Case Studies and Videos

The Challenge

One current project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is MER, the Mars Exploration Rover. ASI designed the robotic arms on the front of both rovers. These arms are four feet long with five degrees of freedom and scientific instruments at the end. They have five actuators, several moving joints, and conductor wires along their lengths. The arms must meet exacting requirements for factors such as stiffness while staying below a certain mass.

The Solution

ASI used SolidWorks Simulation software's optimization functions for detailed stress analysis and mass minimization of the arms' parts. The engineers varied the geometry of the parts to reduce mass while controlling the maximum allowable stress or deflection. "Using some of the optimization features," says ASI Vice President Jim Staats, "we can typically take 15-20% additional mass out." That may not sound like much, but if you wanted to reduce your car 20%, he observes, "You'd have to take the whole engine and transmission and throw it out. So it's a big chunk." SolidWorks Simulation is the tool that makes that possible.

Associated Case Studies

Alliance Spacesystems, Inc. (SolidWorks Simulation Premium)