Case Study: TU Delft achieves 10% faster vessel unloading with Altair's EDEM

Nemag and tu delft design innovative Grab for faster unloading

TU Delft, working with manufacturer Nemag BV, needed a way to design faster, lighter grabs for unloading dry bulk cargo without relying on costly physical prototypes. Predicting the interaction between iron ore pellets and grab mechanics was difficult using traditional methods, so TU Delft turned to Altair’s simulation technology — specifically Altair EDEM — to enable virtual prototyping and better understand material–equipment behavior.

Using Altair EDEM coupled with multibody dynamics, TU Delft simulated iron ore pellets interacting with grab designs and calibrated models against industrial-scale measurements at Tata Steel IJmuiden. The Altair-powered co‑simulation guided the creation of the patented nemaX® grab, which achieves lower deadweight, higher payloads and shorter closing times—cutting vessel unloading time by about 10%—with performance matching the simulations and earning international design awards.

TU Delft

Dingena Schott

Associate Professor Material Equipment Interaction for Logistics