CoatSim

Imagine being able to save up to 10% in resources, complemented by as much in operational costs in a multibillion dollar market. With CoatSim we aim to make this potential a reality for the powder coating and galva-nizing industries, by combining a totally unique numerical simulation software with optimization algorithms and by embedding it into a cloud computing platform to take advantage of cutting-edge Massive Simultaneous Cloud Computing (MSCC) capabilities. We will thus provide the industry with the necessary means to revolutionize their process design procedures, which currently rely mainly on costly trial and error methods, thus enabling further cost savings. However the main benefit of the coatSim software will appear in the form of reduction of scrapped parts and the amount of coating material utilized during the whole manufacturing process, also reducing the environmental footprint of our customers.

Was ist das Besondere an diesem Projekt?

CoatSim has at its core a simulation software that can replicate any surface treatment process one-to-one in the form of its digital twin. This means that not only are geometric details and the exact motion of moving parts such as a coating pistol preserved, but the interaction of the coating and the carrier medium (e.g. air flow), as well as other process relevant forces (e.g. electrostatic for powder coating) and the substrate to be coated are considered as well. This in itself makes the solver the only one, tailored specifically for surface treatment processes in all its details. As of now the core of this break-through technology has been thoroughly validated, yielding results of a predictive quality unmatched by any other software package. It has taken more than ten man-years of intense development effort in close cooperation with industrial application partners to reach today's state. However, we will yet go one step further with this unique solver, and combine it with the latest advancements in computational science. Namely we will take advantage of the computational power of novel cloud computing technology in order to perform process optimization by completing hundreds of predictive simulation runs. While this will be a complex process requiring the implementation of an optimization algorithm to comply with MSCC Massive Simultaneous Cloud Computing in the background, it is envisioned to be as easy as a drag and drop operation on the user end. Hence we expect our state of the art simulation-based approach to replace the customary trial and error methods, making coatSim the standard software of choice for the surface treatment industry.

Stand/Resultate

A minimum viable product (MVP) has been developed and demonstrated to key industrial partners (e.g. Kaleidosim, coatmaster AG, Wagner International AG). In fact, a one day workshop on the alpha version of the software has been carried out for Wagner International AG. The MVP incorporates all the necessary functionality for the user to construct the geometry, define the coating material and process parameters, generate the mesh and prepare the case with minimum effort and intuitive input. The software is seamlessly interfaced with Kaleidosim to carry out the simulation on the cloud. In parallel, for marketing purposes the logo of coatmaster has been virtually coated and displayed on our linkedIn feed to demonstrate the capabilities of the software. In the framework of marketing, coatSim has been presented to the wider academic community on the 9th OpenFOAM Workshop of ESI and also in cooperation with the consortium Coating in Process. As a next phase of development, the parameter study and automated post processing functionalities will be added to the software. In the meantime the studies on the computational performance and its optimization will commence. On the marketing side, we will also be relying on our newly established web page coatsim.com, to showcase the various simulations performed using coatSim and share key performance indicators on cost and computational performance.

Publikationen

Siyahhan, B.; Boldrini, M.; Hauri, S.; Reinke, N.; Boiger, G.; 2018. Procedure for experimental data assessment for numerical solver validation in the context of model based prediction of powder coating patterns (2019). Int.Journal of Multiphysics. 12(4), pp. 373-392(20). DOI: 10.21152/1750-9548.12.4.373.
Boiger,G., 2016. Eulerian-LaGrangian model of particle laden flows and deposition effects in electro-static fields based on OpenFoam (2017), Int.Journal of Multiphysics; 10(2), pp. 177–194(18); DOI: 10.21152/1750-9548.10.2.177.

Medienecho

«Für eine optimale Beschichtung», ZHAW Impact, Seite 15, März 2021

Links

CoatSim Website

Am Projekt beteiligte Personen

Bercan Siyahhan, Project Leader. Is in charge of the technical development of the simulation software and the optimization algorithm in addition to the collaboration with KaleidoSim to spearhead the cloud implementation of the software. He will also be controlling the finances of the project as well as play a crucial role in customer relations especially when it comes to technical matters.
Malcolm Werchota, Business Development Specialist. Is in charge of the business development plan and the marketing strategy. He will be initiating customer contacts and maintain ongoing relations with them.
Prof. Dr. Gernot Boiger, External Advisory. Will be our main academic advisor as an early developer of the simulation software and expertise into the field of powder coating and galvanizing.
Viktor Lienhard, External Advisory. Will be our advisor and beta user as he has been involved inapplying the software in various industrial projects.

Letzte Aktualisierung dieser Projektdarstellung 26.01.2022

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