Altair Engineering has announced that Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is now using HyperWorks computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools for the design and optimization of its NASCAR Sprint Cup racecars.

At NASCAR's top level of Motorsport, the Sprint Cup Series, engineers work diligently to make incremental improvements in the performance of the racecar. Reductions in lap time on the order of 0.1 second are considered very significant.

Relative stability in NASCAR's specification of the Sprint Cup racecar has led RCR engineers to examine and optimize every aspect and component of the vehicle to achieve performance gains. Each component of a racecar must be designed to survive the rigors of the sport, but at minimal weight.

"We needed a comprehensive solution to facilitate this design-optimization process," said Dr. Kent Day, technical director for RCR. "The advanced meshing capabilities and optimization tools that HyperWorks offers are unparalleled in the industry."

RCR also recognized the benefit that HyperWorks provides with its open architecture, which allows for seamless integration with third-party software for highly automated product design processes. At RCR, HyperWorks integrates with PTC Pro/ENGINEER, a 3D computer-aided design software product, to provide a comprehensive solution for RCR's design group.

"Another benefit of Altair's HyperWorks is the licensing structure that allows us to use all of the tools available without having to buy additional modules for specific applications," said Day. "We are also impressed with Altair's HyperWorks Partner Alliance, which offers easy access to a broad range of third-party vendor tools that work in harmony with the HyperWorks suite. This enables us to be very flexible and adopt the software tools needed to solve a problem at hand without additional cost."