How COMSOL Multiphysics Leads R&D Breakthroughs in CEE (3 User Stories)

In the fast-paced world of engineering and design, the ability to model and simulate complex systems accurately is essential for driving innovation and improving efficiency. Central & Eastern Europe, which maintains a long-standing tradition of engineering excellence, continues to play a pivotal role in this dynamic landscape.

The automotive industry in CEE is undergoing significant changes, fueled by heavy R&D investments, innovation, and government support. In 2023, the region’s R&D spend totaled €3 billion, and is expected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR to €5 billion by 2030. In 2024, the aerospace and defense sector saw significant growth and transformation, influenced by advancements in technology, increased defense spending, and a shifting geopolitical outlook.

As the exclusive representative of MathWorks and COMSOL in the CEE region, SciEngineer has a unique opportunity to support leading companies and engineering teams in tackling complex challenges and accelerating their innovation journeys.

In this blog, we explore three inspiring user stories from our collaborations with BAYZ Audio, ETI Elektroelement, and HARMAN. Discover why these industry leaders trust COMSOL Multiphysics to drive innovation and solve complex engineering challenges.

The Application Builder: An intuitive and simplified user interface for all skill levels

Real-world use case: BAYZ Audio 

BAYZ Audio is a Hungarian-based audio manufacturer. With the support of SciEngineer, they leveraged COMSOL Multiphysics to design and simulate their innovative 180° radiation pattern loudspeaker, the BAYZ Radial Speaker (BRS). 

The project showcased the power of COMSOL’s Application Builder, which played a pivotal role in streamlining the design process. 

By enabling the creation of a virtual prototype, the Application Builder significantly reduced the time required for development, eliminating the need for extensive physical prototyping. Moreover, it also facilitated the development of a custom user interface, which allowed for intuitive control and optimization of the loudspeaker model. 

This feature not only enhanced the efficiency of the design process but also ensured seamless integration across various platforms, making it a critical tool in achieving the project’s goals. The Application Builder’s ability to combine multiple modules within a single COMSOL Multiphysics model was instrumental in addressing the complex multiphysics challenges of the loudspeaker design.

Use of COMSOL Multiphysics and the Application Builder yielded remarkable results. The design process, which could have taken years, was completed in months, thanks to the virtual prototyping capabilities. The custom user interface not only simplified the interaction with the model but also ensured consistent performance across different manufacturing batches. 

Read more about it here. 

Surrogate Models: Fast-track to accurate simulation results 

Real-world use case: ETI ETI Elektroelement

Established in Izlake, Slovenia in 1950, ETI Elektroelement d.o.o. has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of products and services in the field of electrical installations, distribution of electrical energy for low and medium voltages, and power electronics.  

Engineers at ETI faced challenges in designing residual current devices (RCDs), particularly in optimization of the differential transformer core, a critical and costly component. To address this, ETI leveraged COMSOL Multiphysics and surrogate models to streamline the development process, with a focus on improving efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility in simulations.

This not only simplifies the integration of simulation across an organization but also enables the development of interactive digital twins in a wider range of physics areas, thanks to the increased responsiveness of surrogate models.

The integration of surrogate models transformed ETI’s development process. It enabled faster, more accurate simulations, reduced reliance on FEA experts, and improved product quality by predicting and addressing parameter deviations. This approach not only enhanced productivity but also positioned ETI to respond more effectively to market demands, to ensure future-proofing in a competitive industry.

In summary, surrogate models played a pivotal role in optimizing ETI’s design process by delivering significant time, cost, and quality benefits while allowing access to simulation capabilities across the organization.

Read more about it here.

SciEngineer’s comprehensive and prompt support 

Real-world use case: HARMAN 

HARMAN, a leading automotive audio systems supplier, aimed to investigate the possible solutions to model MEMS microphones. Their R&D team, based in Budapest, Hungary, wanted to glean insights on the underlying physics inside their microphones. They also wanted to calculate the system’s THD.

SciEngineer’s consulting team orchestrated a custom consulting day on the models provided by the partner. We taught their engineers how to create high-fidelity and detailed finite element models in COMSOL Multiphysics for acoustic simulations. They also learned how to perform FFT analysis on the simulation results.

COMSOL Multiphysics helped to make the entire design process quicker, more efficient, and cheaper without sacrificing quality. It allowed the HARMAN team to improve the decision-making process regarding the geometry of the acoustic path and various acoustic impedances to tune the frequency response, and helped to eliminate the need for removing large amounts of mesh, felt, or any other covering material from all the possible sample variations.

HARMAN’s engineers gained the knowledge to set up finite element models, which enabled them to initiate and realize results much faster with virtual prototypes. Meanwhile, the number of printed samples and errors decreased. Simulation eliminated the need to remove significant amounts of mesh, felt, or any covering materials from all the possible sample variations and allowed the team to print only the highest-performing samples, thus reducing their number by 85%. Hence, the time the team needed to spend on modifying the model, printing, and cleaning all the samples was slashed from several days to just a few hours. For the case of their design, the frequency response aligned with the target. Simulation facilitated decision-making regarding the geometry of the acoustic path and the various acoustic impedances needed to tune the frequency response. By introducing simulations for MEMS components in audio systems, they improved design quality and accelerated time to market. 

Read more about it here. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, COMSOL Multiphysics has proven to be an indispensable tool for modeling and simulation. Its Application Builder allows for universal access to complex simulations, and makes them accessible to users at every level of expertise, as demonstrated by the success of BAYZ Audio. The use of surrogate models, highlighted by ETI Elektroelement’s experience, accelerates simulation processes and enhances accuracy, thus providing a significant competitive edge. Lastly, the robust and prompt support provided by SciEngineer helps to ensure that businesses like HARMAN can swiftly overcome challenges and achieve their project goals. Together, these features make COMSOL Multiphysics the best viable modeling and simulation software for the CEE region, driving innovation and efficiency across various industries.

Learn More

• Blog: The 7 Ways COMSOL Multiphysics Rules Over R&D in Central & Eastern Europe.
  Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) is a hub for innovation, from automotive to aerospace. The region’s industries know that staying competitive demands cutting-edge simulation tools. COMSOL Multiphysics delivers unmatched multiphysics capabilities and AI integration while ensuring data security and streamlined workflows. Discover how it helps engineers tackle complex challenges, accelerate R&D, and drive technological leadership in sectors evolving at breakneck speed in CEE.
  Read more
• On-demand: Deep Neural Networks in Multiphysics Simulations.
  Discover how surrogate models, powered by deep neural networks, are transforming multiphysics simulations. Learn to replace traditional finite element models with faster, accurate alternatives using COMSOL Multiphysics.
  Register to watch
• Blog: Enhancing AI Integration with COMSOL Multiphysics: A Gateway to Smarter Industrial Optimization.
  This blog discusses how machine learning accelerates tasks like modeling and optimization, and showcases real-world applications such as battery testing.
  Learn how these innovative updates are transforming workflows, increasing accuracy, and driving efficiencies in industrial optimization, paving the way for future advancements in engineering practices.
  Read more
• User story: Implementing Simulation Across ETI Elektroelement: Future-proofing via Surrogate Models.
  ETI Elektroelement d.o.o. has successfully integrated surrogate models into its COMSOL Multiphysics simulations. Doing that has significantly reduced simulation time, allowing engineers to iterate faster and explore more options for the design of their circuit breakers.
  Read more

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