Over the last two years, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) developed a readiness scale for modelling and simulation, focused on manufacturing applications and supported by an assessment tool, both of which are known today as SimReady. SimReady is partly a response to the MTC’s requirements to communicate maturity of data, methods and outcomes to industry, while also being a tool to transmit results from its predecessor SimBest. SimBest was an Innovate UK project run by KTN, NAFEMS and ALSTOM on the state of the art and future needs in industry best practices in engineering simulation. SimReady’s aspirations are to be able to assess the readiness level of modelling and simulation service and software capabilities to support their faster maturation and adoption within the manufacturing industry culture. The readiness level of modelling and simulation is analogous to the technology readiness level that has been used in industry for years to assess the readiness level of a specific technology. The SimReady tool can be applied to a number of modelling and simulation capabilities used today to support design and decision making processes in manufacturing. The information within the assessment can then be referred to in order to establish the current usefulness of simulation methods to reduce the risk associated with manufacturing operations.

The slides that accompany this presentation are also available on the NAFEMS resource centre.

About the panellists

Dr Alejandra Matamoros BSc and MSc in Control and Automation Systems Engineering, and PhD on hybrid control design and simulation of train suspension systems. With over 15 years of academic, industrial and applied research experience, mostly related to the oil and manufacturing industry. She currently leads technical capacity on process and automation controls, industrial and digital connectivity in manufacturing, robotics and autonomous systems, and simulation of mechanical systems and motion control. As a Technology Manager for Intelligent Automation Group at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, she manages the vision, strategy and relationships to deliver innovative solutions for intelligent automation and enablement of digital manufacturing for the UK industry.

Terie Purse has over 25 year experience in the UK Defence sector with roles including supply chain logistics, business system implementation, availability contract simulation, operational research and technology development modelling. Terie has worked in the design, manufacture and in-service support lifecycle phases on a number of platforms. Terie joined the MTC in 2017; she currently leads the technology management group for modelling and simulation. With themes including technical governance, generic analysis methodology, standardisation, validation and verification, the group is actively involved in the identification, development and transfer of best practice across sectors in order to upskill UK industry.

Anas Yaghi obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nottingham in 1993. He then worked as a research fellow at the same university until 2012, when he joined the MTC as a Senior Research Engineer in Physics Modelling. The MTC is one of seven High-Value Manufacturing Catapult Centres in the UK. His experience in stress analysis and the finite element method spans 30 years. He is specialised in the simulation of thermo-mechanical processes such as fusion welding and additive manufacture, with over 50 conference and journal publications.

About the Manufacturing Process Simulation Community

The Manufacturing Process Simulation Working Group has formed an online Community for all engineers who would like to learn more about the use of virtual manufacturing tools within the product design and manufacturing cycle to improve outcomes in industrial manufacturing processes.

To find out more and get involved visit the MPS Community webpage.