Altair today announced that Centre d'Expertise en Dynamique Rapide, Explosion et Multiphysique, SAS (CEDREM) has joined the Altair Partner Alliance (APA). The partnership adds CEDREM’s KTEX Family of integrated numeric tools for composites to the APA.
"CEDREM is specialized in finite element simulations representing high speed phenomena (such as impacts, ballistics, explosion or blast) and composite behavior,” said Karine Thoral Pierre, CEO at CEDREM. “To improve our models, tools representing the composite materials at the mesoscale and taking into account the manufacturing processes were needed. The KTex Family meets this need. We improved our material laws and cut down the gap between simulations and reality. We are pleased to share those tools with the Altair community."
KTEX Family is a suite of numerical tools that analyze the behavior of composite materials during the manufacturing process. It is comprised of four modules: KTEX Pattern, KTEX Layup, KTEX Winding and KTEX Woven Property, all of which work at the scale of composite yarns, or the meso scale, and address specialized parts of the optimization and manufacturing process. KTEX Pattern models the exact geometry of any given weave while KTEX Layup simulates the behavior of that weave during the layup process. KTEX Winding visualizes the weave during the winding process and KTEX Woven Property calculates the homogenized mechanical properties for any given weave.
“KTEX Family offers complete analyzation and optimization of composite weaves and the effects that the manufacturing process has on them,” said Shan Nageswaran, Senior Director, HyperWorks at Altair. “Looking at materials on the meso scale allows engineers to achieve a completely new perspective, especially in relation to ballistics, that Altair customers will find especially valuable. We are really looking forward to further collaboration with the CEDREM team.”
Integrated completely with HyperMesh, users are able to model weaves in any dimension (1D, 2D, 3D) using all fiber and matrix materials available. Highlights of the software capabilities include representation of customized weaves with bespoke fiber and matrix materials and prediction of the impacts of the manufacturing process on the final part. Users are also able to optimize the weaving pattern as well as the manufacturing processes necessary to produce it. While composites modeling is necessary and applicable in many industries, KTEX Family is especially suited for those in automotive and performing ballistics.
