Transforming engineering with AI and simulation technology

The hidden costs of sticking with the status quo: why product development needs a closed-loop and open architecture approach

Faster and more efficient. That’s always the goal when it comes to product development.

Yet, you’re only as fast and efficient as the processes, solutions and technology you have in place, which is complicated by the rising complexity of product development. While on the surface, current processes may appear to be smooth, these legacy, traditional solutions are likely causing bottlenecks, slowing processes, leading to misalignment and the possibility of errors or needed rework not realized until later in the product development cycle.

On top of that, many organizations still operate with siloed teams and fragmented tools, which delays the validation of complex products and reduces competitiveness.

In this environment, companies must manage:

• Diverse requirements
• Integration challenges
• Expanding skill sets
• Shortened timelines and budgets
• Rising costs
• Possible supply chain disruption
• Changing regulations
• Rapidly growing data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies 

The cost of inaction acts like a silent tax on your business that erodes efficiency, wastes budget, reduces return-on-investment (ROI) and stifles innovation.

The strategic advantage of choosing Simcenter and Siemens

Siemens’ holistic approach and integration across the product lifecycle and manufacturing ecosystem provide a strategic advantage for all organizations – from start-ups to large enterprises – seeking digital transformation and end-to-end solutions.

Breadth and integration of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. Simcenter, part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, boasts a comprehensive suite that spans simulation, testing and data analytics that is tightly integrated with Siemens’ broader Digital Twin and PLM ecosystem. 

Siemens’ integration capabilities enable end-to-end workflows from product ideation through manufacturing and lifecycle management.

Advanced simulation and multiphysics. Today’s products are no longer defined by a single discipline. They are multidomain systems that must be optimized and validated not only at the component level, but at the system and lifecycle levels. Simcenter’s multiphysics capabilities are robust, including these domains:

• Structural
• Thermal
• Fluid
• Acoustic
• Electromagnetic

Siemens’ comprehensive Digital Twin can leverage these simulations and multiphysics domains by combining the real and virtual worlds, which is a differentiator for industries requiring high fidelity and validation, such as automotive and aerospace.

Digital Twin and closed-loop innovation. Siemens is recognized for its leadership in Digital Twin technology, enabling closed-loop feedback between design, simulation and real-world performance. This is a strategic advantage, as it allows customers to optimize products continuously and leverage IoT data for predictive maintenance and performance improvement. 

Recently, BASF Antwerp collaborated with Siemens to significantly enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. Through the implementation of advanced digital twin technology, BASF optimized its plant operations and reduced energy consumption. 

Learn more about this transformation.

Industry-specific solutions. Simcenter offers tailored workflows for industries, including automotive, aerospace, energy, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery with specialized tools, such as NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), autonomous vehicle simulation and battery modeling.

AI and data analytics. Siemens leads in its ability to connect simulation, testing and real-world data and is advancing AI-driven simulation and analytics, leveraging machine learning to accelerate simulation workflows and extract actionable insights from test and operational data.

Scalability and cloud. Siemens’ integration across the entire digital enterprise, along with Simcenter’s increasing availability in cloud and hybrid environments, ensures companies are far better positioned to scale simulation and enhance collaboration. Simcenter’s evolving cloud ecosystem delivers seamless, location-independent access to advanced engineering and data analytics, powered by a robust high-performance computing backbone. This enables comprehensive data management across the product lifecycle, consolidating simulation data for efficient, scalable workflows on complex projects.

Now that you know the value Siemens brings, let’s explore why this matters to you and your company.

The reality of product development complexity

Product complexity is growing, with multi-domain systems that must be smart, adaptive and optimized across their entire lifecycle.

However, traditional engineering environments struggle to keep pace and typically evolve through accumulation. For example, new tools are added to solve specific problems but rarely integrated in a meaningful way. Over time, this creates a complex patchwork of disconnected systems.

Most solutions in the market still reflect this reality:

• Simulation and test operate in isolation, with limited feedback between prediction and validation
• Design changes do not automatically propagate across models or domains
• Data is duplicated, unmanaged or stripped of context as it moves between tools
• AI is applied as a generic overlay, disconnected from engineering intent or physics

In these environments, engineers spend significant time managing tools and data rather than solving problems.

To be competitive, it’s imperative to embrace a fundamental transformation of engineering itself and implement a technology stack that supports integrated workflows tailored for cross-domain multiphysics applications, enhances collaboration and promotes building a digital twin that connects the real and virtual worlds.

Why it’s important to move away from fragmented solutions

Imagine a comprehensive Digital Twin of your product, a virtual representation that mirrors its real-world counterpart. Multiple models representing different physics, all part of a single source of truth, provide a closed loop that gathers real-world data through operations and feeds that back with the purpose of either improving current designs or enhancing future designs. 

Unlike fragmented solutions where simulation is an isolated activity, a closed-loop approach integrates simulation, linking all the elements needed to chain the sequence of activities that take place in product development; this may include product lifecycle management (PLM) and CAD representation.

What happens when you close the loop, move away from fragmented, siloed solutions and open opportunities?

• Automatic updates across all relevant models when a design change is made. Everyone in the development chain is instantly aware of the change, allowing for rapid impact assessment.
• Integrated simulation and test with Siemens’ Simcenter portfolio combine simulation and test to not only predict but validate. By gathering real-world data through operations and feeding it back into the Digital Twin, development teams can leverage clean, actionable data from physical systems for better decision-making.
• Contextual intelligence means applying AI effectively and avoiding “hallucinations.” Providing contextual data can better train AI, leading to more accurate insights and informed decisions. Contextual intelligence answers why something is being done, what the requirements are, which models were used and how it connects to manufacturing systems.

Don’t get locked into a closed ecosystem

Your ecosystem isn’t a blank slate. You likely have existing tools and proprietary systems integral to your operations. Yet many platforms in the market require companies to conform to rigid ecosystems. Integration outside predefined boundaries is limited. Adopting new capabilities often means replacing existing tools or accepting workflows that do not match how teams actually work.

One of the key benefits of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio is its open architecture, supporting integration including with competitive and proprietary tool sets within the company.

By not locking you into a closed ecosystem, Siemens empowers you with:

• External system support: Siemens Simcenter supports design data from external CAD systems, external solvers and industry standards, allowing companies to leverage existing investments and integrate them seamlessly into the common Digital Twin and digital thread approach.
• Agility and adaptability: An open architecture provides unparalleled agility and the ability to adapt Siemens technology to the environment you prefer, rather than being forced into a rigid framework. This means a smoother transition, less disruption and the freedom to choose the best tools for your specific needs.
• Flexible compute: Simcenter provides seamless application access, including multi-cloud and on-premise.

Real-World Simcenter success stories

Discover how these companies have used Simcenter to enhance development and operations:

Magneti Marelli (automotive): This international automotive supplier used Simcenter Amesim portfolio solution to optimize fuel injection systems and reduced controls validation effort by 50 percent. Learn more.

Hyundai Motor Company (automotive): This global automotive OEM used Simcenter 3D Motion Drivetrain to design, simulate and optimize transmission behavior and help reduce gear whine in drivetrains. Learn more. 

DNV Maritime Advisory (marine): Simulation-enabled operability and sustainability for DNV Maritime Advisory as they used Simcenter to solve time-critical problems with CFD in the cloud. With simulation results in under 12 hours for timely analysis, they provided faster service to clients where needed, leveraging the flexibility of cloud services. Learn more.

Avoid the ‘switching headache’ with Siemens integrated performance engineering

The thought of switching systems can feel daunting. The “switching headache” — recognized by the symptoms of perceived disruption, an extensive learning curve or the fear of losing valuable data — often acts as a psychological barrier. It keeps organizations tied to solutions that no longer serve their needs and hinder their capacity to innovate due to inefficient processes.

The decision to move away from an incumbent solution is a significant one. The cost of inaction far outweighs the perceived risk of switching.

With the Simcenter portfolio, part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, Siemens provides a comprehensive, intelligent and adaptive approach to build next-generation Digital Twins and deliver better products with speed and confidence. Its open architecture makes it adaptable to your environment versus being forced into a fixed framework. Powered by simulation, enriched by AI and connected through the digital thread, it transforms engineering insight into action.

Learn more

FAQs about Simcenter and engineering transformation

1. What is the core difference between Simcenter and traditional simulation software? 

Simcenter distinguishes itself from traditional simulation software by offering a comprehensive, intelligent, adaptive and open approach to performance engineering. While legacy CAE tools often provide isolated simulation capabilities, Simcenter combines simulation and test within a closed-loop Digital Twin framework. This means it not only predicts behavior but also validates it with real-world data, integrates seamlessly with your existing ecosystem (including other CAD/CAE tools) and leverages AI and HPC to accelerate workflows and provide deeper insights across the entire product lifecycle. Traditional tools typically lack this holistic, interconnected, and adaptive intelligence.

2. How does Simcenter’s open architecture benefit my company if we already have existing engineering tools?

Simcenter’s open architecture is a significant advantage because it protects and maximizes your existing technology investments. Unlike closed systems that might force a complete overhaul, Simcenter is designed to integrate with a wide range of external CAD systems, third-party solvers and industry standards. This flexibility allows you to seamlessly incorporate Simcenter into your current engineering environment, creating a unified Digital Twin and digital thread without the need for costly “rip-and-replace” scenarios. It ensures a smoother transition, minimizes disruption, and empowers you to choose the best tools for your specific needs, even alongside competitive solutions.

3. What does “closed-loop Digital Twin” mean in the context of product development with Simcenter?

A “closed-loop Digital Twin” with Simcenter refers to a dynamic, continuous feedback system where a virtual representation of your product (the Digital Twin) is constantly updated and refined by real-world operational data. It means:

• Multiple physics models are integrated into a single source of truth
• Real-world data from physical products in operation is gathered and fed back into the Digital Twin
• Data is used to improve current designs, validate simulation models and inform the development of future product iterations. This continuous cycle ensures simulations are always grounded in reality, leading to more accurate predictions, faster validation and more confident design decisions.

4. How does Simcenter leverage AI and machine learning to improve engineering workflows?

Simcenter integrates AI and machine learning in several powerful ways, transforming how engineers interact with simulation, making it more intelligent, efficient, and insightful and accelerating engineering workflows. Here are just a few examples:

• Chatbots and copilots in Simcenter improve the overall user experience and efficiency. They enable novice users to find relevant answers faster and reduce model creation time for both new and advanced users
• Simcenter uses AI to generate novel system architectures so users can discover new designs earlier in the development process
• AI methods are used for efficient design exploration in Simcenter, augmenting full physics simulations with AI predictions
• Simcenter incorporates geometric deep learning to provide near-instantaneous field predictions on 3D geometry
• Simcenter supports the creation of executable digital twins that leverage reduced-order models built using machine learning
• New AI-assisted modal analysis with Simcenter allows fast generation of results while maintaining accuracy

On May 27th, Siemens product and sales experts Peter De Clerck and Jonah Normand will be joined by Monica Schnitger, President and Principal Analyst of Schnitger Corporation to discuss why simulation can no longer be just a specialized activity. Join the conversation to learn why simulation must develop into a shared, strategic capability to fasten and improve decision-making throughout the organization. Book your seat here: Why engineering transformation is key to faster decisions