Even well-designed equipment can have difficulty with material variations if they weren’t accounted for in the design. These variations often lead to operational problems resulting in lower productivity, higher wear rates, increased maintenance costs and costly shutdowns. Engineers can simulate numerous variables with DEM that model real-world behavior. This allows an engineer to find the design that implements the optimum angles, increases flow or mass maximums, reduces downtime due to malfunction, decreases waste or leverages the optimal materials.
The strength of 3D modeling & simulation is unquestionable, that is why every project is scanned and modeled. A model is only as good as the information put into it, though. If the inputs aren’t right, the results will not be right – regardless of what modeling software you use. The long-term proven success of a model through use is the only way to ensure success. It is a mix of science and art – there is never a single given ‘right answer’ in engineering. Honest engineering involves recording data, testing, performing an accurate analysis of performance and admitting where improvements can be made in modeling or design. Acensium uses models for coal chutes that have years of proven effectiveness, but we still record data and revise our modeling as an ongoing process. The observation and recording phase is even more important when developing models for new materials.