If simulation hasn’t already moved closer to the beginning of your product development cycle, what’s holding you back?
Your answer might be the common “Because we’ve always done it that way,” and that’s OK. You’re not alone. Only 40% of companies report that they’re even “somewhat comfortable” with running full fidelity simulations. But that’s quickly changing, and the reasons why are worth exploring.
Years ago, product designers would figure out a pretty-darn-close estimation of what a product looked and functioned like. Much of the funding was then poured into physical prototyping, testing, analyzing, and subsequent design tweaks.
So, when a design decision didn’t work, the consequences in time and budget were significant. Going back to the drawing board meant modifying the prototype, or building a whole new one, and then running through the entire sequence of testing, analyzing, and iterating again. There was serious budgetary pressure to get that very first model nearly perfect and quickly dial in any final adjustments.
Imagine trying to use that antiquated process for a breakneck CUPRA race car or mission-critical hypersonic missiles for B-52 bombers.
When building either of these machines, old school iterating is grueling. Should we remove material from the car’s frame to save weight? What if we adjust the shape of the missile to reduce turbulence? Every change is akin to guesswork. You won’t really know the outcome until you spend time on the track and in the wind tunnel. And tracks and wind tunnels are expensive.
It’s a truly archaic way to design, build, and test sophisticated machines. Sadly, more than 33% of manufacturers are still struggling through similar workflows, and it’s costing them.
Now, take those same two projects, but start the process with PTC Creo and its simulation tools. You’ll get instant access to thermal, modal, and structural analysis from the outset. And because it’s a single PTC solution, you avoid the headache of doing file conversions between disparate vendors.
With such high-powered tools, it only makes sense to move their usage to the beginning of your design process. Then, watch what happens to the amount you’re spending on physical prototyping (we think you’ll like the results).
Creo’s simulation-led design software helps your product designers and engineers make more informed decisions. Create the design, run simulations in the software to test, and keep refining. A few rounds of this and you’ll see far fewer problems once you get down the road to actual prototyping.
The decreased risk that comes with simulation-based product refinement also gives your product designers and engineers more confidence in their decisions. Creo helps them evaluate multiple options in less time, discover and address flaws earlier, and meet design requirements faster.
Curious to learn more about why simulation-led design matters and how it lowers your development costs? We’ve got an ebook full of data contributed by people working in all aspects of product development, from designers to executives. Learn when they run simulations, the most popular types of analyses, and the three biggest benefits they report from running earlier design validations.