IPG Technology Conference 2008

IPG and AVL Extend Their Partnership

IPG Automotive and AVL extend their partnership to develop highly integrated solutions for powertrain and chassis systems. As a global business, AVL will integrate IPG into its portfolio to jointly provide optimal solutions for increasingly multi-national customers.

The cooperation between the two partners will provide customers with significant added value. The increasing integration-depth in vehicles is causing the powertrain- and chassissystems to merge, driven by hybrid powertrains, networked safety systems, driver-assistance systems and intelligent powertrain management systems. This creates the need for solutions that guarantee consistency throughout the development process and across software and testing.

IPG’s hardware-in-the-loop testing and vehicle dynamics expertise combines with AVL’s powertrain and test-systems competence with proven results. The powertrain simulation software AVL-Cruise was combined with CarMaker, allowing for the first time the simulation of multi-dimensional losses of individual vehicle components in realistic driving situations. In addition, CarMaker/Cruise is ideally suited for testing the vehicle dynamic characteristics of hybrid vehicles.

Another resulting product is AVL InMotion powered by CarMaker. As a flexible upgrade package, with a clearly defined interface to the test cell, it is already successfully used by customers to perform maneuver-based testing in a consistent concept-to-product approach in engine and powertrain test cells. This method represents a paradigm shift towards an increasingly model-based, development-process of engine, transmission and powertrains in the test cell. It is based on the virtual vehicle environment CarMaker with 3-D road models, driver models, real-time vehicle models and traffic simulation all running in a maneuverbased test environment. The test follows a series of realistic driver commands, subjecting the unit to the same conditions as the test-track and real-world driving conditions. By extending the functionality of the dynamic powertrain test cell with additional vehicle control systems, such as Hardware (HiL) or simulation models (SiL), it becomes a highly-flexible simulation and test environment for development and verification.

AVL Drive with CarMaker was recently presented to the public at the 2008 AVL “Engine & Environment” Conference and then also at the Fisita conference. This product pairing also brings additional benefits to the development and testing process. AVL Drive, the tool used for the objective evaluation of driveability, has therefore been upgraded with the relevant models and sub-systems (VSM)

IPG and AVL have laid the foundation for a consistent use of methodologies and tools all along the development process from concept to vehicle. The extended partnership between companies allows consistent and cross-linked development solutions to be offered across the classic domains of powertrain, engine and chassis development. The platform supports the complete development process from pure office simulation, via hardware-in.the-loop testing in a test cell, up to vehicle-in-the-loop road tests.

Prof Helmut List, chairman and CEO of AVL, says, “I am convinced that both, IPG and AVL, will profit from the individual strengths of one another in the scope of the future cooperation. With this partnership, we can offer significant benefits to our customers.”

Integrating the competencies of both companies also strengthens research and development activities, making the implementation of new technologies possible. IPG will simultaneously be able to serve multi-national companies on a world-wide basis due to AVL’s global presence.

About IPG Automotive GmbH

IPG is one of the world’s leading suppliers of simulation solutions, test systems and engineering services for the model-based development and testing of control units, vehicle components and complete vehicles. IPG was founded in 1984 as a spin-off of the University of Karlsruhe and provides international customers from the automotive and supplier industries will future-proof and innovative solutions.

The simulation tools CarMaker, MotorcycleMaker and TruckMaker support the development of vehicle systems for passenger cars, motorcycles and trucks. In addition to the classical simulation of vehicle dynamics, they offer a wide spectrum of model, software and hardwarein-the-loop simulation. Individual engineering services complete IPG’s portfolio and support the customer to master the challenges of safety, comfort, driveability and fuel consumption.

About AVL List GmbH

AVL is the world’s largest privately-owned and independent company for the development of powertrain systems with combustion engines, instrumentation and test systems AVL is a competent partner for the automotive and vehicle industry, developing and optimizing all manner of powertrain systems including alternative and hybrid drives. The products from the test and instrumentation division comprise all devices, systems and simulation tools required for the testing of engine, powertrain and vehicles. Simulation methods and tools used in an office environment for the design and optimization of powertrain systems are developed in the „Advanced Simulation Technologies“ division and used by leading OEMs worldwide.

Contact

Dipl.-Ing. Michael Ksela, Company Spokesperson
scoop next level marketing
Breite Gasse 4, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 523 4088
Fax: +43 1 523 4088 180
eMail: michael.ksela@scoopnextlevel.com