UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, announced its first certification using a digital model of the product being tested, granted to technology company Siemens, a milestone that has potentially wide-ranging implications for product innovation and speed to market.

UL Solutions digital modeling and simulation services are building a more efficient pathway for product design and certification by using verified and validated digital models alongside physical tests. 

This process results in more precise insights and the need for fewer product prototypes.

"This first certification marks a tremendous milestone in the testing, inspection and certification industry and for our customers globally as we carry out our mission of working for a safer world," said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions. 

"Digital modeling and simulation have enormous potential to shape the future of product development and certification. These services can help customers reduce time to market and product lifecycle costs while increasing the precision of technical insights into safety, performance and quality that drive innovation."

UL Solutions modeling and simulation services use a proprietary verification and validation process to establish the credibility of the model for compliance. 

Modeling and simulation are especially efficient for components and end products that are challenging to test due to size, complexity or number of design variances. Plus, using previously validated models in new designs adds confidence early in the product design process.

"Modeling and simulation-based services particularly provide added value for customers' modular designs and product platforms consisting of many design variances," said Weifang Zhou, executive vice president and president of Testing, Inspection and Certification at UL Solutions. 

"This added value can also be realized through the reduction of prototypes and effort to physically test them as well as reduced risk of a delayed market launch due to noncompliance late in the development process."