity following Airbus sponsorship with the help of both experienced and graduate aerospace engineers. With that growth has come the expansion of skills, knowledge and capabilities. To learn more, please visit www.teaminvictus.com.

About HyperWorks

Built on a foundation of design optimisation, performance data management and process automation, HyperWorks is an enterprise simulation solution for rapid design exploration and decision-making. As the most comprehensive, open-architecture CAE solution in the industry, HyperWorks includes best-in-class modelling, analysis, visualisation and data management solutions for linear and non-linear, structural optimisation, fluid-structure interaction, and multi-body dynamics applications. For more information please visit www.altairhyperworks.com.

About Altair

Altair Engineering, Inc. empowers client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimises the analysis, management and visualisation of business and engineering information. Privately held, with more than 1,300 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 20-year-plus track record for enterprise analytics, product development and advanced computing, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.

SOURCE Altair Engineering