Accelerate product development with faster decisions while reducing physical prototypes
The automotive industry is drastically changing as the fundamentals of transportation are moving toward electrification and autonomous vehicles. Consumer awareness of emissions and global warming concerns drives automakers to shift to electric motors with innovative battery systems. Over a hundred new automakers have started developing electric cars for emerging and established markets in the last decade. As these new markets develop and consumer preferences change, time to market for new products becomes the battleground for all automakers.
CIMdata, a global leader in PLM consulting, presents how digital engineering enables automotive manufacturers to accelerate product development in this white paper. Download to read more.
Four themes that will drive the automotive industry
Autonomous, electrification, product requirements, and globalization contribute to automotive product complexity. The expansion of electronics and software drives many innovations in vehicles as new functions constantly connect, both within a car, between vehicles, and the driving environment. An increased focus on systems engineering, traceability, and continuous verification and validation and how mastering these techniques is critical across a product’s complete lifecycle, now including operational use, will be the success factors for automakers in the future. CIMData writes that the design decisions made and the order in which they are made drive competitive advantage. By focusing on speed, virtual prove-out, integrated disciplines, real-time data, and regulatory compliance, Siemens Accelerated Product Development solution enables future automakers to rapidly develop and deliver products that consumers want.
Automotive simulation software reduces need for physical prototypes
For decades, automakers have been building physical prototypes to evaluate designs and prepare for mass production, but each prototype build cycle takes weeks or months to construct. Virtual mockups and simulations for the same design can be done in days, even hours, significantly shortening product development cycles. Constant simulation with newly discovered use cases keeps requirements focused during development with continuous product interactions, challenging capital-intensive processes focused on evaluating physical product samples. And as simulation technologies become more trustworthy, more and more product physical testing will not be needed, further reducing the need for prototypes. CIMdata expects executable digital twin to connect physical product validation to feedback loops for development in new ways—making serial, physical prototype product validation cycles uncompetitive and improving trust in virtual models.
Digital engineering to drive shorter automotive product development times
Today's automakers will have to reevaluate historic vehicle development and decision-making while focusing on product requirements. Digitalization is the essential framework for connecting development disciplines. It is faster to build a virtual prototype, and continuous testing enables requirements assessments throughout development. And by examining the latest test results and their traceability to requirements regardless of origin, product developers will always have the correct set of requirements to use. Manufacturers must continually learn, adapt, and adjust to stay ahead of their competition. Successful automakers realize this, and many rely on the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to provide accelerated product development solutions across vehicle lifecycles.
In this white paper, CIMdata highlights the recent successes of Siemens Xcelerator portfolio customers in the automotive industry.
Download the white paper to learn more!