Particle mechanics simulator is missing CAE link

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 2, 2005

EDEM is billed as the world's first complete particle mechanics simulation platform.

New from DEM Solutions, EDEM is billed as the world's first complete particle mechanics simulation platform.

EDEM delivers a revolutionary capability to customers who need to simulate and analyse the behaviour of particulate matter during processing, manufacturing and handling operations.

EDEM enables customers in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to mineral handling to design, develop and test products, processes and equipment more quickly and accurately than was previously possible.

In doing so, EDEM delivers a tangible return on investment by allowing customers to dramatically reduce development costs and time to market.

John Favier, the founder and CEO of DEM Solutions, leads a highly experienced team of engineers and developers who have been working at the forefront of the industrial application of particle mechanics simulation for almost a decade.

"This work led to the development of EDEM, which allows our customers to obtain information about the fundamental behaviour of particles that is either impossible or impractical to obtain using physical measurement".

"This tool provides new insights into many processes which have until now been regarded as a 'black box'".

Favier, who is a world-leading authority on particle mechanics simulation and is credited with developing a number of the key methodologies currently in use in this field, believes that EDEM's capabilities represent the missing link in computer aided engineering (CAE).

"Techniques such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) have been well served by a variety of high quality simulation tools for many years".

"Until the launch of EDEM, no such tool existed for particle mechanics simulation".

"With EDEM, engineers can now have an extraordinary level of capability on their desktop".

Favier also stresses that EDEM becomes even more powerful when used in conjunction with other CAE tools: "We have already successfully coupled EDEM with a CFD tool to allow the simulation of particle-fluid systems".

"This unique capability allows customers to tackle simulations that would not previously have been possible, including dense phase pneumatic transport of particles, fluidised beds, slurry handling and separation processes".

A prelaunch partner programme means that EDEM is already being deployed commercially in a wide range of industries including mining and mineral processing, chemical processing, pharmaceutical manufacture and agriculture.

Andrew Hobbs, Research Engineer at Astec, says: "EDEM has set the benchmark for commercial particle mechanics simulation tools".

"We can import a CAD model of our equipment quickly, fill it with virtual particles and model a wide range of granular flow conditions".

"This capability is simply not possible with other CAE tools".

Working closely with customers ahead of this launch has also allowed DEM Solutions to refine the EDEM user interface so that its unique capabilities are as accessible and usable as possible.

Favier believes that today's launch is simply the beginning of the EDEM revolution: "We are already working on extending the capabilities of EDEM".

"The CFD coupling will be launched soon and a version optimised for deployment on parallel architectures will be available in the second half of 2006".