Mr. Seidel, you gave a wonderful keynote speech at the conference on the topic of “Digital Engineering in Pole Position”. Can you describe again what Pankl does and what Pankl stands for?

Pankl Racing Systems is a leading supplier of engine, drive and chassis components. Our customer segment comes from motor racing such as Formula 1, DTM and Le Mans as well as from the high-performance automotive sector with suppliers such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini, whose vehicles deliver high performance.

What are the most important innovations that you have driven forward in motorsport in recent years?

At Pankl Racing Systems, we have established ourselves as a technological leader in motor racing over the last few years. We have defined lightweight construction, efficiency and friction reduction as our core competencies. At the same time, we strive to be an important and strategic development partner for our demanding customers.

When you think about digital engineering, where are you now and where would you like to be in five years' time? What potential do you see in your company?

Over the last few years, we have continuously expanded our engineering and, in particular, our level of digitalization. Additional improvements are geared towards the milestones we have set ourselves. These include digitalization activities relating to all our material data, which is being integrated into a comprehensive materials database using the Ansys Granta software solution. Overall, we have already reached a remarkable level in the area of design and simulation. However, we will continue to test new simulation tools in close cooperation with CADFEM and Ansys and jointly explore further areas of application in order to tap into additional potential benefits.

The buzzword “artificial intelligence”, or AI for short, is on everyone's lips these days. How important is this topic for you and what significance do you see for Pankl in terms of product development?

In recent years, AI has indeed become a very hot topic that every company is confronted with. One of the biggest challenges for management, in my view, is to recognize trends, but not to be led or seduced by them. AI offers many opportunities, but only if a good database is available for the respective area of application. Only then can AI meet our expectations and deliver groundbreaking results for our challenges.

That's why we provide a solid database in the various areas on which AI can be based. Ansys Granta is a very important building block for us in order to have our entire pool of material data available quickly and easily. The opportunities that this creates with AI is also an interesting question. We will certainly receive a lot of support from AI in the future, but the comprehensive technical expertise of our employees will continue to be crucial to our success.

Keynote CADFEM Conference 2024: "Digital Engineering in Pole Position"

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