By running conjugate heat transfer simulations in the cloud, the OnLogic team was able to make quick design iterations in parallel and reach efficiency targets, while saving tens of thousands of dollars in materials costs.

For the design of a high-performance rugged PC (Karbon 700), OnLogic (formerly Logic Supply) had stricter thermal requirements than ever before. As simulation methods had proven to be valuable in previous product developments, using the technology was clearly a must. This particular project, however, added a time constraint, and the team needed to find a solution that would allow them to make quick design iterations and achieve the best possible thermal performance.

Using cloud-based simulation with SimScale, OnLogic managed to tackle these challenges as well as collaborate effectively and save on in-house computing needs. With conjugate heat transfer simulations run in parallel in the cloud, the team tested multiple heat sources and evaluated the thermal performance of their chassis in a low-airflow environment.

“Our overall impression of working with SimScale on our project is two thumbs way up. We’re already using it on new projects, and expect SimScale to be part of all future product developments,” said Erick Kopff, engineer at OnLogic.

The final results gave 95% accuracy of actual product testing performance, which enabled OnLogic to implement a design feature that gave them the required thermal results but saved significant manufacturing costs by using less material. With a $3 per-system cost saving on thousands of units, OnLogic saved tens of thousands of dollars in materials costs, including adjustments to chassis extrusions and cooling solutions.