Managing Automation - January 2008 - (Page 41) to reduce R&D costs. Furthermore, according to Barkai, current computer-aided engineering (CAE) and product lifecycle management (PLM) tools do not fully support whole system simulation and testing. So far, in fact, none of the major vendors of CAE and PLM tools have announced software packages or modules that directly address the issue, Barkai says. “Current PLM and CAE tools do not offer enough in whole system simulation and testing,” Barkai says. “Right now, PLM solutions only reside on the PowerPoint platform, which means that PLM venders are only able to talk about them. PLM suppliers talk about the need to locate systems engineering in the embedded software, but they really do not have much to offer. PLM companies need to manage the different clock speeds of development and also support whole system simulation. The bottom line is that PLM vendors don’t have the answer yet.” PLM VENDORS’ MAJOR FOCUS Ed Miller, president of CIMdata, a global consulting and research firm, agrees with Barkai, but he is more optimistic about the current crop of PLM products. “PLM vendors are a long way from having the problem solved,” Miller says, “but over the next 12 to 24 months, there is going to be a tremendous focus on this issue. We have seen movement to integrate the process engines of suppliers of mechanical, electronics, and software tools with PLM control environments. We’ve seen genuine PLM initiatives to develop solutions that can be taken to an automotive OEM or a major supplier.” To head off the growing quality crisis, Miller recommends that automakers and other manufacturers facing quality problems brought on by bottom ROUGH RIDE General Motors line Automotive warranty claims from mechatronics and related subsystems are costing manufacturers a bundle. Ford Motor Co. Caterpillar Deere & Co. Paccar Navistar International Harley-Davidson Oshkosh Truck $1 million $10 million $100 million $1 billion $10 billion Note: Values assume 65% of total claims Source: Manufacturing Insights’ estimates based on SEC data, 2006 embedded electronics focus on system design that incorporates mechanical, electronic, and software design as elements of a coherent effort. “The key challenges result from poorly synchronized mechanical, electrical, and software engineering processes,” Miller says. “This leads to higher product cost, poorer quality, and increasingly longer product cycles. In addition, Ford Reduces Mechatronics Failure Rates ord calls its vehicles’ mechatronics components “electrical control units, or ECUs.” In recent years, Ford’s ECUs — along with other automakers’ mechatronics — have become increasingly sophisticated. Making matters more complicated for the company, Ford’s software code work is often outsourced to suppliers and subject to frequent updates. As a result, it has become increasingly important for Ford to identify and manage the embedded software as a separate component and to coordinate its use and application within the context of much larger systems. Working closely with Ford, Siemens PLM F Software developed an in-vehicle software data management product to help track the embedded software content associated with a particular ECU. Through the simple means of managing the configuration and the revision of the binary code of a single ECU, Ford was able to significantly reduce failure rates, according to Siemens officials. In-vehicle software management enables Ford to leverage its global innovation network, enhance enterprise-wide collaboration, and standardize the product data management associated with the growing volume of embedded software it is building into its fleet. As vehicle designs continue growing in complexity and sophistication, this solution provides a critical process improvement. “This innovative PLM technology will help Ford realize significant cost savings and enable the company to continue to more efficiently produce the types of intelligent vehicles that consumers are increasingly looking for,” says Chuck Grindstaff, executive vice president, products, at Siemens PLM. “With its initial success at Ford, this solution has the potential to address a much broader and rapidly growing market, as the use of embedded software becomes more commonplace.” 41 January 2008
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