Abstract

With the progress in CAE simulation leading to more complicated and integrated workflows, data control and transfer becomes essential. This is extremely important in the manufacturing industry where complicated simulation workflows are necessary in tracking material changes throughout the manufacturing process. The VMAP data standard is the first to address this issue and solves the problem by standardizing the data being transferred to enable complete software interoperability. Additionally, VMAP provides a library of IO routines to help engineers speed-up the creation of their workflows thereby removing the emphasis for considering data formats. This enables easier and more flexible data transfer, use of different softwares for different simulations and the creation of re-useable processes that can easily be adapted to include more or different data. Moreover, this enables software interoperability for post-processing and data manipulation and processing. VMAP is cost-free and is supported by the international VMAP Standards Community made up of independent software vendors (ISVs), developers, academia and other entities and provides the CAE industry with a focus group to provide guidance, collaborate, evolve and maintain VMAP. The VMAP Standard has been verified by many industrial use cases. Some examples include: • The blow moulding use case (4 simulation stages, 4 softwares) shows the detailed prediction of shrinkage and warpage of plastic bottles and containers. This case is representative for many blow moulded components as the material interfaces can easily be expanded. • The lightweight vehicle composites use case (4 simulation stages, 5 softwares) shows an application of the continuous virtual process chain to a practice-oriented automotive structural part. An automated and accelerated workflow for product verification as well as process and product design is available. • The 4 plastic moulding use cases (2 to 4 simulation stages, 3 to 6 softwares) show the engineering potential of low-cost available materials for lightweight and safety applications. • The additive manufacturing use case (4 simulation stages, 4 softwares) for plastic components and parts demonstrate the needs and capabilities for AM in plastics. • The consumer lifestyle use case explores the complex improvement of its production processes and the performance of its shaver products. • The aerospace composites use case (5 simulation stages, 6 softwares) shows how standardized information can be passed between all the relevant simulation modules for the different phases of a product development program. VMAP Standards Community e.V., a non-profit registered association in Germany, works on further standardization in domains which are beyond simulation for manufacturing parts, guaranteeing these benefits in both the short and long term. The purpose of VMAP SC is dissemination of the VMAP Standard and its further development, and the assurance and maintenance of a uniform library. The VMAP SC is open to any interested party that wants to use or contribute to the standardization efforts of the VMAP SC. The founding members of the VMAP SC e.V. includes industries, ISVs, developers, academia and other entities committed to evolve VMAP into a truly international Standard. All VMAP Standards Community information can be found on the website vmap.eu.com