Working closely with customers to deliver engineering process solutions for the automotive industry
LMS International recently established the Automotive Process Group, a group dedicated to process solutions that combine physical testing and computer simulation for the automotive industry. Headed by Dirk De Vis, Director of LMS Engineering Services, the group is comprised of technical experts and senior engineers with extensive process experience in vehicle design.
"Since its founding, LMS has worked closely with automotive companies in developing technologies particularly well suited to vehicle applications including dynamics, durability, acoustics, and vibration," explains De Vis. "The mission of the group is to take these technologies to the next level by integrating test and analysis data into engineering processes and workflows that support design of entire vehicles as well as major systems such as body, chassis, and powertrain.
The tools and processes will be defined, deployed and implemented in partnership with key OEM automotive customers and major supply chain subcontractors. Systems will be used to refine and optimize designs with respect to structural integrity, safety, ride, handling, noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) and other functional characteristics.
"Working jointly with customers to develop these tools and processes, the group will serve as a central hub for bundling the latest engineering technology and process solutions," says De Vis. "This will enable us to continue meeting the ever changing needs of our automotive partners with whom we have worked so closely over the years."
Shifting from Reactive to Predictive Design
"We welcome the opportunity to work closely with companies in integrating these powerful technologies into their engineering processes," says Tom Curry, LMS Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. He explains that LMS technology enables automotive companies and other manufacturers to tune critical performance attributes through a hybrid approach that integrates simulation and test data.
"Simulation is used to predict behavior of new components and entire vehicles while test data on existing parts provides load inputs for design models," says Curry. "The data is correlated and combined through embedded data management capabilities into a single digital model to determine vehicle behavior."
LMS reports the hybrid approach extends the reach of traditional virtual prototyping by arriving at more accurate results sooner in the design cycle and thus leads to fewer but better physical prototypes. Quality is designed into the product by shifting the balance of engineering effort from troubleshooting during prototype testing to analysis and design optimization early in product development.
According to Curry, the process contrasts with that of software-only companies which attempt to predict product performance entirely with computer simulation and then must troubleshoot unforeseen problems near the end of product development when design changes are difficult. The approach also differs from that of mechanical system simulation vendors who partner with testing companies for marketing purposes but loosely interface the systems and thus fail to fully integrate measured data into their models.
About LMS International
LMS is an engineering innovation partner for companies in the automotive, aerospace and other advanced manufacturing industries. LMS enables its customers to get better products faster to market, and to turn superior process efficiency to their strategic competitive advantage. LMS delivers a unique combination of virtual simulation software, testing systems, and engineering services. We are focused on the mission critical performance attributes in key manufacturing industries, including structural integrity, handling, safety, reliability, comfort and sound quality. Through our technology, people and over 25 years of experience, LMS has become the partner of choice for most of the leading discrete manufacturing companies worldwide. LMS, a Dassault Systèmes Gold Partner, is certified to ISO9001:2000 quality standards and operates through a network of subsidiaries and representatives in key locations around the world.
LMS International recently established the Automotive Process Group, a group dedicated to process solutions that combine physical testing and computer simulation for the automotive industry. Headed by Dirk De Vis, Director of LMS Engineering Services, the group is comprised of technical experts and senior engineers with extensive process experience in vehicle design.
"Since its founding, LMS has worked closely with automotive companies in developing technologies particularly well suited to vehicle applications including dynamics, durability, acoustics, and vibration," explains De Vis. "The mission of the group is to take these technologies to the next level by integrating test and analysis data into engineering processes and workflows that support design of entire vehicles as well as major systems such as body, chassis, and powertrain.
The tools and processes will be defined, deployed and implemented in partnership with key OEM automotive customers and major supply chain subcontractors. Systems will be used to refine and optimize designs with respect to structural integrity, safety, ride, handling, noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) and other functional characteristics.
"Working jointly with customers to develop these tools and processes, the group will serve as a central hub for bundling the latest engineering technology and process solutions," says De Vis. "This will enable us to continue meeting the ever changing needs of our automotive partners with whom we have worked so closely over the years."
Shifting from Reactive to Predictive Design
"We welcome the opportunity to work closely with companies in integrating these powerful technologies into their engineering processes," says Tom Curry, LMS Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. He explains that LMS technology enables automotive companies and other manufacturers to tune critical performance attributes through a hybrid approach that integrates simulation and test data.
"Simulation is used to predict behavior of new components and entire vehicles while test data on existing parts provides load inputs for design models," says Curry. "The data is correlated and combined through embedded data management capabilities into a single digital model to determine vehicle behavior."
LMS reports the hybrid approach extends the reach of traditional virtual prototyping by arriving at more accurate results sooner in the design cycle and thus leads to fewer but better physical prototypes. Quality is designed into the product by shifting the balance of engineering effort from troubleshooting during prototype testing to analysis and design optimization early in product development.
According to Curry, the process contrasts with that of software-only companies which attempt to predict product performance entirely with computer simulation and then must troubleshoot unforeseen problems near the end of product development when design changes are difficult. The approach also differs from that of mechanical system simulation vendors who partner with testing companies for marketing purposes but loosely interface the systems and thus fail to fully integrate measured data into their models.
About LMS International
LMS is an engineering innovation partner for companies in the automotive, aerospace and other advanced manufacturing industries. LMS enables its customers to get better products faster to market, and to turn superior process efficiency to their strategic competitive advantage. LMS delivers a unique combination of virtual simulation software, testing systems, and engineering services. We are focused on the mission critical performance attributes in key manufacturing industries, including structural integrity, handling, safety, reliability, comfort and sound quality. Through our technology, people and over 25 years of experience, LMS has become the partner of choice for most of the leading discrete manufacturing companies worldwide. LMS, a Dassault Systèmes Gold Partner, is certified to ISO9001:2000 quality standards and operates through a network of subsidiaries and representatives in key locations around the world.
