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Lawrence Drzal (iuset) is
applying nanotechnology to
create new materials with
many applications in a variety
of industries.
G.L. Kohuth/University Relations
officer. He is also on the MSU
faculty, holding appointments in
the departments of electrical and
computer engineering, mechanical
engineering, and computer
science and engineering. Recognized
worldwide as a leader in the
area of evolutionary computing,
Goodman serves as primary
investigator and director of the
BEACON Center for the Study
of Evolution in Action, one of the
National Science Foundation’s
five new Science and Technology
Centers. His research has focused
on optimization, design automation
and CAD/CAM/CAE,
particularly on developing and
applying novel forms of evolutionary
computation, drawing on
ideas from biological evolution.
In 2009, he was named Michigan
Distinguished Professor of the
Year by the Presidents Council,
State Universities of Michigan.
Collaboration between Averill
and Goodman dates back to
the late 90s, when they began
developing new methods and
strategies for automated design
optimization of engineering systems—especially
crashworthy automotive
structures. They started
Red Cedar Technology at the
request of their research sponsors,
to provide engineering design
consulting services and to commercialize
the design optimization
technology they developed.
This technology is used today by
engineering teams around the
world for applications ranging
from the design of safer and more
fuel-efficient automobiles to the
optimization of surgical tools and
orthopedic implants.
The automation and design
optimization technology the two
developed is embedded in Red
Cedar Technology’s flagship software
product, HEEDS (Hierarchical
Evolutionary Engineering
Design System) MDO software.
HEEDS is used at numerous automotive,
biomedical, aerospace
and durable goods manufacturing
companies, as well as in other
companies and universities.
The software allows engineers
to automatically and concurrently
explore hundreds of design
parameters and their relationships
in product and process
design scenarios. The HEEDS
software can examine an existing
design, detect problems and
suggest improvements. These
Last year, 22 patents were issued
within the College of Engineering—
accounting for 42 percent of MSU’s
total patent output.
automated iterations are guided
by intelligent, mathematical
optimization algorithms in a
process that leads to improved
designs in significantly less time
than it would take engineers to
accomplish manually.
Like most small companies,
Red Cedar Technology’s growth
stalled during the deepest part
of the recession. From the fall
of 2008 until mid-summer
2009, Averill recalls that clients
retrenched, doing the bare minimum
needed to get by. Things
began turning around in the
third quarter of 2009, as companies
began to recover confidence
in their own futures and looked
to Red Cedar for its expertise.
Ultimately, the new realities
of a restructured economy
have helped the company grow.
While Red Cedar Technology’s
initial focus was on automotive
applications, the downturn in
that key market required the
company to diversify. Likewise,
economic pressure has created
renewed emphasis on improved
efficiency within corporations,
bringing new clients to Red
Cedar that are looking for
ways to optimize their design
processes. Today, Red Cedar
Technology serves a global array
of clients, and has resellers in
India, Korea, China, Japan,
Germany and Sweden, in addition
to Troy, MI and Westminster,
CA.
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