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Valves are mechanical devices for controlling fluid-flow in pipes of different diameter and service pressures used in several industry sectors. Most demanding industry sectors add custom design requirements and require product validation reports many times even before placing valve purchase orders of varying quantities. Therefore, customer and valve developer requirements must be made compatible, design reliably completed and a design validation report created, all as soon as possible. In order to respond to these market constraints, complete valve design process from product planning to product design and validation delivery must be optimized. This paper reports a 96% time reduction in Simulation Based Design validation and reporting tasks obtained by applying Design Automation in a company that develops valves for this market. Additionally, the architecture and most remarkable features of the Simulation Based Design validation and reporting automation are described.

Residual Stress (RS) pattern changes considerably depending on the width of the plates and the welding parameters, having effect on the fatigue strength. Most of the standards do not consider them and in some works, yield stress is taken as residual stressvalue. It results in a very conservative estimation of fatigue life. Authors developed recently a numerical model to predict more properly the value of RS pattern depending on the plate thickness. In a welded joint, considering the RS and alternating axial loads, the evolution of the stresses is multiaxial, becoming necessary its study. Therefore, the aim of this work is to analyse different fatigue indicator parameters (Smith-Watson-Topper, Fatemi-Socie, and Critical Plane implementation of the Basquin equation) in order to predict the fatigue behaviour of butt-weld components. For that purpose, the numerical model to predict the RS pattern in welded joint developed by this research group is used.

Training and learning methods for engineering students, in the disciplines of product design and manufacturing, are becoming more difficult and complex since they have to integrate theoretical technical knowledge, skills in computer-aided applications (CAx) and skills in collaborative work practices. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools support structured collaborative practices and CAx supports engineering content creation. Both types of software applications are key in the Industry 4.0 development. They also evolve over time, incorporate new functionalities, and change their graphical user interface (GUI), adding complexity to the learning process. Traditionally, engineering education addresses the learning of CAx and PLM tools separately, hindering a holistic learning experience to the students. This communication presents a structured integrated vision of these tools and their learning. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is proposed as a learning approach suitable to provide a learning experience that facilitates the development of Industry 4.0 skills and competences.

Modelling of anatomical parts is usually tackled through triangulated models with specialised Bio-CAD applications. If features beyond anatomy are required, geometry is usually translated into NURBS geometry for further modification in parametric feature based design CAD systems. But, they remain quite unmanageable yet. The authors present, validate and implement into a knowledge feature a methodology that generates an anatomically personalised trachea stent based a point cloud data extracted from a Computerised Axial Tomography with an open-source medical data visualisation application.