Context: Computer Aided Engineering Committee, CAEC, steers the activities concerning tools, processes, methodologies and support for computer-aided mechanical engineering and related fields at CERN. To this aim, it requests and controls the budget covering the purchase and maintenance of standardized software. CAEC reports to the Engineering (EN) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, as they provide relevant support personnel and financial resources; if need be, CAEC further reports to the Directorate and concerned Departments of the Accelerator & Technology (ATS), Research and Computing (RCS) and Finance and Human Resources (FHR) sectors; CAEC Chairperson is appointed by the Head of the EN department in concertation with the Head of the IT Department.

Mandate

• CAEC shall cover the following areas of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE):
• Mechanical computer aided design and engineering
• Multiphysics finite element analysis
• Electromagnetic field calculation programs
• Engineering data management systems (EDMS, PDM and PLM platforms)
• Engineering digital thread of equipment and the related tools for its lifetime management

The Computer Aided Engineering Committee (CAEC) has the mandate to:

1. represent the above-mentioned areas towards CERN Management, in particular to plan and to set priorities on investments and resource needs (hardware, software, training, development, testing, consulting) and to supervise their efficient use. CAEC
2. shall advise the Support and User groups on the allocation of personnel resources in related matters.
3. define the official CAE tools and supervise the implementation of rules and standards for the coherent use and working methods at CERN of such tools, and of the related documents and processes, and provide guidelines to institutes collaborating in CERN projects.
4. define the policies for control, access, and training for the use of CERN CAE tools. CAEC shall advise CAE support and users on the selection and use of non-standardized software and hardware when the standard tools are not appropriate for specific tasks.
5. co-ordinate the deployment of CAE tools and their new versions at CERN, including the possible customization and development of the tools for CERN needs. CAEC shall give advice on the choice of platforms and operating systems for the CAE tools. In doing so, CAEC shall cooperate with governance bodies (as the Steering Group on Externally Provided Software, Systems, Hardware and Services – STEPS) in charge of the procurement and use of CAE-related software.
6. co-ordinate strategic relations between CERN and CAE suppliers, and it shall pursue active analysis on the CAE tools available on the market and their applicability with respect to the CERN needs.
7. act as central body between CAE users, managers, and support at CERN.

To fulfil its mandate, the Committee shall define the need, scope, mandate and composition of sub-working groups related to CAE tools, data, processes and methodologies. These sub-working groups shall report to CAEC.

CAEC shall elaborate and propose CERN's long-term strategy for CAE tools, processes, methodologies, and data and monitor its implementation.

Mandate endorsed by Enlarged Directorate on 6 December 2022
Mandate approved by EN and IT Department Heads in October 2022
Created 25 May 2009, latest update August 2022 by A. Bertarelli and A. Onnela

Available in EDMS: https://edms.cern.ch/document/1001439