Case Study: Samsung achieves 6–10% weight and material savings on washing machine pulley with Altair's OptiStruct

Samsung Uses OptiStruct to Redesign Washing Machine Component for Optimized Weight and Material Usage

Samsung (Suzhou Samsung Electronics Co.) faced cost and weight-reduction pressures on a washing-machine belt pulley traditionally made from cast aluminum and sought to explore optimized designs and alternative materials. To meet stiffness and performance targets while lowering weight and material use, Samsung turned to Altair’s OptiStruct within the HyperWorks suite for topology-driven optimization.

Using Altair OptiStruct’s topology, size and shape optimization (variable-density method), engineers redesigned the pulley into an optimized four-spoke aluminum version and explored a nylon alternative; the aluminum CAD redesign achieved a 6% reduction in total volume versus the original five-spoke part, and the optimized nylon design reduced volume by 10% compared with the original nylon model while meeting displacement and stiffness requirements. Altair’s OptiStruct results have gone into mass production for the four-spoke aluminum pulley (patent applied) and support ongoing nylon experiments.

Samsung

Cheng Fuping

Senior Engineer