Rosenberger Optimizes Products and Processes with SIMULIA

Challenge

Rosenberger, a global leader in high-performance connectivity solutions for data, energy, and communication systems, develops complex products that must perform reliably under extreme conditions. With growing demands for miniaturization, efficiency, and sustainability, Rosenberger faced a critical challenge: how to design connectors that push materials to their maximum stress levels while minimizing costs and resources.

Solution

Rosenberger’s R&D team turned to the advanced multiphysics capabilities of SIMULIA simulation tools, including Abaqus and CST Studio Suite, to create virtual prototypes of connectors and balance conflicting electrical, mechanical and manufacturing requirements early in the design cycle. This approach allows the team to accurately predict performance before physical prototyping. 

Results

• Predicted connector performance accurately in the earliest design stages
• Reduced reliance on physical prototypes
• Optimized material usage while meeting stringent industry requirements
• Reduced development time and sample costs, especially for complex connectors

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For decades, Rosenberger has been what Michael Wollitzer, Vice President of Research and Development at the German-headquartered company, describes as a ‘hidden champion’ – a trusted, but often unseen, supplier of critical connectivity to a variety of industries.

“We operate mainly in the business-to-business sector, so we’re not widely known to the public,” Wollitzer said. “We manufacture solutions for data and energy connectivity, serving industries such as automotive, communications and test and measurement. We work closely with customers to derive product requirements from their system needs and we act as a development partner.”

Rosenberger’s products include connectors that are engineered to reliably transmit data and power. They are vital components in numerous types of applications, from electric vehicles to data centers, and must meet a broad range of requirements to fit seamlessly into complex systems. “We have to consider natural resource usage, costs and space constraints,” Wollitzer said. “It’s essential to find the optimal compromise. That often means going to the limits of material properties to achieve the best performance while keeping efficiency in mind.”

To keep costs down and production volumes up, Rosenberger utilizes processes such as stamping, die casting, and injection molding. Meanwhile, to ensure its modern product designs can be pushed to the maximum allowable stress levels, the company relies on virtual prototyping, which it achieves using SIMULIA Abaqus and CST Studio Suite.

“Traditionally, you’d discover problems during physical testing,” Wollitzer said. “Our aim is to avoid that by ensuring, through simulation, that a product meets requirements before any tooling or physical prototypes are made. That way, failures in physical tests become rare or non-existent.”

Rosenberger’s decision to use SIMULIA tools was driven by its long-standing experience with these solutions. “We’ve worked with SIMULIA simulation for many years and found the predictions to be very accurate,” Wollitzer said. “Tools like Abaqus and CST Studio Suite are state-of-the-art, continuously developed and have open interfaces. They’re well-suited to our design needs and easy to use.”

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Engineers at Rosenberger use these solutions to balance sometimes conflicting requirements. “Even the simplest connectors have multiple electrical, mechanical, assembly and manufacturing requirements,” Wollitzer said. “By applying a principle called ‘front loading’, we can predict product performance very early in the design phase. This allows us to validate concepts through simulation before physical samples exist, ensuring the design is on the right track from the start.”

Recognizing that the quality of the simulation depends on accurate input data, Rosenberger relies on an accurate material database, which it draws on for precise material properties and their statistical variations. “These tolerances must be factored into the design before tooling, because product tolerances are linked to material tolerances,” Wollitzer said.

This helps to ensure highly accurate simulation results. “Credibility comes not only from the tool but also from the quality of the input data and correct interpretation of results,” Wollitzer said. “SIMULIA’s tools help us optimize both our products and our design processes.”

Even with simple products, Rosenberger’s use of SIMULIA technology has significantly reduced design time and prototyping costs. These benefits grow as product complexity increases. “For ultra-high-volume manufacturing, simulation is mandatory – physical experimentation alone would be prohibitive,” Wollitzer said.

Looking ahead, Rosenberger plans to virtualize its development process further and integrate its PLM systems. SIMULIA will facilitate this. “We aim to continue advancing 3D simulations and virtual prototyping,” Wollitzer said. “We see SIMULIA as a key partner in helping us follow this path and improve our R&D performance.”

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