nTop
nTop has launched its nTop 5 software, which it describes as a 'leap forward' in computational design technology, at RAPID + TCT.
Included in the new release is a new implicit modelling kernel that is said to deliver greater performance and precision, having taken learnings from previous customer applications. nTop has also secured five new integration partners, who are now able to read and query implicit models natively in their software, helping users to create more efficient end-to-end workflows.
Alongside the launch of nTop 5, the nTop Core developer library platform has been updated to use nTop's latest implicit modelling kernel. With it, nTop has expanded the implicit ecosystem to include mechanical simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and build preparation tools with five new parters who have integrated nTop Core. This, nTop says, enables implicit geometry to be seamlessly exchanged into their software.
Since build preparation and manufacturing is the number one requested application for implicit interoperability, nTop has secured integrations with Materialise Magics and Autodesk Fusion.
The integration with Materialise provides the ability to import parts designed in nTop and saved using the *.implicit file format directly into Magics, no mesh required. Once inside Magics, users can section the model for interrogation, measure critical features on the part, prepare and validate the build parameters for production, and generate optimised toolpaths.
nTop's Autodesk Fusion add-in, meanwhile, will enable nTop users to perform downstream tasks and more easily complete the design-to-production workflow for advanced manufacturing processes. Users will be able to import their designs into Autodesk CAD/CAM tools using the nTop add-in for Fusion and once inside Fusion, integrate implicit models into larger product assemblies and prepare models for production with advanced manufacturing toolsets.
To address mechanical and CFD simulation needs, nTop has aligned with Hexagon scSTREAM, Intact.Simulation and cloudfluid.
Highly complex geometries present a significant challenge when meshing for simulation because they require a larger amount of smaller elements to properly represent the part being evaluated. The mesh generation process often extends the run time of the analysis beyond what is typically feasible to support an iterative design process and, in many cases, leaves physical testing or simulation of highly simplified models as the only options.
The combination of scSTREAM and nTop Core relies on a direct data transfer technology for implicit models that avoids the need for users to simplify or compromise their design integrity. This, according to the companies, makes it easier to incorporate CFD simulations earlier in design. The resulting combination enables users to perform 10x more simulations to help optimise thermal design.
With Intact.Simulation, users can setup and launch analyses directly from within nTop without any loss in fidelity while performing linear elastic analysis solved directly on the implicit model (thermal and modal analyses are coming soon). Without a requirement for a conformal FE mesh, this novel method allows for faster iterations and the ability to analyse designs containing lattices and other highly complex geometries that are time-consuming and impractical in traditional FEA tools.
After working with the Intact integration, Christopher Yakacki, Engineering Research Principal at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, said: “The integration of Intact.Simulation in nTop removes the meshing bottleneck and enables us to simulate complex geometry and lattices at the same pace we design. This has the potential of accelerating the optimisation of these structures exponentially. nTop's partnership with Intact is an example of their commitment to address their customers' engineering challenges.”
Through nTop Core, cloudfluid is able to import *.implicit models from nTop, set up the simulation on the model without meshing, and compute the results quickly using a cloud-based GPU solver–delivering significantly faster heat exchanger design workflow. In addition, custom blocks are available to set up and launch cloudfluid analysis directly from the nTop interface further streamlining the CFD workflow. This integration is currently in a technical preview period.
