Engineering 4.0: CAE Software Efficiency Study
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Hussein AlgomaaEngineering 4.0: CAE Software Efficiency Study
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Hussein AlgomaaCommon questions
Powered by AIERP/PDM integration enhances engineering efficiency by seamlessly linking design processes with enterprise resource planning and product data management systems. This alignment supports data flow and communication across different process stages, contributing to a higher degree of automation and reducing manual intervention requirements .
Standardization plays a crucial role in efficiency by eliminating variable processes and enabling full automation, such as the automatic creation of reports and the use of central macro projects. The study finds that standardization can completely negate the time required for order-specific report creation, thereby significantly boosting efficiency .
The Efficiency Level Matrix facilitates evaluation by providing a structured framework to quantify the efficiency potential at each work step in engineering workflows. It outlines five distinct levels of efficiency (eLevels), each with specific work method characteristics, enabling companies to measure and improve their processes from standardization to full automation .
The E4TC study suggests that engineering companies can achieve 20% overall efficiency improvements by transitioning through eLevels, with significant gains realized through methods like device-oriented work methods, use of circuit libraries, partial automation, and thorough standardization of report creation processes .
Creating a well-integrated engineering workflow involves clarifying specifications, design functions, infrastructure, creating and checking schematics, developing materials bills, and manufacturing documentation, which leads to creating device standards and templates. Unlike traditional methods that rely on manual, graphically oriented designs, integrated workflows use circuit libraries, macros, and leverage ERP/PDM systems for higher degrees of automation and efficiency .
Engineering automation in mass and special machine manufacturing offers benefits such as increased process efficiency by up to 20%, a 25% time saving through device-oriented work methods, 50% savings using circuit libraries, and complete elimination of report creation time through standardization .
The introduction of a circuit library allows for consistent reuse of production functions and modularization. This results in up to a 50% time saving in schematic creation and supports the division of labor in engineering into order processing and data creation for standardization .
CAE software acts as a foundational tool for advancing to Engineering 4.0 by facilitating the standardization and automation of engineering processes. This technology supports various stages of workflow enhancement, from graphical representation and device data insertion to fully automated report generation, thus setting the stage for the transition to higher efficiency levels .
The traditional eLevel (1) is characterized by graphically oriented work methods, manually created schematics, and new circuit designs. In contrast, the automated eLevel (5) utilizes generation and configuration functions, integrates the entire process including ERP/PDM, and achieves a maximum degree of automation up to 100 percent .
Partial automation improves efficiency by introducing a comprehensive circuit library and design methods including options and variants, as well as importing data and offline ERP/PDM integration. This approach can bring up to a 75% time saving in work steps like schematics creation, resulting in an overall 60% efficiency gain from work steps 1-10 .