LMS has released the latest version of its integrated solution for 3D functional performance simulation: LMS Virtual.Lab Revision 9. A milestone release, the LMS Virtual.Lab Revision 9 software suite is filled with brand-new performance capabilities and breakthrough technology to ramp up engineering productivity, most notably with new BEM and FEM capabilities and a brand-new ray tracing solution in LMS Virtual.Lab Acoustics. Dedicated industrial application solutions found in LMS Virtual.Lab Motion have been significantly enhanced for improved usability as well, while the new thermal fatigue solution in LMS Virtual.Lab Durability and the MADYMO coupling safety feature in LMS Virtual.Lab Structures are clearly breakthrough solutions in their respective simulation markets.

“We are very excited about LMS Virtual.Lab Revision 9. Of course, it provides major advantages for all types of performance engineering in general, but I really must say, for the acoustics market, we kicked it up a notch. Not only did we massively broaden the suite’s FEM capabilities, but we also enhanced our unique BEM technology. These breakthrough developments show why we’re the acoustic simulation market leader,” stated Stefaan Goossens, Vice-President Simulation at LMS International. In addition to the extensive work on LMS Virtual.Lab Acoustics, LMS Virtual.Lab Motion has been extended with key industrial applications for driving dynamics, aerospace, wind, powertrain noise & vibration, tracked vehicle and a superior 1D/3D co-simulation methodology for mechatronics system level simulation.

Especially for thermal applications, LMS Virtual.Lab Durability’s new thermal fatigue feature helps engineers analyze the impact of changing temperatures on fatigue behavior to accurately evaluate fatigue on vital engine parts, exhaust systems and turbo chargers.

For the transportation safety market, the new coupling with MADYMO occupant safety software permits users to easily position MADYMO crash test dummies, and by integrating the MADYMO crash test dummy with the vehicle FE model, users can perform complete occupant safety simulations. LMS customers with active service contracts are currently receiving their upgrades.

LMS is an engineering partner for companies in the automotive, aerospace, and other advanced manufacturing industries. With a unique combination of 1D and 3D simulation software, testing systems and engineering services, LMS tunes into mission critical engineering attributes, ranging from system dynamics, structural integrity and sound quality to durability, safety and power consumption.

With multidomain solutions for thermal, fluid dynamics, electrical and mechanical system behavior, LMS can address the complex engineering challenges associated with intelligent system design. LMS, a Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA partner, is certified to ISO9001:2008 quality standards.

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

We have followed LMS for several years and have been impressed by the breadth, depth, and uniqueness of its product offerings. We also have been awaiting this announcement for some time on the release of LMS Virtual.Lab Rev 9, its simulation environment for functional performance engineering. LMS Virtual.Lab is an integrated software suite that simulates the performance of mechanical systems with regard to attributes such as noise and vibration, durability, ride and handling, and dynamic motion. With Rev 9, LMS Virtual.Lab covers virtually all the critical process steps and required technologies to perform an end-to-end assessment of designs in key disciplines that are especially important to the automotive and aerospace markets. The LMS Virtual.Lab suite’s modules are based on CAA (Component Application Architecture), the open architecture PLM system from Dassault Systemes.

LMS Virtual.Lab Rev 9 provides a digital engineering process for refining critical functional performance attributes before committing to physical prototyping. For example, LMS Virtual.Lab lets users accurately assess such things as the radiated noise of a new engine design, the vibration handling and associated comfort levels of a complete vehicle, or the fatigue resistance of an aircraft landing gear. Using Virtual.Lab, you can analyze a multitude of design options, and drive major design choices from the perspective of key performance attributes.

Technologies included in Rev 9 accelerate the building and testing of component and system-level virtual models. With the integration of new hybrid simulation capabilities, Virtual.Lab Rev 9 validates virtual models with test data, uses real-world validated loads, and combines test models of existing components with virtual models of new components. These virtual simulation capabilities also make simulation results more accurate.

As it has for some time, Virtual.Lab Rev 9 offers application-specific modules for areas, such as powertrain acoustics, powertrain dynamics, vehicle dynamics, full-vehicle noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), component and system-level durability.

Some of the modules available with LMS Virtual Lab Rev 9 include:

LMS Virtual.Lab Finite Element Method (FEM) Acoustics
LMS Virtual.Lab FEM Acoustics offers an advanced method for simulating acoustics using FE meshes while still modeling the propagation area. Since these types of models tend to be large, advanced computing techniques and solvers are essential. With LMS Virtual.Lab Rev 9, FEM acoustics provides more solver options and high-tech routing features to solve practically any application regardless of size or frequency range.

LMS Virtual.Lab Boundary Element Method (BEM) Acoustics
Time domain BEM is a new time-based method for acoustic wave propagation applications. Users can see how the acoustic waves spread throughout an acoustic field. FMBEM ATV combines LMS’ patented ATV (Acoustic Transfer Vector) technology with the unique FMBEM (Fast Multipole BEM) solver introduced in LMS Virtual.Lab Rev 8. It is a way to efficiently solve problems such as high-frequency acoustic structural radiation issues.

LMS Virtual.Lab Ray Tracing
This new ray tracing solver is well-suited for interior acoustics applications, such as wall absorption assessment. It is also efficient for high frequency acoustics.

LMS Virtual.Lab Source Identification
Source identification is an inverse acoustic technique that accurately determines vibration sources for a better understanding of noise problems and ultimately better noise and vibration system optimization. By coupling a near-field measurement with Inverse Numerical Acoustics, users can simulate vibration sources to use as loads for accurate forward acoustic predictions (near field measurement applied for far field simulation).

LMS Virtual.Lab Aero-Acoustics
Enhanced for aero-acoustic applications, LMS Virtual.Lab Aero-Acoustics now contains a variety of features to reduce flow-induced noise, including conservative mapping, quadrupoles including truncation, and confined fan.

LMS Virtual.Lab Motion
Beyond improved productivity, LMS Virtual.Lab Motion addresses real-world problems, such as driving dynamics, aerospace, wind, powertrain, tracked vehicle and functional and physical (1D/3D) co-simulation.

LMS Virtual.Lab Durability
This new thermal fatigue methodology analyzes the impact of changing temperatures on fatigue behavior both by modeling the effect of temperature on the fatigue material properties, as well as accounting for the influence of temperature cycles on fatigue performances. This is a good way to accurately evaluate fatigue for engine parts, exhaust systems, turbo chargers, and other parts that are influenced by cyclical temperatures.

For some time, LMS Virtual.Lab has integrated Design of Experiments (DOE), Response Surface Modeling (RSM) and Advanced Optimization techniques. These capabilities let Virtual.Lab users automatically assess several design alternatives, and use design methodologies to assess the influence of real-world variability in a search for safer, higher-quality, and better performing products.

For automotive and aerospace design simulation, the LMS Virtual.Lab suite remains one of the most comprehensive, capable, and versatile packages we have seen.

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-- Jeff Rowe, MCADCafe.com Contributing Editor.