Case Study: Marshall Aerospace achieves rapid ventilator development with Hexagon MSC Apex

Marshall engineers address COVID-19 crisis with ventilators simulated using MSC Apex

Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group, a UK-based aerospace and defence company, was challenged by the British government to rapidly develop a modern ventilator in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge required an extremely accelerated development timeline, forcing engineers to design, analyze, and manufacture on nearly parallel paths while the design itself was changing daily. To meet this challenge, they utilized simulation software from their vendor, Hexagon.

Using Hexagon's MSC Apex application, Marshall's engineers were able to dramatically speed up the simulation process. The software's geometry cleanup and meshing capabilities allowed them to prepare a simulation model in four hours—a task that previously took a week. This rapid analysis enabled concurrent development with design and manufacturing, leading to the swift delivery of a non-invasive ventilator prototype called the Exovent to the National Health Service.

Marshall Aerospace

Ian Debenham

Principal Stress Engineer