| Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France – July
9, 2004 – IBM and Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq:
DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) announced today
that Japanese auto component manufacturer Kikuchi Co.,
Ltd. has reduced the cycle time required for designing
jigs for its welding assembly lines by 22% only three
months after deploying their PLM Solutions. Kikuchi
deployed CATIA V5, for 3D digital product definition,
and SMARTEAM, for collaborative product data and lifecycle
management, with the goal of developing jigs and fixtures
more efficiently.
Kikuchi also implemented CATIA V5’s knowledgeware and
digital mock-up (DMU) capabilities in order to improve
the accuracy of robot off-line teaching, shorten modeling
time, and enable more flexibility in design changes. Kikuchi
uses CATIA V5’s design templates to automatically select
recommended parts from a standard parts library, thereby
reducing the parts procurement costs. Kikuchi plans to
expand its PLM deployment to its production engineering
domain with the goal of shortening design cycle time by
up to 50 percent.
IBM and Dassault Systèmes combined the functionalities
of CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM with proven industry-specific
PLM best practices to enable Kikuchi to accelerate its
PLM implementation and maximize its return on investment.
IBM and Dassault Systèmes in Japan have formed a task
force of experts to focus on developing best practices
for development and maintenance processes in the jigs
and fixtures industry with the goal of generating greater
industrial value, profitability and productivity.
“The auto components development process is becoming
increasingly global,” said Yutaka Miyamoto, Managing Corporate
Officer, General Manager, Development Division, Kikuchi
Co. Ltd. “IBM PLM Solutions developed by Dassault Systèmes
enable us to strengthen our competitiveness not just in
Japan but also in North America, Central and South America
and Asia.”
“The gain Kikuchi has made in streamlining its welding
processes underscores the power of what PLM can do. Kikuchi’s
22% reduction in cycle time—realized in less than three
months—demonstrates not only the efficiency that CATIA
and SMARTEAM deliver, but also the value of best practices
specifically developed for designing jigs and fixtures,”
said Scott Hopkins, general manager, IBM Product Lifecycle
Management. “Kikuchi’s implementation is an effective
combination of powerful functionality and world-class
domain expertise. We will continue to support manufacturers
with industry-specific solutions and methodologies that
will empower them to realize the benefits of our world-class
PLM offering.”
“Kikuchi’s successful implementation of our solutions
and revolutionary jig-design methodology are showcases
for how PLM business transformation produces major return
on investment,” said Christian Nardin, managing director,
Dassault Systèmes Asia. “Kikuchi’s deployment of Dassault
Systèmes’ PLM solutions underscores how those solutions
enable companies to better respond to the new challenges
of global competition.”
About Dassault Systèmess
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
maintenance. 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
www.3ds.com
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology company,
with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate.
IBM Sales & Distribution, which supports more than a dozen
key industries worldwide, works with companies of all
sizes around the world to deploy the full range of IBM
technologies. The fastest way to get more information
about IBM is through the IBM home page at
http://www.ibm.com
About Kikuchi
Kikuchi Co., Ltd. is developing press-molding and welding
technologies as its core business competencies.
Kikuchi is an advanced manufacturing company, as exemplified
by its early introduction of CAD/CAM/CAE systems and the
realization in 2000 of EWS cluster-based high-load molding
simulations, the first of their kind in Japan. The
company is an automotive parts maker that produces relatively
large automotive body units and excels in product quality
and proprietary technology. With production bases
not only in Japan, but in North America, South America,
and China, Kikuchi is active in global business development
with Japanese-affiliated automakers as its major customers.
For more information, visit
http://www.kikuchinet.co.jp
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