Altair, the computational science and artificial intelligence (AI) company, has acquired
Gen3D, a start-up from the
University of Bath and a pioneer in ‘implementing the implicit geometry method for describing highly-complex geometries such as lattice structures in additive manufacturing (AM)’.
Gen3D’s technology uses next-generation ‘implicit modelling techniques’ to rapidly create complex geometries that are not practical with traditional boundary representation (BREP) solid approaches.
Gen3D said: “This allows components to be designed simply by specifying the functional requirements for the part — loads, holes for fastenings, keep-out zones and ducts for fluid flow, for example. The technology also automatically filters out component geometries that are likely to cause downstream manufacturing issues, while its generative design tool lets engineers rapidly create complex designs while minimising the risk of in-print failures.”
James Scapa, Altair’s founder and CEO, added: “In addition to a powerful technology that helps organisations navigate the challenges of design for additive manufacturing, Gen3D brings a team that has deep industry knowledge and experience in advanced additive design techniques such as generative design, topology optimisation, and lattice structure generation.
“This technology will be integrated into Altair Inspire, an intuitive and powerful family of software products that enables simulation-driven design throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from concept to reality.
“When used early in the design process, the Inspire technology supports the development of designs that are focused on both performance and manufacturability, enabling users to explore, develop, and manufacture high-performance products in a single intuitive development environment.”