Celebrating 25 years of pioneering CAE simulation
Performance Polymers

Performance Polymers

Ultrasim® - Your CAE Simulation Pioneer

Are you looking for support to develop sustainable innovations using plastics and foams? BASF’s trailblazing computer-aided engineering (CAE) competence Ultrasim® is here to help! First launched in 1999, Ultrasim® has generated an impressive track record of assisting customers across all industries in developing sustainable innovations. Our global network of simulation experts continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in CAE simulation and will help you find the optimum solution for your challenge. 

1. What is Ultrasim®

2. How can Ultrasim® help you?

3. How can you get access to Ultrasim® services? 

Our Ultrasim® Team is here to help!

You need help with Integrative Simulation, Material Modelling and Data, Static and Dynamic Mechanical Simulation, Injection Molding Simulation or Polyurethane Simulation? 
 

Contact our Experts

In need of simulation services for your product? Check out our Ultrasim® services

Integrative Simulation

  • Integratively simulate parts using reinforced plastics or reactive PU-foams

Material processing has a big impact on part performance. Before a structural load case can be studied, a process simulation needs to be performed. Ultrasim® is the pioneer in integrative simulation for plastic and foam applications, focusing on the impact of material processing on part performance. Since 1999, we have been providing comprehensive simulations for SFRPs (short fiber reinforced plastics), reactive PU foams, and particle foams, optimizing design and production processes for high-quality plastic components.

Explore more about integrative simulation

Material Modelling and Data

  • Simulate with material data for process and structural simulations 

  • Provide material models for specific applications like fatigue, creep, cyclic loading, and thermomechanics

Ultrasim® offers an extensive range of material data from BASF's product portfolio, including Ultradur®, Ultramid®, Ultraform®, Ultrason®, Elastolit®, Elastollan®, and more. This data is utilized for both process and structural simulations, enabling accurate predictions of material behavior. Ultrasim® also provides specialized material models for specific applications, such as fatigue, creep, cyclic loading, and thermomechanics, ensuring a comprehensive analysis for various scenarios.

Check out material modelling and data 

Static and Dynamic Mechanical Simulation

  • Analyze and optimize structural integrity and performance of components and parts

Ultrasim® enables comprehensive static and dynamic mechanical simulation, allowing you to analyze and optimize the structural integrity and performance of components and parts for improved product quality, reduced development times, and ultimately cost savings. Two major characteristics of Ultrasim® are fundamental for its high accuracy: First, its unique material model considers most of the specific properties of thermoplastic materials, such as anisotropy, strain rate sensitivity, tension-compression asymmetry, and temperature dependency. Second, it uses an integrative approach by using fiber orientation information from the process simulation to determine material anisotropy in each integration point of the mechanical simulation model.

How to analyze and optimize the performance of components and parts

Injection Molding Simulation 

  • Part and mold design
  • Optimize molding process
  • Process and mold troubleshooting

Injection molding simulation utilizes advanced tools and techniques to assist with tool design, optimize the molding process, and troubleshoot mold-related issues. It helps ensure efficient and effective production by analyzing factors such as filling behavior, pressure behavior, and early identification of potential issues during the development phase.

How to support tool design, optimization, and troubleshooting

Polyurethane Simulation

  • First-time-right part and process design
  • Accelerated mold prototyping
  • Trouble-shooting of foaming processes
  • Predicting part performance 
We support you to optimize your PU foaming process and mold regarding robustness and performance. Our in-house simulator predicts the flow and expansion of our PU foams in your mold. Issues like the formation of voids or thermal hot spots can be avoided by design before the first prototype is manufactured. We predict the density distribution in the mold and its impact on the mechanical and insulation performance of your part.

How polyurethane simulation helps with tool design and optimization

Discover the easy-to-access app that addresses your specific challenge:

molded
Quick insights if your part can be injection molded? Upload a CAD file, select a material from our portfolio and get your results within seconds. Iterate fast, detect problematic areas early in the part development process and shorten time to market.
Die BASF hat jetzt ihr Simulationstool Ultrasim® so erweitert, dass sich das Aufschäumen und Aushärten der Weichintegralschaumsysteme Elastofoam® I für Automobil-Lenkräder präzise vorhersagen lässt. Damit können sowohl die wichtigsten chemischen Reaktionen als auch das Fließverhalten des Polyurethanschaums im Werkzeug berechnet werden. Der neue BASF-Service ermöglicht es Lenkradherstellern, Entwicklungszyklen zu verkürzen, so Kosten zu senken – und gleichzeitig die Trends hin zu größerer Funktionsintegration, mehr Elektronik und individuellem Design bei Lenkrädern zu verwirklichen. Er ist bei Automobilzulieferern wie ZF-TRW Automotive Safety Systems im Einsatz.

BASF has expanded its simulation tool Ultrasim® so that it can now precisely predict the foaming and curing of the flexible integral foam system Elastofoam® I for car steering wheels. With the detailed simulation, the most important chemical reactions as well as the flow behavior of the polyurethane foam in the mold can be calculated. The new BASF service allows steering wheel manufacturers to reduce development cycles, thereby lowering costs, while at the same time realizing the trends towards greater functional integration, more electronics and individual design in steering wheels. It is used by automotive suppliers such as ZF-TRW Automotive Safety Systems.
Foaming
Simulate the 3D foaming process of our polyurethane foams in your foamed parts. Simply select a material from our database, and we will guide you through the simulation.
Mapper
BASF's integrative simulation approach takes the production of the plastics component into account for calculating its mechanical performance. The anisotropic fiber orientations are transferred to the corresponding areas in the mechanical finite element model.​

Explore where Ultrasim makes a difference

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