Case Study: Daimler achieves crash and NVH targets without added weight with Altair's multi-disciplinary optimization

Using Multi-Disciplinary Optimization to Accelerate the Design Process

Daimler, the global Mercedes‑Benz vehicle and commercial‑vehicle manufacturer, faced a design challenge: a die‑cast rear cross member that failed to meet both crash and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) targets. To accelerate development and consider multiple disciplines simultaneously, Daimler engaged Altair to apply a multi‑disciplinary optimization (MDO) approach using Altair’s HyperWorks tools, notably OptiStruct for topology/size optimization and HyperStudy for design exploration.

Altair reduced the full vehicle model (using superelements for a reported ~70x speedup), created design spaces, and ran topology, free‑size and size optimizations followed by a DOE‑driven MDO (more than 2,400 optimization jobs) combining crash and NVH objectives. The Altair solution met both crash and NVH targets, drastically reduced intrusion and material/connection rupture, and achieved these gains with no increase in component weight; Daimler is now rolling the MDO methodology into further programs.

Daimler