Revolutionizing Design: The Era of Transformation
At the Siemens PLM Automotive Symposium held in June at the Manufacturing Technology Centre near Coventry, UK, Siemens showcased its integrated approach to vehicle design. The event highlighted the rapidly changing landscape of modern vehicle design, where electric cars, software-heavy vehicles, new materials, and mass customization are becoming the norm.
Ian Strath, Siemens’ Portfolio Development Director, emphasized this shift, noting the exponential increase in options for consumers. “We’re living in a world of change,” he told the attendees, touching on the rise of electric vehicles and the IoT’s role in connecting cars back to manufacturers for service insights. Strath explained that the challenge for car companies and their suppliers is to deliver high-quality products at the right price and on time, which Siemens is aiding through advanced computing power and simulation technologies.
A key element in Siemens’ approach is the use of digital twins and digital threads. Digital threads link all stages of the design process, with each step building on the previous one. This integration allows for the creation of a digital twin—a virtual replica—that helps predict vehicle performance before physical prototypes are built. Additionally, digital twins of the production process and product performance bring significant advantages in understanding and optimizing every phase of vehicle development.
One company leveraging this technology is Uniti, a Swedish car designer focused on creating top-notch electric vehicles. As CEO Lewis Horne explained, while they avoid hardware manufacturing, they excel in virtual reality. By using Siemens PLM technology, Uniti has been able to maintain control over its data and effectively create a digital twin for their design and production processes. The company plans to have prototype cars ready for production by late next year, with ten beta test cars expected sooner to gather valuable data on customer behavior and vehicle performance.
Thermal management and energy management pose significant challenges for new electric powertrains. Leigh Gillard, a model-based systems engineer at Siemens, identified three main trends reshaping the automotive industry: emission reduction, new mobility, and market globalisation. He noted that meeting emissions targets often leads to electrification, while new mobility trends lean towards services and connectivity, and globalisation expands consumer choices.
Engineers face the task of designing vehicles that are lightweight, fuel-efficient, and emission-friendly, all while incorporating advanced autonomous driving technologies. This begins with meeting core requirements like range, fuel economy, emissions, driving performance, and passenger comfort, which must be addressed throughout every part of the development process. Siemens also has a dedicated facility in France to measure various vehicle attributes, ensuring comprehensive evaluation and enhancement of their designs.
