Altair launches simulation software

NEW DELHI: Altair Engineering has launched a new simulation software tool that removes the guesswork from estimating the cost of extruding aluminum products, generating significant savings in materials and time. Dubbed Altair HyperXtrude / PROCESS, the software allows users to determine optimum process conditions, estimate productivity and cost and enables easy sharing of this information across departments.

Non-specialized personnel can run the software, enabling extrusion companies of all sizes to make sophisticated calculated business decisions. The new software is a CAE tool specially designed to help aluminum-extrusion plants determine the optimum process conditions (billet) length, extrusion speed, billet preheating and taper, etc; to estimate productivity on different presses; and to perform cost analysis.



The quality of extruded-aluminum products is affected by many variables such as the aluminum alloys, extrusion speed, billet preheat, profile geometry, die shape, bearing definition, and extrusion press. "HyperXtrude / PROCESS takes all of this information and evaluates with the optimum process condition, which then can be matched to the appropriate press," Dr. Mahender Reddy, product manger for HyperXtrude / PROCESS noted. "It runs in a few seconds and takes away the guesswork. HyperXtrude/Process uses physics-based calculations, which allow for accurate productivity estimates before an extruder has even run the die. This is in contrast to other statistical based tools that require the input of historical information of a given die or press before being able to calculate optimal process settings. The software also calculates the appropriate billet length to reduce scrap," he added.



HyperXtrude / Process uses the optimum process conditions, billet cost, scrape value, labor and burden costs, die cost, and transportation costs to determine the productivity and cost estimates for multiple presses. This helps plant managers in scheduling the jobs to realize maximum profits.