Case Study: SOGECLAIR Aerospace achieves one‑shot, optimized lightweight aircraft access-door production with Altair HyperWorks

Simulation, 3D Printing and Casting The Perfect Symbiosis for Large Aerospace Structures

SOGECLAIR Aerospace, a major engineering partner and prime contractor in aerospace, needed to design a large, thin-skinned aircraft access door (EOLE) that was too big for direct metal additive manufacturing and demanded tight dimensional tolerances and certification-ready quality. To address the challenge of combining additive manufacturing and traditional casting, SOGECLAIR Aerospace turned to Altair and its HyperWorks software suite, including Altair Inspire, OptiStruct, HyperMesh and HyperView, for topology optimization and simulation-driven development.

Using Altair HyperWorks, SOGECLAIR Aerospace ran an optimization campaign (about two months, eight topology runs and four stress checks), followed by filling and solidification casting simulations to minimize defects and validate manufacturability; the team produced a full-scale resin 3D print, used it for investment casting, and delivered a near-net-shape access door. Altair’s tools enabled faster iteration, measurable reductions in development cycle time, and weight savings while meeting tight geometric tolerances and producing a manufacturable design.

SOGECLAIR Aerospace

Matthieu Deloubes

Project Leader at the Innovation Department