By IANS,
London : From cars and mobile phones to computers and furniture, most products in the market are created virtually on a computer before actual production.
Under the Functional Digital Mock-Up (DMU) project, researchers from four Fraunhofer institutes are developing value additions to digital product development.
An electric car window slides smoothly upward at the press of a button. While power windows are certainly convenient, they can also pose a safety risk.
For instance, if a child puts his hand out of the window to wave to a friend, the window must stop moving immediately or there could be serious consequences. Tiny fingers can easily get jammed, or the window’s mechanism may be damaged.
DMU project has enabled Fraunhofer researchers to create a virtual product that can simulate the complex interaction between electrical and mechanical components – such as those used for power windows and convertible rooftop systems.
While computer-supported test models have become part of daily production activities, not all process chain components can be simulated.
“The DMU is a virtual model that represents a product’s structure and geometry. It is today’s standard in virtual product development,” said André Stork of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics (IGD) in Germany.