Case Study: Schneider Electric achieves 4‑month time-to-market and early risk reduction with Altair's multi-disciplinary simulation

Developing Miniature Circuit Breakers with a Multi-Disciplinary System Design Approach

Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, faced an urgent challenge: adapt an existing miniature circuit breaker automatic recloser for a new geographic market with different operating conditions (different voltages, DC vs. AC, and temperature ranges) and deliver a validated product within an ultra‑short four‑month window. As a long‑time customer of Altair, Schneider used Altair tools from the HyperWorks suite—specifically Altair Flux, Altair MotionSolve, and Altair Activate—to accelerate development and manage multi‑disciplinary requirements.

Altair implemented a co‑simulation, system‑of‑systems approach combining 1D control/electronics models (Activate) with 3D electromagnetic and mechanical models (Flux and MotionSolve) so Schneider could evaluate many design variants quickly. The simulations closely matched test data, revealed that one operating condition required a new coil (avoiding wasted prototyping), and enabled Schneider to meet the four‑month time‑to‑market, reduce technical risk early, and improve product quality—demonstrating clear business impact from Altair’s tools and support.

Schneider Electric

Remy Orban

Mechatronic Engineer