Going beyond physical tests

Virtual testing is coming of age and is yielding good results.

Vehicle desirability flows from good design, engineering, and testing methods. While physical evaluations remain a proven staple, suppliers are putting virtual development and assembly of products to the counterfeit test. Virtual reality and simulation are proving to be a fast and effective means of determining whether or not a concept makes production sense. “I don't like to hype virtual reality or factory simulation as a sales and marketing tool, but you don't design something until you have the business,” said Ivan Stretten, Manager of Virtual Engineering Services for the Advanced Technology Resource Group of Dana Corp. in Ottawa Lake, MI. “Virtual reality and factory simulation help secure the business. And product designers can look at virtual reality and factory simulation and grasp the effects on manufacturing.”

Even though manufacturing completes the product development cycle, problems arising in the assembly stage can bring work to a costly standstill. “Let's say a customer expects the supplier to produce 1.1 million widgets at $5 apiece, but the supplier said ‘No, can't be done,’” said Stretten. “With virtual reality and factory simulation, we can show what's realistic. You can say why something makes sense and why something doesn't make sense, and in a way that goes beyond spreadsheets and verbal explanations. It really comes down to testing and verifying for the customer. The customer doesn't know everything about our manufacturing process, and virtual reality and factory simulation allow us to walk the customer though the process during the quotation stage.”