Evolutionary Light Structure Engineering

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1 Evolutionary Light Structure Engineering

2 The outstanding achievements of nature inspire us

3 Evolutionary Light Structure Engineering ELiSE Nature serves us as source of inspiration. It is our basis for innovative new product developments and future trends. We transfer functionality, efficiency and aesthetics of natural systems into your product. ELiSE makes superior lightweight solutions possible.

4 Biological best practice: Millions of years of expertise in lightweight design Life in the ocean is characterized by a continuous struggle for survival. For millions of years, planktonic organisms such as diatoms and radiolarians were hunted by copepods. In the course of evolution, stable shells developed on one side and strong jaws on the other. Nevertheless, the shells had to stay light in weight in order to prevent the organisms from sinking into the deep sea. This is neccessary as sunlight is life-essential for planktonic organisms. We recognized the unique lightweight potential of these organisms. Now we use it within the ELiSE-procedure to optimize your products or construction parts. Diatoms and radiolarians have a need for stable and light shells to protect them against copepods.

5 Biological archetpyes The outstanding performance of the construction method of the shells of planktonic organisms can be proven by crash tests (Hamm et al Nature 421). The glass-like shells (SiO 2 ) can carry a pressure of 800 tons per square meter. To depict this, a gully cover had to hold the weight of 150 medium-class cars to be similarly stable as our biological archetypes. These highperformance structures are results of out-standing lightweight design. Despite of principles for plane load-bearing structures or sandwiches, edge reinforcements and multifunctional honeycomb structures can be found amongst others within the design catalogue of these planktonic organisms. As nature has to solve the same physical challenges as technical systems, the construction methods of the tiny organisms can be transferred to technique with the help of biomimetics. To utilize the construction methods of our biological archetypes, we have access to one of the biggest databases of planktonic organisms of this kind worldwide. Using the enormous variety of species and the structures of their shells, we find the best solutions for your lightweight product. Microscopic image of a diatom during a crash test Radiolarian on a scale of 200:1 5

6 The ELiSE-procedure: From nature to the final product Explained using the examplary development of an Offshore-foundation Screening Analysis Abstraction When the load cases of your product are analyzed, several adequate biological archetypes are chosen. The access to a huge database of platonic organisms is helpful in this step. The database is carefully scanned for structures with functional similarity. What principles are responsible for the functionality of the biological archetype? The selected archetypes are analyzed considering known load cases and using Computer Aided Engineering tools. High-performance structures are chosen for the next step. The construction methods of the archetypes are transferred to abstracted models. The task is to simplify the structure without losing the functionality. These pre-optimized structures are used for your lightweight product within the next steps of the ELiSE-procedure.

7 ELiSE-procedure Optimization Your product Successful structures from nature are used to improve your products. Shells or in other words the armored protections of planktonic organisms are our archetypes. During evolution these parts became highly efficient and multifunctional lightweight structures. ELiSE revolutionizes lightweight design The models elaborated before are the basis for further optimization. In this way, the construction method is adapted to your needs and all necessary requirements are met. Consequently, material is efficiently used and only placed where it is really needed. The analysis of several possible solutions leads to different, optimized approaches for your product. Finally, the most promising approach with reference to lightweight design, manufacturability and economic aspects is chosen for the final design. The ELiSE-procedure transfers principles of natural lightweight structures to your product. Load cases and technical requirements are taken into account. Using pre-optimized structures, outstanding results and shorter development times can be achieved. 7

8 Our services: Innovative product design

9 Service We support you during the development and optimization of your innovative products. With the modular ELiSE-procedure, we offer various skills depending on your special needs. product development with multifunctional lightweight design database with over 90,000 biological structures improvement of the innovative performance using biomimetics solutions generated in multidisciplinary teams construction with CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) topology- und topography optimization parametric optimization with evolutionary algorithms crash- and multi-body-simulations project management and supervision of mass production product design 3D-reconstructions and scanning electron microscopy preparation of results for marketing research projects / fundamental research 9

10 Success through diversity

11 Team To support you in an optimal way, our interdisciplinary team with longtime project experience is responsible for the ELiSE-procedure. Engineers from different industries, biologists as well as graduates from the field of biomimetics work hand in hand. The diversity of academic backgrounds is the key to our success. A steady transfer of knowledge between the different areas of expertise generates new ideas. This is the reason why we are able to meet your requirements with tailor-made solutions. Using the ELiSE-procedure, your unique selling proposition will be superior compared to your competitors. We are experts in the field of lightweight design. We develop lightweight solutions in all fields of industry using our patented ELiSEprocedure. Amongst other fields we work in these industrial sectors: automotive renewable energy construction and mechanical engineering sector shipbuilding industry rail vehicles and utility vehicles aerospace industry medical engineering building industry consumer goods architecture 11

12 Your advantages using ELiSE

13 Your advantages Using the ELiSE-procedure, we make your products lighter. However, lightweight design must not conflict with other requirements. Therefore, we ensure that you receive more than just lightweight design when making use of our ELiSE-procedure. We want you to profit from our expertise in many ways. Weight reductions of more than 50% are possible depending on the product and were already achieved in cooperation with our satisfied customers. In addition to that, your solutions are characterized by these aspects: economic lightweight design and weight reduction through the use of pre-optimized structures from nature covering of target costs and performance by using different optimization approaches enabling multifunctionality through the integration of several properties quick development times with a large database of biological archetypes unique selling point with the use of biomimetical methods Aesthetic appealing designs 13

14 Optimal lightweight design by diversity Looking for an optimal lightweight structure, more than one solution can be found. The original structure which is the basis for further optimization determines whether you just reach a local optimum or the global optimum. For this reason, we pick several different structures from a database with over 90,000 entries. Using ELiSE you start here And here. And of course here! Saving time with pre-optimized structures The biological archetypes are the results of millions of years of evolution. Therefore, these structures give us a head start when it comes to the optimization of your product. In contrast to conventional optimization techniques, we complete the optimization process faster. degree of opimization conventional optimization development time Parallel optimization approach By analyzing different optimization scenarios, we are able to find the lightweight solution which meets your requirements. Consequently, a perfect balance between weight reduction, producibility and production costs can be achieved.

15 Your advantages Biomimetics as a unique selling point Being inspired by nature, our solutions are distinguishable from the status quo. We support you in developing a marketing strategy for your new product. Advantages with multifunctionality Lightweight design is not the only characteristic of an organism in nature. Your product also has to meet several requirements at the same time. Nature combines different functions in one design and so do we by taking your multifunctional needs into account when using the ELiSE-procedure: safety, efficiency, comfort. Sustainability by nature The reduction of weight always leads to use of less resources. Nevertheless, there are even more pragmatic reasons for thinking about saving resources: for example, the reduction of CO 2 -emissions in the automotive sector is regulated by law within the next decades. By using lightweight design, you can be sure that you will still meet all these regulations in the future and will be able to distribute energy-efficient products. The CO 2 -emissions of cars in Germany have to be lower than 95 g/km by the year of 2025 as regulated by the government. 15

16 Your partner for multifunctional lightweight design

17 References Wind energy weight 48% reduction Offshore-foundation Rough conditions at sea are the reason why stable offshore-foundations for wind turbines are needed. In cooperation with Weserwind and RLE International, the ELiSE-procedure was used to develop a stable and at the same time light offshore-foundation. The weight was reduced from 770 tons to 400 tons. Additionally, the producibility was simplified by using standard pipe elements. 17

18 & YACHTDESIGN & ENGINEERING Yacht-Engineering In cooperation with the famous yacht designer judel/vrolijk & co, the use of the ELiSE-procedure was analyzed. The development of radically optimized lightweight structures for the hulls of racing yachts was the aim of this study. This research project was sponsored by ERDF and the state of Bremen, Germany. Lightweight pavilion The lightweight pavilion designed and manufactured in cooperation with the architects Julia & Göran Pohl combines functionality with an aesthetic outwards appearance. With a wall thickness of only 4 millimeter and a fractal structure developed using the ELiSE-procedure, all loads including wind loads and local stresses are absorbed without difficulty.

19 References Vorwerk Kobold VK 140 Within a project ELiSE was used to analyze the lightweight potential for a famous German producer of household aids. In a detailed analysis of a vacuum cleaner, the potential for weight reduction of a component of the housing was identified. The final product benefits from an improved material balance. Not only the use of material during the manufacturing process, but also the handling of the final product benefit from the weight reduction. Medical products Breathable support bandage After bone fractures affected extremities have to be immobilized, which leads to handicaps of the patients. Therefore, a biomimetic support bandage with enhanced comfort was developed. This was made possible by reducing weight and improving the breathability of the new product. Fractal honeycomb structures which are found in the shells of different planktonic organisms are responsible for excellent stiffness, a reduced weight and good breathability at the same time. weight 40% reduction 19

20 Automotive Head rest weight 40% reduction Efficient lightweight design becomes more and more important in the automotive industry. In cooperation with RLE International, a biomimetic head rest was developed which saves material by having a reduced weight of approximately 40%. Rim weight 20% reduction Safety relevant parts as rims have to be designed with a focus on reliability. The biomimetic rim is characterized by an outstanding transfer of forces in the region between boss and tire. The constructional principle of radial and concentric elements, which are reinforced by short middle parts in the outer region of the rim, is the basis for a homogenous stress distribution.

21 References Crash-relevant parts In cooperation with famous OEMs, innovative parts for a side crash were developed. Based on crash mechanisms used in nature, new design principles were transferred and weight was reduced. Car body: B-pillar 30% The car body accounts for approximately 25% of the whole mass of a car. The weight of the B-pillar was reduced by 30% using the ELiSE-procedure and considering producibility and the IIHS-crash-guidelines. weight reduction Structures of car seats 20% weight reduction Car seats are responsible for the comfort. Using the ELiSE-procedure, several advantages become visible. Using fractal structures, the weight can be reduced, vibrations can be damped and the breathability can be improved. 21

22 IMARE is sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the state of Bremen, Germany.

23 With ELiSE you use a technology originating from research, which started over 10 years ago at the famous Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Despite of the Alfred Wegener Institute as strong research partner, the ELiSE technology transfer is supported by the IMARE GmbH - Institute for Marine Resources. With a database of different planktonic organisms and new material, which is collected by our research vessel Polarstern in all parts of the world, an exclusive access to the archetypes of your product is guaranteed. In this way, you can benefit from our longtime experience in the field of the analysis of biological structures, the source of inspiration for your lightweight product. We are looking forward to present to you the ELiSE-procedure and the possibilities of optimization in person. 23

24 Dr. Christian Hamm Bussestraße Bremerhaven, GER Fon: Fax: