ALGOR SOFTWARE HELPS DESIGN CENTRIFUGE SYSTEM

Algor's stress analysis software enabled U.S. Centrifuge to test its design for its centrifuge filtration system. Shown here is the filtration stand which must endure numerous stresses during machine operation, as the system rotates to filter out excess water.

When U.S. Centrifuge set out to design a centrifuge to help their customers reduce paint waste when painting and coating manufactured goods, they turned to Algor software to ensure that the system they designed would be durable and avoid potentially damaging natural frequencies in its range of operation.

Avoiding Costly Prototypes

The stress and modal analyses that U.S. Centrifuge performed using Algor software allowed the company to skip the time-consuming and expensive task of building prototypes to test various design options for their centrifuge filtration system.

"With Algor's stress and modal analysis software, we tested our designs at a fraction of the cost of building and testing prototypes. We were able to accelerate the design process thanks to the advanced capabilities Algor provides. We knew from the test results that we had a superior system," said Jeff Berger, technical director at U.S. Centrifuge.

Centrifuge filtration systems are commonly used by companies that paint industrial equipment. Companies such as aerospace equipment manufacturers use these systems to extract water from paint. Paint filters into the bowl of the centrifuge which rotates at speeds up to 3,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). Due to centrifugal force, water travels up the sides of the bowl and is discharged through holes at the top. The paint remains on the sides of the bowl where it filters into a drum. The remaining paint has reduced water content and therefore has a smaller mass. A lesser amount of paint means there is less toxic waste, which is beneficial to the environment and can save the company large amounts of money in toxic disposal fees.

Designing the System

U.S. Centrifuge used Algor software to meet their modal and stress analysis needs. They needed to design a system with no natural frequencies in the range of operation. The range of operation of a centrifuge filtration system is normally between 1,800 and 3,000 rpm. Taking into account both the stand and the rotation assembly, the Algor software predicted that the system would reach its first natural frequency at approximately 1,700 rpm. When the staff at U.S. Centrifuge built and tested the system, they found that the natural frequency actually occurred at 1,600 rpm. Realizing that this natural frequency would be outside the range of operation, engineers at U.S. Centrifuge were pleased with the test results.

"The Algor software predicted the natural frequency with remarkable accuracy. Normally when predicting natural frequencies the range of error is much greater than what the Algor software predicted in this instance," said Berger.

"We designed our modal analysis software to analyze our customers' designs with superior accuracy," said Michael Bussler, president and founder of Algor, Inc. "Algor continues to recognize the engineer's need for software that can analyze designs with great precision," added Bussler.

U.S. Centrifuge also used Algor software to perform stress analysis on both the rotation assembly and the stand. The bowl and hub of the rotation assembly had to be strong enough to support the load that would go into the system. While the stand portion of the centrifuge had to be strong, it also had to be light enough to move from one place to another.