Highly efficient models and simulations - the basis of design of mechatronic systems

Mechatronics is the future of mechanical engineering if not of all engineering. Mechatronics is the synergetic combination of mechanical systems with electronics and intelligent computer control 1 . The present most mechatronic product is vehicles that clearly demostrate the combination of components, solutions and technologies from the intersecting circles of mechanical, electrical, control and software engineering. It still does not exist complete design methodology for mechatronic systems, only the experience from successful design solutions 2 and initial generalization into mechatronic design methodology 3 . The key problem is the transition from “dead” uncontrolled state into the “alive” controlled state of the product. This together with the highly innovative nature of mechatronic product as they have no product predecessors and they are completely new products and with the interdisciplinarity of mechatronic product disable to predict the resulting properties of the product just based on experience. Therefore the key part of all existing approaches towards design of mechatronic systems is the modelling and simulation. Therefore the essential problem is the efficient capability to assemble the simulation model of the complete mechatronic product and to pursue the simulations efficiently. This paper is devoted to the overview of approaches towards efficient modelling and simulation of mechatronic systems.