Systems simulation on the Cloud


Overview

The goal of this application example is to improve the stability behaviour for machining. The basis of the application experiment is a model of a cutting operation (parting). It describes the principal effects of self-excited vibrations that may arise during the tools cutting process. Due to the enlargement of the cutting dimension during the turning of a non-vibrating cut, abrupt vibration amplitudes can cause that the chisel is clattering. The aim is to minimize self-exciting effects by modifying the process characteristics. Therefore the user wants to be able to change parameters like machining angle and cutting width, to start the simulation calculation and to analyse the simulation results in order to find the parameter settings for the optimal process.

Description of the infrastructure

  • Analyser edition of SimulationX by ITI GmbH
  • GridWorker as Cloud service by Fraunhofer IGD
  • Local test infrastructure at Fraunhofer IGD and ITI GmbH
  • Cloud/HPC infrastructur by Arctur
  • Test and user scenarios by University of Nottingham.

Detailed description of the demonstrator

The Cloud technology allows the user to simulate the model from any computer, because there is no need to install the simulation software on a local machine. It is also possible to define variants and to parallelize the calculations by using more than one compute resource in the Cloud (ensemble simulations). For ensemble simulations HPC resources via Cloud services will be leveraged.
Innovation and novelty (business perspective): The parameter sets and results of a systems simulation calculation will be stored in the Cloud in a structured way. The systems simulation data will be retrievable without restarting the simulation calculation and can be shared with any user at any place. The costs will be reduced by avoiding the investment in systems simulation soft- and hardware. The possibility to parallelize the systems simulation calculation saves time. The saved time can be used to increase the number of variants in order to improve the quality and/or to shorten the time to market.

Expected results (technical perspective): The result of the application experiment will be a client software with minimal requirements to the hard- and software of the client computer. The client – mainly developed by ITI – has to fulfil the following requirements:

  • Visualize the structure of the model like SimulationX
  • Modify parameters
  • Start and Control the simulation calculation
  • Access the results of running and stored simulations
  • Evaluate performance indicators (total simulation time, resource consumption) – they should show speed-up and further improvements.


Project:

Enterprises:

Leader: ITI GmbH (Germany).
Participants: University of Nottingham (UK), Missler Software (France), Arctur računalniški inženiring d.o.o. (Slovenia), Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG (Germany), Fraunhofer IGD (Germany)

Sector
Machinery & equipment

Keywords
Modelling & Simulation