Ansys has officially published a report which brings forth one new methodology for using simulation to measure and assess the sustainability impact of decisions made during early design stages and throughout the product life cycle.

More on that would reveal how the stated report packs together research and analytical support from McKinsey & Co to explain the way this methodology was used at Danfoss Drives, Infineon, and Mars. Going by the available details, in some cases, these companies were able to cut down on their direct, indirect, and/or downstream GHG emissions across the product life cycle by at least 10% using Ansys simulation solutions.

The significance held by this new methodology can be understood once you consider that, despite sustainability being a key global business priority due to regulatory pressures, consumer demand, and climate change. it continues to suffer against lack of robust data on material usage, power consumption, waste, and emission generation. You see, all these factors have. so far, prevented companies from effectively implementing large-scale sustainability initiatives.

In response, Ansys simulation makes it possible for businesses across industries to respond to these market challenges with agility, all while supporting sustainability efforts at scale.

To support that with an example, by identifying an ideal design, customers can further optimize it to meet their specific sustainability goals, such as reducing waste generation, improving energy efficiency, and lowering the overall carbon footprint. Not just that, Ansys simulation helps companies predict return on investment for sustainability initiatives through virtual prototyping, process optimization, and high-fidelity results via four particular sustainability-focused solutions pillars.

“The Ansys suite offers a range of solutions to evaluate environmental impact at every stage of product development for any type of application or industry,” said Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer and executive sponsor of Ansys’ sustainability programs. “Addressing climate change and reducing global emissions depends on how fast we act. Ansys’ leading solutions empower customers to develop innovative and sustainable products more efficiently and in significantly less time, ensuring compliance with current regulatory standards.”

These pillars include clean environment, which translates to simulation solutions for emission tracing and control; carbon capture, utilization, and storage; water treatment and management; environmental noise, dust, and orbital space debris.

The next pillar in line would be materials and circularity. This one focuses, by and large, on materials management and selection, packaging, light-weighting, chemical safety, compliance and traceability, recycling, and reuse.

The third pillars is rooted in energy solutions that make their case on the back of simulation solutions for wind, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, and other alternative energy sources; integrated energy systems; energy storage solutions; electric motors; fast-charging batteries, and fuel cells.

Rounding things would be the pillar of manufacturing and operational efficiency. Here, you can come expecting advanced manufacturing, digital twins, prognostic health management, energy consumption efficiency, reliability and durability, workflow optimization, process automation, and safety.

Among other things, the report also outlines a four-step methodology to clearly identify how simulation positively impacts sustainability efforts: 1) identify and prioritize key metrics; 2) evaluate and rank initiatives; 3) assess simulation’s contributions, and 4) quantify and aggregate impact.

For instance, Danfoss Drives, a global leader in energy-efficient solutions, would leverage Ansys simulation to optimize its latest generation drive controller, which is used in various applications to manage the speed, torque, and power of electric motors. You see, by banking upon Ansys methodology, Danfoss Drives was able to achieve a more efficient brand of drive, contributing to a reduction in lifetime energy consumption of up to 45%, as compared to the previous generation — double what could have been achieved without simulation.

“Ansys simulation is key to helping us reach our sustainability goals and drive our business model of providing our customers with the most energy-efficient solutions,” said Michael Laursen, head of virtual design, test & optimization at Danfoss Drives. “With simulation, we can improve our product design processes by enabling rapid, thorough analysis, faster decision-making, and emissions estimates. The data we capture is critical to shaping our current processes, helps us identify opportunities for cost savings, and ultimately opens the door to technological advancement and innovation.”