We bring you the latest information on the workings of the VMAP SC.
Digital Transformation Reshapes Manufacturing: VMAP User Forum 2025 Leads the Way
The manufacturing landscape is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digitalization. Process integration, standardized data flows,
and semantically structured data have become essential for optimizing simulation processes, developing sophisticated material models, designing
sustainable production aligned with circular economy principles, and implementing comprehensive digital product passports.
To address the critical demands for interoperability and digitalization in manufacturing, the VMAP Standards Community e.V. (VMAP SC) hosted the
VMAP User Forum 2025 from February 18-19, 2025, at Schloss Birlinghoven, Fraunhofer SCAI, Sankt Augustin. The event brought together thirty industry
leaders and experts to discuss advancements in the VMAP Standard and tackle pressing challenges in manufacturing digitalization.
Forum Highlights
The discussions spanned multiple domains, including additive manufacturing innovations in projects like ALABAMA & InShaPe, material sciences breakthroughs,
and digital battery passports. Key highlights included presentations on the extension and advancement of VMAP via specialized Working Groups,
the introduction of the PIONEER project platform, multiphysics modeling with VMAP in projects like RESTORE and ALABAMA, and the automotive sector's demand
for data standardization from Volkswagen.
Specialized Working Groups
The VMAP initiative features three specialized working groups: The Sensor & Experimental Data group standardizes measurement data storage for manufacturing
validation, initially focusing on blow molding and expanding to additive manufacturing. The Full Model Storage group develops capabilities to store boundary
conditions in VMAP files for simulation reproducibility. The Wrapper Development group, still in early stages, addresses the need for external wrappers
across tools to harmonize CAx data across engineering domains.
Research Applications
The VMAP standard is being applied across diverse research initiatives. The InShaPe project advances laser-based metal additive manufacturing,
addressing challenges in storing heterogeneous process data. ALABAMA and GEAR-UP projects develop improved laser-based additive manufacturing methods,
using VMAP to integrate monitoring data with processing information. The PIONEER project creates an open innovation platform for design optimization,
while RESTORE promotes sustainable remanufacturing through integrated techniques. The BASE project develops a Digital Battery Passport service using
semantic modeling, and the GGS program aims to transform Dutch steel production, with VMAP enhancing data transfer and collaboration across all these
initiatives.
Semantic Concepts and Ontologies
Semantic concepts and ontologies are gaining momentum in addressing data management challenges and enabling seamless interoperability.
Ontology-based semantic and metadata management provides a structured framework for knowledge representation, facilitating efficient data integration,
sharing, and reuse. While challenges remain in integrating different ontologies, VMAP plays an important role in facilitating structured data exchange,
which supports the development of ontologies by providing a common framework for organizing and harmonizing data.
The Platform MaterialDigital (PMD) initiative with its PMD Core Ontology (PMDco) are advancing digital workflows in materials science by providing a
robust mid-level semantic framework that aligns with VMAP's focus. Similarly, the DiMAT project is taking a bottom-up approach to managing semantics by
starting with flexible vocabularies tailored to specific use cases and linking them to upper-level ontologies later, aiming to bridge interoperability gaps
in manufacturing.
VMAP User Forum 2025, Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin
The forum effectively addressed critical demands from the manufacturing industry around interoperability and digitalization.
The discussions served as a starting point for new topics where the VMAP SC will venture into, such as additive manufacturing data handling
and ontologies for the simulation domain.
To access the presentations from the event please visit us at VMAP SC.
New Members of VMAP SC
We are delighted to welcome our new members. We hope that their support and insights would help to grow the VMAP SC and advance the VMAP Standard.
Aerobase Innovations AB is an innovative Swedish SME specializing in finite element (FE) simulations and material modeling. The company provides
advanced material models for simulating manufacturing processes and complex in-service loading.
Bijish Babu, Founder & CEO of Aerobase says, "Aerobase Innovations has joined the VMAP Standards Community to actively contribute to the development and adoption of standardized
data exchange practices, particularly in the context of additive manufacturing. This participation will enable Aerobase to shape emerging industry standards, enhance
interoperability, and accelerate innovation in virtual engineering workflows. Moreover, involvement in VMAP will strengthen Aerobase's industry partnerships and boost
its visibility within the European simulation community, positioning the company as a leader in shaping the future of multiphysics simulations."
GKN Aerospace is a world’s leading tier one aerospace supplier of systems and components. They serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft.
Their engine division develops industry-leading technologies for, among others, high performance structural components, laser welding and additive fabrication.
Anna Moretti, Research Engineer at GKN says, "We joined the VMAP SC to learn more about the standard and to be able to use it in research projects that include a lot of partners,
as well as to possibly implement it in our team/department at GKN Aerospace Sweden when working with several different simulation tools for a same project."
Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (HBRS) is a university with a strong research profile. Scientists at a total of 17 institutes conduct research at the highest level, with topics ranging
from detection technologies to genetics and sustainable development to visual computing. In total, the H-BRS is active in more than 60 research fields where focus is on the topics of
sustainability, digitalisation and security.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Olaf Bruch from HBRS says, "We use a variety of CAE tools in our working group. The VMAP standard and associated tools considerably simplify data exchange between
simulation tools and also between simulation and experiment."
SINTEF is a multi-disciplinary research organization with international top-level expertise in technology, natural science, medicine and social sciences.
Vegard Brøtan, Research Manager at SINTEF Manufacturing, says "SINTEF views the VMAP standard as a means to integrate design, process, simulation, measurement, and monitoring data
in additive manufacturing. This approach helps in structuring data and enhancing workflow efficiency in our research projects."
New board Members
The VMAP SC elected new board members for a two year term. The existing chairperson, vice-chairperson and the treasurer were reelected by the VMAP SC members.
Here is a short peek into their vision about the VMAP SC.
The Chairperson of VMAP SC, Klaus Wolf, also Head of business area Multiphyscis at Fraunhofer SCAI, says, "A key requirement for the digitization of design
and testing processes is the standardization of data storage and the semantic linking of data from different work domains which is based on standardized data.
The VMAP standard offers many possibilities in this regard. My goal for the next few years is therefore to demonstrate the application possibilities
of VMAP and to significantly advance its use in industry and research."
The Vice-Chairperson, Olaf Bruch, also holds a Professorship in Engineering Mechanics, Finite Element Methods and Polymeric Materials at Department of Engineering
and Communication, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, says, "The VMAP standard already makes the storage and exchange of CAE data much easier today. My vision is a universal
data management and exchange format for simulation and measurement technology that is supported by all important standard software systems in the industry."
The Treasurer, Albert Roger Oswald, also CEO of NAFEMS GmbH, mentions, "For me, the creation of standards is an essential and important component of the current and future product
development process. Through my position, I want to help develop and disseminate these standards through VMAP."
ALABAMA Project Review
The ALABAMA Project conducted its first review on the 30 January, 2025 with all partners attending it online. The review was a good platform to show the current achievements of the project.
The project has made significant progress across multiple work packages. In WP1, the team has successfully identified key requirements and developed workflows for all use cases.
WP4 has seen substantial advancements in adaptive laser process development, including the construction of a flexible welding chamber to prevent oxygen contamination, the development of a laser
measurement system, and the identification of optimal process conditions. The CBC laser has been thoroughly characterized by examining various parameters such as laser shapes, interference
intensities, and power distribution. Meanwhile, WP7 has focused on material modeling, developing models for the various alloys, along with implementing a FEM algorithm for laser absorption
of powder particles. These accomplishments over the first 12 months provide a robust foundation for the remainder of the project. To know more about the project visit
ALABAMA Project.
Heat tinting reveals the microstructures of Titanium64 produced via the DED process.
Pioneer Project Meeting in Cairo
The PIONEER project team met at EBBAMS in Cairo, Egypt for the 24 Month General Assembly meeting. This was an excellent opportunity to align on
key milestones, celebrate progress, and set the stage for the upcoming tasks and challenges. As the project is in its final year, the focus has largely been on completing the prototypes and bringing
together all the various tools and the datasets which will be integrated into the open innovation platform. The goal of the open innovation platform is to optimize production systems by combining product development,
virtual engineering workflows and production data. To know more about the project visit Pioneer Project.
