QSD

What is QSD?

QSD is an easy-to-use design optimization workflow integrated with Altair HyperWorks. With QSD, you can customize your thicknesses and orientation of your composite composition to achieve your cost/performance goal, providing faster and better prospective design, improved custom composite preform optimization, and cost design with integrated process know-how.

QSD (padded layer design) offers an intuitive workflow in the Altair HyperMesh environment that leads designers to an intelligent composite design with adapted fiber orientation and reduced material debris, thanks to draping analysis. The process know-how integrated in the optimization allows to consider the minimization of the cost of the part as a goal for the final choice of the material and the disposition. QSD aims to design efficient structural parts manufactured from hot-pressed preforms and multiple thicknesses of thermoplastic layers. However, the QSD method fits into all processes, creating "custom preforms" (tape placement, QSP, manual layout).

The QSD was developed by CETIM and Altair, from research results of ONERA, which created a multi-step optimization method that reduces the calculation time but maximizes the field of the solution. This method of "stiffness matching" is the ideal target for mechanical performance, then the lay-up to achieve it, according to the possibility of your process.

With QSD, the designer knows the optimal thickness and fiber orientation for his composite housing. QSD will then group the zone to propose the shape and definition of the layer that corresponds to the ideal target. The designer can evaluate various settlement strategies and compare their cost and performance.

Based on an innovative methodology for optimization of composite materials: "Stiffness matching" developed by ONERA

Reduced CPU time

Easy identification of maximum performance for your application

Integration of the molding manufacturing process through Drape Estimator

An algorithm that identifies the optimal arrangement (thickness/orientation) and integrates the design/manufacturing commitment

Industrial Applications

QSD is used in many industries, including:

Aerospace

Architecture

Automotive

Biomedical

Consumer Goods

Electronic

Energy

Heavy and off-road industry

Marine

Rail

System Requirements:

CPU: 1.8 GHz dual core processor

RAM: 2 GB

HDD/SSD: 50 GB of free space on main drive

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 8 32-bit, Microsoft Windows 7 32-bit, and Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit

Resolution: 1024×768