ANSYS, Zuken Partner to Bridge Gap in Electrical and Mechanical Design
10 Dec, 2007Interface now available between Zuken ECAD solutions and ANSYS Workbench simulation platform.
Simulation software developer ANSYS and Japanese engineering consulting company Zuken yesterday announced that the companies have developed an interface between Zuken's electronics computer-aided design (ECAD) tools and the ANSYS Workbench simulation environment. The ANSYS Workbench platform now provides thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic simulation capabilities to the complex component/board/system geometry in Zuken's CR-5000 and Board Modeler solutions.
Zuken's CR-5000 electronic design automation (EDA) suite provides advanced printed circuit board (PCB) design functionality. Board Modeler converts both PCB and mechanical design data to enable electromechanical codesign and verification based on 3D data. The ANSYS Workbench platform offers an efficient and intuitive user interface, superior CAD integration, and automatic meshing as well as access to model parameters and simulation and modeling products from ANSYS, according to the announcement.
Zuken reports that it chose to collaborate with ANSYS because of the simulation company's considerable expertise in major computer-aided engineering (CAE) areas, including structural analysis, fluid analysis, and mesh generation, and because ANSYS solutions are used widely throughout the world.
"Zuken Board Modeler brings to the ANSYS Workbench platform printed circuit board design data with access to detailed geometric component information, said Kazuhiro Kariya, director of R&D at Zuken. "The interface with ANSYS Workbench will enhance the MCAD import/export capabilities of Board Modeler as well as provide extensive simulation capabilities to its users. Static clearance checking in Board Modeler can be enhanced in the ANSYS Workbench environment by performing vibration/shock or drop test simulations to detect potential interference problems during product use and operation."
Joe Solecki, vice-president, mechanical business unit at ANSYS, said, "Working with Zuken is an important step in providing our simulation capabilities to the electronics industry. By creating the Board Modeler product, Zuken has illustrated the importance of bringing electrical and mechanical design together. The company's collaboration with ANSYS takes this to the next level, enabling thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic multiphysics simulation. Our collective customers now have the opportunity to significantly reduce the design cycle and, thus, time to market in the dynamic and highly competitive electronics industry."
Zuken and ANSYS worked closely to validate the technology and to solve the technical challenges associated with integrating their tools, according to the announcement. As a result, 3D models can be created from PCB design data, including electrical components, and perform analyses with simulation software from ANSYS. This reportedly will enable both systems' users to perform structural and thermal analyses on the design in progress without creating prototypes, significantly improving development speed and reducing cost.
The Zuken CR-5000 product includes detailed board-level information that is used by the ANSYS Iceboard and ANSYS Icepak products to thermally simulate the printed circuit board accurately, according to the announcement. When this data is combined with the extensive 3D component library in Board Modeler along with system-level geometry imported through ANSYS Workbench or Board Modeler, a user has all the data necessary to perform true virtual prototyping in ANSYS Workbench.
In Japan, CAE products from ANSYS are distributed by channel partner Cybernet Systems Company and by ANSYS subsidiaries ANSYS K.K. and Fluent Asia-Pacific Company.
Cybernet contributed to technical validation of the Zuken and ANSYS interface. Zuken will continue to partner with Cybernet to market and support its products, the company reports.
