The growing access to extensive computational resources and the introduction of parallelisation methods has facilitated the integration of numerical analysis and optimisation techniques as a way to reduce lead-times from design to market. Icon provides application and methods development support in the field of automatic optimisation. Particular expertise in the industrial application of software and methods for automatic optimisation, robust design, fluid based topology and shape optimisation. The scope of activities extends beyond the traditional fields of engineering (CFD, FEA, crash, wind-tunnel etc) to include financial and economic optimisation methods development.

Icon has been applying automatic optimisation software within its CAE analysis activities since 2001. As a result, a greater understanding and insight into designs is achieved. Automatic optimsation tools also allow informed choices to be made when data is presented in a form that shows the full extent of the options and the likely results of any trade-off decisions.

Coupling of optimisation software to almost any commercial or in-house computer aided engineering (CAE) tool is possible. It is also possible to integrate a variety of tools such as: CAD, Finite Element Structural Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), 1D fluid flow analysis, etc. Icon provides the expertise and the necessary technology transfer to incorporate optimisation methods into the design process going forward. The scope of our activities includes:

• Process Integration and Design Optimisaiton (PIDO)
• Fluid-based (CFD) optimisation
• Shape optimisation
• Topology optimisation
• Multi-objective optimisation
• Design of Experiments
• Response Surface methods
• Numerical methods development
• Structural optimisation
• Decision support
• Robust Design

For detailed information about our Optimisation Support packages please refer to the Services>Support>Optimisation section of the site.