SIMULATION & VIRTUAL COMMISSIONING
Prove it before you build it.
Run the experiment, find the bottleneck, debug the code, on a digital model, while changes are
still cheap. PITCO builds and runs the simulations and virtual commissioning that take the risk
out of an automation project.
RUN AN EXPERIMENT
Model it first. Spend later.
An illustrated look at how a simulation engagement finds the constraint and proves the fix before any capital is committed.
01 / 04
Model the plant
Build a working model of the line — stations, flow, cycle times, the way it really runs.
02 / 04
Find the bottleneck
Run the model and watch where work piles up. The constraint shows itself.
03 / 04
Test a fix
Add a station, re-sequence, re-balance — and run the experiment again. Compare outcomes side by side.
04 / 04
Validate before you spend
You've tested the plan and seen the throughput and ROI — before a single machine is ordered.
WHO IT SERVES
Whichever side of the build you're on.
For Integrators
Virtual commissioning is now a standing RFQ requirement at Tesla, Mercedes-Benz,
Volkswagen, and Ford — the most demanding manufacturers won't install equipment
without it. Ship control software that's already been tested against the twin.
Integrator Services
For Manufacturers
Keep a digital twin of the lines and machines you've bought — for changeovers,
what-if planning, operator retraining, and testing a change before you touch the
running plant. Plant simulation turns your next investment decision into a
tested one.
Manufacturer Services
THE VALUE
The value is defined upfront — that's the whole point.
Across published case studies, virtual commissioning typically cuts on-site startup time
by 30–70%. Most commissioning pain is software pain: up to 90% of commissioning time is
electrical and controls work, and up to 70% of that goes to software errors — exactly the
work a digital twin lets you finish before you reach the floor.
30–70%
reduction in on-site startup time
Across published case studies — Siemens (Wipro PARI 70%, Estun 30%, Cleveland 50%), Volkswagen Navarra peer-reviewed study 66% (SAE Mobilus 2021-01-0240), Procedia Manufacturing controlled study 75%
~90%
of commissioning time is electrical & controls work
VDMA Virtual Commissioning Guideline (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association / TU Dortmund IPS) — the canonical independent stat
200–800×
cost multiplier if an issue is caught after engineering vs. in the model
Kalypso, July 2022
NAMED CASE STUDIES — CITED SOURCES
- Wipro PARI (engine assembly, India) — 70% less on-site commissioning time; 40–50% less rework. Siemens Process Simulate + HiL. (Siemens case study)
- Volkswagen Navarra (paint workshop, Spain) — 66% reduction in commissioning time; 16% less cycle-time loss. (SAE Mobilus 2021-01-0240 — peer-reviewed)
- Cleveland Systems Engineering (UK) — design and commissioning time both halved (2 weeks → 1 week). (Siemens case study)
- BMW Group (30+ plants) — paint-line simulations from 12 weeks down to 1–2 weeks; up to 30% planning-cost reduction projected. (BMW Group press release, June 2025)