Contact UsBy combining explicit nonlinear simulation with targeted physical validation, Design Department Inc. gained deep insight into a complex silicone sealing system, reducing risk, accelerating development, and optimizing performance before production tooling was released.
Overview
Design Department Inc. partnered with SimuTech Group to gain deeper insight into a complex silicone bushing system used for mechanical retention and sealing. While physical testing could confirm performance, it could not fully explain how bushing deformation influenced surface pressure, retention force, or sealing behavior.
By leveraging explicit nonlinear simulation, the team was able to visualize deformation, quantify critical contact pressures, and optimize the design before releasing production tooling—reducing development risk and increasing confidence in the final product.
At-A-Glance
Technology Used
Ansys Structural, Ansys LS-DYNA (Explicit Nonlinear Analysis)
Challenge
Understanding and optimizing deformation-driven mechanical retention and sealing in a soft silicone bushing within a rigid housing, without excessive physical prototyping.
Solution
Explicit nonlinear simulation to model large deformations, contact interactions, and surface pressure between the bushing and wire.
Outcomes
- Identified deformation behavior driving retention and sealing
- Optimized surface pressure with minimal compressive force
- Strong correlation between simulation and 3D-printed prototypes
- Production tooling released with greater confidence and reduced risk
The Challenge
Understanding a Complex, Highly Interactive Mechanical System
Design Department was tasked with optimizing a soft silicone bushing installed within a rigid housing. When compressed, the bushing needed to deform in a precise way, providing both mechanical retention of a wire and a reliable seal around its outer diameter.
While the team understood that bushing deformation played a critical role in performance, the exact mechanics of how that deformation created retention and sealing were not fully understood. Exploring design improvements through physical prototyping alone would have been time-consuming, costly, and risked leading the team down numerous unproductive paths.
Why Simulation Was Needed
Explicit Nonlinear Simulation Reveals Critical Design Insight
The design team had several promising ideas for improving performance, but no efficient way to evaluate them. Traditional testing could confirm outcomes, but it could not reveal why the bushing behaved the way it did under compression—or how design changes would influence surface pressure and retention force.
To move forward with confidence, the team needed deeper insight into system behavior—insight that could only be gained through advanced simulation.
Simulation Approach
Explicit Nonlinear Simulation Reveals Critical Design Insight
Using Ansys Structural and Ansys LS-DYNA, Design Department performed explicit nonlinear analyses to accurately model the bushing compression process. The simulation captured large deformations, complex contact interactions, and the resulting surface pressure generated between the inner diameter of the bushing and the outer diameter of the wire.
This approach made it possible to visualize deformation behavior and quantify performance metrics that are extremely difficult—if not impossible—to measure through physical testing alone.
Optimization & Validation
Optimizing Performance Before Any Tooling Was Released
Once the baseline design behavior was understood, simulation enabled targeted optimization. The team was able to evaluate multiple design variations and identify configurations that generated the highest surface pressure with the lowest required compressive force.
To validate the results, 3D-printed prototypes were used alongside simulation, resulting in excellent correlation between experimental testing and predicted behavior.
Results & Impact
From Insight to Confidence
By gaining a clear understanding of component interactions and system behavior, Design Department Incorporated was able to release new components and associated production tooling with far greater confidence. Simulation reduced uncertainty, minimized development risk, and helped deliver a better-optimized product to market—faster and with fewer surprises.
We absolutely love simulation! There is no better way to understand and optimize a design than to utilize powerful simulation tools to create accurate digital models. We can now run through 1-3 simulations a day, cutting weeks off the project timeline. This is far more effective than getting numerous molds, which allows us to validate designs faster and with more confidence. We leverage both Ansys Structural and Ansys LS-Dyna, which are both incredible powerful; thanks SimuTech Group.
Patrick Tetzlaff
General Manager, Design Department Inc.
Collaborating with SimuTech Group
Throughout the project, Design Department Inc. collaborated closely with SimuTech Group to apply advanced simulation techniques to a highly nonlinear, contact-driven problem. SimuTech provided guidance on explicit analysis setup, material modeling, and solver selection to ensure the simulation accurately captured large deformations and complex contact interactions.
This collaborative approach allowed the team to move quickly from concept to insight, validate assumptions, and confidently optimize the design—without excessive trial-and-error prototyping.
In Summary
By leveraging explicit nonlinear simulation, Design Department was able to gain critical insight into a complex silicone bushing system—insight that would have been difficult to achieve through physical testing alone. Simulation enabled the team to understand deformation behavior, optimize performance, and validate results before committing to production tooling.
With support from SimuTech Group, the project moved forward with reduced risk, fewer physical iterations, and greater confidence, demonstrating how simulation-driven design can lead to better products and faster development cycles.
Ready to Turn Your Innovative Concepts into Reliable Products?
At SimuTech Group, we empower design teams to bring practical, production-ready solutions to life. With advanced engineering simulation tools like Ansys LS-DYNA and expert engineering support, we help predict real-world behavior, streamline design cycles, and reduce costly iterations to give your projects the confidence and efficiency needed to succeed.
