Renault Uses ESI’s PAM-COMFORT Solution to Virtually Design a New Car Seat
Business Wire- 11/3/2009 9:00:00 AM EST
Renault Uses ESI’s PAM-COMFORT Solution to Virtually Design a New Car
Seat
( BW)(ESI-GROUP)(ESI.BOURSE) Renault Uses ESI’s PAM-COMFORT Solution to Virtually Design a New Car
Seat
ESI
Group (ISIN FR0004110310), pioneer and world-leading supplier of
digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes,
announced today the successful completion of Renault’s first ‘fully
virtual’ preliminary design of a new seat using PAM-COMFORT,
ESI’s
advanced solution for Virtual Seat Prototyping. “Using PAM-COMFORT,
within a short period of time, and with few resources, we were able
to deliver a new seat design meeting our objectives,” said Mr
Jérôme Makala, Head of Comfort and Safety Research Department,
Renault Group.
ESI’s
PAM-COMFORT
software offers a scalable, innovative and customized solution dedicated
to virtual manufacturing and virtual testing (static and dynamic) of the
soft parts of a seat. Virtual Seat Prototyping consists of several
chained simulated steps ranging from seat manufacturing, occupant static
seating, to occupied seat NVH (Noise, Vibration…) - where the stresses
resulting from each step are needed for the next one. The chaining is a
necessary requirement to accurately predict the behavior of the seats
under numerous loading conditions (trimming, dummy loading, various
human anthropometries, and vibrations) and for various design changes
(materials and shape).
At Renault, where the full Virtual Seat Prototyping methodology is being
deployed, one important step after the preliminary design of a new seat
model is the virtual testing of the dynamic comfort performance using PAM-COMFORT.
Dynamic Comfort Testing
In order to accurately predict seat comfort, Renault runs a dynamic test
of seat transmissibility with a static weight. The test helps evaluate
the seat frequency response and thus informs Renault about how the seat
contributes to the vertical acceleration filtering of the car, which is
of first importance to dynamic seat comfort. This test is used improve
and validate the seat design.
Seat and vibration modelling
Renault simulated this test procedure with a Finite Element calculation
using PAM-COMFORT.
After completing the seat manufacturing simulations, a dummy is imported
in the model to launch the computation. This calculation is divided in
two phases: first, a static phase where the dummy is seated and where
the equilibrium is computed to precisely know the stress and strain
states of the various parts of the seat; second, a dynamic phase where a
vertical acceleration signal is applied to the seat rail to obtain the
seat dynamic transmissibility at the interface with the dummy.
Seat dynamic transmissibility
Computed results showed a very good level of correlation with physical
tests, therefore confirming the validity and predictability of both
Renault’s simulation modelling and the methodology applied.
“This simulation input can truly be considered as an “ultra
realistic” model, since it allows the simulation of the whole complex
mechanical phenomena of the seat, the non-linearity of the materials,
the large displacements of the cushion foam and springs, as well as the
effect of the cover trimming”, declared
Mr Jérôme Makala,
Head of Comfort and Safety Research Department, Renault Group. “The
developed models and methodology enable the computation of predictive
results, using only physical parameters and without any tuning of
filtering. This good correlation between simulation and test results
confirms the ability to assess the riding seat comfort in a full virtual
process.”
As they are very satisfied with the results of the first "fully
virtual" process with PAM-COMFORT,
Renault has started the process of transferring this methodology to its
seat providers and to Nissan.
Visit our website www.esi-group.com/products/comfort
to find out more about PAM-COMFORT
applications and benefits.
About ESI Group
ESI
is a world-leading supplier and pioneer of digital simulation software
for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the
physics of materials. ESI
has developed an extensive suite of coherent, industry-oriented
applications to realistically simulate a product’s behavior during
testing, to fine-tune manufacturing processes in accordance with desired
product performance, and to evaluate the environment’s impact on product
performance. ESI’s
products represent a unique collaborative and open environment for
Simulation-Based Design, enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a
continuous and collaborative manner while eliminating the need for
physical prototypes during product development. The company employs over
750 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI
Group is listed in compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris. For further
information, visit www.esi-group.com.
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CONTACT:
Press Relations
ESI
Group
Elise Lavoue, +44 (0) 1865 784 833
elise.lavoue@esi-group.com
KEYWORDS: Europe France
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