1. optiSLang - ANSYS Workbench Interface (optiPlug)
A brief introduction
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Andreas Veiz

2. Benefits of optiPlug Export your Project directly from ANSYS Workbench
Easy selection of the input and output parameters – just „click and go“
Pre-defined problem files and start script
Possibility to import selected designs to verify the results

3. Selecting your cad parameters
Load your CAD geometry (e.g. in ANSYS Design Modeler)
Highlight the desired parameters with a „D“ to add them to the parameter manager.
You can change the parameter values now easily

4. Verifying the parameters
Values
Allocation
Verify the values of the selected parameters
Verify the correct allocation of the parameter names to the values

5. You have selected your geometry parameters of the CAD model.
Now start a new Workbench simulation
Define the analysis

6. Selecting your parameters in Workbench
Highlight the desired
output parameters with a „P“ to add them to the
parameter manager

7. Overview input and output parameters
Open the ANSYS Workbench Parameter Manager
You have now an overview of your inputs and outputs
Make sure that every desired parameter is selected properly
Save the simulation and the project before using the interface

8. Using the optiPlug interface
Click on the optiPlug – write button to start the plug in

9. Settings of the interface
Define the working directory for optiSLang
Define the project name
Set your default parameter range
Select whether the project should be stochastic oder optimization
Click on Start to export your project now
Directory
Project name
Problem type
Parameter range

10. Importing your project in optiSLang
Close the Workbench simulation and project
Open optiSLang
Import the pre-defined project
Start the
project
manager
Select „Import“
Browse for the project
Select the project file (*.fgpr)

11. Parametrize the problem
Start the modification of the pre-defined parameters

12. Modifying the parametrization
Fill in the correct bounds for the analysis (ovierview on sheet 13)

13. Overview: upper and lower bounds
Parameter name value range
Flanschbreite_E6_1_DS
Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS
Einflusstiefe_E6_3_DS
Einflusstiefe2_E6_4_DS
Flanschstaerke_E6_5_DS
Flanschstaerke2_E6_6_DS
Verrundungsbreite_E6_7_DS
Verrundungsbreite2_E6_8_DS
Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS
Schraubenspalt_E13_10_DS
Schraubenkopfueberstand_E13_11_DS
Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS
Schraubenkopfstaerke_EX29_13_DS
Schraubenkopfstaerke_EX32_14_DS

14. Defining the dependent parameters
Remove Verrundungsradius_E6_15_DS and Verrundungsradius2_E6_16_DS from the parameter tree
Mark the value and define a new dependent parameter.
Insert „Verrundungsbreite_E6_7_DS*sqrt(2)“ for Verrundungsradius and „Verrundungsbreite2_E6_8_DS*sqrt(2)“ for Verrundungsradius2

15. Creating input constraints
Due to the geometry it is necessary to define four input constraints that limit the variation space of the parameters corresponding to the different geometries
Define the four constraints in the constraint section

16. Creating input constraints
The input constraints:
1. Flanschbreite_min (minimum of the flange width)
0 <= Flanschbreite_E6_1_DS-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS-2*Schraubenkopfueberstand_E13_11_DS-fmax(Verrundungsbreite_E6_7_DS,Verrundungsbreite2_E6_8_DS)-1-1
2. Schraubenlage_min (minimum of the bearing of the screw)
0 <= Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS/2-Schraubenkopfueberstand_E13_11_DS-fmax(Verrundungsbreite_E6_7_DS,Verrundungsbreite2_E6_8_DS)-Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS-50-1
3. Schraubenlage_max (maximum of the bearing of the screw)
0 <= Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS+Flanschbreite_E6_1_DS-Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS/2-Schraubenkopfueberstand_E13_11_DS+50-1
4. Schraubenspalt_max (maximum of the gap of the screw)
0 <= Schraubenkopfueberstand_E13_11_DS-Schraubenspalt_E13_10_DS-0.2

17. Starting the Design of Experiments
Save and exit the parametrization
Start the Design of Experiments flow. You see that the starting script and the problem file is already selected it is pre defined by
the plug in
Choose Latin Hypercube Sampling and insert a Sample Size of 450. Because of the input constraints will be about 110 samples be valid.
Chose the valid sample points by deleting the invalid (click on Delete)
Click OK and start the DoE to solve the designs

18. Result and Postprocessing I
See that we have bad results in two areas
1st: the displacement of Flansch 1 cannot be negative
We have to remove these bad designs

19. Deactivating unsuitable designs I
Draw a window around the designs you want to deactivate
Deactivate them by mark them as deactivate (context menu by clicking the right mouse button)
See the reduced design space

20. Deactivating unsuitable designs II
Watch for other areas of bad results
Repeat deactivating Designs in these cases. You find the other area of bad designs when you look at the equivalent stress.
Save your modified result file to start a new postprocessing.

21. Postprocessing the reduced bin file
Take the reduced model to search for dominating parameters of the desired target values.
The target values for the optimization are:
- Equivalent stress in the screw
- Displacement of Flansch 1 and 2

22. Coefficients of determination
Look at the Coefficients of determination of the target values.
Check for double Parameters to reduce the model.
Dominating Parameter: Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS

23. Reducing the model
You can reduce the parameters to 6 parameters by ignoring the parameters with a weak influence.
The remaining parameters are:
Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS
Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS
Schraubenkopfstaerke_EX_32_14
Einflusstiefe_E6_3
Einflusstiefe2_E6_4
Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS
Now you can reduce the parameter set in a new parametrization!
Be aware, that you have to modifiy the geometry constraints in an accurate way!

24. Modifying the problem file
Set the unnecessary parameters as „inactive“
Check the constraints, modify them as shown below:
Constraint 1: 18-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS
Constraint 2: 0 <= Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS/2-Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS-71
Constraint 3: 0 <= Rohrstaerke_E6_2_DS-Schraubenlage_E13_12_DS-Schraubendurchmesser_E13_9_DS/2+89
Constraint 4: remove

25. Adding the objective function
Start the parametrization again and add the objective function
Our aim is to minimize the displacement of the two flanges and minimize the equivalent stress in the screw
Insert the objective as shown below
fabs(value) provides the absolute value

26. Starting an optimization
Because of the input constraints you can only use the GA or EA algorithm for the optimization.
Define the optimization run. This is not pre-defined, so that you have to fill in the correct problem definition and starting script.
Set 0% to avoid the violation of input constraints.
Modify the settings for the population size (25) and the mutation rate (0.2) as shown below and start the solver.

27. Result monitoring and postprocessing
Best Design in this run is design Nr. 177
Reducing of the maximum equivalent stress by about 66%
The Gap could not be reduced yet

28. Comparing of the designs
Basic Design: Displacement: mm Max. Stress in Screw: MPa
Optimized Design: Displacement:
Max. Stress in Screw: MPa

29. Import a design in Workbench
Re-open the Workbench Simulation
Browse for the design you want to import
Highlight „Calculate this design“ if you want to check the results

30. Calculated, imported design
See the changed parameters and results