Interaction - Radha Krishnan, President and Founder, DEP

In an exclusive interaction with DQ Channels, Radha Krishnan, President and Founder, of Detroit Engineered Products (DEP) shared his insights on DEP's Go-to-Market Strategy, innovations, and technologies used to decrease product development time, and its global presence.

1. From the last 25 years, what major changes have you witnessed in the industry?

One big evolution in this industry segment considering the last few decades is the use of simulation in all the major product development phases. Using simulation has made a huge difference in helping companies get their products right the first time without having to go through multiple iterations or prototypes. This has proved a huge leap for companies, both to save time and to help them get to market faster while producing more robust and higher-quality products. Another huge evolution that we have seen is the increase in the application of automation.

While automation has been taking steps over the years, the last few years have seen a huge leap with the integration of Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and AI integration. Additionally, an area that, in general, definitely needs more change is the collaboration between universities and industries. It is good that many companies now have partnerships with universities, but it still covers a very small percentage of the overall colleges that India has. It needs more work to create industry-ready talent from colleges, and I look forward to that change in the future.

2. What is the current Go-to-Market strategy for DEP citing the current ever-changing industry?

In today’s highly competitive market, each company is trying to get their products to market better than the previous version and faster than their competitor. The mandate of fast-to-market would continue to be relevant for all product development and engineering companies. This calls for the transformation of the product development process from the traditional method towards a more virtual process. The virtual product development process involves simulation-driven engineering and a model-based systems engineering approach. In the age of smart manufacturing, where mass customization also plays a significant role, time is of the essence. The scope for physical prototypes based on product validation from a design and engineering standpoint would result in a highly condensed timeframe, which would enable products to get to market faster.

Design, virtually validating the product performance, and then manufacturing would be the ideal workflow considering the data and simulation-driven approach in the age of “smart manufacturing”. This kind of virtual validation and CAE environment is where DEP can provide value to its customers. DEP helps companies in the design stage by reducing the design cycle time by harnessing the power of CAE. These CAE tools we use, in turn, provide engineers with the ability to simulate, analyze, and optimize designs by evaluating multiple design iterations and variations quickly.

3. Can you provide examples of specific innovations or technologies developed by DEP in response to this commitment to research and development for reducing Mechanical design and product development cycle time?

With the increase in prominence of CAE in product development, the need for CAE tools that are equipped with the features and modules to handle the 'smart manufacturing' requirements will be steadily increasing. DEP has developed the solution of the hour with our flagship CAE platform, DEP MeshWorks, a tool that eliminates the need for physical testing, offers optimum solutions, and avoids the client being obliged to return to the design cycle if the intended outcome is not achieved. With the flexibility that performance calculations provided by MeshWorks, analysis done before the production stage, or even during the prototype stage, can result in reducing the product go-to-market cost.

One of its most popular features is the highly automated meshing and model assembly tools that reduce CAE model building time by 40 to 50%. A useful function is that existing FE and CFD models can be converted to intelligent parametric CAE models, enabling fast design iterations and Design of Experiment (DOE) studies. Another popular function is that customers can automate their CAE processes rapidly, resulting in a 2x to 10x time reduction.

4. How does DEP foster a culture of innovation, and can you highlight any notable innovations or breakthroughs achieved by the company in the field of CAE software for Mechanical Engineering and design?

As fuel to our modernization path, there are continuous enhancements done to MeshWorks by developing new workflows and new ways of automating processes during product development t. Getting to market faster is key to staying relevant and competitive for companies, and we are innovating rapidly to ensure our clients have the technology at their fingertips to enable this. The latest version of MeshWorks launched in 2023 is an exciting one, as it showcases the integration of advanced algorithms, methodologies, and powerful AI/ML technologies in the backend, resulting in an intuitive, user-friendly front-end interface.

This enhanced version brings a transformation to product development cycles, offering Next Generation CAE/CAD Morphing, Concept Modeling, and CAE Parametrization, leading to substantial time savings and optimized products. The addition of innovative modules, including reduced order modeling (ROM), ground-breaking concept modeling, and electrification modules (eMoD), empowers users to continuously invent and swiftly create new and optimized products. With these cutting-edge features, MeshWorks 2023 opens up new possibilities and accelerates the innovation process for engineers and designers, and the entire team is very excited about it.

5. What strategies and initiatives you have implemented to expand DEP's global presence, and how has the company positioned itself as a leader in the CAE software domain on a global scale?

Over the past 25 years, witnessing the growth of our company has been nothing short of exhilarating. We started in Michigan, offering CAE services and software, but now we have expanded our presence to five countries with seven offices, along with numerous global partners, providing a diverse range of products and services. Our journey has been filled with captivating milestones, like the regular release of upgraded versions of our flagship CAE platform, DEP MeshWorks. Additionally, establishing our product development wing has been a significant achievement, enabling us to collaborate with clients in creating customized products, including drones, people movers, e-scooters, agricultural equipment, and laser cutters.

Our comprehensive engineering services suite, starting from benchmarking studies to design iterations, full-fledged CAE evaluations, value engineering, light-weighting, and prototyping, caters to all major industry verticals. With over 500 satisfied customers, including prominent OEMs, major automotive tier-1 companies, aerospace, consumer goods, electronics, bio-med, and oil & gas industries, we have earned a prominent position in the market. Furthermore, the launch of the IC sensor, an in-cylinder sensing technology to enhance engine efficiency and reduce emissions, marked another exciting milestone. As we continue to broaden our service offerings across various verticals, the journey only becomes more intriguing and enthralling.