Tenth International Conference on Optimium Design in Engineering

7 - 9 May 2007
Myrtle Beach, USA

 Overview and Opening Addresses

The tenth International Conference on Computer Aided Design Engineering took place recently in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, organised by the University of La Coruña in Spain, represented by the Co-Chairman Professor Santiago Hernandez, and the Wessex Institute of Technology in the UK, represented by the other Co-Chairman, Professor Carlos A. Brebbia.

Previous conferences have been held in Southampton, UK (1989); Boston, USA (1991); Zaragoza, Spain (1993); Miami, USA (1995); Rome, Italy (1997); Orlando, USA (1999); Bologna, Italy (2001); Detroit, USA (2003); and Skiathos, Greece (2005).  The original idea was to hold the meeting biannually, alternating between locations in Europe and the USA.

Professor Hernandez welcomed the delegates in the name of the organisers and referred to the high quality of the papers presented at the meeting, which are contained in the conference book.

Professor Brebbia then explained to the delegates the work of WIT and, in particular, the new initiatives taking place at Ashurst Lodge.  The recent improvement of the Institute buildings includes a new conference centre and excellent residential accommodation for visitors and researchers.

Professor Brebbia referred to the basic objectives of WIT acting as a centre for knowledge transfer.  Originally, this was focused on providing a link between academic research and industry, but more recently, a series of initiatives has taken place to try and reach the humanities and society in general.

Important initiatives include the launch of the Ecodynamics Journal in collaboration with the University of Siena, and setting up the Prigogine award, also with that Institution.  Both aim to continue the pioneering work of Nobel Prize Winner, Ilya Prigogine who, before his untimely death, was to be the Honorary Editor of the Journal.

Another new initiative has been the setting up of a group of scientists concerned with ecological and environmental issues and how they effect society.  This came out of a conference held in Patagonia at the end of 2006 which resulted in a statement as follows:

“The conference believes that scientific knowledge has to be linked to social and political realities and that it is necessary to promote knowledge transfer at all levels.”  

“The Meeting proposed the following objectives, among others:

• Develop models that can simulate and accurately predict environmental and ecological processes.
• Ensure that the voice of the scientific community can be heard by politicians, social scientists and society in general.
• Develop mechanisms to communicate with all sectors of society, particularly those that are usually in need of scientific and technical support.”

 Conference Topics

The papers presented at the Conference and contained in the resulting book covered a series of topics, namely:

• Algorithm and topology optimization
• Shape optimization
• Applications in construction engineering
• Applications in mechanical and aircraft engineering
• Applications to process optimization

 Invited Presentations

There were a number of invited presentations by well known colleagues, as follows:

• “Numerical experiences with parallel clusters for generating Pareto surfaces: application in structural topology optimization”, by A.D. Belegundu, Penn State University, USA
• “Global versus local statement of stress constraints in topology optimization of continuum structures”, by F Navarrina, University of La Coruña, Spain
• “Shape optimization of composites based on minimum potential energy”, by P Prochazka, Czech Technical University, Czech Republic
• “Evaluation of extended Stochastic Schemata Exploiter”, by E. Kita, Nagoya University, Japan
• “Block aggregation of stress constraints in topology optimization of structures”, by J Paris, University of La Coruña, Spain
• “MINLP cost optimization of industrial steel building”, by S. Kravanja, University of Maribor, Slovenia
• “VTOP – an improved software for design optimization of prestressed concrete beams”, by S Hernandez, University of La Coruña, Spain
• “Optimal design of fatigue loaded heavy-duty machine spring elements”, by H Martikka, Himtech Oy, Finland

 Keynote Presentations by Dr Sui Tong

The keynote speaker, Dr Siu Tong, gave a presentation on the “Industrial development of optimization techniques.  Current challenges and future opportunities.”  He explained how industries are using optimization technologies today and what the future will offer.

Dr Tong is the Founder and chairman of the Board of ‘Engineous Software’, a well known international company.  Professor Brebbia recalled, when introducing the speaker, that they met for the first time when Dr Tong was working at the R&D Centre of GE Research and Development.  The Company was then starting to use one of the first BEM codes developed by Professor Brebbia.  (Their application led to major savings in the design of gas turbine blades.)  Dr Tong has had a successful academic career thus far, having graduated with a PhD in Acoustics and Astronautics at MIT.

Dr Tong thinks that the trend is for more optimization studies, together with a higher degree of globalisation and outsourcing of analytical services.  Manufacturing and design are being off-shored, although system organising will continue to focus on developed nations.  The important issues are quality, cost and team work.  The key words are integration and collaboration.

Engineous Software provides a platform for collaboration, using integration and optimization tools.  There are opportunities in many areas.  CAE systems have now matured and are ready to be used for routine design.  Dr Tong thinks however that we still need to sell the idea of optimization to the Community.

 Panel Discussion of the Future of Structural Optimisation

An interesting panel discussion took place at the end of the second day of the Conference.  The Panel, which discussed the Future of Structural Optimisation, was composed of:

• Prof S Hernandez, University of La Coruña, Spain (Chair)
• Dr S. Tong, Engineous, USA
• Prof A.D. Belegundu, Penn State University, USA
• Prof S. Kravanja, University of Maribor, Slovenia
• Prof F. Navarrina, University of La Coruña, Spain

Professor Belegundu referred to the importance of producing good interfaces between CAD and optimization and continued to describe some of the limitations of topology optimization.  He stressed the need to look at parallel computing and at finding new algorithms to this effect.

Professor Kravanja described the importance of structural systems as a more important consideration than structural analysis.  He explained the difference between different optimization methods and the need to solve increasingly larger problems in practice.

Dr Tong thinks that optimization is till underused in practice and that more work is required to make it a tool which is easily available.

Professor Navarrina reminded the audience that optimization went through several periods but that now it is starting to become better understood, although there is some reluctance among researchers to become involved in the field.  This may be due to the lack of understanding of optimization problems and capabilities.

The audience was responsive to these comments and several referred to the need to teach optimization, with more emphasis on practical applications rather than in theory.  In Professor Hernandez’s opinion, optimum design faces a struggle because it relates to the core of the design process, a field that is highly subjective.  Designers are proud and protective of their skills.

 Conference Dinner

The Conference dinner took place at the Southern Stampede, a unique show held in Myrtle Beach, organised by Dolly Parton, an internationally renowned American Country Music singer.  The show consisted of a series of displays of riding skills, some related to the friendly rivalry between North and South.  The extravaganza was well done and well received by the participants, the majority of whom were from Europe.  At the end, Professor Brebbia offered the participants a book containing artistic photographs of south Carolina, as a souvenir of a very successful conference.

 Publication of Papers

The proceedings of Computer Aided Optimum Design in Engineering X, 272pp (ISBN: 1-84564-070-5) are available in hard back from WIT Press priced at £89/US$385/€133.50. Orders can be placed by telephone: +44 (0) 238 029 3223, fax: +44 (0) 238 029 2853, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or via the WIT Press web site at www.witpress.com

Papers from the conference will also be hosted online at the WIT eLibrary as volume 91 of WIT Transactions on The Built Environment (ISSN: 1743-3509). For more details visit the WIT eLibrary at www.witpress.com