NAFEMS Americas and Digital Engineering (DE) teamed up (once again) to present CAASE, the (now Virtual) Conference on Advancing Analysis & Simulation in Engineering, on June 16-18, 2020!

CAASE20 brought together the leading visionaries, developers, and practitioners of CAE-related technologies in an open forum, unlike any other, to share experiences, discuss relevant trends, discover common themes, and explore future issues, including:
-What is the future for engineering analysis and simulation?
-Where will it lead us in the next decade?
-How can designers and engineers realize its full potential?
What are the business, technological, and human enablers that will take past successful developments to new levels in the next ten years?

Resource Abstract

For over 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has delivered successful products to our customers, primarily utilizing test-centric product development processes utilizing physical prototypes. Although Caterpillar has significant simulation capability and have steadily become more dependent upon it, we have not leveraged simulation to its fullest extent. As a result, Caterpillar launched its Enterprise Simulation Strategy in 2012.



The first step in developing the Enterprise Simulation Strategy was identifying key simulation advocates across each of Caterpillar’s product groups within its three business segments: Resource Industries, Construction Industries, and Energy and Transportation. Once advocates were identified, those individuals were brought together to discuss Caterpillar’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The group shared their ideas for how utilizing simulation to its fullest extent could enhance Caterpillar’s strengths capitalizing on its opportunities, thereby reducing its threats.



After the simulation advocates developed a draft version of the strategy with some key foundational elements, they wanted to solicit feedback from the broader simulation community. To get feedback efficiently, the draft strategy was introduced to the simulation community during Caterpillar’s AST (analysis, simulation, & test) Forum, an internal forum focused on sharing simulation best-practices from around the enterprise. It typically occurs annually and results in the single, largest gathering of Caterpillar simulation experts at any time throughout the year. Feedback provided by this gathering was incorporated into the strategy draft to make it final.



One of the significant goals of this strategy was to transition Caterpillar from a “physical prototype” centered product validation culture to a “simulation-centered” product development culture in order to secure the following benefits: increased engineering efficiency, decreased time to market, expanded understanding of our products, and the ability to fully explore design alternatives.



This presentation will share some of the key actions, successes, and challenges that Caterpillar has seen over the last 7 years while dramatically changing its product development and validation culture.