AVANTI

Project results

AVANTI has been at the heart of novel developments in co-simulation or distributed simulation in which the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard is a common approach. Standardising automation and using functional mock-up interfaces enables better product distribution channels and easy use of standard software, thereby reducing the effort needed to create complex simulation models.

A project result highlight was the collaboration of TWT and EKS InTec to design, specify, implement, and test a co-simulation framework. This framework facilitates co-simulation of mechatronic components of production systems. At its core lies a fast and lightweight FMI-based co-simulation alleviating the integration of co-simulation approaches into existing processes. This performance-based, versatile and scalable simulation approach allows multi-domain simulation based on functional mock-up units, the integration of open or black-box component models, protection of Intellectual Property and easy integration into existing Virtual Commissioning tool chains. Three OEM use cases from different industrial sectors demonstrated the results: Daimler (Germany) in automotive assembly, Arcelik (Turkey) in the production of white goods and Moventas (Finland) for windmill gearbox production and testing.

Exploitation

The AVANTI project generated a set of impressive exploitable results. Daimler, Moventas and Arcelik are using the developed tools in their virtual testing and commissioning process chain. TWT, EKS InTec, and KaTron as participating SMEs are in the process of marketing the developed exploitable results.

Moventas introduced a process simulation tool for gearboxes. They target a virtual prototyping tool to optimise efficiency of the gearbox of wind turbines thereby reducing testing time and optimising energy production.

EKS introduced a virtual commissioning test generation and execution tool for users in the manufacturing sector. This tool automatically generates detailed test cases, performs test cases and provides a detailed overview of the results of test cases performed.

TWT introduced the fast and lightweight co-simulation framework mentioned above to its industrial customers and partners. It supports FMI-based co-simulation, it facilitates integration of simulation approaches into existing process chains, and connects to virtually every modelling and simulation software.

In the white goods manufacturing domain the Turkish partners Arcelik and Katron wanted to reduce the number of stops of trolleys due to collision during line commission. Katron introduced the AVANTI virtual commissioning simulator (AVICS), a tool to provide a generic framework for physics-based 3d simulation.