Predictive Crashworthiness Simulation in a Virtual Design Process without Hardware Testing

In 2006 BMW made a decision to use Abaqus/Explicit for all issues concerning passive safety in the virtual design process. Code quality and reliability of simulation results were identified as the primary reasons to change, and from that decision point forward, all product development teams began migration activities to switch to Abaqus/Explicit. Meanwhile, the entire vehicle design and development process within BMW began to undergo fundamental changes, from one which previously incorporated key milestones involving physical prototypes, to one which seeks to largely eliminate physical prototypes and associated physical tests. Read More