Cognizant 20-20 Insights

An Integrated Simulation Tool Framework

for Process Data Management
By taking a methodical approach to process data management,
automotive, aerospace, medical and discrete manufacturing companies
can create a collaborative design environment that optimizes the
product development process and accelerates time to market.

Executive Summary
Engineers worldwide use various design and analytic tools to conduct digital simulations that play
a vital role from product concept through validation. These tools perform complex simulations or
analyses and are typically integrated in a common
product information management framework to
accelerate product lifecycle management (PLM)
processes, and ensure faster and more complete
design changes.
Simulated data management can help make a
reliable design process even more reliable and
comply with global regulations, thereby providing
a virtual laboratory to meet safety standards and
resolve complex testing scenarios.
Thus, simulation data management (SDM) provides a multidisciplinary approach for evaluation,
design verification, validation, risk management
and data analysis.
This white paper elaborates the challenges faced
in traditional SDM and explains the integration of
PLM systems with computer-aided engineering

cognizant 20-20 insights | november 2015

(CAE) applications using the PLM XML protocol to

support a simulation-driven product development
approach. This framework bridges the product
lifecycle with digital simulation tools interacting with each other on all design changes, thus
improving quality and reducing the lead time of
simulation engineers and the costs incurred
throughout all product development phases.
The paper also shares our engagement experience in simulation data management through
an implementation at a global automotive major.
It also explains how the SDM framework can be
applied in the medical device industry.

The Need for Simulation in Product

Development
In recent years, the need to satisfy diverse consumer demands has forced manufacturers to
create better, safer and greener products. This
has inevitably impacted all phases of product
development, increasing the complexity at the
design, validation and manufacturing stages. The
use and importance of simulation has been elevated as a result.

The demand for models with more variations and

options, that satisfy tighter regulations and that
are prepared at shorter time-to-market intervals drives the need for an
The demand for increased number of credible
delivered in shortmodels with more simulations
er times and at reduced cost.

Lost simulation process information due to

organizational attrition.

Complicated

interaction between design,

simulation
and
field/prototype
testing
engineers due to the lack of a well-laid-out
process framework.

variations and options,

Security breaches: Loss or theft due to sharing
of simulation data through mails and folders.
Among the challenges product
that satisfy tighter
development engineers face in
Lack of a single source of truth available from
regulations and simulation:
which design engineers can make decisions.
that are prepared at Dealing with the significant
shorter time-to-market and increasing amounts Concept of CAE-PLM Integration
intervals drives the of diverse data generated Industry leaders manage various aspects of a
throughout various phases.
complex product from start to end using PLM
need for an increased Loose simulation data tools. These tools manage complex design data
number of credible management leads to error- and the design process across the product develsimulations delivered prone procedures that delay opment lifecycle using bill of materials (BOM) and
crucial design decisions.
structure management, CAD data management
in shorter times and at
and work flow management. Similar to design
An uphill task in searching
reduced cost. for and finding relevant data management, the PLM and CAE worlds are

data and configuring the

simulation environment.

developing frameworks to align CAE processes

and data into the PLM framework.

Migrating data from a computer-aided design

(CAD) environment to a computer-aided engineering (CAE) environment.

CAE processes typically gather product data

related to simulations; this data contains information about product structure, its CAD model,

Simulation-Driven Product Development Cycle

Simulation

Virtual
Prototype

CONCEPT & DESIGN

PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE

Simulation-Driven
Product Development
Optimization

Design Analysis
PRODUCTION

FIgure 1

cognizant 20-20 insights

CAE-PLM XML Framework

Environment

PLM XML

PLM System

CAE Pre-/Post-Processor

Process

PLM XML
Import

Preprocessing

PLM XML
Export

PLM XML Export

Preprocessing

PLM XML
Import

Figure 2

as well as metadata that extends to simulation scenarios, and evaluation of reports. Since
the bulk of this information already resides in
PLM systems, it is beneficial for the PLM tool
to communicate this to the CAE environment to
serve downstream processes. The motivation is
to accelerate the product development process,
increase the maturity of the CAE process and
enhance the impact of simulation throughout the
product development cycle.
Independent software vendors in the simulation
industry have developed frameworks with the
aim of maintaining process flow and data in PLM,
or in their own simulation environment.
CAE PLM Integration Framework
CAE PLM integration is facilitated through
PLM XML files, which define a protocol (or set
of XML schemas and associated services) that
enable open, high-content product lifecycle
data sharing to boost PLM interoperability. It
is open, published and compliant with the
Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) XML schema
recommendations.
The PLM XML file and associated data serve as
input to the CAE application. In turn, the CAE
application performs all required preprocessing

cognizant 20-20 insights

actions based only on the information residing

inside the PLM XML file. Finally, the CAE application reports the result back to the PLM system
through PLM XML. Integration through this protocol is an ongoing process, which will result in
an enhanced solution for CAE model preparation within a managed design and simulation
environment.

Simulation Data Management

Framework
Traditional data management practice is to maintain CAE files in shared drives. A simulation data
management framework overcomes challenges
when engineers adopt traditional practices such
as finding relevant CAE data on shared drives.
The framework has three major stakeholders
the CAE model engineer, the analyst and the
design engineer. Importantly, the framework integrates the CAD, CAE and PLM tools.

CAD data from the PLM tool is migrated to CAE

tools using a migration framework.

Preprocess and setup of finite element model

uses automated scripts and templates and
information residing in the PLM XML file.

Stress

and durability analysis is performed

after the data is loaded.

Traditional vs. Next-Generation CAE Data Management

Next Generation
CAE Data Management

Thousands of
Simulation Data

Model
CAD

PreProcess

Solve

PostProcess

Reports

Model
CAD

PreProcess

Solve

PostProcess

Reports

Traditional Data
Management

Data Reuse
Figure 3

Post-processing of output includes generation

of reports, plots and animation.

tions on the need for simulation in the medical

device Industry refer to this draft guidance.)

Reports and relevant information are

integrated with PLM using the PLM XML file.

Computer-aided modeling and analysis enables

device
manufacturers to use different
Global regulatory
clinical trial methods
and experiments on agencies recommend
various test stages that the medical device
in a virtual laboraindustry performs CAE
tory. It is therefore
possible for a device analysis and provide
or biomedical implant them with their reports
manufacturer to secure
to support approvals.
test data in its own
workspace and use it
for benchmarking, revise it based on the customer requirements, transfer the design swiftly
from one platform (CAD) to another (CAE) using
lighter interface data communications (which
enables engineers to make design changes digitally), verify and validate the changes, and
generate reports based on the feasibility studies.

SDM Framework Challenges

Several gaps typically emerge when using this
approach, such as CAD to CAE interoperability
issues, cross-discipline (analysis) barriers and
process management issues. These gaps can be
overcome by:

Automating data exchange between geometry

modelers, preprocessors and different analysis
disciplines.

Coordinating data exchange capabilities

across multiple sites, including vendors.

Channelizing

triggers for design changes

resubmit analysis and receive analysis reports.

SDM in the Medical Device Industry

Global regulatory agencies recommend that the
medical device industry performs CAE analysis
and provide them with their reports to support
approvals. (For more on U.S. FDA recommendacognizant 20-20 insights

SDM helps device manufacturers to overcome

Components of Integrated Framework

CAD Data
FE Model Data

Global
Dashboard

Product Lifecycle
Management

Secured
Data Sharing

HPC

Manufacturing
Process Data
Reports Generation &
Animation

Figure 4

challenges in design and CAE processes effectively, thereby:

Optimizing

model design conforming with

regulatory mandates.

Offering a more collaborative design process,

thus reducing design and simulation data loss.

Reducing CAE build time and thereby reducing

time to market and staying ahead of competitors.

Recording expert knowledge and decisions for

repeatability of best practices and providing a
standardized and automated CAE process flow.

Enabling rapid verification with virtual models

and compare with physical tests.

Reducing cost with accelerated simulation

solutions.

Simulation Data Management Framework Overview

PLM Environment

Simulation Environment
CAE Model
Development
Meshing, Load
& Constraints

PLM XML

BOM Management

MCF

CAE Structure
Management

PREPROCESS

Solve
Nastran, MSC Fatigue

SOLVE

Reports/Plots
Generation Animation

POSTPROCESS

CAE ANALYST

Workflow
Management
Connector Information
Management

PLM XML

Figure 5

cognizant 20-20 insights

Quick Take
An Automaker Shifts Simulation Gears
Business Situation
A global automotive major with design and simulation centers across the
world found it difficult to manage larger simulation projects using shared
drives and e-mail.
Challenge
Its engineers primarily ran simulations with outdated design data. There
was no standard process for model build.
Solution
The company decided to adopt a framework for SDM using PLM XML files.
Benefits
As a result of adopting the new framework, the automotive major can now:

Manage global teams doing separate simulation functions.

Reduce time taken to gather input data and generate simulation results.
Redeploy engineers in crucial functions rather than in repeatable work.

Enabling better traceability of pre- and postprocess data across global sites.

Offering

automated big data reporting

andsingle source of the truthdashboarding.

Providing end-to-end traceability from requirements through prototyping.

Increasing accuracy of digital simulation

results using corporate test procedures.

Going Forward
While the PLM XML framework is most widely
used across industry as a PLM data exchange
standard, it is also clear that other leading independent software vendors such as Dassault
Systemes, MSC, Altair and ANSYS also offer
frameworks to manage simulation data in their
systems environments.

Simulation Data Management Business Benefits

Efficiency
Improved efficiency of designers
& simulation engineers.

Knowledge Management
Repetitive & reproducible
simulation data captured in
the framework.

Time
Reduced time to
market; reduced
time to perform
simulations.

Integrated
SDM Framework

Collaborate
Improved collaboration
between global design &
simulation teams.

Optimize
Optimize model design
conforming to
regulatory compliance.

Traceable
Data traceability &
data mining.

Figure 6

cognizant 20-20 insights

(For further study on other PLM/CAE frameworks,

refer to this Siemens white paper.)

form for virtual product testing, verification and

validation.

In todays fast-paced product development

environment, managing simulation process challenges across the lifecycle requires more than
just shared drives and Excel sheets.

Product development companies that use CAE

processes should embrace an integrated SDM
framework by:

Companies that hold onto traditional methods to

handle CAE processes and data should consider
migrating to an integrated framework that can
better address simulation data and processes.
SDM builds confidence in CAE data management among all integrated units of global product
development companies seeking a unified plat-

Choosing a solution provider with expertise in

CAE and PLM domains.

Choosing an SDM tool based on its flexibility

and an open data model.

Building a plan to manage the migration in a

structured fashion.

Preparing a cultural and organization change

plan.

References

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com.
http://blogs.solidworks.com/solidworksblog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/07/simflowchart.jpg.
Davy Monticolo, Julien Badin, Samuel Gomes, Eric Bonjour, Dominique Chamoret, A meta-model for
knowledge configuration management to support collaborative engineering, Computers in Industry,
66, (2015) 11-20.
Mourtzis, D., Doukas, M., Bernidaki, D., Simulation in Manufacturing: Review and Challenges, Procedia
CIRP, 25, (2014) 213229.

Simon Frederick Knigs, Grischa Beier, Asmus Figge, Rainer Stark, Traceability in Systems Engi-

neering Review of industrial practices, state-of-the-art technologies and new research solutions,
Advanced Engineering Informatics, 26, (4) (2012) 924-940.

Vijay Srinivasan, An integration framework for product lifecycle management, Computer-Aided

Design, 43, (5) (2011) 464478.

Dassault Systemes (2011), Simulation Lifecycle Management, CIM Data Inc. 1-13.
Noel Leon, The future of computer-aided innovation, Computers in Industry, 60, (8) (2009) 539-550.
X.G. Ming, J.Q. Yan, X.H. Wang, S.N. Li, W.F. Lu, Q.J. Peng, Y.S. Mad, Collaborative process planning and
manufacturing in product lifecycle management, Computers in Industry, 59, (2-3) (2008) 154-166.

Sebastien Charles (2006), CAD and FEA Integration in a Simulation Data Management Environment
Based on a Knowledge Based System, TMCE, 1719-1730.

cognizant 20-20 insights

About the Authors

Muralikrishna AV is a Project Manager within Cognizants Engineering and Manufacturing business unit.
He has 11-plus years of experience building CAD to CAE and CAD to CAM data interoperability solutions, product cost management, geometric search and knowledge-based engineering solutions. Murali
has vast experience in creating frameworks for automotive design verification and validation. He has
worked with automotive, high-tech and manufacturing companies providing solutions for their data
interoperability needs. Murali has authored technical papers in the field of CAD/CAM and CAE and has
a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy. He can be
reached at Muralikrishna.AV@cognizant.com.
Muthu Kumar is a Senior Associate within Cognizants Engineering and Manufacturing business unit.
He has 11-plus years of experience in engineering design and analysis, emerging manufacturing solutions, rapid prototyping, virtual product development and CAE PLM integration, and has worked in
various domains such as process control, automotive and biomedical. Muthu is also the author of several
technical publications, and his research interests include durability and safety engineering, advanced
parametric controls and optimization. He holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the
College of Engineering, Guindy, and is currently working on a doctoral program in micro-component
failure analysis and crack propagation. Muthu can be reached at Muthu.Kumarh@cognizant.com.

About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services, dedicated to helping the worlds leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in
Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry
and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over
100 development and delivery centers worldwide and approximately 219,300 employees as of September 30, 2015,
Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked
among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow
us on Twitter: Cognizant.

World Headquarters

European Headquarters

India Operations Headquarters

500 Frank W. Burr Blvd.

Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
Phone: +1 201 801 0233
Fax: +1 201 801 0243
Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277
Email: inquiry@cognizant.com

1 Kingdom Street
Paddington Central
London W2 6BD
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7297 7600
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7121 0102
Email: infouk@cognizant.com

#5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road

Okkiyam Pettai, Thoraipakkam
Chennai, 600 096 India
Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000
Fax: +91 (0) 44 4209 6060
Email: inquiryindia@cognizant.com

Copyright 2015, Cognizant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission from Cognizant. The information contained herein is
subject to change without notice. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
TL Codex 1582