4. Functional simulation approach

Checking that a product (or a design proposal) meets specifications often involves simulation phases. A wide range of tools can be used: simulation of mechanisms, material shaping, strength, etc. Combining them with CAD models is clearly a way of gaining a better understanding of the product, its manufacture and its behavior.

Simulation can be extended to optimizations, taking advantage of computer capacity to test alternative solutions. Designers, often for lack of time, take large precautionary margins in order to avoid quality problems during manufacture as far as possible. By varying the parameters, the system is able to calculate several solutions, some of which will undoubtedly turn out to be better than the one proposed by the designer.

The industrial context, the progress made in models and software, and the ever-increasing power...