Take a look at any new vehicle model hitting the roads. Chances are it may never have begun life as a clay model prototype. Chances are also that it may never have undergone physical crash testing. All of these may have been done in the virtual world and perhaps the Maruti Swift model you are driving is the first off the assembly line.
Advanced software tools have been used in the automotive industry for a long time, like CAD/CAM for instance. But the latest trend to hit the Indian automotive space is PLM or product lifecycle management where the entire lifecycle of a product from concept and design to junking it is first simulated in the virtual space before translating it into reality. While the Indian automotive industry has been using PLM for some time now, it has been mainly confined to CAD/CAM end for design.
Now, Indian original equipment manufacturers and their vendors are catching up with advanced countries to increasingly use PLM for advanced uses like reducing physical prototyping and simulation including crash testing and crash analysis.
OEMs like Maruti Udyog, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, among others, have been using this tool for some time now, not only for product planning but also for process planning, factory modelling, operation simulation, assembly sequencing, quality issues, scrap rates, etc. The costs associated with these processes too decline by 30% on an average with the use of this tool with some like Maruti Udyog reporting savings as high as 50%.
“The reason for faster adoption by the auto industry is driven by the need for faster shorter cycle time. With competition being rather fierce, vehicle makers need to hit the market faster and faster," says an analyst. On an average, the adoption of this tool reduces the cycle time (from concept to production) by six months. The gestation period of a vehicle is typically three years. Ashok Leyland expects a significant reduction in development lead-time and effort to the order of 15%. Maruti Udyog also reports a 25% reduction in the design-to-launch time and expects 15% more reduction as a result of more collaboration with its parent Suzuki and vendors on a real time basis.
OEMs are also increasingly using this tool for factory modelling and layout planning. Maruti, which has used this system for its new plant at Manesar, for instance reports a 50% reduction in assembly/build issues and engineering change notice time (ECN). The number of ECN errors cut by 50%.
Advanced software tools have been used in the automotive industry for a long time, like CAD/CAM for instance. But the latest trend to hit the Indian automotive space is PLM or product lifecycle management where the entire lifecycle of a product from concept and design to junking it is first simulated in the virtual space before translating it into reality. While the Indian automotive industry has been using PLM for some time now, it has been mainly confined to CAD/CAM end for design.
Now, Indian original equipment manufacturers and their vendors are catching up with advanced countries to increasingly use PLM for advanced uses like reducing physical prototyping and simulation including crash testing and crash analysis.
OEMs like Maruti Udyog, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, among others, have been using this tool for some time now, not only for product planning but also for process planning, factory modelling, operation simulation, assembly sequencing, quality issues, scrap rates, etc. The costs associated with these processes too decline by 30% on an average with the use of this tool with some like Maruti Udyog reporting savings as high as 50%.
“The reason for faster adoption by the auto industry is driven by the need for faster shorter cycle time. With competition being rather fierce, vehicle makers need to hit the market faster and faster," says an analyst. On an average, the adoption of this tool reduces the cycle time (from concept to production) by six months. The gestation period of a vehicle is typically three years. Ashok Leyland expects a significant reduction in development lead-time and effort to the order of 15%. Maruti Udyog also reports a 25% reduction in the design-to-launch time and expects 15% more reduction as a result of more collaboration with its parent Suzuki and vendors on a real time basis.
OEMs are also increasingly using this tool for factory modelling and layout planning. Maruti, which has used this system for its new plant at Manesar, for instance reports a 50% reduction in assembly/build issues and engineering change notice time (ECN). The number of ECN errors cut by 50%.