Apprentice Automation Challenge
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From UTC to the final year of their undergraduate degree, students can enter the competition through either a curricular or extracurricular route in teams of three to six students. Curricular teams compete in the Design Challenge as part of their university’s academic curriculum, which often forms part of the degree assessment. Extracurricular teams are student-led and independently involved in the Design Challenge. Every year, the challenge looks a bit different — there is always a new project, often a new budget, and different rules to keep contestants alert.
With the Ansys Simulation Challenge, competitors were given a new opportunity to hone their skills. Teams were tasked with using Ansys simulation tools, such as Ansys Discovery 3D product simulation software, to model their submission using a structural, thermal, or fluid analysis. In using Ansys simulation, teams noted a reduction in engineering time and cost, not unlike in real-world scenarios involving simulation.
The team first conducted a materials analysis in Ansys Granta EduPack teaching software for materials education. “That’s a software that was introduced to all of us a bit earlier during our courses. It’s extremely useful for material analysis and selection because you can select your desired constraints and filter through a library of many possible materials and manufacturing techniques,” Daud Hassan explained.
UCL-C used Granta EduPack software to compare the stiffness and cost of plywood, acrylic, and sheet metal, which were three materials the team could supply on its own. Once UCL-C decided on acrylic as the most suitable material due to its high material performance index, as well as its ability to withstand changes in humidity and temperature, the team completed an FEA in Discovery software.
“We created a digital twin of our minimum viable product and used its deflection as our target value when iterating chassis designs,” James Kwong said. “Then we’d calculate cost based on real-life product prices.” This was particularly useful for the cost-savings portion of the challenge, in which teams were also competing to provide a cost-efficient product for their pseudo-customers.
Learn more about the 2025 Ansys Simulation Challenge and the next IMechE Design Challenge. See how an Ansys Student Team Partnership can give your team access to free simulation software and learning resources.