An analysis of DMU transformation requirements for structural assembly simulations

In order to set up a framework dedicated to the transformation of Digital Mock-Ups (DMUs) into simulation models, this paper exposes the problematic of simulation assembly model preparation. It analyses the differences between standalone component and assembly preparations to justify the reasons of time consuming tasks specific to assemblies. To this end, the content of a DMU is analyzed to explain why information about interfaces between components is missing in DMUs and how to derive the shape idealization of industrial assembly models, resulting in categories of DMU transformations. There, repetitive configurations emerge as a key issue to process large assembly models and the use of functional data appears to be critical to automate assembly transformations. Then, starting from the concepts of simulation objectives, user-specified hypotheses, connections between them and shape transformation categories are analyzed to extract dependencies. As a result of these dependencies, a model preparation methodology is derived that address the shape transformation categories specific to assemblies. This methodology is already a means to improve the efficiency of an assembly simulation preparation process.