Open ontology-based integration platform for modeling and simulation in engineering

The benefits of the use of modeling and simulation in engineering are acknowledged widely. It has proven its advantages e.g., in virtual prototyping i.e., simulation aided design and testing as well as in training and R&D. It is recognized to be a tool for modern decision making. However, there are still reasons that slow down the wider utilization of modeling and simulation in companies. Modeling and simulation tools are separate and are not an integrated part of the other engineering information management in the company networks. They do not integrate well enough into the used CAD, PLM/PDM and control systems. The co-use of the simulation tools themselves is poor and the whole modeling process is considered often to be too laborious. In this article we introduce an integration solution for modeling and simulation based on the semantic data modeling approach. Semantic data modeling and ontology mapping techniques have been used in database system integration, but the novelty of this work is in utilizing these techniques in the domain of modeling and simulation. The benefits and drawbacks of the chosen approach are discussed. Furthermore, we describe real industrial project cases where this new approach has been applied.