Date
19 September 2024
Category
Blog, Collaborative Engineering, Concurrent Design, MBSE
No commentsThe design of complex systems involves multiple engineering disciplines working together to find innovative solutions and deliver high quality products. This requires a structured approach, which can be supported by model-based system engineering (MBSE) methodologies following some of the principles and guidelines introduced in our previous posts.
The design processes also demand efficient collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. This can be achieved by doing collaborative modelling, working together in real time, integrating various disciplines and ensuring a clear understanding of the system throughout its life cycle.
In this post, we outline the benefits of collaborative modelling in the context of MBSE, demonstrating how tools that enable concurrent design enhance the design process and facilitate a shared understanding among all stakeholders.
By Paloma Maestro Redondo, System Engineer and Project Manager
Why collaborative modelling matters
In traditional design processes, engineers often work in isolation, each contributing to their piece of the puzzle with limited interaction across the teams. This can also happen if no clear guidelines for collaboration are established when applying MBSE. This typically leads to misalignment, reworking and delays in projects.
In the space industry, for example, the design phase requires a multidisciplinary approach involving experts in avionics, propulsion, communications, structures and many other engineering disciplines. In these cases, where coordination is required to ensure the mission’s success, collaborative modelling creates a shared space where the different domain experts can all contribute to a unified model simultaneously.
The power of concurrent design
When the engineering teams need to work collaboratively, one of the most beneficial solutions is to implement concurrent engineering. This methodology centres on the concept that all disciplines work in parallel, instead of waiting for one team to finish their work before others can start. By organising a series of concurrent design sessions, the engineers can work on the same solution in real time – and, when applied to MBSE, on the same design model. This allows them to iterate faster and more efficiently through all the design alternatives.
This process becomes more powerful when supported by tools that enable real-time collaboration and ensure that all team members are working on the most up-to-date system model. At the same time, other stakeholders always have access to the latest updates and modifications of the design.
Discover more about concurrent design in our earlier blog posts.
MBSE tools: enhancing collaboration
While the benefits of collaboration in MBSE are clear, it’s important to select your tools carefully based on all the needs of a specific project and how you expect the project teams to use them. When looking for tools that support collaborative modelling, you may find that only a few actually base their methodology and data structure on this goal. A good example of this would be Starion’s CDP4-COMET, an open source MBSE tool that implements the ECSS-E-TM-10-25 standard, which defines how to exchange model-based data in the early phases of engineering design.
Mainly developed to support concurrent design, CDP4-COMET uses a centralised repository that enables teams to work together on a common model, ensuring that changes made by one discipline are instantly visible to others. This not only reduces the chance of errors but also accelerates the decision-making process, allowing teams to iterate design solutions more rapidly. The European Space Agency and the Dutch Ministry of Defence both use CDP4-COMET as their preferred software in their concurrent design facilities.
Other examples of tools that support collaborative modelling are Cameo Collaborator for Teamwork Cloud, which is a web-based product that presents models in a simplified form to stakeholders, and Team for Capella, a Capella add-on that allows collaboration on the same system model. Ultimately, the tool you select will depend on the required functionalities and the project’s budget, as most are not open source.
The future of system engineering: a focus on collaboration
As system designs become more ambitious and technically complex, the need for close collaboration between engineering disciplines will continue to increase. Collaborative modelling in the application of MBSE, combined with concurrent design principles, improves efficiency during the design process, allowing teams to build smarter, faster and with greater confidence.
One of the next level of improvements that are already being explored for MBSE and collaborative design is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions with MBSE tools. Another is the use of digital twins throughout the mission life cycle as virtual representations to monitor and optimise system performance. Achieving greater interoperability between different systems and tools will improve collaboration between teams who use different software.
In summary
By adopting collaborative methodologies and using dedicated MBSE tools, engineering teams will be better equipped to innovate, mitigate risks and achieve the challenging goals of complex systems in a wide range of domains, from space exploration to aeronautics to naval design.
There are many benefits to collaborative modelling, the main ones being: savings in time and resources; achieving designs that are higher quality and more robust; promoting shared understanding; and reducing the risk of errors or the need for future modifications. Tools like CDP4-COMET, designed with these methodologies in mind, are essential to ensure that teams can work effectively, interact faster and communicate better.
Find out more at SECESA 2024
If you want to learn more about concurrent design and the latest advances, join our Starion system engineering and concurrent design experts at the 11th International Systems and Concurrent Engineering for Space Applications Conference (SECESA 2024) on 25-27 September in Strasbourg, France. There, we and other concurrent design practitioners will be exchanging experiences and debating challenges and future trends.
Our experts will present several papers and perform demos during the 3 days of the conference, and Starion will play a key role as one of the main sponsors of the event.
Find out more at: stariongroup.eu/event/secesa-conference-2024/
Further information
In upcoming posts in this series, we will provide guidance on selecting the most suitable MBSE tool(s) for your specific needs, and discuss the qualities of a good model. Follow Starion Group on LinkedIn to find out when new posts are published.
Find out more about MBSE at Starion.
