Endurica selected as technology partner in Department of Energy grant

Findlay, OH – Innovative tire tread computer simulation processes aimed at accelerating the use of simulation in the tire industry is the mission of an exploratory grant awarded to Coreform by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The firm will apply Coreform’s isogeometric analysis (IGA) technology – which replaces difficult and time-consuming portions of computer simulation work while providing greater design clarity and detail – to the simulation of the advanced tire tread patterns required by emerging vehicles. To fully implement the grant’s scope, Endurica has been selected as a technology partner to provide key tire industry endurance evaluations including rolling resistance, heat build-up and wear behavior.
“Coreform’s technology promises to revolutionize simulations involving complex geometry,” explains William V. Mars, Ph.D., P.E. founder and President of Endurica. “and tire tread patterns are an extremely important example of complex geometry. We are honored to be included in this important research for both the DOE and the tire industry.”
Traditional finite element analysis (FEA) first requires geometry to be defeatured and meshed which can be both time consuming and relationally inaccurate. IGA was introduced in 2005 to run simulation directly on the design model, leveraging the power of splines. Thousands of scientific papers have been written on this approach and Coreform’s novel “Flex IGA” technology unlocks these benefits in a commercial setting. Coreform IGA provides a full spectrum of input options and flexible modeling, allowing engineers to minimize manual effort for a desired solution solve time.
“Greater use of predictive simulation analysis for advanced tire tread designs will reduce the cost of product development and accelerate the adoption of both electric and self-driving cars,” explains Coreform Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Sederberg. “We anticipate this project will help the tire industry develop innovative tread patterns to reduce noise and improve energy efficiency.”
Greg Vernon, Director of Engineering at Coreform, adds that Coreform’s approach will use isogeometric analysis to allow tire manufacturers to test new designs much more quickly. “Down the road, that will mean fewer particulate emissions, longer life, and better energy efficiency for all of us.”