Package Design for Candies using Radioss Solver
Sridhar Kakke
Predictive EngineeringTeam Lead
Axiom Consulting
307, Shree Chambers
1st floor100 feet ring road
Banshankari
Bangalore-560085, India
[email protected]
Azra Nasreen Taj
Predictive EnggProject Engineer
Axiom Consulting
307, Shree Chambers
1st floor,100 feet
ring road
Banshankari
Bangalore-560085, India
Bineesh Kumar
Predictive Engg –
Sr.Project Engineer
Axiom Consulting
307, Shree Chambers
1st floor,100 feet
ring road
Banshankari
Bangalore-560085, India
A.J. Chandrasekhar
Technical Director
Axiom Consulting
307, Shree Chambers
1st floor,100 feet ring road
Banshankari
Bangalore-560085, India
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The current study is to determine the amount of candies that can be filled with a free fall in the given package with any shape of
the candy. Packages can be rigid or flexible package similarly; candies can be soft or rigid of any shape. New candy design
involves for the extensive trials to decide the amount of candies that can be filled in the given type of package. The physical trials
have to be carried out in the same conditions as it happens in the production for which the running line has to be stopped but
these candies were of high volume production due to which the losses were very huge hence it was difficult to perform the
physical trials. In this regard virtual trials played a prominent role in the current study. Virtual simulations were performed using
the Altair Hyperworks tools such as Hypermesh, Hypercrash, Radioss, Hyperstudy and Hyperview software. This study has
helped in deciding the size of the package for the given weight.
Keywords: flexible, pouch, candies, rigid, hard, soft, candy, filling, fea, cae, Radioss block
Introduction
There were series of existing and concept level candies with different packages that were provided.
These were consisting of different size and shape of candies along with rigid candies and soft
candies. In the packages, there were two types, one was rigid and the other was flexible package. In
the rigid packages there were different shape and sizes that were provided but in flexible pouches
there were only dimensional changes.
In the fig.1 it can be observed that the different candy
shapes were provided in which some of the candies
were hard and the other were soft candies. Hard
candies were termed as rigid so as to differentiate from
Fig.1 Candy shapes
soft candies
In the fig.2 candies parameters are shown, through
which all the candies were differentiated. These were
in the form of geometry differences and the material
behaviour differences but every parameter does make
the difference in the height of fill which would need to
be studied individually to understand the influence of
each. A set of simulations were prepared with the
Fig.2 Candy Simulation parameters
Simulate to Innovate
1
combination of all the candy parameters to understand
the influence of each other.
In the fig.3 different rigid package shapes were
provided. These were termed as rigid so as to
differentiate between flexible packages. If the candies
doesn’t deform the package these packages were
Fig.3 Package shapes
termed as rigid, if the candies can deform the package
these were termed as flexible package which is
another way of interpretation in this context.
In the fig.4 package parameters are shown, through
which the packages were differentiated. Rigid package
had in the form of geometry and the material behaviour
differences. Flexible package had only the geometry
Fig.4 Package simulation parameters
differences.
Problem statement
Filling of candies in a package is highly random due to which there will be a variation in the height of fill
of the candies because of which package design becomes critical. The physical trials have to be carried
out in the same conditions as it happens in the production for which the running line has to be stopped
but these candies were of high volume production due to which the losses were very huge hence it was
difficult to perform the physical trials. Physical evaluation cannot be carried out if the candies or the
package is in the concept stage where in physical candies or the packages have to be made to perform
these trials hence; the virtual trials would play a prominent role in understanding this height variation.
System Model
In the fig.5 the list of Altair Hyperworks software’s have been explained with its purpose for which
these have been used in the current study. Radioss with start and stop time options for interface and
imposed displacement were one of the strengths of Radioss that has helped for the current study. The
software bundle of Altair tools were used for performing each of the tasks. Radioss has an advantage
of leveraging the same engine text file for the repetitive simulations to define the same output
requests. The challenges that were involved in the project were of more run time with more number of
iterations and defining the method that can take care of all the contact issues.
Simulate to Innovate
2
Fig.5 Softwares used for the study
Solution
One type of candy in the rigid package is shown in
fig.6 in which contacts were created by using type 11
which takes care of edge contacts where ever the
sharp edges were there, especially for the half-moon
shape candy else the type 7 or type 20 should take
care of all surface to surface contacts. As there were
many interactions between each other of the candies
along with the rigid package the interactions have
taken more run time.
Fig.6 One type of candy in a Rigid package
candies fall in to package due to gravity
Mixed candies in the rigid package are shown in fig.7
in which a provision was created for mixing the candies
after which the mixed candies will fall in to the
package. As there were mixed candies that fall in to
the package there can be a more variation in the height
of fills even with the constant ratio. In the production
the constant ratio cannot be maintained due to which
there will be a lower and upper bound which can
further change the ratio and again which will add to the
increase in the height of fill variation. This is where
many
simulation
iterations
would
help
in
understanding these variations. Hyperstudy was used
Fig.7 Mixed candies in a Rigid package
to define the simulation combinations with the design
variables and the bounds were provided to come up
Simulate to Innovate
3
with
the
simulation
combinations.
Simulation
combinations from the Hyperstudy were used to run
the simulations and the height of fill variation was
understood.
The rigid candies has an advantage to model the
candies in the form of rigid material in order to reduce
the total run time where in the breakage of the candies
was not part of the scope but the soft candies has to
be modelled as flexible materials due to the
deformations that these undergoes.
Fig.8 Half moon candy falling in a Flexible package
Soft candies in the rigid package have a significant
importance in modelling the material behaviour as
these can change its shape slightly during the filling
operation. The deformation of the soft candies was
also one of the influencing parameter that gets added
in changing the height of the fill when compared to the
rigid candies.
As shown in fig.8 and fig.9. The critical thing in this
was the material modelling of the flexible package
where in the material testing was performed to arrive
at the material properties.
Fig.9 Mixed candies in a Flexible package
Simulate to Innovate
4
Fig.10 Different combinations that are considered in the current study
Composite material models from the Radioss were used to model the flexible pouch. In the flexible
pouches the change in the height of fill was observed due to the top sealing Hence, Top and bottom
sealing does play a role in getting the accurate height of fill.
Tied contacts with the start and stop time options were used to model the sealing operations. All the
operations like bottom sealing, filling and the top sealing were performed to know the height of the fill.
In the flexible pouches different width of the packages were used where in the height of the fill was
found through the simulations by using the Radioss solver.
In the fig.10 it shows the chart of variables in terms of candies, package and type of content. These
were some of the variables which have been shown that can influence the most. There is a scope to
add the variables further to know the influence of the variables on the height of fill.
In the fig.11 it shows the results at the end of simulation
for one type of candy in which the height of fill was
measured, where in the package was initially sealed at
the bottom followed by filling of candies, allowed to
settle in the pouch and then the top sealing was
performed, followed by the candies to settle again in
the pouch after which the height of fill results were
evaluated.
Fig.11 Height of fill simulation
results for one of the scenario
Simulate to Innovate
5
In the fig.12 it shows the different flexible packages
that were considered for the current study. This graph
shows the variation in the width to that of the height of
given flexible packages. From the results of the
simulation studies there was a scope to increase or
reduce the height of the flexible package for the given
weight of the candies.
Fig.12 Different sizes of flexible packages
ANALYSIS
The height of fill variation was observed to be lesser with one type of candy in the rigid package and
the height of fill variation was increased when the mixed candies were used in the rigid package. The
height of fill variation was further increased when the filling was carried out using the soft candies.
Above all in the flexible package the height of fill variation was higher compared to the rigid package.
fig.13: Graph between Height of fill
vs Simulation iterations
fig.14: von mises stress image
during filling
From the fig.13 the graph shows the height of fill on y-axis and iterations on x-axis which shows that
the height of fill was observed to be increasing till some iteration and was observed to be constant
thereafter.
This height of fill was represented in many other ways for better understanding and to arrive at the final
height that needs to be considered for the package.
In the fig.14 the picture shows the von mises stress of the complete package simulation results during
filling. This contour plot helps us in knowing the overall complete material behaviour but the results of
the package and the candies were evaluated separately as these were two different materials. This
helps in determining the breakages of candies during the filling either in rigid packaging or in flexible
packaging.
The height of the fill will not change much in the rigid package at the time of filling and after the filling
for particular condition but for flexible packaging the change was observed to be more. In the flexible
Simulate to Innovate
6
packaging it was observed that the height of fill at the time of filling was important as it is more than
after the filling.
Conclusions:
The variation in the height of the fill was understood for each of the scenario accordingly the height of
the each package was designed for the rigid and flexible packages. The optimized height of the
packages from the virtual studies, through the Radioss solver has reduced 50% of total physical trials
time and cost in the production.
This work has the significant importance as this can be applied in many of the other applications where
ever solid components are filled in a package and the random falling of components is involved.
Simulate to Innovate
7