How Cognitive Design Blasted Away the ULA Grabcad Challenge: A Practical Case Study of Part Optimization
The Part
A rocket launch support bracket, the subject of the ULA GrabCAD engineering challenge, where teams competed to minimize weight while meeting strict structural requirements under aerospace-grade loads. The challenge provided a fixed design space and defined load cases, allowing direct performance comparison between approaches. The first-prize winning design had already established a high bar for structural efficiency and weight savings, making it a credible engineering benchmark.
The Challenge
The ULA GrabCAD challenge attracted experienced aerospace engineers working with validated topology optimization tools. The winning entry demonstrated genuine structural engineering expertise, making any comparison meaningful only if both the structural and weight outcomes are measured against identical load cases and constraints.
The objective with Cognitive Design was not to iterate on the winning topology, but to apply a parallel workflow integrating topology optimization post-processing, SDD refinement, and TPMS infill generation, then measure the performance difference on the same metrics.
The Approach
The engineering team applied a combined topology optimization post-processing and Simulation-Driven Design workflow, followed by TPMS gyroid infill integration for the internal structural volume. The workflow was designed to test the benefit of continuous structural refinement after initial topology generation, rather than stopping at the first feasible result. The comparison against the first-prize winning design produced results that went beyond weight reduction alone.
The case study documents the full two-stage workflow, the TPMS infill parameter selection, and the metric-by-metric comparison against the winning design across weight, stress, and engineering time.
Key Results
- 13% lighter than the first-prize winning design, under identical load cases and constraints
- 24% lower peak Von Mises stress versus the awarded design
- 92% faster engineering lead time, 4 hours versus the 50 hours reported by the first-prize winner
The case study includes the topology optimization post-processing methodology, the TPMS gyroid infill configuration, and the full metric comparison table against the winning design.
Why It Matters
The GrabCAD challenge provided a controlled environment where the performance of different engineering approaches could be measured against identical requirements. The results here reflect what continuous SDD refinement adds to a topology optimization baseline, a contribution that is absent in workflows that stop at the first structurally compliant result.
Download the case study to see the full two-stage workflow, the TPMS infill methodology, and the head-to-head performance comparison against the winning design.
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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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