Case Study: BMW Motorrad achieves 80% reduction in crankshaft model creation time with Altair SimLab

Automating Crankshaft Modeling for BMW Motorrad using Altair SimLab

BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle division of BMW, faced long lead times and unpredictable delivery when crankshaft FE model building was outsourced — typically 1–2 weeks per model — which undermined accurate budget forecasting and flexibility. Based on an internal recommendation, BMW engaged Altair to evaluate and automate the process using Altair SimLab.

Altair implemented a fully automated SimLab workflow (group assignment, mesh controls/surface mesh, layered/volume meshing and renumbering), migrating the legacy process to a SimLab-based approach. The Altair solution reduced model creation time by about 80% (first new model ≈½ day vs. up to two weeks; 4‑cylinder user interaction from ~1 hour to 5–10 minutes; subsequent variants ≈1 hour), enabling in‑house, consistent models, faster iterations and much improved budgetary forecasting.

BMW