Altair HyperXtrude 2022.3 Release Notes

Altair HyperXtrude is a suite of finite element solvers for simulating the following manufacturing processes.
  • Binder Jet Sintering
  • Metal Extrusion
  • Polymer Extrusion
  • Quenching
  • Calibration
  • Metal Rolling
  • Friction Stir Welding
  • Resin Transfer Molding

Highlights

Highlights of this release include:
  • Lifting the part from the base plate in binder jet sintering analysis
  • Puller speed implementation in the polymer extrusion analysis
  • Curing only simulation in the resin transfer molding analysis

Binder Jet Sintering

New Features

Lifting the part from the base plate
Lifting of the part from the base plate is implemented for the sintering solver. This feature allows the part to lift from the base plate and it is controlled by two parameters. The parameter LiftAnalysis is set to either On or Off. If set to On, this analysis is triggered. The second parameter, LiftAnalysisFactor has an internal default value of 0.6. Value= 0.0 implies the entire surface cannot lift, and Value=1.0 implies the entire surface can lift. This parameter is used to fine-tune the performance of the lifting analysis and adjust it based on experimental data. (HXT-584)

Metal Extrusion

New Features

Elapsed time information data to the UDF input array
Certain material models may use the elapsed time information. To enable this, the user-defined functions (UDF) now send the elapsed time as a part of input data sent to the function. (HXT-419)

Resolved Issues

Computing particle traces with saved binary files
The solver no longer crashes when loading the saved binary files(*.phx). This restart option is used for computing the particle traces with the previously computed solution using the binary. The issue was caused by converting some entries from 4-byte integers to 8-byte integers.
Note: This resolution does not address recomputing a solution from a saved binary file. This will be addressed in one of the upcoming releases.
(HXT-449)
Reciprocal strain rate factor
In the text output file, the reciprocal strain rate factor Sine Hyperbolic inverse model no longer prints as the reciprocal strain factor. This variable can be considered a reference strain rate and is used for non-dimensionalizing the temperature-compensated strain rate. (HXT-604)
Hotspots in strain results
This solver enhancement addresses the bug fixes related to hotspots in the strain results in some models. These occur in the extruded profile region and happen due to numerical instability and poor element quality. The solver now uses the node chain data in the profile region to correct and overcome this issue. (HXT-605, HXT-451)
Variable Time Step (VTS) data requires a billet data object
For transient, full-cycle analysis, you are expected to create a billet object in Inspire Extrude. Without this data, the upgraded VTS implementation fails and crashes the solver. This issue was corrected and the new VTS implementation reverts to the older implementation. A warning message also prints in the output file. (HXT-613)

Polymer Extrusion

New Features

Puller speed implementation
The solver now supports the specification of puller speed at the exit for models using both hexahedral and non-hexahedral elements. The required number of mesh update iterations is performed to consider the effect of this puller speed on the extruded profile and in the final iteration, the Lagrangian nose cone is computed. The puller speed is recommended to be within +/- 10% of the natural average exit speed. For dies that are not well designed, mesh distortions leading to bad element quality are possible, and the resulting system may be unsolvable. In such cases, the solver automatically stops the mesh update iterations and completes the solution. This feature is available in Inspire Extrude 2022.3. (HXT-599)

Resin Transfer Molding

New Features

Curing kinetics analysis on filled parts
The solver typically performs the curing kinetics analysis as a part of the filling analysis. A new feature is implemented to simulate the curing kinetics assuming the part is completely filled. In such cases, only premix (time-triggered) curing or temperature-triggered curing is considered. When the solver is extended to simulate warpage using OptiStruct, this feature helps to focus only on curing and warpage issues without solving for filling analysis. (HXT-580)

Resolved Issues

Wall BC data was not accessing the input data correctly
Input data for Wall BC is defined such that it can be constant or a function of time (table or TCL function). Issues in this module were detected as a part of testing temperature-triggered curing and are now resolved. (HXT-580)