We were honored to have Mark Taylor from The Boeing Company present at the SIMULIA Americas Users Conference, May 1-2, 2024 in Novi, Michigan.

Slide deck video (no audio)

Abstract

Structural simulation in aerospace has progressed over decades from simple vehicle stick models to acreage vehicle-level loads models and now detailed component-level models that can simulate complex joint loads. Advancements in the Abaqus solver along with access to larger high-performance computing environments has enabled a deeper understanding of complex designs and can greatly reduce program risks during full-scale structural testing.

In the past, smaller detailed models have been used to verify designs, but often these models have limited application, inconsistent modeling techniques, and fail to account for changes by the surrounding structure. A larger integrated model can capture interactions over larger assemblies developed by many engineering teams while also standardizing idealization and analysis approaches. Development of these complex models presents many challenges as the size and usage of these models no longer can be performed by a single analyst and now requires a team of simulation specialists to support. Consideration to the cost and effort required to build a larger model presents many challenges to the simulation analysis teams.

This presentation will take a closer look at many of the issues that need to be considered when leveraging team-based model creation, configuration controls, and integration of vendor software with company processes and best practices. No longer are simple scripts or a single application sufficient, rather a modular environment that integrates vendor and company services is necessary. An environment that can be progressively scaled to keep pace with new technology and software solutions is required.

Presenter Bio

Mark Taylor is currently the FEA Development Lead at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Finite Element Analysis Technical Excellence Center. Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle. He has over 20 years of simulation experience across a range of structural analysis including vehicle level, propulsion systems, and detailed component models.  As the development lead Mark aligns best practices alongside robust automation processes to further advance simulation across the entire commercial airplane portfolio.