Underpinning engineering software solutions provider Simutron’s robust growth, is its affordable annual licencing model, which enables customers to access its ‘library’ of software tools, Simutron’s Simulation Applications Engineer, Gary Styger, tells Modern Mining.
Established in February 2022, this South African based company caters to the specialised segment of the simulation software market, offering advanced solutions. Its client base has rapidly expanded in the mining industry, with a strong presence among small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
Styger points out that Altair stands out in the market for its unique approach to software accessibility. Clients are increasingly drawn to Altair by its affordable and flexible licensing structure, which offers a comprehensive range of software and simulation tools for an annual fee.
In an industry that calls for continuous software upgrades, Simutron’s annual licence provides clients with numerous benefits, including value-for-money solutions.
“Our customers have access to our library of tools – tools that are continuously being advanced to keep abreast of the latest technology developments,” explains Styger.
Simutron, a subsidiary of the MECAD group, which has been in existence since 1986, was established to serve some of the specialised industries such as mining. The company provides tools for advanced finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics and digital twin solutions to assist both mining operations and suppliers to mines.
Growth path
Simutron’s offering includes:
- Altair® SimSolid™ – a simulation software solution suitable for design and manufacturing companies operating large CAD assemblies. The beauty of Altair’s SimSolid is that it does not require de-featuring and offers a meshless solution. The main benefit of this is a short learning curve for engineering teams, thus allowing several design iterations before building the product or the first prototype, if required.
- Simutron’s Altair® EDEM™ software offers particle simulation based on the Discrete Elements Method (DEM), which is integral to mining processes such as conveyors, chutes, vibrating screens, and ball and sag mills. Software such as Altair EDEM is key to the minerals processing segment of business, with EPCM contractors relying heavily on similar technology for manufacturing and minerals processing.
- Its technology is ideal for product developments in the fields of composites, including carbon fibre and fibreglass, and in the analysis of slurry pumps used in the mining environment.
“Given that Simutron’s simulation software is viable across manufacturing and mining processing needs – encompassing the full mining cycle, from primary rock extraction through to delivery of the final product – the company has, since its inception, experienced robust demand for its products and services,” explains Styger.
In fact, with mining being a key component of the South African economy, it has also become integral to Simutron, accounting for as much as 80% of the company’s business, and including both mining majors and SMMEs.
“SMMEs are very open to adopting our software as it is affordable and helps customers with virtual prototyping and digital twinning,” says Styger. “The software can develop and virtually test computer generated prototypes, which saves the customer on material and product development costs.”
SMME’s excel in swift business decision-making, making them ideal adopters of Altair’s simulation software, from Simutron. This dynamic segment constitutes the predominant customer base for Simutron, including a diverse range of emerging consultants engaged in coal mines and other ore-related ventures.
According to Styger, digital twin developments are all the rage now with the software offering significant cost savings. Digital Twin software allows the correlation of the ’predictive’ numerical model to be linked with the actual product or prototype, effectively ‘learning’ from each other. Altair’s artificial intelligence (AI) tools leverage this data to accelerate the design and manufacture of new products.
“It is important to note that South Africa is still in the early stages of adopting digital twin technology. While experts across the globe are excited about digital twin offerings given the speed at which products can be developed virtually, the reality is that it is not a simple process and, while we are heading in that direction, we are not there yet.”
Discussing product advancements for 2024, Styger explains that aside from software upgrades that will allow the user “to do more with the tool much quicker,” a number of software developments are currently at verification stage, with some products scheduled for release later in the year.
“Our software is able to help the end-user do more with the tool in a shorter time frame. Given that time is money, this is important. A client in the pump manufacturing industry made a point to congratulate us on our affordable software, which, he said, had done much for his bottom line. Following the client’s purchase of the software licence, we subsequently trained his team on the use of the software. The client is ecstatic to have developed his product-line at an affordable price.”
“Having experienced good growth over the past two years, our strategy going forward is to continue to expand our reach and introduce Simutron’s offerings to key sectors and to document case studies on how our software has been used to solve problems,” concludes Styger. §
