Case Study: EDAG Engineering achieves lighter, simplified hood hinge design with Hexagon Generative Design

Accelerate product development of complex hood hinges with Generative Design

EDAG Engineering, an automotive engineering firm, faced the challenge of designing a complex engine hood hinge for sports cars that was too heavy and comprised of too many parts. Conventional designs with high component counts were not economically feasible for small production runs and added excessive weight, contradicting the industry's lightweighting goals. To address this, they partnered with Hexagon, utilizing its MSC Apex Generative Design software to reimagine the part for additive manufacturing.

The solution implemented by Hexagon involved a generative design process to create an organic, lightweight structure. This approach enabled a drastic consolidation of parts and a significant reduction in weight. The result was a 53% weight saving for the entire hinge assembly, reducing the part count from 19 to just 6. Furthermore, Hexagon's Simufact Additive manufacturing simulation was used to optimize the printing process, reducing warpage from several millimeters to less than half a millimeter to ensure high-quality, error-free production.

EDAG Engineering