Get in Sync with Mechatronics

Products are becoming more complex and contain ever moreelectronics and software components. So mechatronics is increasing,dramatically in importance. Today it's very difficult to think ofproducts with no electronics and software content. A car is oftendescribed as a "computer on wheels," with 30 percent of its valuerelated to electronics and software and that percentage is growing.

Products are becoming more complex and containever more electronics and software components. So mechatronics isincreasing, dramatically in importance. Today it's very difficult tothink of products with no electronics and software content. A car isoften described as a "computer on wheels," with 30 percent of its valuerelated to electronics and software and that percentage is growing.

Electronics and software development are drivinginnovation in many products, such as driver assistance systems forcars, intelligent GPS-based spraying systems for agricultural vehicles,ergonomic control systems for cranes or hotel elevators with key-cardbased access and control. Because of this, the ability to deeplyunderstand and manage the product development processes for theseintegrated products will be a key requirement and competitive advantagefor PLM solutions in the future.

Just what is your definition of mechatronics?
Products across industries ranging from automotive to consumerelectronics to industrial automation include a growing number ofelectronic components and are increasingly differentiated by softwarefeatures. Mechatronics describes the processes required to synchronizethese increasingly interdependent design disciplines: mechanical,electrical, electronic and software. The terminology varies indifferent industries. The automotive industry tends to use "mechatronics," while other industries use the term "electro-mechanical product development."

When you talk to OEM decision makers about implementing mechatronics, what are the main challenges they see?

They point to the problem of poorly synchronized mechanical, electricaland software engineering processes. This leads to higher product cost,poorer quality and lengthening product cycles. In addition, the timespent by engineers to overcome these problems reduces their ability toinnovate. Major issues can arise from inconsistencies betweendisciplines and design partners. Consider some of the things that cango wrong on a printed circuit board:

These inconsistencies are often identified very latein the overall process - at the prototype or even manufacturing stage.That results in very high modification costs, potential productiondelays and reduced product quality.

To what extent are engineers aware of these issues?
Engineers are clearly aware of the problems that result from poormechatronics design coordination. Even so, as the amount of electronicsand software components in products increases, the challenge to managethis problem is growing, particularly in consumer electronics space.

Electronics and software companies were aware of thechallenges earlier than companies in other industries simply because ofthe nature of their products. Today, the need to coordinate withmechanical engineers is getting more important across the board.Mechanical form factors are getting smaller and more complex. As aresult, less space is available for more sophisticated electronics,which causes challenges in making sure it all fits together and workswithin tight thermal, electromagnetic or other constraints. In moretraditional industries, such as aerospace, defense, automotive andheavy equipment, the degree of awareness and the response to managingthe situation varies, but, overall, awareness is clearly on the rise.

How do companies typically respond to the need for greater coordination?
Many companies take first steps with electronics and software usingexternal service providers. Eventually, a small internal group is setup, initially with expertise in electronics design. Over time thisgroup grows, adding capacity and skills. However, these teams are oftenorganizationally separated from the traditional mechanical engineeringteam. So, there are few, if any, structures in place to really managethe overall multi-discipline product development process.Inefficiencies creep in as the separate organizations try tocollaborate.

Holistically, there is still a limited focus inorganizations to take responsibility for end-to-end productdevelopment, starting with requirements and ending with systemintegration and testing. And there is also limited ability to managetrade-offs in the choice of implementing specific functionsmechanically or with electronics and software. Issues such as changemanagement and product quality begin to emerge. In this situation, itis very important that all key players understand the potential andcapabilities of other disciplines, as well as the principles behindsystems engineering.

What benefits can organizations realize by deploying a mechatronics-driven product development process?
Benefits will fall into four main categories - speed, quality,innovation and increased efficiency and innovation. To be more precise,companies will realize faster time-to-market due to modularization andbetter reuse of data, as well as a reduction in late-stage changesbecause of an improved understanding of system design dependencies andlinkages. There will be better supply chain integration, which enablesdesigners to select correct parts, reduce redundant part creation andimprove component reuse. Higher quality will result from bettercoordination of data across disciplines, as well as from upfrontmathematical, thermal, structural and mechanical simulation. Still,other benefits will come from lower IT costs and the ability toconsider the complete lifecycle of a product. Finally, companies willrealize improved revenue through early design optimization.

How will mechatronics influence product development in the future?
We have begun to see the future already. In an age where running shoeshave electronic sensors and a transmitter to link up with a pulsemonitor, electronics and software are finding their way into almostevery product. We will see ever more products communicating with theenvironment around them, via sensors, the Internet or wirelesstechnologies. As complexity increases, it will be more important totake a formal systems approach to design and engineering. Productmodularity and interface management will grow in importance. Forproduct owners, the ability to rapidly and efficiently integratetechnology and innovations from suppliers will become the key marketdifferentiator.

Our vision is the expansion of our Product Development Systemto encompass all areas of product development. This includes tighterintegration of requirements management, the management of "functional"product architecture, increased support for product modularity and datareuse, the simulation of complete mechatronics products and themanagement of design alternatives and the trade-offs between them.