Improved simulation for lightweight construction

SIMUTENCE offers new simulation methods for the virtual product development of fiber-reinforced plastics.
Glassomer TeamMarkus Breig / KIT
Simutence PC Bild: SIMUTENCE
With the help of SIMUTENCE's virtual process chain, companies can simulate the resilience and manufacturability of components made of fiber composites.

The founding team of SIMUTENCE (from left): Dr. Martin Hohberg, Dr. Benedikt Fengler and Dominik Dörr help companies with simulation for the use of fibre-reinforced plastics. (Image: SIMUTENCE)

 

The three founders of SIMUTENCE want to reduce uncertainties and costs in the development and use of fiber-reinforced plastics. Fact is that fibre-reinforced plastics offer outstanding mechanical characteristics, such as high material stiffness and at the same time very low weight." Especially in the course of electro mobility and the reduction of CO2 emissions, lightweight construction is playing an increasingly important role" states Dominik Dörr, who is part of the founding team. "Fibre composites, often also called 'carbon', have an enormous lightweight construction potential, for example in vehicle structures. However, suitable simulation and optimization methods are necessary to efficiently use the lightweight construction potential." The stability of those components, as well as the producibilty in production processes, cannot be simulated and interpreted with sufficient accuracy using software that is currently available. The consequences for the companies are uncertainties in production and use as well as in many cases high costs. At the same time, suitable simulation methods for reducing these uncertainties are commercially available only to a very limited extent.

This is exactly where Dominik Dörr, Dr. Benedikt Fengler and Dr. Martin Hohberg from the Institute of Vehicle System Technology (FAST) at KIT get involved. With their spin-off SIMUTENCE, founded in February 2019, they offer new methods for the virtual product development of fiber-reinforced plastics. Based on process and structure simulations, they are able to reliably design fiber-reinforced plastic components within a virtual process chain and optimize the associated production processes. For this purpose, SIMUTENCE offers add-ons for software that is already established in industry. On the one hand for direct customer use, one the other hand in the form of engineering services. "Our focus is on the simulation of production processes, that are significant for the component characteristics of fiber-reinforced composites, as well as on the optimization of component designs for the optimal utilization of lightweight potential," explains Dörr.

The three mechanical engineers came up with the idea of the foundation during their time together as doctorands at FAST, department of Lightweight Construction Technology. The three founders have already worked closely together on various industry-related research projects. During that time, they realized that industry has a great interest in those highly developed simulation methods and the associated know-how for the virtual product and process development of fibre composites as well as for materials and processes themselves. Dr. Rolf Blattner as well as other partners from KIT Founders Forge supported them in the founding process. Dr. Tobias Grab, himself a successful founder and KIT alumnus will support them as mentor and coach. In spring 2019, KIT acquired a shareholding in SIMUTENCE.

Contact:

SIMUTENCE GmbH
Rintheimer Querallee 2
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
info∂simutence.de
www.simutence.de