Study shows that High Performance Computing can make Portuguese industry more competitive
The study was carried out within the scope of the TOOLING4G project
Translation by Diana Taborda
The use of High Performance Computing (HPC) has significant advantages in simulation time, thus enhancing gains in productivity and competitiveness in the development of new products in industry, especially in the mould making and plastics industries, concludes a study conducted by the University of Coimbra (UC), and the Technology Centre for the Mould Making, Special Tooling and Plastic Industries (CENTIMFE), in Marinha Grande.
The study was carried out within the scope of the TOOLING4G project, the first Portuguese project with the approval of the SHAPE initiative of the European PRACE advanced computing network (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), which aims to show the advantages of using High Performance Computing resources to solve complex industrial problems, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The case study focused on a computational fluid dynamics simulation with interest in the moulding and plastic industry, namely in the development of a new generation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for cars, much quieter than the current ones, ensuring a greater acoustic comfort to users.
The simulations performed in the Navigator Plus supercomputer of the Laboratory for Advanced Computing of the University of Coimbra by CENTIMFE showed great time savings. While the simulation on a traditional computing workstation with 4 colours would take 74 days, on the Navigator Plus supercomputer, using 64 colours, the process was completed in just 6 days (144 hours).
According to Rui Tocha, general director of CENTIMFE, the results obtained are of particular "relevance to the mould making and plastic industries, as it was clearly shown that the use of high performance computing allows new concepts to be developed and analysed during the initial stages of the project, reducing or avoiding later changes that present more significant costs".
Pedro Vieira Alberto, director of the Laboratory for Advanced Computing of the UC, says that this project, besides being a good example of partnership between academia and industry, "proves that the use of high performance computing brings great benefits to national industry, making it more competitive. This study shows that HPC allows the improvement of processes and that it increases productivity, as well as reducing costs and increasing the quality and speed of production".
The SHAPE initiative aims to provide European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the expertise to benefit from the innovation opportunities offered by high performance computing.
The results of the study are available here .