C AE Data Manage me nt

CAE efficiency improvement

with automatic simulation platform

By Dr. Qianqian Chen & Qiuyi Wei, CAE technology development department, CHANGAN Automobile

“Automatic Simulation Platform (ASP) allows us to reduce 30% CAE validation time in vehicle development cycle.”

Volume XII - Winter 2020 | mscsoftware.com | 21

Under the pressure of joint venture’s MSRP reduction and increasing brand of local automobile enterprise in China, Changan Automobile proposed a 24-month vehicle development cycle to fit the environment. CAE validation almost covers three quarters of the process in the development cycle, which mean the analysis efficiency becomes an urgent issue for CAE department. Both the management efficiency and operation efficiency needs improvement. After multiple communication with excellent suppliers all over the world, Changan decide to build an automatic simulation platform that accelerate CAE process in both operation flow and management flow. Together, Changan and MSC Software implemented ASP project to reach the goal, and cover five current issues which are analysis efficiency, simplifying working flow, gathering scattered CAE data, task management requirement and staff constant improvement.

A new platform structure was proposed which combines with B/S & C/S based on SimManager to maximize CAE efficiency improvement.

Application of CAE in an intensive industry like automobile has to take into account Structuralization, Structuralization, Standardization, Automation and Artificial Intelligence. The first two stages specifies the procedure and time frame of each analysis, and defines the standard CAE process in vehicle development cycle. The accomplishment of ASP will bring Changan CAE development into the next stage and meet the efficiency requirement of today.

Industrial informatization platforms have two regular type: B/S (browser/server) structure or C/S (client/server). MSC SimManager prototype is a simulation platform mainly based on B/S which contains browser, application server and data server. The main functions include task management, CAE process management, database management and material management. The C/S structure usually contains database server and local application software on each PC. It has stronger data processing capability compared with B/S structure but hard to upgrade or maintain.

To achieve time reduction for CAE in vehicle R&D cycle, the brand new structure which combines B/S (figure 1) & C/S (figure 2) model was proposed after dozens of meetings (figure 3).

B/S & C/S work together to realize a full function design for CAE process which maximizes efficiency improvement. Browser system contains the function of all project management, task management and database, while clients on each local PC integrate task information, scripts and HPC, helping CAE engineers do their job from receiving task to submitting report, and transmitting data with browser system.

22 | Engineering Reality Magazine

projects and milestones in ASP due to their level. The system will initialize all analysis based on CAE analysis outline and distribute tasks to departments.

b. Task assignment After task initialization, department directors distribute the task to engineers and set up a time limit. Directors can also directly assign a task to engineers due to the various situations during the ongoing project. Task information will synchronize to the specified account of local client.

c. Task automation Engineers receive the task on local client, and finish the job with client

Figure 2 Client

Figure 3 B/S & C/S Frame

Figure 1 Browser

Customized SimManager product fits Changan CAE flow in vehicle R&D cycle.

Based on a vehicle R&D cycle, ASP is customized for Changan CAE work flow. The SimManager prototype has the basic frame as a simulation platform, some functional modules will be directly transplanted to ASP. The entire structure of ASP is shown in figure 4, and a simple CAE analysis task flow (figure 5) will be explained as follows to briefly illustrate how ASP functionally fits the operation flow and management flow.

a. Task initialization According to the developing vehicle, CAE project directors initialize the

by calling automation scripts, which is the core of CAE efficiency improvement. The process will be explained in detail in next part of this article.

d. Task approvalAfter the analysis and optimization, engineers select qualified schemes and upload it through client. Different level of managers approve the report through browser, manage current analysis status, task flow status, and human resource status of all vehicle projects.

e. Task submission At each milestone, ASP generates management materials such as analysis outline, performance objective, evaluation report, completion summary etc. The materials reflect the entire CAE work situation of the vehicle project in current period.Figure 4 ASP Structure

Figure 5 Task flow

a. Pre-processingThere are two types of pre-processing scripts: fully-automatic and semi-automatic. Fully automatic scripts realize automation from CAD model to CAE report without manual intervention. This type of script is suitable for single part analysis which has several components with simple structure, like aluminum alloy wheel, knuckle or control arm. Semi-automatic scripts are used for complex systems, BIW or TB analysis, with an operation interface (figure 6) for a CAE engineer. Over 80% of analyses are semi-automatic types due to the uncertain geometry recognition or variable condition of vehicle. The interactive interface help engineers do quick pre-processing like meshing, connecting, boundary setting and solver setting.

b. CalculationClient provides two types of calculation, local solver and HPC system. Client gathers the local solver information and calls the solver in batch mode. Also Client creates the interface connected to HPC to upload and download the files between server and local disk, and grabs the calculation information for client monitoring the progress.

The platform has been settled within a B/S & C/S structure, the core of operation efficiency improvement is automation scripts. Over the past few decades, Changan CAE has developed over 300 CAE analyses in vehicle development cycle for NVH, durability, CFD, MBD, driving performance, specified analysis will be done in each stage and each round due to the different levels of vehicle series. To maximize the improvement of CAE efficiency, each analysis has customized automatic scripts according to its criteria and operation guide.

Figure 6

c. Post-processing Post-processing consists of calling post-software, extracting evaluation values and key results, capturing the result figure or motion graph such as stress, strain, displacement, damage, velocity temperature etc.

Evaluation values are the criterion for each analysis to judge the qualification which is set up by the project director during task initialization. The parameter is packed in task information transferred to the local client simultaneously. Key results are all the information needed from the result file that will be saved in each scheme file.

d. CAE reportReport templates are customized for each analysis, and also packed in task information transferred to client. After post-processing, scripts call PowerPoint templates and fill the blank with key results. Calculated numbers compared with valuation value decides whether the case is qualified. Engineers upload the qualified schemes with report and key results through to the client for approval. The operation of one analysis ends here.

About Changan AutomobileChangan is one of the largest automobile OEMs in China, headquartered in Chongqing, with 50 thousand employees. Currently Changan product lines have over 20 models containing sedan, hatchback, coupe, SUV and pickup truck. Changan establishes joint ventures with Ford, Mazda, DS, with millions vehicles sold each year.

SimManager with Client helps CAE engineers do their job efficiently and sequentially. Over 300 automation scripts developed for each simulation analysis include pre-processing, post- processing and CAE report.