Redesigning a transfer case for the electric future
Simulation is reimagining the design and manufacturing of transfer cases in electric vehicles
Without a transfer case, your car isn’t going anywhere. But the transfer of power from the transmission to the axles can be quite a noisy process. In the past, much of this sound has been masked by the internal combustion engine, but with electric motors being much quieter it is much more noticeable. Every minor vibration and noise can be picked up and become irritating for the vehicle occupants, so it’s essential to minimize these for a comfortable driving experience.
Optimizing NVH performance to this level requires a new approach, so Siemens has created a new design and manufacturing process for electric vehicles using NX X and Simcenter 3D. This ensures that once the optimum design is reached, it can also be efficiently produced to make it commercially viable.
Collecting test data and NX X topology optimization
The process begins with physical tests to collect data to understand where the noise-inducing vibrations are coming from. Various CAE methods analyze the digital model to pinpoint the NVH issues as well as assess mechanical strength and thermal characteristics.
Original design on the left vs. force and vibration optimized design on the right.
The results show areas where the strength could be increased by adding more material, and other areas where material could be moved to alternative locations to eliminate vibrations. NX X has topology optimization design automation capabilities that analyze different load paths and create geometry where it is necessary to increase the strength or stiffness based off the different forces and targets set as well as the specific manufacturing process.
Simulating manufacturing
Once optimized, the new transfer case is 3D printed using the NX X additive manufacturing capabilities for setting up the powder bed fusion print job file. This gives more freedom and flexibility to the shapes that can be manufactured in a typical CNC machine. Simcenter 3D Additive Manufacturing simulates the build process to identify if any geometry adjustments are required to get a high-quality print. If it finds that deformation will occur, then it automatically compensates by modifying the shape to ensure that the correct physical print is created.
Simulating the manufacturing process in this way is crucial as it informs how the parts will be made and if any efficiency improvements are possible to increase overall profitability and production speed.
Digital twin of the design and manufacturing process
By keeping everything within NX X and Simcenter 3D there is an integrated digital process in one single system that allows engineers, designers, and manufacturers to easily collaborate. All parties work with the same data which moves seamlessly through each of the process steps, creating a digital twin of the design and manufacturing process. This means we can see how the design will perform in the real world, and how the manufacturing process will perform in the factory. The end result is better optimized components and reduced design and manufacturing times, enabling companies to get products to market faster and stay ahead of the competition.
Check out the video below to learn more about this technology from Aaron Frankel,
VP Additive Manufacturing Software Program at Siemens Digital Industries Software.
