Concepts NREC Software Suite Enhances Turbomachinery Design and Manufacturing Efficiency!
Concepts NREC has released Agile Engineering Design System v2025.2, a major update to its integrated CAE and CAM software suite specialized for turbomachinery design and manufacturing. The latest version introduces a series of enhancements aimed at improving design accuracy, expanding secondary flow and leakage modeling, and strengthening the link between digital design and manufacturable outcomes. Together, these updates are intended to help engineers achieve higher performance while reducing costly iterations during testing and production.
A key focus of the v2025.2 release is improved support for realistic turbomachinery physics early in the design process. Concepts NREC has introduced a new approach to volute modeling, emphasizing the creation of fully watertight 3D geometries and more robust tongue designs. These improvements help eliminate downstream geometry issues and improve simulation reliability, enabling designers to better predict flow behavior and performance before moving to prototyping or testing.
The release also significantly expands secondary leakage path modeling within the 1D thermodynamic cycle calculation tool Cycal. By incorporating a secondary network solver, Cycal now allows engineers to model complex leakage and secondary flow paths that are often simplified or ignored during early-stage design. These effects can have a major impact on efficiency and performance, and capturing them earlier helps reduce the risk of unexpected losses discovered late in development or during test rig validation.
Optimization capabilities have also been strengthened through updates to TurboOPT II, which now offers tighter integration with leading CFD solvers such as ADS Code LEO and Ansys CFX. This deeper integration enables more robust, physics-driven optimization workflows, allowing designers to explore design trade-offs more effectively while maintaining confidence that optimized solutions remain practical and manufacturable.
On the mechanical side, the ARMD rotordynamics and bearing analysis package has been enhanced with a new honeycomb seal option. This addition improves the ability to model realistic seal behavior, further strengthening the software’s capability to represent real-world operating conditions that influence rotor stability and system reliability.
Manufacturing-focused improvements are delivered through updates to the Max-Pac software used for generating five-axis machining toolpaths. The latest version introduces advanced analysis and optimization tools that provide deeper insight into machining behavior. Operators can now plot parameters such as axis reversals and drill or drag angles, enabling more precise control over toolpaths and helping achieve higher surface quality and dimensional consistency. In parallel, new blade finishing options in Max-Si allow for cross-pocket passes and improved blending, supporting more refined finishing strategies for complex blade geometries.
According to Thiago Ebel, the updated software suite emphasizes integrated workflows that continuously incorporate real-world physics, including secondary flows and seals that are often overlooked during early design stages. By addressing these factors through advanced automation and connected workflows, Concepts NREC aims to help customers improve turbomachinery performance in ways that are both achievable in practice and efficient to manufacture.
With Agile Engineering Design System v2025.2, Concepts NREC further strengthens its position as a provider of end-to-end digital solutions that connect turbomachinery design, simulation, optimization, and manufacturing into a cohesive and practical engineering environment.
