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Virtual products increase understanding of fluid power design

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festo cad 1
Wearing a pair of 3D glasses enables an engineer to float through the inner workings of a pneumatic valve and see exactly how the air is flowing, using simulation to achieve the highest possible flow rate.

Festo’s virtual reality system, in use for more than 10 years now, remains in demand for special developments, customer-specific system solutions, and complex design projects.

β€œWith virtual reality we can visualize complex processes and shapes in three-dimensional space, in order to make processes realistic and understandable,” said Bernd Kirchberger, Head of Computer Aided Engineering Services. β€œWe employ digital engineering in order to be able to draw conclusions about new products and systems at an early stage in their development process.”

The virtual reality system is based on the modular software Covise, which scientists at the High-Performance Computing Centre of the University of Stuttgart developed in cooperation with the university spin-off company Visenso GmbH.

We use a rear-projection system measuring three meters wide by 2.5 meters high. A network of two PCs drives the visualizations via two high-performance graphics cards. Two projectors are used to display a separate image onto the screen for each eye from the rear using polarized light, thus creating a 3D image of CAD data.

Our researchers are currently working on the simulation of large high-pressure pneumatic valves, the type used in PET bottle production. A very high flow rate is required in the valve used to blow bottles at high speed in order to achieve production of more than 2000 bottles per minute.

The Development Manager for High-Pressure ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟs, Sebastian Schill, said: β€œThe valves in this process operate at 40 barβ€”an enormous pressure compared to the atmospheric pressure of 1 bar. By using simulation, we are able to greatly reduce the reactive forces acting on the piston and reduce energy losses as air flows through the valve to a minimum.”

β€œSimulation not only saves time and money because there is no need to build a costly prototype, but it also helps maximize energy efficiency within a system,” said Dr. Axel Gomeringer, Head of Innovation and Technology Management. β€œIf I have no losses in the valve through turbulence, the flow is much more efficient and we need much less energy.”

Guest blog by Frank Langro, Director–Marketing and Product Management,