Case Studies

Medical devices, such as the cranial perforator here, show imperfections that are rejected by physicians. Veryst investigates the source of these imperfections and recommends steps to remove them.

A commonly encountered failure mode in microfluidic devices is delamination between adjacent device layers. Veryst examined the influence of control channel geometry on the delamination pressure of a pneumatic microfluidic valve using finite element analysis.

Thermal ablation is a minimally invasive way to treat tumors, and simulating the physics of ablation can help in the design of ablation devices. Veryst designed and simulated a catheter-based acoustic ablation device relying on acoustic pressure waves to heat tissue to induce necrosis.

A high-strength reinforced hose failed in service under normal operating conditions well before its intended design life. Inspections of the subject hose revealed that failure was mainly due to delamination.

Elastomer foams make excellent vibration dampers, but accurately designing these dampers requires an advanced material model. Veryst calibrated a PolyUMod® material model to design the vibration damper.

A plastic lever on a consumer product failed unexpectedly in service. Veryst determined the root cause of the failure and provided design recommendations to prevent similar failures from occurring again.

The nonlinear deformation and material relaxation associated with modeling the polymer screws for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction makes predicting key quantities such as stresses and holding forces challenging. Veryst, with its unique ability to test and model PLLA materials, was able to develop material and finite element models that predict the important short-term pull-out forces as well as the evolution of stresses over time.

Solvent bonding, although an effective way to join thermoplastics, can pose process challenges that reduce bond strength. Veryst uses FTIR microscopy to characterize the interface structure of solvent bonds, obtaining a “chemical image” of the solvent-bonded interface. The result is a full understanding of the bond and ways to improve its strength and reliability.

Accurate simulation of golf ball behavior during impact with a club is challenging due to the nonlinear impact event, the complexity of the polymeric ball material at the high strain rates experienced during impact, and the scarcity of material properties at these high strain rates. Veryst Engineering developed an accurate model that accounts for these complexities.