Methoden und Prozesse zur Kostensenkung Ein Status der Wandlungen im Fahrzeugentwicklungsprozess durch CAE-Methoden

The use of simulations now means that extensive savings can be made in the design and development processes in the automotive industry. Preventive and error-controlling effects to increase the efficiency and improvement of design quality and safety by the increased use of simulations are unmistakably evident. These are, however, difficult to quantify. The benefit of this improvement in processes has a decisive effect on the entire development processes. The biggest savings are achieved by the removal of a whole series of prototypes and by the shortening of the development time. Although the investment in testing in the development processes has been slightly reduced in part or has been increased in certain areas due to continuously increased requirements, considerable savings can be shown and quantified here by the use of simulations. The direct product cost-optimization is a new and very promising use of simulations. On the basis of a multidisciplinary optimization and the use of a suitable cost-function a comprehensive loadcase costoptimization in combination with the functional performance design can be fulfilled. This numerical process can run fully automatically. The high numerical effort in addition to the accompanying complex CAE-process will, however, delay a rapid conversion as standard methods in the design and development processes. An integration of the cost-functions in the present CAE-programmes is possible without too much trouble. This should be carried out in the short term in order to include cost aspects more closely in the development process. These functions should apply not only to the complex optimization process but also to the individual calculations of simple design modifications.