Sixth composites partner joins Altair Alliance

HyperWorks users can now access its multi-scale progressive failure analysis (MS-PFA) software, GENOA, as well as the Material Characterization and Qualifications (MCQ) Composites Suite. GENOA and MCQ are applicable in many industries, including aerospace, automotive, wind energy and sporting goods.

“We are very pleased with the addition of AlphSTAR to the Altair Partner Alliance,” said Dr. Robert Yancey, Altair Sr. Director – Aerospace for Altair. “AlphaSTAR has been involved in composites analysis and design for many years, and it will add advanced technologies and expertise to our Partner Alliance. We have already worked with ASC for key customer projects in the past, and we look forward to more collaboration in the future.”

GENOA is an engineering software suite that performs material characterization qualification, durability and damage tolerance (D&DT), and reliability prediction for structural design and analysis of composites structures.

It augments the limitation of commercial finite element analysis (FEA) packages by providing multi-scale (micro-macro) PFA capability. GENOA was developed to cost effectively predict strength and time-dependent reliability and durability of structural components during the design stage, and to reduce experimental testing support.

With the ability to predict damage and fracture evolution as well as end of life of many types of composites, GENOA takes laminated composites with either continuous or short fibers from micro-mechanics to the structural level, while considering the various operational and environmental conditions.

MCQ-Composites, the second tool available from AlphaSTAR, predicts composite material properties, considering both fiber and matrix uncertainties. It is designed to characterize and qualify material properties that can be used as input for FEA of simple or complex structural components.

MCQ allows the user to quickly generate relevant information for a given material, whether it is a composite, hybrid, or ceramic material system. MCQ provides a library of fiber, matrix and ply properties that can be easily expanded or modified for application to FE analysis. In addition, it can effectively predict fiber, matrix and composite/sandwich laminate properties, as well as stress-strain curves, ply behavior and more.

“GENOA and MCQ work together to provide users an accurate and powerful composites analysis solution,” said Dr. Anil Mehta, AlphaSTAR’s Vice President of Business Development. “HyperWorks customers will not only be able to harness the capabilities of AlphaSTAR’s software to address their questions about where, when and why their parts are failing, but also how to optimize their design to alleviate those occurrences.

"By utilizing advanced failure mechanisms, GENOA is able to investigate structural responses from material degradation, caused by damage induced from static, cyclic, impact, power spectrum density (PSD) and thermal loading. GENOA's PFA also is able to account for the effects of manufacturing defects, fiber waviness, springback, residual strength, moisture and temperature.