International certification body TÜV Nord has certified that IPG Automotive’s simulation solution, CarMaker, meets the quality standards set by ISO 26262. The certification, granted in July 2024, will enhance the trustworthiness of CarMaker for use in safety-critical vehicle development projects, covering all Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASIL-A to ASIL-D).

The ISO 26262 standard outlines the necessary processes, activities and methods to ensure the functional safety of electrical and electronic systems in vehicles. Given the increasing demands of shorter development cycles and higher cost pressures, the need for reliable tools in vehicle development is crucial.

Simulation tools like CarMaker are designed to help OEMs and suppliers test and validate vehicle functions and components according to these rigorous standards.

With this certification, IPG says CarMaker has been recognized as a verified component in the vehicle development process that simplifies the release, homologation and validation of driving functions and full vehicles. The certification process involved a thorough analysis of CarMaker’s quality assurance procedures to confirm the accuracy and reliability of its simulations.

This tool certification obviates the need for users to prove the Tool Confidence Level (TCL) in each validation process, meaning CarMaker can now be more easily integrated into existing development processes.

IPG’s chief technology officer, Dr Andreas Höfer, said, “Simulation is an inherent part of future vehicle development. The ISO 26262 certification demonstrates that our solutions can be trusted. We are pleased that CarMaker will now be even easier to integrate into processes, enabling us to reduce efforts on the customer side.”