Automating LS-DYNA Simulation Processes using SOFY’s Rapid Application Development Environment RADE.

Since the first applications of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in automotive design this technology has gone a long way to become a standard tool fully integrated in the design process of automotive industry. Strongly promoted by progress in mathematics, information and computer technology simulation results have today reached a level of accuracy comparable to physical testing. In parallel developments in software technology – ranging from CAD to graphical interactive pre- and postprocessing - have helped FEA to develop from a work performed by specialists into an industrial tool used by design engineers. Within a product design engineers often have to judge the performance of dozens of design variants by doing very similar Finite Element Analysises. This leads to the requirement to automate the preand postprozessing of FEA to reduce errors and turnaround times and to improve quality and productivity. This paper demonstrates how RADE – the Rapid Application Development Environment – of the commercial pre- and postprocessing package SOFY is used in industry to automate analysis processes from input creation to report generation.