Paris, France – May 24, 2004 –
Just one year after implementing a revolutionary virtual
product development platform - the “Virtual Plateau”
- based on Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY: Euronext
Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) Product Lifecycle Management
(PLM) Solutions, Dassault Aviation has halved the
time required to assemble its new Falcon 7X business
jet.
The Falcon 7X becomes the first aircraft in industry
history to be entirely developed in a virtual environment,
from design to manufacturing to maintenance. The single,
integrated PLM environment, based on Dassault Systèmes’
CATIA, ENOVIA, and DELMIA Solutions, enables Dassault
Aviation and its 27 partners in seven countries to
work on a common, collaborative, 3D virtual platform.
In addition, SMARTEAM was used to manage and track
airplane systems.
Every one of the jet’s 30,000 parts was designed with
CATIA. Through ENOVIA, more than 1,000 engineers manage,
exchange, and work in real-time on up-to-date designs,
including interface data for partner-designed sections.
With DELMIA and its human modeling modules, specialists
analyze and optimize the design of the Falcon 7X for
crucially important aircraft maintenance and repair
procedures.
The dramatic gains in assembly time and part quality
stem from the precision attainable on the virtual
platform. The digital mockup of the Falcon 7X is so
accurate that fittings, supports, and tubing developed
virtually fit perfectly when the aircraft parts are
assembled in the physical world. Not only has the
need for traditional assembly tools dropped dramatically,
but Dassault Aviation will also not produce a physical
prototype of the Falcon 7X. The first jet, scheduled
for delivery in March 2005, will immediately be used
for certification.
“We made a big gamble when we said we were going with
ENOVIA,” said Jean-Claude Hironde, deputy senior vice-president,
Research, Design and Engineering, Dassault Aviation.
“Initially, we had to convince our partners of the
benefits of a virtual platform, of sharing data, and
working in context. But today, with data updated overnight,
as opposed to the former two-month modification cycle,
there simply is no comparison.”
“The virtual platform has fundamentally changed the
way we view building airplanes,” said Jacques Pellas,
CIO, Dassault Aviation. “Adopting PLM means improving
the circulation of information in a company, redefining
its processes, and reorganizing company structures.
We are just at the beginning of a new industrial revolution.”
“By becoming the first aerospace manufacturer to implement
a “virtual plateau”, Dassault Aviation has proven
once again to be a pioneer in the industry,” said
Philippe Forestier, executive vice-president, Dassault
Systèmes. “All users of this virtual plateau—from
suppliers to Dassault Aviation’s own engineers—are
establishing new frontiers in aircraft development
and demonstrating the value of the PLM business transformation.”
About
Dassault Aviation
In the past sixty years, Dassault Aviation has
delivered more than 7,500 civil and military aircraft
to 75 countries, logging some 20 million hours in
flight to date. This vast experience has allowed Dassault
Aviation to build up considerable expertise in the
design, development, production, sales and support
military aircraft (for example, Rafale, Mirage, and
Atlantic), Falcon Business Jets and Multi-Role Falcon.
Dassault Aviation has staked out a solid reputation
as industrial architect for complex airborne systems.
Several key assets underpin this global success: expertise
in emerging and strategic technologies; an in-depth
understanding of the customer’s technical, operational
and financial requirements; and a comprehensive systems
approach to meet cost, deadline and performance goals.
Dassault Aviation is one of the largest Military Aircraft
European Exporters and is the World Leader for Top
End Business Jets. Additional information about Dassault
Aviation is available at
http://www.dassault-aviation.com
About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management)
solutions, the Dassault Systèmes group brings value
to more than 70,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer
in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes
develops and markets PLM application software and
services that support industrial processes and provide
a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from
conception to retirement. Its offering includes integrated
PLM solutions for product development (CATIA®, DELMIA®,
ENOVIA®, SMARTEAM®), mainstream product design tools
(SolidWorks), and 3D components (ACIS®) from Spatial
Corp. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY)
and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges.
For more information, visit
http://www.3ds.com
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