graphics workstation, connected to the UNIVAC computer at
the Graz University of Technology, and the installation of a
VAX-11/780 computer are representative of this era. Instead
of spending an inordinate amount of time punching punch
cards, there were now terminals with small alphanumeric
screens available for operating the new computer generation.
“This was the beginning of the democratization of the use of
sophisticated simulation software,” describes Dr. Rainer.
New generations of supercomputers such as CONVEX or
CRAY saw the possibilities grow. The simulation models
became more sophisticated. Important driving forces were
fluid mechanics calculations (using AVL FIRE™) and engine dy-
namics calculations (using AVL EXCITE™), which only became
economically viable with the new generation of computers. In
particular, the software for simulating combustion processes
– which was initially developed for internal use – was very well
received.
The Beginning of Accelerated Development
The start of the new business unit was challenging, because
“apart from FIRE, we didn’t really have any marketable soft-
ware in 1996,” admits Dr. Rainer. That soon changed: the me-
chanics, flow, thermodynamics, and injection system software
were merged; at the start of the new millennium, the CRUISE
development project for driving performance and consump-
tion calculations was also ready to be launched. AVL EXCITE™
became the market leader for engine dynamics simulation.
The entry into real-time-enabled system simulation from
around 2008 extended the application into the testbed area.
Parallel to the development of the products, the necessary
sales and service structures were put in place: Starting in
1996, offices for Advanced Simulation Technologies were
established in Slovenia, Croatia, Japan, Korea, the USA, China,
Germany, India, and Russia within a few years. According to
Gotthard Rainer, the growth of the Asian business in particular
is key to the success: “Japan was very simulation-oriented
right from the beginning and therefore quickly became one of
our strongest markets. We sold the first license for the flow
software there to a big Japanese car manufacturer back in
1987.” This car manufacturer remains an important customer
to this day and uses AVL simulation software widely, which is
based on two important factors for our success: long-standing
customer relationships and experienced employees – explains
Roland Wanker, who joined the business unit in 2000 and has
headed it since 2019.
Comprehensive Simulation Offering
The simulation portfolio has expanded significantly over
the last 20 years with the change in mobility. Entire vehicle
simulation, e-mobility, ADAS/AD, Simulation as a Service –
these days the business unit has an extensive offering for
an increasingly broad portfolio of use cases. In this context,
Roland Wanker notes a continuation of the aforementioned
“democratization”: “In the past, customers had experts who
delved deeply into the structure of a piece of software. Where-
as these days, software products must become increasingly
user-friendly and intuitive to operate. A quantum leap in the
direction of integration and user-friendliness was achieved
through the complete integration of all products into a com-
mon user interface.”
Armed for Upcoming Challenges
For the future, Roland Wanker predicts an even more fun-
damental change than with the appearance of the Internet.
Development in the automotive industry is under enormous
time and cost pressure. In view of these drivers, simulations
are gaining in importance. The Virtual Twin is becoming the
central element in all development phases. Artificial intel-
ligence (AI) will also play an increasingly important role.
Complex simulations (e.g., in multibody dynamics) could soon
be set up and evaluated with AI support – with corresponding
recommendations for design improvements. One of the cen-
tral challenges of the future will be taking a leading role in the
context of AI as well, to ensure the offering remains attractive
in the market.
Roland Wanker: “We must also continue to drive the demo
cratization of simulation internally. To do this, we have to unite
accuracy in the simulation results with simplicity, efficiency,
and robustness in their application at the customer. That is our
brand essence, our DNA.”
Dr. Roland
Wanker
Dr. Gotthard
Rainer
SPECIAL EDITION