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Services
We offer an adaptive suite of consulting services ranging from engineering analysis and finite element modeling to the development of application-specific CAE software and assisting our customers with the implementation of customized engineering solutions.
Our customers are provided access to a customer-specific, password protected project web where we share daily updates, results, current issues, and other project related data. Communication is one of the keys to a successful project and through the project web our customers can stay on top of their project at all times.
As a complement to our engineering services, we also conduct training seminars and mentoring sessions where we share our experience with our customers.
Engineering Consulting
Many engineering departments do not have access to the software required or lack the engineering staff to perform some of the more advanced engineering analysis assignment. Or even if the software tools are available, tight time constraints often make it impossible to acquire the level of knowledge required to perform some of the "higher-end" finite element modeling.
These are just some of the scenarios where we can assist our customers with the various aspects of their product development cycle. A few examples are shown below:
Capital Equipment
Kx assisted in the design of a new line of injection molding machines by analyzing the machine platens and bases for deflection and stress.
Automotive Components
Using FEA, Kx helped iterate through a series of design changes to determine a configuration which meets manufacturing requirements while maintaining part functionality and desired part life.
Biomedical Implants
The orthopedic implant industry is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Thorough testing procedures are necessary before an implant is approved for general use. Typically, this involves a variety of physical and analytical assessments including the determination of sustainable stresses in a particular implant and the corresponding peak load-carrying capacity.
From trauma products to total joint replacement, Kx has been a valued supplier of engineering analysis solutions to the biomedical implant industry for many years.
Aerospace Industry
Kx has completed a large variety of projects for the aerospace industry ranging from short-term assignments with focus on quick turn-around to long-term engagements where Kx engineers act as an extensions of our customers' engineering staff with project scopes extending beyond 1 year.
Below are just a few highlights of the work we have done:
Developed methodology for analysis of mutually exclusive time and temperature dependent film coefficients to capture “spike” heat transfer in fuel nozzles
Transient thermal/structural analyses of exhaust nozzle components including mission data loading
Repair and preparation of a variety of complex turbine and nozzle geometries for clean translation into ANSYS using CADfix
Engineering analysis support on the GE 90-115B Test Inlet.
Automation of parametric calculation methods for sonic fatigue, ply failure, buckling and crippling, thermal loads in splices and edge bands, and inter-rivet buckling.
Training
ANSYS
As an ANSYS Channel Partner, Kx has teamed up with ANSYS-Michigan to provide ANSYS training classes in Livonia (near Detroit).
Course Descriptions
Training Registration Form
In addition, Kx offers several specialized seminars such as Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics for ANSYS Users.
CADfix
Through our unique experience with CADfix especially in tandem with CAE applications and our close relationship with its developer, TranscentData, Kx has been certified to provide front-line support for our CADfix customers. We are also certified CADfix instructors and bring our unique CAE perspective to every course we teach.
Either in a classroom setting or transferring knowledge through a one-on-one mentoring session, Kx will help you effectively utilize CADfix in your design process.
Custom Training
We also offer customized training sessions to most effectively help you with your specific application or engineering challenges - just tell us what you want to learn and accomplish, and we will design a course for you.
For additional information and to find out more about how to schedule a customized seminar at a location of your choice, please email kx@kxinc.com.
Mentoring
Mentoring and tutoring sessions may be appropriate if you have some of the engineering analysis capability in-house, but lack the in-depth experience with certain aspects of a component simulation you need to perform. We know that the time constraints of most projects may not allow you to spend the time required to acquire the skills through self-teaching.
That's where we can help. Customized one-on-one sessions of several hours to several days of mentoring may be all that is required to teach you the principles and methods and get you on the accelerated path up the learning curve.
Course Evaluation and Certificates
To receive a certificate for a class you attended please click on the certificate sample on the right. The link will take you to a course evaluation form where we also gather some key information about you so we can print your certificate.
Customized Software Solutions
High-level engineering analysis software is designed to satisfy the most basic and the most sophisticated engineering needs. Every industry has unique analysis requirements and will typically utilize only a portion of the capability the software provides. In those cases, the standard user interface is unnecessarily complex and confusing to the engineer who is focused on the design of the part.
Kx has developed custom user interfaces and software to suit industry specific needs and to ensure the most efficient use of simulation in the development process.
Examples
Artificial Hip Design and Analysis
The purpose of this software customization assignment was to provide engineers with an easy-to-use tool to help design an artificial hip implant. The custom interface allows design engineers to conduct a variety of fatigue tests with minimal model setup in a virtual test lab.
more...
A white paper about this customized analysis tool was presented at the NAFEMS 2003 Conference (click to view the paper in PDF format).
Web-Based Interface for Geometry Database
It was the goal of this project to convert spinal CT-Scan data into a usable CAE geometry database of patient populations for extraction and use by engineers during the development of orthopedic devices.
We developed an interface which provides engineers access to the geometry database via the internet where they may preview and manipulate the geometry in any HTML browser, and download the desired geometry to their computers for use with other engineering software.
A sample of this database with limited functionality may be viewed by following this link. (Note: you may be prompted to download a plug-in for dynamic viewing of the geometry).
Reverse Engineering
Virtual Modeling of Physical Parts
Reverse engineering requires the conversion of a physical part into a database usable for CAE work. Given the virtual definition of the part as a solid model, subsequent steps can then involve finite element modeling and the evaluation of design parameter perturbations.
Our expertise in the conversion of digitally scanned data into a large variety of geometry formats has lead to to some "less traditional" reverse engineering applications.
Conversion of CT Data to Finite Element Model
Finite Element Mesh
Our work in the orthopedic implant industry led to the need for the conversion of biomedical imaging data into a database format usable for CAE - specifically the conversion of CT data into a finite element model (FEM).
The data conversion involved the following steps:
CT Data ® Point Cloud Data ® CAD Database ® FEM
Given the bone density information from the original scan, mechanical properties can be mapped onto the finite element model. This eliminates the need to divide the geometry into subvolumes for each region with different mechanical properties.
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