How Product Lifecycle Management Tools Can Elevate Digital Simulation

As technology evolves, products get more and more complex. 

For instance, these are the characteristics of a modern-day electric vehicle: aerodynamics, battery performance, noise, vibration, harshness, electric motor efficiency, and thermal management of electronics.

How many prototypes must a company produce to guarantee that the product aces each of these categories? 

10? 20? 30? 

Well, with digital simulations, today’s engineers enjoy faster and more cost-effective design by reducing the number of prototypes needed.

However impactful as it may sound, there is still room for improvement in the digital simulation process. And in the following lines, you will learn how to avoid the common pitfalls and why Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools might be the solution you need. 

What is Digital Simulation?

Digital simulation is a process used to create and analyze a virtual model of a system, product, or process to predict its behavior and performance in real-world scenarios. This involves using computer software to replicate an object or system’s physical and functional characteristics, allowing engineers and designers to test and evaluate various aspects without the need for physical prototypes. 

But the benefits don’t stop there. Digital simulation also allows for:

1.Cost reduction: Minimizes the need for physical prototypes, thereby reducing material and labor costs associated with product development.

2.Time efficiency: Speeds up the design and testing process, allowing for faster time-to-market by quickly iterating and refining designs.

3.Improved product quality: Enables thorough testing and optimization of products under various conditions, leading to higher quality and more reliable products.

4.Enhanced safety and compliance: Ensures that products meet safety standards and regulatory requirements before physical testing, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

5.Risk mitigation: Identifies potential issues and design flaws early in the development process, reducing the risk of costly modifications and recalls after product launch.

6.Innovation facilitation: Allows for exploring innovative designs and concepts without the constraints and costs of physical prototyping.

7.Performance optimization: Enables detailed analysis and optimization of product performance, such as improving efficiency, durability, and user experience.

Despite all these advantages, many companies still face a major problem when it comes to running digital simulations.

The Issue with Digital Simulation

Unfortunately, digital simulation often remains isolated from the overall product design process. 

While various departments within a company—such as marketing, research and development, production, and maintenance—collaborate on new product development, simulation typically stays within the realm of specialized experts, making its results inaccessible to most stakeholders. 

This isolation also means that simulation engineers are not fully integrated into the design workflow, leading to numerous product variants, iterative modifications, and frequent back-and-forth between departments.

This disconnection raises some concerning questions: 

• How can we ensure that simulations are performed on the latest product version? 
• What if a minor design change negatively impacts the product’s mechanical integrity or maintainability?

Furthermore, the use of various modeling tools across different disciplines creates issues of coherence and efficiency. Companies need streamlined processing chains that can evolve and automate, allowing them to “replay” simulations as often as necessary to refine their product designs.

SPDM vs. PLM: Which One to Choose?

The aforementioned streamlined processing chains can be facilitated by two families of tools provided by major software vendors : Simulation process and data management (SPDM) standalone software, or dedicated modules of global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platforms.

Then comes the question of which one to use: It will depend on how granular you want your simulation process to be controlled. Should you want to capture Simulation records and results closely linked with your engineering data, with minimum interaction with the Simulation authoring tools and high-level data management, a Simulation PLM module would fit your needs and bring a natural digital continuity.

When it comes to managing the detailed simulation chain, exchanging massive data between authoring tools and automiting the end-to-end simulation process, you’ll need a dedicated SPDM solution. Digital continuity will be ensured by a proper interfacing with your PLM system.

Anyway, integrating simulation with Product Lifecycle Management software is essential. PLM tools are designed to enhance communication among all business units within a company.

They can effectively manage simulation tools, facilitate the sharing of data and results, and ensure that simulations are closely aligned with the various stages of product development in different configurations. When connected to an open and adaptive PLM platform, simulations can finally achieve the digital thread. Therefore, companies looking to optimize their processes should integrate simulation across the entire product lifecycle.

Achieve Digital Continuity with Inensia

Whether you аre aiming to reduce time-to-market, enhance product quality, or mitigate risks effectively, Inensia’s tailored PLM & SPDM solutions empower organizations to harness the full potential of digital simulation.

Their open platform approach ensures that digital simulations remain accurate and impactful, fostering continuous improvement and innovation in product development. Leverage Inensia’s advanced technology to streamline simulation workflows, manage data effectively, and achieve robust digital continuity.

Explore how Inensia can help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of product lifecycle management.