New research from the LeCAD and LFT laboratories presented at the CAD 26 conference in Athens

The LeCAD Laboratory and the Laboratory for Fluid Technology (LFT) presented their latest research at CAD'26—the 23rd International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, considered one of the world’s leading conferences in the field of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) technologies. This year’s conference took place at the University of West Attica (UNIWA) in Athens and brought together researchers and experts from the fields of digital engineering, modeling, simulation, and innovative product development.

Aljaž Žafran (LeCAD) and Jan Bartolj (LFT) presented a research paper:
"Influence of Spool Bore Position on the Structural and Hydraulic Performance of an Additively Manufactured NG10 Valve"

The study combines parametric CAD modeling, CFD simulations, and topological optimization, which the researchers used to analyze the effect of the spool bore position on the hydraulic and structural properties of an additively manufactured NG10 valve. 

Key findings of the study:

✅ An optimized internal geometry can reduce pressure losses by approximately 30%.
✅ The spool bore position has a significant impact on both hydraulic efficiency and valve weight.
✅ Valve design requires balancing trade-offs between weight, pressure losses, and turbulence.
✅ The combination of additive manufacturing, CFD simulations, and topology optimization opens new opportunities for the development of advanced hydraulic components.

Congratulations to the authors: Aljaž Žafran, Jan Bartolj, Nikola Vukasinović and Franci Majdič

We are pleased to present the results of our research at leading international conferences and contribute to the advancement of modern digital engineering, simulation technologies, and additive manufacturing.