01 / GEOMETRY
Product geometry
Geometry determines how loads, forces, heat, flow and other physical effects move through a product.
MATAPPLY PROBLEM / ENGINEERING
Increase performance.
Improving product performance starts with understanding what limits the current design. The solution may involve geometry, materials, simulation, product architecture, manufacturing or the way the product is used.
01 / THE PROBLEM
What does increasing performance mean?
MATAPPLY DEFINITION
Engineering performance improvement is the systematic process of identifying performance limitations and changing the product, material, geometry, architecture or operating conditions to achieve a better result.
Performance is not a single engineering variable. Depending on the product, it may mean strength, stiffness, efficiency, speed, thermal behaviour, durability, range, accuracy, reliability or another measurable requirement.
The first step is therefore not optimization. It is understanding exactly what “better” means.
02 / PERFORMANCE
What does better performance actually look like?
01
Higher strength
02
Greater stiffness
03
Higher efficiency
04
Better thermal behaviour
05
Greater durability
06
Improved accuracy
03 / PERFORMANCE DRIVERS
What controls product performance?
02 / MATERIAL
Material behaviour
Material properties can determine strength, stiffness, thermal behaviour, wear, corrosion resistance and durability.
03 / OPERATING CONDITIONS
Real-world requirements
Loads, temperatures, speeds, environments and usage conditions define the conditions under which performance must be achieved.
04 / ARCHITECTURE
System design
Component arrangement and system architecture can create or constrain performance independently of individual components.
04 / ENGINEERING APPROACHES
How can performance be improved?
01
Understand the limitation
Identify what is preventing the current product from meeting the desired performance target.
02
Analyse the physics
Use engineering analysis and simulation to understand the behaviour of the current design.
03
Change the design
Explore geometry, materials, architecture and operating conditions that could improve the limiting behaviour.
04
Optimize the trade-offs
Balance performance against weight, cost, durability, manufacturing and other product constraints.
05 / ENGINEERING PATH
From performance problem to engineering solution.
A structured performance improvement process connects requirements, analysis, design exploration and validation.
01
Define the target
02
Identify limitations
03
Analyse the system
04
Optimize the design
05
Validate performance
MATAPPLY INSIGHT
Optimization starts with knowing what matters.
A technically impressive improvement is not necessarily a useful product improvement. The performance target must connect to the actual requirements of the product and its users.
06 / AI + OPTIMIZATION
Where can AI help?
Engineering AI can help identify relationships between design variables and performance using simulation, experimental or historical engineering data.
Machine learning models can potentially act as surrogate models for expensive simulations, allowing engineers to explore larger design spaces more quickly.
AI can also support automated design exploration, performance prediction and optimization. However, the resulting designs still require engineering validation.
07 / EXPLORE THE ENGINEERING
Go deeper.
CAE & FEA
Understand how simulation and numerical analysis can reveal the causes of performance limitations.
Explore CAE & FEA →Engineering AI
Explore how machine learning connects with engineering simulation and product development.
Explore Engineering AI →Engineering Optimization
Explore systematic approaches to finding better solutions within engineering constraints.
Explore Optimization →Product Engineering
Understand how engineering decisions connect to the development of real products.
Explore Product Engineering →
08 / COMMON QUESTIONS
Performance improvement questions.
How can product performance be improved?
Product performance can be improved by identifying performance limitations, analysing engineering behaviour, optimizing design variables, evaluating materials and validating the resulting design.
How can simulation improve product performance?
Simulation can help engineers understand how a product behaves under relevant operating conditions and evaluate design changes before physical testing.
Can materials improve product performance?
Yes. Material properties can strongly influence strength, stiffness, thermal behaviour, durability, weight and other performance characteristics.
Can AI be used for engineering performance optimization?
AI and machine learning can support performance prediction, surrogate modelling, design exploration and optimization when appropriate engineering data and validation methods are available.
MATAPPLY PROBLEM ENGINE
Have a product you need to make better?
Start with the performance problem. MATAPPLY connects technology, product, market and business perspectives to identify possible paths forward.
START WITH A PROBLEM