MSC Software Corporation (MSC), a global leader in computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation software and services, announced MSC Apex Generative Design, a design optimization solution that improves quality by automating the design processes with embedded manufacturing knowledge.

MSC Apex Generative Design aims to improve productivity by up to 80% compared to classic topology optimisation. The software produces a part design that is ready for additive manufacturing (DfAM) within a few hours.

In MSC Apex Generative Design, the designer only needs to specify the boundary conditions and design objective. Multiple lightweight design candidates that explore the possibilities of the design space will be produced that provide optimal stress distribution and minimize weight. The software’s intelligent smoothing technology ensures that every candidate has a perfect finish that is ready for print.

Conventional topology optimisation workflows require manual work and multiple tools to achieve production-ready results, which can lead to information loss as data is converted. MSC Apex integrates all relevant steps within one Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) environment to improve productivity with a single user experience from design to additive manufacturing preparation.

The design process is workflow-oriented, providing easy and fast model setup from existing geometries or mesh in common CAD, STL, or MSC Nastran BDF formats. Designers can find optimized design candidates and perform design validation within the same CAE environment, simplifying the work process and reducing design iterations dramatically. The result is a fully integrated, automated optimization process in which compatibility for previous and subsequent operations plays a vital role. This unique capability implies the conversion from the CAE mesh to CAD with no manual reconstruction of geometry, considerably simplifying the work process for designers.

The MSC Apex Generative Design for Additive Manufacturing solution combines print-ready geometries with metal (Simufact) and polymer (Digimat) build process simulation from Hexagon’s additive manufacturing portfolio. Designers only generate part designs that can be successfully manufactured using their chosen material and print process to eliminate costly prototyping.

MSC Apex Generative Design is available now.

Hexagon | MSC Software 
www.mscsoftware.com/product/msc-apex-generative-design