Coupling ANSYS Workbench with

modeFRONTIER

Structural optimization of a metal sheet with hole

• Model definition and Parameterization

• Structural analysis

• Optimization workflow

Summary

• Optimization workflow

• Analysis of results

• The model is a metal sheet with

hole.

• The sheet is fixed constrained

along the bottom edge

• Two distributed loads along

top and right sides are applied

Model Definition

top and right sides are applied

Model parameters are:

• Position, dimension and

fillet of the hole

• Thickness of the metal

sheet

Model Parameterization

Structural Analysis

• The mesh is automatically created by Workbench

• The distributed loads are applied on two side surfaces (100 N)

Optimization Workflow (modeFRONTIER)

Design Parameters

Input variables

• 5 geometric variables

Output variables

• Maximum stress and displacement

• Mass

Design goals

• Minimize maximum displacement

• Minimize mass

Optimization’s set-up data

Sampling phase:

• Original configuration – nr initial individuals: 16

Exploration phase:

• MOGA-II scheduler– 320 iterations

Optimization Analysis – Parallel Chart

• The Parallel Chart allows the filter of the designs in order to get the

optimal values for both the objectives

• The set of Best Designs (Pareto frontier) can be visualized

• Displacement is

inversely correlated with

mass

• Displacement is

Optimization Analysis – Correlation Chart

• Displacement is

inversely proportional to

thickness

• Mass is directly

proportional to thickness

1

2

Optimization Analysis – Bubble Chart

• The Bubble plot shown is a 4D view of

the scatter

• It compares the design that have been

investigated with respect to different

objectives

3

Solution Compromise

2

Lower Max Displacement

1

Lower Mass Value

3

Optimization Analysis – Results

Original Design Compromise Solution

Max displacement 0.498e-7 m Max displacement 0.498 E-7 m

Mass 0.288 Kg Mass 0.236 Kg