The 2012 Automotive Simulation World Congress (ASWC) has driven off into the ever-so-vibrant sunset of Detroit, Michigan, leaving attendees more educated about current industry trends. Almost 300 automotive executives, managers and engineers from over 100 companies participated in this congress dedicated to applications for road, rail and off-highway vehicles.
The two-day event, held at the towering Detroit Renaissance Center, kicked off the general 
session with a keynote talk from Wayne Eckerle, vice president of research and technology at Cummins. Eckerle discussed Cummins’ Analysis Led Design initiative and how it is changing the company’s corporate culture by utilizing simulation for its product development.
One attendee noted that Eckerle “provided a lot of insight on the benefits of simulation from a business perspective that is valuable for my company’s current needs and goals.”
The keynote presentation was followed by presentations from Sin Min Yap, vice president, industry strategy and Dipankar Choudhury, vice president of research, both from ANSYS. Yap explained how companies can address product development challenges with ANSYS solutions, while Choudhury reviewed the progress made in key capabilities and technologies embedded in ANSYS products.
Following general session and a delicious lunch (Don’t take my word for it, one attendee said the ASWC was the “best catered conference I’ve ever been to.”), the breakout sessions covered application areas such as powertrain, vehicle electrification, chassis and body, and democratization.
During the first-day breakout sessions, the highlight was a presentation by Honda R&D Americas, which won the ASWC’s HP Engineering Excellence Award. The session, entitled “White Body ED Verification by CAE with Acura TL Trialed,” discussed a study to confirm the accuracy of a technology that predicts the thickness of paint deposited on white-body surfaces to provide corrosion protection to metal surfaces. Presenter Ray Hughes used ANSYS for this study and commented, “ANSYS works. That is why I’m here today.”
Day one of the ASWC wrapped up with a reception and poster session. Posters were presented by ANSYS experts as well as companies such as IBM. Topics varied from power electronics for vehicle electrification to introducing the latest ANSYS acquisition, Esterel Technologies.
Day two of the ASWC featured more breakout presentations, focusing again on powertrain and vehicle electrification but also robust design, optimization, automotive electronics, aerodynamics, underhood, and HVAC along with panel sessions on the IT environment for simulation and data management.
These panel sessions brought together thought leaders in the industry to debate the state of the art as well as take questions from the audience. Panelists included leaders from Delphi, Cummins, General Motors and Ford.
The ASWC was very well received and received praise from attendees, such as:
“Awesome string of relevant presentations. Not a dull moment and very informative.”
“Very relevant topics for ANSYS customers and flawless execution of the agenda.”
So now that the 2012 ASWC is over, what’s next? Well, of course, the 2013 Automotive Simulation World Congress!
The 2013 ASWC will be held during October in Germany. If you want to take part in this special event, we are already accepting presentation abstracts. Submit your idea for a presentation today.
We hope to see you next year in Germany!