CAE for plastics, Part 2: An implementation primer

Study benefits. From a detailed return on investment (ROI) study, it should be determined what benefits a successful implementation of CAE technology would provide. Ask these questions: What CAE products will be used? By how many analysts? On how many projects per year? Which projects should and should not be subject to CAE analysis? Be aware that it is important to consider CAE products based on a broader ROI potential, not just on the cost of the software license.

Promote enthusiasm. Willingness to truly integrate CAE analysis into the workflow is necessary. To realize the most effective implementation, CAE analysis should be used proactively in the design cycle, where it can have the biggest impact on the bottom line. Be willing to implement results of the CAE analysis.

Added considerations. Before deciding to bring CAE analysis capabilities in-house, manufacturers also must consider:
1. Who will be in charge of finding the right CAE products for this operation?
2. Are there appropriate computer resources available?
3. What are the computer hardware requirements for the CAE products being considered?
4. Are there appropriate personnel resources available?
5. Do information technology or systems administration staff members need to be involved?
6. Who will run the software?
7. Who will be responsible for implementing the results?

What is the logical path to take to ensure that the CAE system selected is best suited to a particular manufacturing environment?
First, it is important to identify shortcomings in the current design cycle (without CAE), and associate costs with those problems. The next step involves defining both requirements of the CAE product needed to resolve current problems, and the budget available.

Moldflow suggests meeting with CAE providers to discuss these findings and developing a partnership to discover the solutions. Set up product demonstrations based on your toughest designs. This way you can verify that the candidate CAE product is able to address current problems.

Evaluate potential providers, considering the future of each company and its products. Ask these questions:
1. What customer support is available?
2. What type of training is offered?
3. Will the product continue to be developed to address industry changes?

What objections must be overcome to get CAE technology implemented at a new customer site?

The technology is too expensive or not in the budget.   

There’s no appropriate user on staff.   

The CAE product doesn’t apply specifically to the process being used.   

Material suppliers provide analyses.   

The number of analyses run per year will not be sufficient to make up for the implementation cost.   

It will be too difficult to implement the CAE product effectively, i.e., early in the design process to realize maximum potential benefits.

What kind of problems may be encountered in getting an installation up and running?
Computer resources may be inadequate compared to CAE system requirements. CAE software that is not installed correctly can create glitches. Additionally, users must be trained properly and receive adequate support from internal group members.
Implementing too slowly can introduce its own difficulties. When there is a long delay between the decision to buy a CAE product and installation, enthusiasm for the change in process can plummet.

It is also important that there is a commitment from the company as a whole to using CAE.

Watch also that CAE is implemented properly in the development process. If it is used reactively to solve problems rather than actively to prevent problems, resentment can surface.

Implementation
Finally, we asked Moldflow to provide an implementation checklist, one that lists each step mentioned above in chronological order:
1. What are your immediate and long-term needs from a CAE system?
2. Are products available to meet them?
3. Do you have a budget, computer resources, and personnel that can be allocated for a CAE system?
4. Have you received a product demo and are clear what it can deliver?
5. Are you willing to make CAE analysis a constant part of your workflow?
6. What kind of support structure is in place so that the analyst(s) can be part of a problem-solving team, with access to the CAE tools to simulate possible solution ideas coming from any number of people within the team?
7. Are you open-minded about implementing suggestions from CAE?
8. Have priorities been set to evaluate which projects will likely offer the biggest payback in terms of cost savings, quality improvement, and time-to-market savings?
9. Have you completed an ROI study to ensure that the CAE system will be worthwhile?
10. Who will be responsible for system installation, licensing, and updates?
11. Who will be responsible for running the CAE system, and have they been properly trained?