Volkswagen AG and ANSYS Sign Agreement

It’s no secret that Volkswagen plans to become the world’s largest automotive producer by 2018 and it doesn’t seem that far fetched as the recession rearranged the auto industry. In this context, planning is very important, as the slightest mistake can have disastrous consequences: for example, a faulty accelerator pedal seriously affected Toyota’s image and, of course, its sales.

Volkswagen AG understood the importance of having a bulletproof plan, so the German automaker signed a master agreement with ANSYS, a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes. Volkswagen AG intends to widen its use of the most comprehensive engineering simulation solution available today.

“Simulation Driven Product Development is applied in nearly every industry to drive product development and accelerate time to market,” said Dr. Albrecht Gill, regional sales director at ANSYS Germany. “Mere experience and prototyping is not sufficient in today’s dynamic environment. Forward-looking companies like Volkswagen are increasing their use of simulation technology to lower their development costs and gain more confidence in designs.”

"The automotive market is highly competitive, and technological advances are being incorporated in modern cars at an ever-faster pace. To stay at the top, there is no way around applying simulation tools to drive product development and innovation,” said Dr. Ralph Sundermeier, head of the Department for CAE-methods at Volkswagen AG.

“Our decision for simulation software from ANSYS is based on the depth and breadth of the solution we needed to cover our simulation needs. The ANSYS Workbench concept is convincing because we can easily do coupled simulations and, in this way, accurately account for the entire range of physics.”