A cloud-based simulation platform for manufacturing and engineering

Dr Tamas Kiss, CloudSME Project Director

University of Westminster, London, UK

*Simulation software is widely used in manufacturing and engineering today.

*Simulation can be used to analyse a wide range of physical and chemical processes, manufacturing systems, logistics, transportation networks and supply chains.

*Take-up of simulation software by SMEs has been low until now due to high barriers of entry, including:

* hardware prices

* licensing costs

* technical expertise

Cloud computing can help!

Simulation software at manufacturing and engineering

SMEs

*The CloudSME project develops a cloud-based, one-stop-shop solution providing a scalable platform for small or larger scale simulations, and enable the wider take-up of simulation technologies in manufacturing and engineering SME’s. 

The CloudSME projectCloud-based Simulation platform for

Manufacturing and EngineeringJuly 2013 – December 2015

Funded by the European Commission’s FP7 Framework

* CloudSME builds a simulation platform that allows seamless access to multiple heterogeneous cloud resources and provides a high level of abstraction to users when accessing these resources for simulations in a one-stop-shop solution.

* Provides a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution to build customised cloud applications

* Enables simulation software providers to offer Software as a Service (SaaS) simulation solutions

* Enables SMEs in the manufacturing and engineering domain to access simulation services

* Provides seamless access to HPC resources in order to speed up the simulations on-demand

* Defines generic and concrete business models for SMEs in the manufacturing/engineering sector to facilitate the take-up of cloud-based simulation solutions

The CloudSME projectPartnership

Cloud infrastructure

providers

Academic and commercial cloudsCommercial: CloudSigma (CH),Academic: SZTAKI (H), UoW (UK) and Unizar (E)

Cloud Platform provider

Provide seamless access to potentially heterogeneous cloud platforms: CloudBroker (CH), Scaletools (CH)

Simulation platforms providers

Utilise PaaS based on their software packages to build custom simulation solutions for end-users – Ascomp (CH), Simul8 (UK), INGECON (E), 2MoRO (F), ~3 new simulation software provider s

End users

Utilise SaaS solution based on the CloudSME Simulation Platform - Podoactiva (E), Saker Solutions (UK), Eurobios (F), Cutting Tools (UK), ~7 new end-users

Gateway provider

Provide customised gateway as the basis for the PaaS solution: MTA-SZTAKI (H)

Developm

ent of end-user case studies – B

run

el Un

iversity (UK

), Uo

W (U

K)

Dissem

ination and Marketing - U

nizar (E

), S

and

erwerb

un

g (D

)

Project coordination - U

oW

(UK

)

The CloudSME Simulation Platform

The cloud resource layer

* Private and public clouds* Private clouds: SZTAKI (OpenNebula), BIFI and

UoW (OpenStack)

* Public clouds: CloudSigma, Amazon WS

© CloudBroker GmbHAll rights reserved.

The cloud platform layerThe CloudBroker platform

User ToolsUser Tools

Java Client Library*Java Client Library*

CloudBroker Platform*CloudBroker Platform*

…Cloud

ChemistryAppli-cations

BiologyAppli-

cations

PharmaAppli-cations

WebBrowser

UI*

…Appli-

cations

REST Web Service API*

End Users, Software Vendors, Resource ProvidersEnd Users, Software Vendors, Resource Providers

CLI*CLI*

EngineeringAppli-

cations

EngineeringAppli-

cations

Euca-lyptusCloud

Open-NebulaCloud*

Open-StackCloud*

AmazonCloud*

CloudSigma Cloud*

• Seamless access to heterogeneous cloud resources – high level interoperability

The cloud platform layerWS-PGRADE/gUSE

• General purpose, workflow-oriented gateway framework

• Supports the development and execution of workflow-based applications

• Enables the multi-cloud and multi-grid execution of any workflow

• Supports the fast development of gateway instances by a customization technology

The cloud platform layerWS-PGRADE/gUSE workflow

*Each box describes a task

*Each arrow describes information flow such as input files and output files

*Special node describes parameter sweeps

Taylor, S.J.E., Kiss, T., Terstyanszky, G., Kacsuk, P. and Fantini, N. (2014): Cloud Computing for Simulation in Manufacturing and Engineering: Introducing the CloudSME Simulation Platform. In Proceedings of the Annual Simulation Symposium 2014 (ANSS’14), April 13 -

16, 2014, Tampa, FL, USA.

ASCOMP develops and distributes the TransAT commercial software tool.TransAT is a finite-volume code for Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation. It implements state-of-the-art physical models and numerical methods for simulating multiphase turbulent flows, using structured grids with an Immersed Surface Tracking method to represent solid boundaries.ASCOMP is working with EUROBIOS to develop a high performance Cloud-based version of TransAT the simulation of complex multiphase flow phenomena that will be accessible by SMEs.

CloudSME use-casesComputational Fluid Dynamics

CloudSME use-casesComputational Fluid Dynamics

Run from desktop GUI mapping the simulation to various clouds

CloudSME use-casesInsole design

INGECON has developed the 3D Scan Insole Designer, a PC based software platform used in the shoe industry to design tailored insoles for sports enthusiasts and people with problems in their feet. 3D Scan Insole Designer consists of a set of powerful plug-ins, add-ons and scripts developed to automate the creation of insoles from the design and simulation of a virtual mold of the foot to its robotic manufacture by milling a solid piece of material. INGECON and PODOACTIVA are developing a Cloud hosted version of 3D Scan Insole Designer to be accessed by SMEs across the world.

1st Podiatrist Surgery

2nd Engineering Office

3rd Manufacturing

Supporting large number of podiatrist surgeries around Europe

CloudSME use-casesProcess simulation

Simul8 is a discrete-event process simulation tool developed by the Simul8 Corporation widely used to study problems in manufacturing, healthcare, commerce and service industries. A high performance Cloud-based Simul8 will improve significantly the capability for process design and evaluation.The Simul8 Corporation is working with Saker Solutions and Cutting Tools to produce Web/Cloud-based template simulations to make process simulation accessible across many different manufacturing and engineering sectors.

CloudSME use-casesAircraft logistics

2MoRo produces the aircraft maintenance optimisation software Bfly. Bfly enables aircraft operators as airlines to fly more with minimum operational and maintenance costs, aircraft maintenance centres to be more efficient and manufacturers to improve their current and future products.A high performance Cloud-based version of Bfly will enable aircraft maintenance logistics to be optimized in real-time and to make this technology accessible to small aircraft operators and parts manufacturers.

Open call for further experiments

Any questions?

http://cloudsme.eu