Transforming the Role of Simulation in New Product Development

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This project will address key challenges in the area of deriving and reusing knowledge by improving the correlationsbetween impact simulation and real world performance, and will help engage end users in product design bycommunicating critical information in highly visual and understandable formats, to facilitate decision making during targetsetting and performance analysis.Establishing realistic and relevant design targets, and interpreting knowledge derived from CAE, at the outset of a newproduct development (NPD) process is critical to product success across a range of HVM sectors. This is particularlyimportant in rapidly developing markets where product legislation is loose or non-existent (e.g. personal protectiveequipment (PPE)), as opposed to more mature markets where legislation is clearly defined and methodologies are wellestablished. Whilst the automotive industry has lead the way in the uptake and application of CAE simulation tools, othersectors where product performance requirements are more fluid and cost implications of physical testing are less significant have been far slower to embrace the concept of simulation and as a result many UK businesses are missing out onopportunities to accelerate NPD and jump ahead of global competition.In order to improve simulation accuracy, this project will exploit recent developments in geometrical data processing toconvert large, high accuracy 3D data sets (typically from laser or CT scans) into a size and format compatible with thelatest impact simulation software. Innovative methods for building this data into transient models to optimise accuracy androbustness of results will then be developed.Furthermore, new solutions for visualising and interacting with simulation and physical test data will be developed, usingstate-of-the-art immersive 3D technologies, facilitating the communication and understanding of results beyond the dataanalysts, to designers, managers and customers alike.The objectives of the project are fundamental to business growth and competitive advantage for the lead partner, Simpact,whilst Aegis, the end user partner, is keen to exploit the potential of CAE to enable faster, more efficient innovation in thedevelopment of PPE products. The project will lead to major advances in the reliability and usability of CAE for impactsimulation, creating a significant step change in PPE NPD, with potential to be exploited further across Simpact's HVMcustomer base.