Article published on mars 2008Digital modelling
Innovation in complex industrial scenarii
Virtual technology is now used throughout the industrial world: CAD workstations and virtual immersion platforms are becoming commonplace. The GVM computational code for mechanical systems, developed by CEA LIST, can be used for more complicated simulations that, for the first time ever, can handle deformable parts.
Automobile and aeronautics
manufacturers have, for the
last few years, already been
using digital 3D models instead
of expensive physical models to simulate
assembly and disassembly operations, to
study vehicle architecture and analyse
the ergonomics of control stations and
assembly lines, etc.
Whether we are talking CAD or virtual
reality, the software modules are the
same: parts are represented by millions
of triangles, complex algorithms are used
to simulate their movements and detect
contact, while articulated systems serve to
model operators. The software components
developed by researchers at CEA LIST are
widely known in some cases, for example, the
LMD++ collision detector (CEA Technologies
# 86). Less familiar yet absolutely essential,
GVM is the computational code for the entire
system. Developed back in 2003, it forms
the very heart of simulation software: it
assesses all the forces present, particularly
contact forces between rigid parts that are connected to one another. The new
version of this code can handle deformable
parts - so far meaning electric wires, flexible
connection cables and hoses - i.e. all the
numerous linear parts found in cars and
planes and in medical equipment.
As for performance, GVM aims for real-time.
Designed for virtual reality, it is extremely
robust and stable for interaction with haptic interfaces. "Our software system is the
only one that provides real-time simulation
of complex mechanical systems, such as a
section of a car that includes rigid parts
connected together as well as deformable
parts, taking account of all the points of
contact and interaction with an operator,"
said Xavier Merlhiot from CEA LIST.
GVM can also be
used offline since
it is so robust
and reliable when
dealing with large
numbers of contacts, including in dynamic
models. One other key feature is its ability
to interface with any conventional nonlinear
model, such as models based on finished
components. "Our tools are now integrated
in Catia V5, as the IFC plug-in sold by Haption,
a CEA spin-off, and are also compatible with
Virtools, Solidworks and Seemage, thanks to
a number of projects led by CEA LIST."
Similarly, since mid-2007, Euriware, an Areva
subsidiary, has integrated and marketed
these tools to simulate 3D digital models
of human or robot operations at nuclear
power faciliities, including the calculation of
radiation doses. Researchers are pursuing
their studies to simulate other deformable
objects in real-time, such as boat hulls and
fluid flow.
