VEC awarded major
nuclear research contract
THE VIRTUAL ENGINEERING Centre
(VEC) has been awarded a contract to
support Phase 2 of the Government’s
Digital Reactor Design (DRD) nuclear
research programme.
The £3.6 million project, funded by
the Department for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy, brings together
experts from industry and academia to
demonstrate cost savings from concept
design, construction, operation and
decommissioning of nuclear power
reactors.
VEC, part of the University of
Liverpool’s Institute for Digital Engineering and
Autonomous Systems, will be working to further
develop the digital framework to support future
nuclear reactor build.
Konstantin Vikhorev, simulation team leader
at VEC, said: “When delivering complex national
projects such as this, systems integration is
key. The framework provides an opportunity for
project partners to combine their capabilities,
it will ultimately o er an infrastructure for
collaboration for organisations across the
whole sector.”
Phase 1 of the DRD programme saw the
development of a computer-simulated design
and management platform. The focus of Phase
2 is to implement new tools and disruptive
technologies in a digital framework, utilising reallife
case studies and applications to demonstrate
improved e ciency, enable supply chain
collaboration and ultimately deliver cost-savings
and a cultural change across the industry.
TECH BRIEF
CUTTING AM PROCESSES BY 80%
MSC Software Corporation
has announced MSC Apex
Generative Design, a design
optimisation solution that
improves quality through
the automation of design
processes with embedded
manufacturing knowledge.
The software aims to
improve productivity by up
to 80% compared
to classic
topology
optimisation.
It produces
part design
that is ready
for additive
manufacturing
(AM) within
a few hours,
making reliable
AM more cost
e cient and accessible.
Hugues Jeancolas, VP
product management,
said: “We are integrating
our structural analysis,
design optimisation, and
manufacturing simulation
solutions to optimise and
validate designs
for additive
processes
before a
single part is printed.”
In MSC Apex Generative
Design, designers only need
to specify the boundary
conditions and design
objective. Multiple designs
that explore the possibilities
of the design space will
be produced that provide
optimal stress distribution
and minimise weight. This
means designers have
more time to optimise
the product’s concept
and integrate
features that add
value. Intelligent
smoothing
technology
ensures that
every design has a
perfect nish that
is ready for print.
BNUEWSINSESS
SIEMENS ACQUIRES
MULTIMECHANICS
Siemens has acquired
MultiMechanics, Inc., the developer
of MultiMech nite element software
that helps to virtually predict failure in
advanced materials. The company
plans to integrate MultiMechanics
into Siemens Digital Industries
Software,
VEC DELIVERS £20M
TShAeV VIiNrtuGaSl E FngOinRe eSrEinLg LCAenFtrIeE (LVDEC)
has developed a cutting-edge mixed
reality training tool for Britain’s
biggest nuclear waste site, Sellaeld,
which will ensure the safety of
workers in hazardous areas and save
the organisation an estimated £20m.
The VR crane training simulator
allows Sellaeld’s operators to learn
to ‘drive’ the nuclear waste retrieval
crane in a safe environment, ensuring
greater levels of safety whilst
increasing productivity.
HYMID EXPANDS
INJECTION MOULDING
CAPABILITY
Devon-based injection moulding
specialist, Hymid Multi-Shot, has
expanded its production capability
with investment in an Arburg
Allrounder injection moulding
machine. The 440-tonne 4000 kN
large class machine is the latest
addition to Hymid’s line-up of
injection moulding technology and
part of a £300,000 investment
programme.
MCGREEVY ENGINEERING
INVESTS IN QUALITY
Precision engineering company,
McGreevy Engineering, has
purchased a high-performance CNC
coordinate measure machine that
supports manufacturing operations
and allows it to meet global standards
for key products. Additional training
of employees has also taken place to
ensure the high standards of quality
for their growing aerospace
customers is maintained.
JANUARY 2020 | WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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