How COMSOL Multiphysics Helped Organizations Develop Outstanding Products, Faster and Cheaper

In the dynamic world of engineering, where innovation is paramount and efficiency is key, engineering team supervisors face a constant dilemma: How to maximize productivity, reduce costs, comply with regulations, shorten time to market, and build fewer prototypes, without compromising on quality, while also keeping up with innovation.

In this quest for excellence, the utilization of advanced simulation software has emerged as a powerful tool.

Among these, COMSOL Multiphysics stands out as a comprehensive platform that offers a plethora of benefits for managers driving their teams’ success.

Understanding the Landscape

Before getting into the added value of COMSOL Multiphysics, it’s crucial to grasp the challenges that engineering managers often encounter. These challenges range from tight project deadlines to budget constraints, from ensuring product performance to meeting regulatory standards. Moreover, the complexity of modern engineering projects demands interdisciplinary collaboration and the ability to navigate through various physical phenomena, seamlessly.

Enter COMSOL Multiphysics

At its core, COMSOL Multiphysics is a software that enables engineers to model and simulate single and coupled physics across multiple disciplines. From structural mechanics to fluid dynamics, from electromagnetics to chemical reactions, COMSOL Multiphysics offers a unified platform for tackling diverse engineering challenges.

For managers, this translates into a multitude of benefits that enhance team productivity and project outcomes.

To demonstrate, we have compiled a list of six organizations that have accelerated their design processes, cut down costs, and reduced prototype iterations, while also revolutionizing their industries through outstanding products developed using COMSOL Multiphysics.

But what’s the cost of developing such successful products?

There were no losses or compromises involved. To the contrary, these companies have gained significant benefits.

1.  Samsung

Samsung worked on enhancing its audio products, employing simulation and multiphysics analyses to optimize loudspeaker designs and address challenges such as frequency response, sound distribution, and nonlinearity.

Results: 

• Improved sound quality and performance by balancing the need for smaller speaker sizes with exceptional audio output.
• Development of a systematic approach combining modeling, optimization, prototyping, and testing.
• Reduced development time and costs by integrating simulation into the design workflow.
• Utilization of specialized simulation applications to empower engineers in day-to-day calculations and free up time for innovation. 

By using COMSOL Multiphysics, Samsung was able to optimize its loudspeaker design more efficiently and cost-effectively compared to relying solely on prototyping. It enabled analysis of detailed components and operating scenarios, helping Samsung identify potential issues early on in the design process.

 Read the full story here.

Watch this video with Allan Devantier and Andri Bezzola for an inside look into the Samsung Audio Lab:

 Get an Inside Look at How Samsung Uses Acoustics Simulations (comsol.com)

 

2.  Miele Induction

Researchers at Mieletec FH Bielefeld have revolutionized induction stove design using COMSOL Multiphysics.

Miele’s revolutionary induction stove:

• Allows for a vibration-free, noise-free cooking surface, in contrast to other range designs; and
• Provides optimal power for cooking.

Miele streamlined the development process, reducing prototype iterations by 80% and saving time. Through multiphysics simulation, they optimized coil setups to eliminate noise and prevent pots from shaking due to the magnetic forces involved. The outcome: efficient, high-performing stoves with enhanced reliability, developed more quickly.

 

3.  Fiat

Researchers at Fiat’s Research Center used COMSOL Multiphysics simulations to improve Li-Ion battery packs. 

With the help of COMSOL Multiphysics, researchers at Fiat were able to: 

• Detect the hot spots on a cell;
• Measure cells’ internal temperature;
• Optimize convective cooling, reducing fan power;
• Reduce costs, as a result of reduced fan power; and
• Cut design time down to 300 hours (from 1000). 

Fiat streamlined the process, reducing design time by 70% through simulations. The outcome: rapid development of reliable Li-Ion battery packs with enhanced efficiency. 

4. BAYZ Audio

BAYZ Audio used COMSOL Multiphysics to model and simulate their concept of the 180° radiation pattern loudspeaker – BAYZ Radial Speaker (“BRS”) – with the help of the engineering team at SciEngineer, resulting in an outstanding design execution in a significantly shorter timeframe.

The revolutionary Counterpoint Flagship loudspeaker:

•     Provides unmatched impulse response and minimal distortion;
•     Boasts a 180-degree radiation pattern; and
•     Incorporates novel design elements such as a printed circuit board.

Using COMSOL Multiphysics, Zoltan and Arpad optimized their design, shortening the development and the production timeline by one-third and reducing costs by 70%.The outcome: a groundbreaking speaker with unparalleled performance and scalability.

5. Volkswagen Kassel

Volkswagen, responding to the increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and the shift toward environmentally friendly transportation, focused on optimizing EV design and manufacturing efficiency through development of the Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB).  Introduced in 2015, this modular system aimed to balance torque, power, and speed requirements for both rear-wheel and optional front-wheel drive systems, including those used in all-wheel drive configurations.

Results:

• Enhanced product quality by automating testing processes and standardizing simulations, resulting in improved efficiency and resource management.
• Shortened distance from model to concept vehicle to commercially available EV, contributing to the advancement of electric vehicle technology.
• Streamlined model construction and benchmarking processes, saving time and money in the development of electric drives. 

Leveraging COMSOL Multiphysics software, efficiency and resource management at Volkswagen’s Kassel plant saw considerable improvements through streamlined collaboration among departments and the standardization of benchmarking processes, resulting in notable time and cost savings during the development of electric drives. Moreover, the utilization of simulation applications has improved product quality by automating testing processes and standardizing simulations.

 Read the full story here.

To learn how engineers use COMSOL Multiphysics to accelerate EV design, check out this blog post.

6.  SEMILAB

SEMILAB provides metrology solutions for semiconductor manufacturers. Using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations and the Solid Mechanics Module, the SEMILAB Optical team tackled the challenge of measuring a metal needle’s contact surface on glass, a crucial quality assessment measurement.

The results involved:

• Correlation between simulation and measurement achieved.
• Streamlined design process and substantial cost savings.

COMSOL Multiphysics facilitated precise measurement planning and prediction, reducing design time and costs for SEMILAB. Structural mechanical simulations significantly expedited design and measurement setup compared to traditional methods, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in the development of metrology devices.

Read the full story here.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, COMSOL Multiphysics offers a myriad of benefits for enterprises, engineers, and managers of engineering teams at those organizations, ranging from accelerated innovation to streamlined collaboration, from risk mitigation to optimized resource allocation.

By leveraging the capabilities of this advanced simulation software, managers can empower their teams to tackle complex engineering challenges with confidence, drive innovation forward, and, ultimately, achieve higher rates of project success.

In today’s competitive landscape, where every advantage counts, COMSOL Multiphysics has emerged as an invaluable ally for managers striving to lead their teams to excellence.

Learn more

• Blog: Why Engineers are using Modeling and Simulation to Accelerate the Development of Electric Vehicles.
  Learn why and how engineers are using COMSOL Multiphysics to accelerate EV design.
  Read the blog post. 
• Blog: Accelerating BAYZ Radial Speaker-BRS design using COMSOL Multiphysics.
  BAYZ Audio uses COMSOL Multiphysics to model and simulate their 180° radiation pattern loudspeaker concept – BAYZ Radial Speaker (“BRS”) – with the help of the engineering team at SciEngineer, resulting in an outstanding design execution in a significantly shorter timeframe.
  Read the user story.
• Manager’s Guide: Accelerate R&D with Multiphysics Simulation.
  Get more in-depth information about how COMSOL Multiphysics can empower your organization.
  Read the guide.