Abaqus, a Dassault Systèmes company has announced that BMW Group has adopted Abaqus software as the basis for all its vehicle crash-worthiness simulation. Abaqus is the leading provider of software, technology and services for advanced finite element analysis and a key part of Simulia, the new DS brand for realistic simulation. The decision comes after an intensive four-year technical collaboration during which the two companies worked together to advance Abaqus software to meet BMW's requirements for accuracy and robustness.

BMW Group has used Abaqus software since 1986, beginning with engine development and today encompassing substantial simulation requirements in engine, chassis, and body-in-white design. The capability of Abaqus to accurately model complex material behaviour and to capture the important physical response of automotive components and systems in these applications, combined with the robustness of the software, motivated BMW to begin a formal project in 2001 to investigate using Abaqus for crashworthiness simulation.

In production use since September 2004, the software has already demonstrated tangible benefits for improving the crash simulation process at BMW. In particular, the software has delivered the improvements in accuracy, robustness and reliability that BMW Group requires. Following the successful achievement of each major milestone, BMW has now adopted Abaqus software for all crashworthiness simulations and will continue the joint development programme.

"This decision is a testament to the close cooperation between the Abaqus development team and BMW's engineers, and to the progress we have made in improving the predictability of simulation methods for crashworthiness," said Mark Goldstein, chief executive officer of Simulia. "We look forward to continuing our work with BMW Group and other customers as Abaqus software becomes the standard for high-quality simulation within the automotive industry."

Vehicle crashworthiness is a significant regulatory focus for automotive companies. As part of the US Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and manages US NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), which performs crash testing and publishes vehicle crash ratings for consumers. In the European Union, EuroNCAP evaluates the crashworthiness and safety performance of vehicles according to guidelines from the European Commission.

For more information contact Igal Filipovski, CDC, 011 786 3516, info@cdcza.co.za, www.cdcza.co.za