Multi-Domain Collaborative Simulation Platform: An Integrative Framework for Complex Products Design

Complex products are usually complex systems involving multidisciplinary knowledge. There are large amounts of constraints between different domains. At complex product design stage, several simulation applications faced different domains are required working together to accomplish a complex analysis task. Under the support of co-simulation technology, engineers needn´t dismiss a complex system, so the integrality is remained. Engineers can set up more integrated models for complex products with several simulation tools, analyze and evaluate the design options systemically, and achieve more reliable results. On the other hand, by combining several powerful technologies into one model, the approach facilitates greater communication and cooperation between developers. This gives all developer the freedom to exchange ideas, try out different concepts, and avoid errors and inconsistencies. Currently, multi-domain co-simulation has been one of the important trends in manufacturing field. The M_DSP (Multidisciplinary Design Simulation Platform) project aims at providing an all-around solution to apply multi-domain co-simulation for complex product design. First of all, the important role of simulation in manufacturing is analyzed, and the inevitable revolution from single domain simulation to multi-domain co-simulation is discussed. Then a co-simulation framework is proposed, and some key technologies are studied in detail. Finally, an application instance of multi-domain co-simulation is introduced