Two examples of using Simulation and Forecasting Technologies in the Product Design Process

With the Pathfinder mission in mind being: ”To increase knowledge and awareness of, and determine the future use and impact of simulation and forecasting technologies in manufacturing” the partners in the Pathfinder consortium are working towards meeting three objectives:
1.To deliver a roadmap pointing out research priorities leading to the next generation simulation and forecasting technologies.
2.To inform the manufacturing industry on state of the art simulation and forecasting technologies.
3.To favour the creation of a network of experts.

As part of meeting the second objective, a vast selection of over 40 case studies descriptions in different fields of manufacturing have been made available in the previous months. You can find out more on the Pathfinder website in the Case Studies section.
To inform the manufacturing industry even better, two videos have been uploaded in that same section demonstrating the use of Simulation and Forecasting Technologies during the Product Design Process. The first video shows a collaborative approach to validate the product design in the context of manufacturing processes and resource plans. The second video represents a simulation of human interaction with the virtual prototype of an industrial product. The coming weeks videos on planning, ramp-up and production will be made available.

Acknowledgements:
The Pathfinder project is co-funded by the European Commission under FP7-2013-NMP-ICT-FOF as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) adopted in 2008. The EERP proposes the launch of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in three sectors, one of them being Factories of the Future (FoF). Factories of the Future is a
EUR 1.2 billion program in which the European Commission and industry are collaborating in research to support the development and innovation of new enabling technologies for the EU manufacturing sector.