Engineering optimization in one-off construction or retrofitting of unique items

Fraunhofer IPK’s solution uses modern digital technologies and methods to support and continuously optimize the product development process.  

Unique products go through long planning and production phases in development and manufacturing, involving a large number of experts. Process automation with assistance systems is therefore playing an increasingly important role in satisfying customers in the premium segment in particular.  

Virtual product creation is primarily used for series production. However, there is also a wide range of potential in the production of unique items. These include:

• Quickly adapting and visualizing designs before the first implementation of a physical product or prototype
• Identification of the correct placement of components (such as cables)
• Simulation when using different components, such as in wastewater systems with different operating principles or pumping capacities
• Based on the development models, individual documentation for products and use cases is created automatically
• Reuse of functionally similar requirements and associated specifications across different unique products

Cost savings for cables and pipes: Modeling unique products like ships and airplanes in a 1:1 size allows for significant improvement in accuracy and engineering time

Fraunhofer IPK has developed a virtual and augmented reality collaboration software that offers many advantages when coordinating with customers even before the first physical prototypes are produced, for example in interior planning and in collaboration between engineers.

The following features are available and can be customized and optimized for your specific use cases:

• Conducting collaborative, multi-site design reviews with up to 20 people   
• Connection to databases and PLM systems for working on current data inventory
• Install and remove simulations
• Create, edit, save and load tasks for further processing in the product development process
• Feeding all VR and AR information back into databases, PLM and CAD systems

Additionally, we rely on a Fraunhofer IPK software that enables virtual feedback of real components via scan data and automated adaptation of models to scan data. This allows for MRO processes to be carried out using a digital twin based on the real condition of a product.

We would like to support you in optimizing your processes. Possible approaches are:

• Introducing VR/AR applications for rapid virtual customization of unique products with immersive visualization for your customers
• Researching and applying admission procedure methods for actual data and using them as a basis for development
• Establishing a modularizable functional architecture for the use of construction kits to engineer unique items

Please feel free to contact us - no strings attached.