Bicycle Stem Topology Optimisation

Tutorial
Part 1: Organization and Meshing

1. Set the user profile to ‘OptiStruct’

2. Import the Geometry (available as a HM binary file) “STEM_Geometry.hm” into HyperWorks
3. Organize your model:
a. Create 3 component collectors and move appropriate solid geometry:
i. Non_designable = 2 collars
ii. Designable = rectangular design area
iii. RBEs = ‘rigid body elements’
4. Create component-based 3D hex mesh (bricks with element size = 2.0)
a. Hint: Use AutoMesh to create some nice 2D Mesh on some surfaces, then use
3D>Solidmaps>General to create 3D mesh with source, destination, and along
surfaces plus the 2D elements to drag selected.
b. Delete 2D mesh and organize 3D mesh into correct component collectors.
c. equivalence nodes in ‘edges’ panel under ‘tools’ to connect the mesh
d. finally delete the solidmap component
5. Create a material such as steel that is isotropic, has a card image MAT1
a. Card Edit the material and input values for E, Nu, and Rho
6. Create two properties (designable and non-desinable)of type 3D, card image PSOLID, and
assign your material.
7. Assign the corresponding properties to components. Right click components to ‘edit’ to
check that properties and materials have been assigned or visualize elements ‘by prop’

Part 2: Creating 1D elements and a load case

1. Create a 1D ‘rigid’ element on the constrained side of the part (the y-axis hole).
a. Select nodes by face on the inside of the hole, toggle to ‘calculate node’, keep all
degrees of freedom checked, and keep type as ‘RBE2’.
2. Create a 1D ‘RBE3’ element on the hole where the force will be applied.
3. Create two load collectors; call one ‘loads’ and one ‘SPCs’ or ‘constraints’.
4. Create loads and constraints by finding each in the ‘analysis’ panel
a. Create a constraint at the center node of the rigid 1D RBE2 element with load type
SPC and all degree’s of freedom constrained
b. Create a force at the center node of the RBE3 with a magnitude of -100 acting along
the y-axis
5. Create a Load Step of type ‘linear static’. Choose the constraints collector for ‘SPC’ and the
load collector for ‘load’
6. Run a test analysis in Radioss, and open it in HyperView to be sure no errors have been
made up to this point.
Part 3: Setting up the optimisation

1. Find ‘optimization’ in the ‘analysis’ panel.

2. Create 2 ‘responses’:
a. Compliance with type ‘compliance’ (inverse of stiffness)
b. Volume Fraction with type ‘volume frac’
3. Create 1 ‘dconstraints’ for the volume fraction response with an upper bound only of .20 or
20%.
4. Create an ‘objective’ to minimize compliance for the appropriate loadstep.
5. Find ‘topology’ and create a design variable with the property ‘designable’ and the type
‘PSOLID’.
6. Find ‘draw’ in the ‘topology’ panel to update a split draw direction using 2 nodes normal to
the X-Y Plane
7. Find ‘pattern grouping’ in the ‘topology’ panel to update a single symmetry plane in the X-Y
plane by choosing 2 nodes normal to the plane.
8. In ‘optimisation’ find ‘opti controls’
a. Set DESMAX to 50 (max # of iterations)
b. Set DISCRETE to 3 to get discrete element densities for 3D elements
c. Set CHECKER to 1 to check elements
9. Run OptiStruct and post-process in HyperView. Adjust contours, current values, and linear
animation settings to visualize your results.
10. Optional Step: Export the .stl file from HyperView. Import the .stl file in HyperMesh, create
surfaces ‘from FE’, mesh and apply necessary conditions, run in Radioss, and analyse the
stresses and displacements which occur in the new design.

Part 4: Run the optimization in Solid Thinking Inspire

1. Open STi and import or open the “STEM_Geometry.step” file

2. Right click the design rectangle and choose ‘design space’. The part will turn yellow/red.
3. Apply constraints to the inner surfaces of the end closest to the origin
4. Apply force on the inside surfaces of the other end in the –Y direction with a magnitude of
100.
5. Choose material (steel is default).
6. Apply shape controls
a. Split draw direction in the XY plane
b. 1-plane symmetry in the XY plane
7. Click the run button, choose .20 material remaining and medium refinement.
8. View your results. You can export the model as a .stl file also.
2D Mesh

3D Hex Mesh

Properties

Topology Results