What is VOLTA, what is it not, and where does it fit in the digital thread?

What is VOLTA?

VOLTA is a server-based digital engineering framework for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), Simulation Process Data Management (SPDM) and Business Process Management (BPM).

It is built on a microservices architecture and can be deployed on-prem or in the cloud. It can be accessed through a web browser or REST API.

Important for the A&D community is that VOLTA has been approved for classified networks, and can be deployed in a matter of hours, not days, weeks or months.

It is developed by ESTECO, whose independence guarantees avoiding vendor lock.

MDO

MDO (or sometimes referred to as MDAO) can be defined as optimizing a design, within a set design space, across multiple disciplines, subjected to constraints, by computer.

The first logical step in this process is to integrate and automate all relevant simulation tools. For this, VOLTA comes with the modeFRONTIER workflow editor, which each subject matter expert uses to build his or her domain specific workflow, which subsequently gets published to VOLTA where it can be used as a building block in a top level multidisciplinary workflow.

Once in VOLTA, single-run, design of experiments, optimization and trade space studies can be performed, all through the web browser.

Jobs can be distributed to local workstations, HPCs, private or public clouds, or a grid of machines can be quickly connected using the lightweight VOLTA Player.

The underlying execution engine is OS independent - Windows, Linux and Mac are all supported.

SPDM

VOLTA is an agnostic authoritative source of truth (ASOT) that manages ownership, permissions, sharing parameters, dependencies, and version control of all workflows and related simulation data, including postprocessing dashboards.

It can help enable a cultural change founded on real time collaboration and sharing between all stakeholders, both internal and external. Think of this aspect of VOLTA as a "Google Drive for MDO".

BPM

VOLTA has a Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN 2.0) workflow editor to map business processes. Using this, companies can map, formalize and execute simulation-driven product development processes, maximizing the enterprise-wide flow of engineering data. Information flows across domains, reaching the right people at the right time and minimizing effort and productivity bottlenecks.

What is VOLTA not?

VOLTA is not a PLM framework such as Teamcenter or Windchill; it is not an ALM framework such as Github or Jira; it is not a solver such as Fluent or Nastran; it is not a CAD package such as Catia or NX; it is not a requirements tool such as Cameo or Rhapsody; it is not a database such as MySQL. There are more "it is not's".

But VOLTA can integrate with any such tool in a complementary fashion, in order to build and maintain a digital thread.?

Where does VOLTA fit in the digital thread?

A notional digital engineering ecosystem can consist of several components as depicted below. This is going to be different for every company, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Connections between these components are needed to maintain a digital thread. This can be done in a point-to-point fashion, leveraging VOLTA's REST API, or through dedicated digital thread platforms such as Intercax Syndeia or SBE Vision. ESTECO has technical partnerships with both companies and VOLTA can directly integrate into these platforms.

Who's using it?

VOLTA had its baptism of fire in the AFRL EXPEDITE program, where prime contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works opted for a three-pronged approach to solve the numerical challenges, comparing VOLTA against two other semi-competitive frameworks. Results of this program were published and presented at AIAA SciTech 2020, but some notable conclusions include

From the ground up this model was constructed in a modular fashion, discipline by discipline, in order to best leverage the model version control and management capabilities of VOLTA and make the model easier to distribute and run.

Once in VOLTA the model could be updated, and version controlled from a single source. This ability to upgrade and roll back individual discipline analysis elements of the workflow allowed for rapid debugging and editing of the overall MDAO workflow.

and

The flexibility of modern software vendors like ESTECO to interface so easily with other commercial off the shelf tools as well as internal Lockheed Martin tools was a tremendous time saver in the assembly and testing of these models.

In the meantime, other primes such as Lockheed Martin Space, Raytheon Missiles & Defense and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems have deployed VOLTA as part of their digital transformation efforts, as well as undisclosed Tier-1 suppliers and automotive OEMs. American Rheinmetall Vehicles also recently selected VOLTA to manage simulation data for the U.S. Army XM30 program.

Considering VOLTA as well? Contact us at [email protected]. You'll be glad you did.