Virtual development at Applus+ IDIADA
The current disruption in the automotive industry is unprecedented, as not one, but several major changes are forcing it to adapt: the 4 megatrends that have defined the R&D investments during the last decade (autonomous, connected, electrified, and shared cars) are finally reaching mass-market readiness – and the consumer is already demanding them. Maintaining a position in all of them is estimated to cost each Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) 70 billion dollars in R&D expenditure, and that is to be added to the huge costs from meeting the increasingly strict emissions regulations and delivering the degree of personalization that the market demands in their products. None of these factors seem likely to fade away anytime soon.
At IDIADA we believe that the foundation-shaking new paradigm is already forcing the industry to embrace the transformation and explore new paths towards sustainable value creation and that these paths are entailing greater collaboration across the entire development value chain.
With the goal of reaching financial sustainability by reducing costs front and centre, OEMs are beginning to rely on industry partners for core processes such as systems integration, cooperate in power electrification and share development costs for the remaining generations of internal combustion engines with the value chain peers.
IDIADA is determined to seize the strategic opportunity by extending the current capabilities while leveraging on its renowned service portfolio: we are bringing our digital twins development to full-vehicle level by means of multiphysics simulation.
With the support of SIEMENS Digital Industries, we have concluded a pilot project to develop a virtual integration platform of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle, developed using data measured at IDIADA’s test facilities and able to predict performance and energy consumption in all driving cycles – including real-driving conditions. The platform, compatible with the different specialist simulation capabilities present in the company (CAE, CFD, NVH, Vehicle Dynamics,etc.) will be used from systems pre-sizing to components integration and virtual calibration.
This project is the result of a cross-discipline team that has joined electrical, fluid, and mechanical simulation capabilities in a single, reliable, and scalable model. It also represents the ideal complement to IDIADA’s state-of-the-art testing knowledge and estimates beyond the measurable: by building accurate and reliable models we are able to identify effects that are impossible or simply too expensive to measure by physical means.
This blend of virtual and physical capabilities is a decisive step to help the different components of the automotive development value chain rise to the challenge, cooperate and better integrate their processes and build a sustainable value creation path, demonstrating once more the great adaptability capacity of the industry.
Further information on the cooperation between Applus IDIADA and SIEMENS Digital Industries.