Gépészet 2008

Budapest, 29-30.May 2008.

G-2008-C-07

Application of Digital MockUp in mechanical design

Attila Piros
MSc Eng, Managing Director, C3D Engineering Ltd.
H-2119 Pecel, Isaszegi ut 76. tel/fax: +36-1/348-0509 piros@c3d.eu, www.c3d.eu

Abstract: Design method based on Digital MockUp (DMU) radically decreases the concept-
to-market time parallel with the design costs. A modern DMU can replace the physical
prototype in several areas of tests. Mechanical design of an electric car provides a good
example to show various applications of DMU.

Keywords: Digital MockUp (DMU), Virtual tests, Electric modular car.

1. INTRODUCTION
The necessity of Digital MockUp (DMU) is generated by the new challenges of
mechanical design in the 21st century. These challenges are the following [6]:

− Radically decreasing the concept-to-market time in the product development phase by

eliminating the physical prototype.
− Accommodating to the limited financial resources.
− Creating complex 3D models to validate the design in different stages.
− Providing other parties with the requested information to help the sales, the manufacturers
etc.

Modern CAD systems need to be applied widely, otherwise it would be almost impossible to
create such complex 3D product models (Fig.1.) that meet the above requirements. Previously
the DMU was only a large model including all parts. This method had very poor performance
due to the size of the model. Nowadays DMU is the latest innovation in digital product
development which allows full visualization of complete products in 3 dimensions. On the
other hand a modern DMU permits collaborative engineering and improves error detection by
locating clashes in early process phase. A 3D digital MockUp always represents prime 3D
definition of parts and usually contains other representations for different purposes. These
kinds of applications are virtual tests like finite element simulations and photo rendering
procedures. Based on the state of the art top-down design techniques, the duration and the
related cost of the design process can be decreased dramatically. The following steps are
required to build a proper DMU for the above purposes [2].

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Fig.1. Complex, multi-purpose CAD model

2. CONCEPTUAL MODELS
The first step of decreasing the design time is replacing the paper based and other
physical mock-ups with digital conceptual models on the computer [3]. On the one hand,
computer conceptual models eliminate the time for re-engineering of the physical concepts.
On the other hand, digital conceptual models can be the base for further 3D CAD models.
These conceptual models can also be the source of mechanical and industrial design
processes. We can build Industrial Design (ID) surfaces, static and motion skeletons to test
the early concepts and help business decisions at the beginning of the design process. In the
conventional design method numerous physical concepts had to be built to support the paper
based design ideas in the real 3D world. The manufacturing of these conceptual models and
the re-engineering procedure (i.e. digitalize a clay model) are both time- and cost-consuming.
Based on these conceptual models several virtual tests can be processed e.g. ergonomical,
kinematical tests and early validation of the vendor components.
Finally, these conceptual models also help to disseminate information among the design
engineers. This conceptual model is the common base in the data distribution which radically
decreases the possible collision errors.

Fig.2. Computer conceptual model

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3. BOM STRUCTURE
The next step of the top-down design process is the creation of the Bill of Material
(BOM) structure. The BOM structure is on half way in refining the conceptual design into
detailed design. We can create logical and functional component groups to define the levels in
the BOM structure.
The BOM structure divides the conceptual models into tractable parts for the individual
engineers. These BOM levels are structurally sensitive to future modification (restructuring).

4. DETAILED DESIGN
The DMU is like a very detailed CAD model (Fig.3.), which can replace the physical
prototype [4]. It means that all geometric details (radii, manufacturing drafts, etc.), all small
components (fasteners, vendor items, etc.), and all non geometric data (material properties,
colour information, etc.) must be included in the 3D CAD model. The top-down design
method speeds up the detailed design by distributing the design tasks among the engineers.
By using a common source it is easier to avoid interface problems. The top-down design
method also enables simultaneous engineering (i.e. starting the virtual simulations parallel
with the detailed design tasks).
Several representations must be defined to prepare virtual tests. The use of the proper
simplification of the complex DMU enables computer simulations. A specific DMU
representation only contains the concerning data for that simulation. For example, only a
simplified geometry is required for the structural finite element simulations. In this case the
small geometric details, like small radii and holes, are eliminated from the representation.
This simplification (hiding invisible details) is also useful in photo rendering procedures.
The final output of the detailed design is the manufacturing documentation. In addition
to this documentation, however, different kinds of materials are available derived from the
DMU [1]. For example, plug models for tooling can be derived from the DMU. In the near
future conventional paper based documentation will be replaced by electric 3D drawings. This
change of paradigm is impossible without wide range application of DMUs.

Fig.3. Fully detailed 3D model

5. VIRTUAL TESTS ON THE DMU

The main aim of creating DMU is to replace the physical prototype with a computer
model [5]. Nowadays, many kinds of computer simulations can use the DMU as a base, like

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static and dynamic FE simulations, CFD based simulations, reflection analyses on industrial
design (ID) surfaces, ergonomical tests. These tests provide ideas for the way of development
and for the further modifications of DMU (Fig.4.). Relocating these simulations from reality
to virtual design space dramatically decreases the development time and costs. Helping the
wide range application of computer simulation is the main advantage of the Digital MockUps.
Due to these self-evident reasons virtual tests will be able to substitute most of the physical
simulations in the near future.
Although some kinds of simulations have no effect on the design flow, these processes
are useful for other purposes. A good example of this kind of simulation is photo rendering.
The output of this procedure is a photo realistic picture which eliminates the need of photos
taken of the physical prototype. Furthermore, photo realistic images can support the early
marketing.

Fig.4. Virtual test on DMU

6. APPLICATION OF DMU IN PRACTICE

Our company, C3D Engineering Ltd. was assigned by BRIXXON Ltd. to design a
group of electric modular cars. The first fruit of this project was a two-seat carrier vehicle.
With the help of Pro/ENGINEER, the already available electric drive system got a new steel
chassis, and a heavy-duty fiberglass body. Since this design project had limited financial
resources and limited time for completion, C3D had the two principal reasons for using the
state of the art design tools. Below you can see a selection of design tasks [2] that demonstrate
the main advantages of DMU application (Fig.5.). These specific examples show very
different areas of mechanical engineering using industrial design, virtual kinematic tests and
validation of the frame structure with structural FEM simulation.

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Fig.5. DMU of the electric modular car

7. USING DMU IN CAR BODY DESIGN

The time restriction in the design process excluded the opportunity of building a
physical mock-up to validate Industrial Design (ID) surfaces together with ergonomics. The
engineers had to build the DMU which is appropriate for these validations. The early stage of
DMU only contains the ID surfaces. Based on these surfaces the basic ID validation could be
processed (smoothness of surfaces (Fig.6.), checking the curvature of connections, etc.).
Another opportunity for using this DMU is the validation of ergonomics by using
anthropometric human CAD models.

Fig.6. Reflection analysis on the ID surfaces

C3D applies direct modeling to create 3D surfaces directly from handmade sketches. In
this way it was unnecessary to build any physical model (e.g. clay model) to develop the
form. Another time saving advantage of this method was the elimination of reverse
engineering. There was no need to digitalize the clay (physical) model. The most frequently
used and important analysis was the reflection analysis on the ID surfaces. This real time
analysis could show the reflection stripes during the work. This analysis could provide
information both on the surface smoothness and the quality of surface connections. This
reflection analysis brings the virtual surfaces into life.
It was also important to validate the design from an ergonomic point of view, because
many car components depend on the driver or passenger (Fig.7.). Not only the interior parts
but a lot of body parts belonging to the human ergonomics (windshield, external rear view

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mirrors, side windows) can be found among these components. The shortest way to check
ergonomics was to include a 3D computer human model in the early DMU).

Fig.7. Ergonomical validation

8. INTEGRATING VENDOR COMPONENTS

The whole power train, steering, suspension, wheels and power supply system of this
electric car was supplied by vendor companies. It was a big challenge to integrate these
components into the car in a fast and safe way. To make these processes as fast as possible,
the design team used the DMU again.
The best way of the integration was to build a special top-down conceptual model, the
motion skeleton. A special motion skeleton was integrated into the DMU to simulate the
kinematics of the steering and the suspension. The connection points in the frame and the
placement positions of the related vendor components (electric drive, steering wheel, etc.)
were based on this skeleton model. Using this skeleton model there was a good opportunity to
check the different cases of the car suspension behaviour (e.g. parking on a high pavement)
and determine the limits of the wheel positions.

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9. CHECKING THE FRAME BY USING STRUCTURAL FINITE ELEMENT

SIMULATION
One of the greatest advantages of the DMU was the easy and fast way of structural
analysis. Although the DMU itself has high complexity, with deliberate preparation of the
computer model we can apply simplified representations for different virtual tests. These
kinds of simplifications are: removing small details (small holes, radii, etc.) from the
geometry, creating shell model from the appropriate parts. By using this representation of the
DMU it was possible to run FE simulation on the frame structure to check the deformation
and the stress status (Fig.8.).

Fig.8. FE simulation on the frame structure

10. CONCLUDING REMARKS

The application of the most modern DMU in the full spectral mechanical design of
electric car had many advantages. The whole manufacturing documentation was completed in
3 months by 3 engineers. This limited human capacity reduced both the design costs and the
duration of the project. There are countless advantages derived from the DMU. For example
our company could support the pre-marketing of the product with high-quality photo-realistic
images. It can be stated that already today 3D computer techniques can substitute physical
prototypes in the most important tests and validation procedures and in the near future the
scope of 3D computer techniques will definitely be getting bigger and bigger.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BRIXXON Electric Motorcars Ltd., S&T UNITIS Hungary Ltd., Department of Machine-
and Product Design BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY of TECHNOLOGY and ECONOMICS

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REFERENCES

Books:
[1] Spur, G.; Krause, F.-L.: Das Virtuelle Produkt: Management der CAD-Technik. Hanser
Verlag, München, 1997
[2] DIN 199-1 (2002): Technische Produktdokumentation, CAD-Modelle, Zeichnungen und
Stücklisten, Teil 1 Begriffe. Marz 2002

Journals:
[3] Rolf Kappler, Dr. Heinz Rybak: Innovation und Product Lifecycle Management, CAD-
CAM Report Engineering Magazine Nr.1 January 2004
[4] Lawrence S. Gould: Digital Mock-Up Grows Up, Automotive Design & Production June
2007
[5] David Chadwick: Digital Mock-Up, CAD User October/November 2004
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_mockup

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