Technology
Simulation process integration and automation
Manage every step in your engineering design process from a single automated simulation workflow — also executable via a web interface.
Streamline workflows. Boost productivity. Accelerate innovation.
Simulation process integration and automation technology enables engineers to manage complex engineering simulation processes. Automate repetitive tasks by connecting multiple engineering solvers through vendor-agnostic workflow automation.
Streamline workflows. Boost productivity. Accelerate innovation.
Simulation process integration and automation technology enables engineers to manage complex engineering simulation processes. Automate repetitive tasks by connecting multiple engineering solvers through vendor-agnostic workflow automation.
Automate and drive multiple CAD/CAE tools
Save engineering time
Seamlessly integrate and automate CAD, CAE, empirical and functional models in an actionable vendor-neutral simulation workflow for parametric design optimization.
Manage complex multidisciplinary workflows
Leverage the interaction between the engineering disciplines and determine the global optimum solution — rather than optimizing each discipline sequentially.
Knowledge transfer
Enable democratization by sharing and reusing simulation workflows across teams, making expert knowledge accessible to a wider audience.
Leverage modeFRONTIER to integrate all required tools
Run efficient workflows with modeFRONTIER. Integrate any engineering application or customized integration methods for your preferred solver.
Use modeFRONTIER when you need to:
- Focus on a single discipline simulation.
- Conduct a multidisciplinary design optimization study.
- Solve a specific engineering problem.
Seamless integration with any engineering application
Enable automation of complex workflows and effective use of simulation data from diverse environments.
Custom integration methods for your preferred solver
Connectors Studio
A guided, wizard-style interface that helps a wide range of users build custom connectors. It simplifies configuration for running, introspection, and editing third-party software from within modeFRONTIER.
Connectors SDK
A robust set of libraries for experienced developers, enabling deep connector customization. It supports full integration with third-party software APIs, allowing direct control and automation from modeFRONTIER.
EasyDriver
A flexible scripting interface for connecting to any parametric software. It manages input/output parsing rules and enables seamless automated data exchange with external tools.
Leverage modeFRONTIER to integrate all required tools
Learn more about modeFRONTIERHow customers integrate solvers in our MDO workflow.
Engineers at Ford Motor Company and Raytheon trust our multi-disciplinary simulation workflow.
Our software solutions enable collaborative creation of Multidisciplinary analysis and optimization (MDAO) workflows using vetted models developed by subject matter experts.
Vehicle architecture brings together many competing attributes like appearance, performance, range and vehicle dynamics. modeFRONTIER enables us to take the tools from the experts in vehicle dynamics, range or performance, and integrate them into the simulation workflow.
We’re making another big step in Raytheon’s digital transformation journey by selecting ESTECO’s digital engineering framework, called VOLTA, for our data sharing across the product life cycle. This is good news for our customers, as it will help us reduce costs, increase capabilities, and shorten delivery timelines.
What is simulation process integration and automation?
Simulation process integration and automation, embedded in design optimization software, connects diverse tools into streamlined simulation processes. It automates data flow between CAD, CAE and in-house solvers — reducing manual tasks and enabling system-level analysis across disciplines like structural, fluid, thermal, and electromagnetic simulation.
Key challenges solved by simulation process integration and automation
Traditionally, engineers manually extract data from one simulation, adjust it, and enter it into another tool. This time-consuming process often leads to human error, reducing result accuracy and slowing development.
Using different simulation solvers also presents challenges:
Tool interoperability
CAD and CAE tools often come from different vendors and aren’t designed to work together seamlessly. Ensuring smooth communication and reliable workflows can be time-consuming.
Manual, repetitive tasks
Without automation, tasks like modifying geometry, creating new meshes, and running simulations until an optimal design is found require specific domain knowledge and significant time.
Lack of standard simulation workflows
Method developers often build workflows across modeling, simulation, and analysis tools using custom scripts, which are hard to reuse and difficult to extend with AI/ML techniques.
Computational resource management
Multidisciplinary design problems and the nature of the solvers demand high computing power to run simulation workflows efficiently.
Benefits of simulation process integration and automation
Our simulation process integration and automation technology enables integrated simulation processes by automating CAD, CAE and in-house solvers workflows — no coding required. This reduces manual work and simplifies simulation model management.
You can expect:
Faster development cycles
Automating repetitive tasks and connect tools into a seamless workflow, saving time at every stage of the simulation process.
Toolchain flexibility
Use simulation process integration to connect your CAD, CAE, and custom tools while preserving existing investments and ensuring compatibility.
Increased productivity
Engineers focus on high-value activities like analysis and innovation — not manual data handling or repetitive tasks.
Democratization and repeatable processes
Capture knowledge and boost efficiency by publishing and reusing standardized simulation workflows across your organization.
Support for optimization and AI data-driven modeling
Extend your automated CAE toolchain to DOE, RSM, ROM, and design optimization within the simulation workflow.
Optimal use of computing resources
Run concurrent design evaluations and distribute solver runs across dedicated HPC and cloud environments.
Scale and democratize MDO workflows with VOLTA
Simplify the management of complex multidisciplinary simulation workflows. With the collaboration platform VOLTA, you can simplify expert simulations and create automated workflows that engineers can easily reuse.
- Seamless modeFRONTIER and VOLTA integration for SPDM and MDO.
- Manage and version-control single discipine optimization (SDO) workflows in VOLTA.
- Combine SDOs into system-level MDO workflows for validation.
Scale and democratize MDO workflows with VOLTA
Learn more about VOLTAFrequently asked questions
Quick answers to questions you may have.
Simulation process integration and automation platforms like modeFRONTIER support integration with a wide range of engineering applications:
- Computer-aided design (CAD) tools: CATIA, Creo, NX-CAD, Rhinoceros/Grasshopper, Simcenter 3D, Solidworks, SpaceClaim
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools: Ansys, COMSOL, Simcenter STAR-CCM+
- Finite element analysis (FEA) tools: Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran
- Multibody dynamics tools: Adams/car, Adams/view, Simcenter 3D
- System simulation tools: AVL AST, GT-Suite, Simcenter Amesim
- Electronic design automation (EDA) tools: CST Microwave, Keysight ADS, Keysight empro, JMAG
- General purpose tools: Excel, FMU, Matlab, Python
Not necessarily. Most simulation process integration and automation platforms offer visual, drag-and-drop workflow builders. However, scripting options (e.g. Python) are available for advanced customization and automation.
VOLTA implements access management systems and granular permission controls, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data protecting your company’s intellectual property.
Simulation process integration and automation solutions provide centralized, web-accessible collaborative environments, enabling users in different locations to share workflows, results, and models, fostering synergy and accelerating decision-making.
While simulation process integration and automation brings major value to complex engineering projects, it’s just as useful for smaller teams looking to standardize processes, eliminate repetitive work, and boost simulation efficiency.
- Evaluate thousands of designs by applying various run configurations (DOE, Optimization, RSM, …) to the same simulation workflow.
- Streamline expert simulation work by uploading simulation workflows in the VOLTA digital engineering platform, and making them re-usable by a wider audience of engineers to seamlessly perform design exploration or optimization studies.
- Use modeFRONTIER’s workflow editor to integrate CAD/mesh setup and CFD solver execution.
- Start introspection.
- Choose input variables for defining the design space.
- Define the evaluation strategy (single run, DOE, design optimization, or robust and reliability analysis).
- Add objectives (a quantity you want to minimize or maximize) or constraints (a limit you want to respect) depending on the chosen evaluation strategy.
- Run and monitor the simulation analysis.
- Analyze results using built-in multi-dimensional design charts or advanced data analysis tools to perform statistical assessment of complex datasets.
Experience VOLTA and modeFRONTIER software
Whether you have a question about our products, licensing options or pricing, our solution experts are here to assist you.