An approach supporting integrated modeling and design of complex mechatronics products by the example of automotive applications

Increasing integration of electrics/electronics (E/E) systems and software into modern products has led to a significant change in value creation and development of formerly mechanically oriented industries. With rising share of information technology in previously mechanics-based products both product functionalities and customer benefit increase, but this trend requires a fundamental change in the consideration of the entire product lifecycle. This includes requirements management, product conception, the development phase, production and assembling, the in-use phase and the end-of life phase. Due to the fact, that a main portion of today’s complex products represent mechatronics systems involving mechanical, electrics/electronics and software components (to a varying share - depending on the type of product), a smart and effective integration of these historically separated disciplines plays an important role throughout the entire product lifecycle. To enable this, new development processes and approaches have to be introduced, developed and applied. The present work deals with the question how to enable interaction of the different disciplines (models) and how to integrate and evaluate all the partially conflicting influencing factors into one inclusive process to enable comprehensive system modeling throughout several phases of the product development. The automotive industry represents itself as one branch that is effected in a high degree by this topic. In this way, requirements and boundary conditions of automotive development are taken into account to present, discuss and evaluate the approach of integrated modeling, design and evaluation of complex mechatronics products.

Keywords: mechatronics systems, V-model, development standards, key performance indicators, quality management