You invest in a robotic cell. You order the robots, the grippers, the conveyors. Then, on the first day in the field, you discover that the robot doesn’t get to half the work points. Or two arms collide at full speed. Or that the actual cycle is 30% longer than you promised the customer.
All these costly surprises have one common denominator: they were discovered too late, on the real line, instead of being eliminated in the virtual environment.
Simulating robot cells with DELMIA moves these decisions before the first screwdriver. Validate the configuration, trajectories and cycle times on a digital model before you spend a euro on the physical installation. This guide shows you exactly how the process works, from concept to actual controller, and why it matters to your budget.
What is robotic simulation and why it decides project profitability
Robotic simulation is the complete recreation of a production cell in a virtual environment. Robots, tooling, parts, fixtures, protective fencing, everything reproduced down to the millimeter. On this digital model you program movements, check accessibility and measure performance before any physical installation.
DELMIA, developed by Dassault Systèmes, is one of the reference platforms for this activity. The manufacturer presents it as a solution for designing, validating and programming robotic cells with speed and accuracy, according to DELMIA Robotics official documentation.
The practical difference is simple. Scheduling on the actual line blocks production. Every hour of downtime for testing and corrections means direct losses. Off-line scheduling, validated in simulation, keeps the line running until the new cell is ready to produce. The financial benefits of this approach I have detailed separately in the article on the cost-effectiveness of robotic simulation and cost reduction through offline programming.
For a decision maker, the question is not whether the simulation is worth it. It’s how much you lose without it.
Complete workflow: from concept to validation
The DELMIA simulation process follows a logical path in clear steps. Each step eliminates one category of risk. Skipping any of them moves that risk to the real line, where the correction costs ten times as much.
The complete path looks like this: importing CAD models and building the configuration, defining active equipment, off-line programming of trajectories, reachability analysis, collision detection, cycle time simulation, program conversion to real controllers and final validation. We go through them in turn.
This structured methodology is recognized in the literature. Manufacturing engineering research publications, such as ScienceDirect indexed studies on offline robot programming, confirm that phased virtual validation significantly reduces commissioning errors.
Import CAD models and create virtual configuration
It all starts with the right geometry. Import CAD models of the hall, equipment and workpieces into DELMIA. The more realistic the model, the more reliable the simulation.
This is where the first pitfall arises. Incomplete or inaccurate CAD modeling produces a simulation that looks perfect on the screen, but doesn’t correspond to the real hall. Missing fences, unincluded posts, approximate fixtures all become unexpected collisions on installation.
For existing equipment without CAD documentation, the solution is 3D scanning and model reconstruction. This industrial reverse engineering process transforms a real part into an accurate 3D model that can be used directly in the simulation setup. Without an accurate geometry of the existing environment, the validation of a new cell in an old hall remains incomplete.
Equipment definition: robots, grippers, fixtures, fixtures, conveyors
Geometry alone doesn’t move anything. The next step is to transform static models into active equipment with real kinematics.
You define each robot with its exact model: number of axes, joint limits, maximum speed and reach. DELMIA includes libraries of robots from leading manufacturers FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, with real kinematic parameters, so that virtual behavior matches the physical one.
You do the same with tooling: fixtures, welding heads, glue application heads. You define the working point of each tool, because all the trajectories are calculated around it. You add the fixtures that hold the part and the conveyors that move it. The result is a complete cell in which every component moves exactly as it will in reality.
Off-line programming and path generation
With the cell complete, you start the actual programming. You define the points the robot tool passes through, the order of operations and the motion parameters. This is offline programming: you write the robot program without touching the physical robot.
The business advantage is straightforward. The engineer programs at the office while the existing line continues to produce. There’s no downtime and no repeat runs on expensive equipment. Market research by ABI Research on Dassault Systèmes’ offline programming solutions places this technology among the most mature in the industry.
Common mistakes at this stage are worth knowing in advance, because each one costs money. We analyzed them in detail in our article on the 5 costly mistakes in offline robot programming and how to avoid them.
Accessibility analysis and identification of dead zones
Before you optimize the movements, you need to confirm one fundamental thing: does the robot physically reach all the work points?
Accessibility analysis checks exactly this. DELMIA calculates whether each programmed position is within the robot’s reach, taking into account all joint limitations. Inaccessible points, dead zones, appear immediately on the model.
This check changes high-impact design decisions. If a point is inaccessible, you have clear options: reposition the robot, choose a larger radius model, or move the part. All these decisions are made now, on-screen, when the cost of change is zero. Discovered on the real line, the same problems mean redesigns, new equipment orders and weeks of delays.
Collision detection and movement optimization
The robot reaches all points. But does it get there without hitting anything?
Collision detection automatically checks every movement against all objects in the cell. DELMIA signals any contact between robot and fixtures, between arm and fence or between two robots working simultaneously. It checks even dangerous approaches, not just actual collisions.
For cells with multiple robots, coordination of movements becomes critical. Research on collision checking in human-robot collaboration, documented in studies such as those on explicit hazard zone representation, shows how important this step is for operational safety. An undetected collision in simulation becomes a damaged robot and a production stop in reality.
After eliminating collisions, you optimize trajectories for shorter and smoother movements. Every second saved per cycle is multiplied by the number of parts produced per year.
Cycle time and throughput simulation
Here the simulation delivers the figure that management expected: how much the cell realistically produces.
DELMIA calculates the cycle time based on the robot’s actual movements: accelerations, decelerations, technological pauses. This is not an optimistic estimate, but a time derived from the actual kinematics of the equipment. The cycle time gives the production throughput: how many parts per hour, per shift, per year.
This figure has direct business consequences. You use it to size your capacity, make promises to your customers and calculate your return on investment. A cycle time validated in the simulation is a promise you can keep. A roughly estimated cycle time is a source of contractual penalties.
Case studies from the automotive and aerospace industry, such as the Dassault methodology analysis documented by the European Green Digital Digital Coalition, demonstrate how virtual cycle time validation prevents over- or undersizing of lines.
Program conversion and export to real controllers
The program validated in the simulation does not yet speak the language of the physical robot. Each manufacturer, FANUC, ABB, KUKA, uses its own programming language. Program conversion (post-processing) does the translation.
DELMIA transforms the trajectories and programmed logic into the native code of the specific controller. The resulting program is loaded directly on the real robot without manual rewriting. This is when simulation work turns into actual production.
The quality of the conversion module determines how faithfully the program transfers. A correctly configured module means that the real robot reproduces exactly what you validated virtually. This closes the loop between the digital and physical worlds.
Final verification and validation
Before transfer to the real line, you run the cell through a full validation. You run the whole program in simulation, from end to end, checking that all the previous steps confirm together.
Confirm accessibility of all points, absence of collisions, target cycle time and correctness of exported code. This final validation is the digital equivalent of a technical acceptance. Everything that passes it should work identically on the real equipment.
This is where the real value of the methodology can be seen. The difference between validation and actual commissioning is an important topic, which our Process Validation and Simulation Services pillar fully covers. Rigorous virtual validation drastically reduces physical commissioning time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is robot cell simulation with DELMIA?
Simulating robot cells with DELMIA is the complete recreation of a production cell in a virtual environment, including robots, tooling, fixtures and conveyors. On this digital model you program movements, check accessibility and measure cycle time before any physical setup, eliminating costly risks otherwise discovered on the real line.
What is the difference between offline programming and real online programming?
Scheduling on the actual line blocks production, every hour of downtime for testing means direct losses. Off-line scheduling, validated in DELMIA simulation, is performed in the office while the existing line continues to produce. The resulting program is loaded on the robot only when the cell is ready to go into production.
What checks affordability analysis in a robotic simulation?
The reachability analysis confirms whether the robot physically reaches all working points, taking into account joint limitations. Inaccessible points, called dead zones, appear immediately on the model. This way you can reposition the robot, fixture or part when the cost of change is zero, not after physical installation.
How does DELMIA help to correctly estimate cycle time?
DELMIA calculates the cycle time based on the robot’s actual movements, including accelerations, decelerations and technological pauses. The result is a figure derived from the actual kinematics of the equipment, not an optimistic estimate. Based on this validated time you size the line capacity and calculate the return on investment.
What is program conversion (post-processing) in DELMIA robotic simulation?
Program conversion is the stage where the program validated in the simulation is translated into the native language of the real robot controller, specific to each manufacturer such as FANUC, ABB or KUKA. The resulting program is loaded directly on the physical robot without manual rewriting, closing the loop between the virtual and the real environment.
Why outsource DELMIA simulation instead of doing it in-house?
DELMIA requires expensive licenses, specialized engineers and experience gained on real projects. For most companies, training this skill in-house does not make economic sense. Outsourcing provides access to validated output, configuration, ready-to-load programs and confirmed cycle times without the investment in infrastructure and training.
Why outsourcing DELMIA simulation makes sense for your business
DELMIA is a powerful tool, but it is not a simple tool. It requires expensive licenses, specialized engineers and experience gained on real projects. For most companies, training this skill in-house does not make economic sense.
Outsourcing the simulation to a specialized partner gives you access to the result without the investment in infrastructure and training. You receive validated configuration, ready-to-load programs and confirmed cycle times on which you build your business decision with confidence.
If you are preparing an investment in a robotic cell or want to validate an existing project before installation, our team can take over the entire DELMIA simulation process. Contact us for a discussion about your project and find out exactly what risks we can eliminate before they affect your budget.
