AWS re:Invent 2025 - Apollo Tyres Accelerates Engineering Workflows with HPC on AWS (IND368)

AWS re:Invent 2025 - Apollo Tires Accelerates Engineering Workflows with HPC on AWS

Engineering Excellence in a Digital-First World

• Competing in a digital-first manufacturing world requires:
  • Modernizing operations through cloud technologies and automation
  • Accelerating product development to reduce time-to-market
• Mastering the digital thread to manage complex product data and enable seamless design
• Leveraging simulations to virtually test thousands of design iterations and enable innovation

Apollo Tires' Journey to the Cloud

• Started with collecting IoT data and building a data lake on AWS
• Migrated ERP and other core systems to the cloud
• Focused on Industry 4.0 initiatives to connect more IoT devices across manufacturing
• Built a comprehensive product genealogy to understand component usage and reduce complexity

Challenges with On-Premises HPC

• Hundreds of simulations per month, multiple users and jobs, and aging on-premises hardware
• High upfront capital expenditure for on-premises HPC with long ROI timelines
• Difficulty scaling capacity and managing costs effectively

Architecting HPC on AWS

• Leveraged AWS services like FSx for shared high-performance storage that can automatically scale
• Implemented a custom HPC management platform (Tachyon) for self-service job submission, workstation management, and cost optimization
• Utilized a mix of instance types (Graviton, AMD, Intel) to match workload requirements and optimize costs

Key Benefits Achieved

• 60% reduction in simulation time compared to on-premises
• Shifted from high CAPEX to controlled OPEX model for running HPC workloads
• Empowered R&D team to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management
• Accelerated product development cycle through virtual prototyping instead of physical

Future Roadmap and Lessons Learned

• Expand HPC to additional R&D centers globally
• Leverage AI/ML for compound simulations and design complexity reduction
• Key lessons:
  • Importance of benchmark analysis and choosing the right instance types
  • Designing for elasticity and automating everything
  • Monitoring costs closely and setting budget thresholds

Conclusion

Apollo Tires' journey to the cloud and adoption of HPC on AWS has enabled them to accelerate their engineering workflows, reduce costs, and empower their R&D teams to focus on innovation. The comprehensive HPC solution, powered by services like FSx and the Tachyon platform, has been a game-changer in their digital transformation.