Best Technical Work SIMEA 2024

“CFD analysis of the paint shop curing process”

In the realm of the automotive industry, simulation tools are of paramount importance, primarily due to their potential to curtail costs associated with the development of new models. One such tool, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), is used extensively across many applications, including vehicle aerodynamics and engine thermal management. Despite its wide-ranging utility, the application of CFD in manufacturing engineering remains limited. In the present study, a model of a paint oven was developed utilizing Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Given that the paint cure oven constitutes one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes within the automotive industry, the creation of its model is crucial for fostering energy conservation, sustainability, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The model was constructed using a surrogate Body-in-White (BIW) with a refined overset mesh in motion within the oven?s coarse background mesh. Further, the thickness of the sheets was considered using a shell thickness parameter, corresponding to a meshless approach, thereby reducing the model

Authors: Tiago Augusto Santiago Vieira, Davi Machado Cury, Pedro Henrique Araujo, Aline Amaral Quintella Abdu, Caiuã Caldeira de Melo, Fábio de Castro Orefice e Henrique Carlos Monteiro – Siemens Brasil Digital Industries Software.