Generative Design is all the rage right now. In mechanical design, it will automatically create 3D geometry based on structural analyses. It holds great promise and is just now emerging. However, that’s not the only generative design available.

Mentor’s Capital Suite, targeted at developing electrical systems for product platforms, has Generative Design as well. The difference isn’t just that this capability generates 3D geometry. With Capital, Generative Design actually produces the functional, logical, and physical architecture for the electrical system.

This may not seem like a big deal. However, it is a very interesting capability that can be applied to platform design. In that case, there are often a large number of variants with different options. With embedded software, you can leave modules in and turn them on and off with variables. But with electrical systems, no one can afford to have a single harness for all variants. It is extra weight and cost that isn’t necessary and, frankly, might not even be possible. With modern product platforms, there often needs to be a unique harness for every variant.

Developing all those harnesses manually is often not feasible. So shortcuts are taken, trying to develop harnesses that can be used for many variants. But there is plenty of opportunity to cut costs and weight. Manufacturers want to pursue that fervently.

So that’s the Generative Design capabilities of Mentor’s Capital suite in a nutshell. Take care. Talk soon.