How Cognitive Design Blasted Away the ULA Grabcad Challenge: A Practical Case Study of Part Optimization
This article highlights how, with Cognitive Design, we achieved significantly better performance than the first-prize-winning design in the ULA Grabcad Challenge, where top engineers competed to create a component that met stringent criteria for weight and strength. By leveraging advanced tools like topology optimization post-processing application and the simulation-driven design (SDD) approach, Cognitive Design was able to deliver a design that was lighter, stronger, in a more effective manner.
If you're curious about how automation and simulation can revolutionize your overall design process, this article practically outlines how, with Cognitive Design, you can effortlessly push current engineering boundaries even further.
The ULA Grabcad Challenge: Context and Frame
The challenge was organized by United Launch Alliance (ULA) to find an optimized version of a specific component used in rocket hardware, with the goal of minimizing weight while meeting strict strength requirements. Engineers from around the world participated, proposing innovative design solutions. The winning design, selected by a jury of experts, achieved impressive results, combining weight savings with structural integrity.
Now let's find out how Cognitive Design compared against the winning design in this challenge and what design approach was used to get there. watch the full video
How We Optimized the Bracket Using Cognitive Design
To optimize the bracket, we followed a systematic approach using Cognitive Design, incorporating a mix of topology optimization and simulation-driven design techniques. Here's a step-by-step walkthrough of how this was done:
1. Initial Setup and Preparation
The first step was to import the 3D bracket model into Cognitive Design. After importing the geometry, we set up the physical parameters necessary for the optimization process, including defining the load cases (forces applied to the bracket during use), boundary conditions (how the bracket is fixed in place), and material properties. Setting up these parameters correctly was crucial, as they would drive the optimization to achieve the best balance of strength and weight.
2. Running the Topology Optimization
With the setup complete, we ran the topology optimization. This process uses generative design algorithms to identify areas of the bracket where material could be removed without compromising the part's structural integrity. The optimization was configured to maximize stiffness while minimizing weight, operating within the constraints set in the previous step.
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Using a two-phase workflow combining Topology Optimization Post-Processing and Simulation-Driven Design (SDD), Cognitive Design achieved a 13% lighter bracket (35.7g vs. 40.7g), a 24% improvement in maximum stress (25 MPa vs. 33 MPa), and completed the full optimization in 4 hours vs. 50 hours for the winning design. This represents a 92% reduction in design time and an equivalent reduction in estimated engineering labor cost ($400 vs. $5,000).
Cognitive Design's TO Post-Process application automatically reconstructs and smoothly reconnects geometries from raw topology optimization results, cleaning mesh artifacts, disconnected islands, and irregular features. It integrates functional regions with the main design using Boolean operations and eliminates sharp intersections, producing a smooth, cohesive, and manufacturable geometry ready for simulation or direct production without manual CAD rework.
Simulation-Driven Design (SDD) uses stress analysis and simulation inputs to guide further material redistribution after initial topology optimization, targeting areas where material can be removed without compromising structural integrity. In the ULA challenge, SDD applied with a Variable TPMS gyroid infill strategy reduced part volume from 30.5 cm³ to 23.5 cm³ while improving stress performance by 24% over the topology-optimized baseline.
By automating topology optimization post-processing and simulation-driven design iteration, Cognitive Design reduces the engineering time required for complex bracket optimization from 50+ hours to approximately 4 hours. At a typical engineering rate of $100 per hour, this translates from a $5,000 labor cost for a manually designed solution to $400 with Cognitive Design, a 92% cost reduction without any sacrifice in structural performance.
At each step of the SDD optimization process, validation simulations are conducted within Cognitive Design to ensure the evolving design meets load specifications and safety standards. For the ULA GrabCAD challenge, the part was required to withstand 2.7 kN with a maximum weight of 45.4g using Ultem 9085 material, and every intermediate geometry was validated before proceeding to the next optimization phase.
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