Research

Research Topics

The CSE’s R&D activities are defined by the industrial consortium to ensure that topics with practical relevance for specific companies or the consortium as a whole are chosen. Current research topics address the following areas:

Forschungsbildv_eng-e1589180127927 Research

Seamless Modelling and Single Source of Truth

The development of data structures and models for seamless model-based systems engineering is the CSE’s key research area. Digital and virtual shadows of the product are mapped in hierarchical system models, which are derived from a focused view of the model. Those narrow views of a model allow the targeted analysis of e.g. lifetime, efficiency or noise vibration harshness (NVH) in the automotive sector. The resulting system model forms the Single Source of Truth for all stakeholders involved in the development.

Model-Based Product Architecture

The CSE develops model-based product architectures for the practical implementation of MBSE in interdisciplinary product development. The research aims to identify and implement methods, tools and processes for prototyping to facilitate a seamless and agile product development process. Based on function parameter interfaces between development process steps, the aim is complete transparency regarding conflicts of objective at any stage of the process. Another challenge in this area of research is the development of a methodology to consistently link individual models with a common workflow in ths area.

Function-Oriented Research

A function-oriented development focusing on product functions derived from customer requirements will allow an allocation of optimal, cross-domain technical solutions. The various product functions are stripped down to sub-functions on elemental level. The mapping of technical solution principles allows the CSE to develop model libraries, which, on the basis of physical effects, describe the technical solution of elemental functions on parameter level. The results are solution approaches on the basis of physical and digital models. An interlinking of these models and elemental functions allows an integration of seamless strategies for the verification of functional efficiency and therefore the fulfillment of functional requirements at any given time during development (system performance evaluation – Sys-KPIs).

Model-Based Data Analytics

The agile use of real-time data can create decisive competitive advantages for companies. The CSE works on embedding this data into the parameter space of system models. Parameter spaces grow continuously with each development step and allow the return of field data right from the start of the product lifecycle. The models allow the analysis of observations and the derivation of required adjustments in the software or hardware.

Agile Development

In this research area, the CSE aims to extend agile and model-based methods from software engineering with design processes from machine engineering and its methods for system development. An automated and stringent usage of parameters in between modeling tools will facilitate a seamless methodology for agile system engineering. This will result in new approaches for the efficient development of innovative products, services and business models.

Domain Specific Languages

Domain-specific languages (DSLs) are modeling languages, optimized for a specific domain. They close the conceptual gap between problem space and solution space to efficiently solve domain-specific problems. The objective here is the development of DSLs to efficiently model production processes and system parameters to automate management and integration between domains.

Implementation of Systems Engineering into Industry

Today, many companies pursue a document-based development with little continuity along process chains. Most development and workflow structures still remain in their traditional patterns and only in very rare cases is there a hierarchy in place that is suitable for model-based product development. At the CSE we work with our partners on approaches that are then tested in practical applications to create a reliable path towards model-based product development.