Asahi Kasei Engineering launches cloud-based platform for improved polymer design
09 Sep 2024 --- Asahi Kasei Engineering Corporation (AEC), a Japanese technology innovator, has launched a cloud-based computer-aided engineering (CAE) solution platform, delivering applications to predict crash and impact behavior of polymers. The technology will allow industries to simulate material action to improve design development.
Companies can leverage the software to predict polymer fractures during R&D, and create products with greater durability.
The platform is also designed to support the increasing adoption of cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC), offering developers on-demand access to installed CAE software. AEC provides support for its customers’ product design and development through CAE technical services focused on engineering plastics.
Leveraging this experience, the company extended its CAE-related services and offered software that can be easily downloaded and used globally.
One of the key offerings of the new platform is the “i-LUPE” fracture prediction model. It focuses on the behavior of amorphous polymer materials at the molecular level. Such materials form structures like voids and fibrils, known as crazes. These crazes grow and lead to the polymer material fracture. By predicting how these crazes develop with higher accuracy, “i-LUPE” enables developers to design products that better withstand impacts.
AEC continues to push the boundaries of polymer technology and remains a leader in advancing CAE solutions for the next generation of materials.Masakazu Kudo, head of the CAE department at Asahi Kasei Engineering, tells Packaging Insights: “In regard to resin-based packaging and cushioning materials, the application of ‘i-LUPE’ offers the potential to propose highly precise design solutions that achieve resource savings and weight reduction while maintaining cushioning performance.”
In addition to “i-LUPE,” the platform also features a mapping tool designed for anisotropic materials such as fiber-reinforced resins. This application converts fiber orientation data into material property lists, which are then used by “i-LUPE” to provide an accurate visualization of deformation behavior. The mapping tool allows for the selection of materials based on their performance, enhancing the overall design process.
The platform empowers users to streamline development processes and improve product safety.
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By Sichong Wang
