Automating Virtualization of Machinery for enabling efficient Virtual Engineering Methods

Virtual engineering as a new working method in product development should make it much easier to validate the development progress and facilitate team communication. Work steps are brought forward and start with the virtual components instead of real ones. To validate mechanical and electrical CAD as well as programming, automated virtualization systems should create the virtual twin of the machine at the push of a button. For this purpose, generic intelligence is added to enable complex interactive virtual models that can be used for training, monitoring and many other applications. Advanced applications are for example training and support applications, especially in combination with augmented reality and remote collaboration. We propose a system that combines virtual reality, virtual engineering and artificial intelligence methods for the product development process. Geometry analysis algorithms are used to process mechanical CAD data and thus, for example, to automatically parameterize kinematic simulations. In combination with electrical CAD data and the simulations of electric circuits as well as the original machine program allow simulating the behavior of the machine and the user interaction with it. This article will describe the virtualization method in detail and present various use-cases in special machine construction. It will also propose a novel method to use causal discovery in complex machine simulations

Using Collaborative Immersive Environments and Building Information Modeling Technology for Holistic Planning of Production Lines

Large and complex building projects need many different experts from different engineering disciplines for different matters. But these experts each use their own IT tools that produce a lot of heterogeneous data. This leads to a strong fragmentation of competencies, what causes problems for interdisciplinary collaboration, because the data might be inconsistent, redundant or there are no interfaces to combine the data. These problems in collaboration increase the risk of planning mistakes that might significantly impair the overall project success. So only one database should be used for all engineering tasks to improve the transdisciplinary collaboration. The Building Information Modelling (BIM) working methodology enables the digital collaboration of virtual production planning and architecture tasks for developing a building. By means of lean optimization in combination with early integration of future-oriented production facilities, process-relevant production data can be included in the planning phase before construction begins. This article presents a real time immersive 3D virtualization system using the digital twin of complex buildings with a modern production line as the single source of truth and creates a consistent integrated data model, that enables transdisciplinary collaboration of all involved engineering disciplines. In this way, a continuous comparison can be made between the real construction project and its digital twin in an interactive, intuitive and collaborative manner. The same model is also used by production planners to optimize the material flow and in general the value chain of a production line through a holistic planning, which brings many benefits for all stakeholders