CAE workflow steps that can be automated are those that are repetitive and rule-based: geometry import and cleanup for standard part types, meshing with defined element size and type for standard analysis scenarios, application of standard boundary conditions and load cases that are defined by analysis type rather than case-by-case judgment, solver job submission and queue management, standard results extraction (maximum von Mises stress, minimum safety factor, critical node displacement), and results report population for defined templates. Steps that require analyst judgment and cannot be fully automated include: mesh quality assessment for complex geometry, boundary condition definition for novel loading scenarios, interpretation of unexpected results, convergence troubleshooting, and engineering decision-making on whether results meet design requirements. EMUG automates the first category completely, and builds tools that assist with the second category — presenting analysts with pre-processed information and flagging anomalies rather than making engineering judgments autonomously.
ANSYS ACT (Application Customization Toolkit) is ANSYS’s framework for building custom extensions to ANSYS Workbench — enabling developers to add custom pre-processing tools, results extraction utilities, and workflow automation buttons directly into the ANSYS Workbench interface. ACT extensions are written in Python and XML and can interact with the ANSYS Workbench project schema, Mechanical model data, and results databases through the ACT Python API. EMUG uses ACT to build analysis setup wizards that guide simulation analysts through standard analysis configurations, custom meshing tools for specific geometry types, boundary condition application tools that read from engineering specification databases, and results extraction tools that automatically identify and export critical results for engineering report population.
AS9100 Rev D requires that design verification activities — including CAE analysis used as design verification evidence — are planned, controlled, documented, and traceable. EMUG’s data integrity tools address four AS9100 requirements for simulation data: traceability (every simulation is linked to the specific design revision it validates, the engineer who performed it, the date, and the software version used), configuration control (simulation models are version-controlled and the model version used for each analysis is recorded and retrievable), review and approval (simulation reports include a defined review and approval workflow with electronic signatures), and retention (simulation data is archived in a format that can be retrieved and reviewed for the product lifecycle). EMUG integrates these controls into PLM systems (Teamcenter, Windchill) where they are managed as part of the product data management workflow rather than as a separate simulation-specific process.
Parametric study automation enables simulation analysts to define a set of design parameter ranges and automatically generate, submit, and collect results from hundreds or thousands of simulation variants — which would be impossible to manage manually. EMUG builds parametric study automation using two approaches: for ANSYS, integration with ANSYS optiSLang for design space exploration and optimization, or direct Python scripting to generate and submit parameter-varied Mechanical input decks in batch. For Abaqus, Python scripting loops that vary model parameters, submit jobs to the HPC cluster, and collect ODB results on completion. For Nastran, Python-generated deck variants submitted through the HPC scheduler with automated f06 parsing on completion. Results are aggregated into structured datasets ready for surrogate model fitting or sensitivity analysis.
EMUG develops automation tools for ANSYS Workbench, ANSYS Mechanical, ANSYS Fluent, and ANSYS LS-DYNA using ANSYS ACT and Python scripting; for Abaqus/CAE, Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit, and Abaqus/CFD using the Abaqus Python scripting interface; for MSC Nastran, MD Nastran, and MSC Apex using DMAP and the Patran/Apex Python API; for Siemens Simcenter 3D and Siemens Femap using NX Open API and the Femap COM API; for Altair HyperMesh and OptiStruct using Tcl scripting and the HyperMesh Command File scripting interface; and for HPC schedulers PBS Pro, SLURM, and LSF using Python and shell scripting for job management automation.
EMUG integrates CAE automation with Teamcenter using the Teamcenter SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) web services layer for simulation dataset management, the Teamcenter Simulation Process Management (SPM) module for structured simulation workflows in Teamcenter-enabled programs, and custom REST API integrations for linking simulation results to product structure and engineering change records. For Windchill, integration uses Windchill REST APIs for simulation document management and Windchill workflow automation for simulation review and approval. Integration automation covers: automatic simulation dataset creation in PLM on analysis completion, design revision linkage, simulation report upload, and review workflow initiation — all triggered from within the CAE automation tool without manual PLM client interaction.
Simulation Process Management (SPM) software products such as Teamcenter SPM, VOLTA, and SimManager provide commercial platforms for managing simulation workflows, storing simulation data, and tracking simulation status. CAE automation tools that EMUG builds are custom-coded tools that automate the actual simulation execution steps — the pre-processing, solving, and post-processing — that SPM platforms track but do not perform. The two are complementary: SPM manages the simulation workflow at the program management level, while EMUG’s automation tools execute the individual simulation tasks within that workflow faster and more consistently. EMUG frequently integrates custom CAE automation tools with Teamcenter SPM or other simulation management platforms — automating the analysis execution while using SPM for program-level traceability and reporting.
EMUG delivers CAE automation and data integrity tools to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers (ISO 26262, IATF 16949), aerospace and defense organizations (AS9100, FAA AC 20-193), industrial machinery manufacturers (ISO 13849, IEC 62061), energy and oil and gas companies (ASME, DNV, API), and engineering services firms. Delivery countries include Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.
