CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
10 November 2005
Implementation Investments
Honda deploys LMS Virtual.Lab Structures for Finite Element Pre- and Postprocessing
LMS International announced that Honda R&D Tochigi started the deployment of of a multitude of seats of LMS Virtual.Lab software licenses to accelerate key design and simulation processes. The deployment is part of the automaker's overall goal of further increasing the efficiency of its vehicle development process. In relation to this strategic goal, Honda R&D Tochigi is currently migrating its design and simulation processes from CATIA V4 to CATIA V5. To facilitate this critical migration project, Honda intends to integrate numerous simulation processes and operations within LMS Virtual.Lab. This eliminates the need to spend time moving in and out of multiple software packages and streamlines the process of creating models, driving simulation runs and analyzing results.
An official of Honda R&D Tochigi commented, "Honda R&D works in close cooperation with LMS to integrate its CAE processes into LMS Virtual.Lab for linear and non-linear structural analysis of body, engine and transmission components and sub assemblies. With LMS Virtual.Lab Structures, many Honda engineers will carry out simulation operations in a single user environment: integrating closely with the CAD design, creating and adapting finite element models, preparing and driving simulation runs for NASTRAN, and post-processing engineering analysis results in a consistent graphical format."
By integrating the various simulation programs that otherwise would run separately and produce isolated results, LMS Virtual.Lab Structures eliminates the need to spend time reworking models, duplicating meshes, transferring files, translating data and visualizing results in separate application-specific formats. Numerous Honda engineers will use just one set of pre- and post-processing solutions, thus avoiding the complexity and long learning curves of working with many disconnected tools.
The integrated system based on LMS Virtual.Lab will be fully associative with the CATIA V5 based design process that Honda is currently implementing. The complete analysis is defined on the geometry, which will save significant time by largely automating tasks of creating and modifying meshes. By making finite element modeling virtually transparent to the user, the system will accelerate the process of evaluating designs, predicting overall product behavior and validating mechanical performance of components and sub assemblies. Using this approach, Honda R&D Tochigi expects time gains of up to 50% in creating complex vehicle models.
Beyond these productivity gains, Honda expects that the integration of simulation processes in the V5 environment will facilitate greater collaboration within vehicle development teams. Design and analysis groups will be able to easily exchange models and engineering results. Structural analysis will be tightly integrated with other engineering disciplines such as durability, ride and handling and NVH. Groups can readily share ideas and accurately evaluate design options for multiple performance criteria in a much shorter timeframe. Honda expects to leverage this improved collaboration throughout the development process and to further focus their engineering effort on developing innovative future vehicle designs that are an absolute necessity for success in the global automotive industry.
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