Survey says … Results of the Automotive Industries' online software survey

Automotive Industries, Dec, 2003 by Brent Haight

There is no shortage of software platforms targeting CAE, CAD and CAM applications and with a plethora of options, comes a plethora of opinions about which programs are better. But the resounding leaders in our 2003 Automotive Industries Online Software Survey were IMB's CATIA and Autodesk's AutoCAD.

Both platforms received the highest re spouses when it came to participants naming the CAE tools used, CAD packages used and CAE tools they would like to use, but are not using now.

AutoCAD and CATIA are certainly not new names to CAE. AutoCAD recently sold its 6 millionth copy since its first introduction in 1983; and IBM boasts that 49 percent of the cars today have been designed with CATIA, which first hit the market in 1981.

While both packages have been on the market more than two decades, each company has been successful in increasing its market share by evolving its programs to keep them relevant to the rapidly changing needs of automotive engineers.

"We've got a pretty big focus on customer satisfaction and direct customer research on trying to find out where our customers want our product to go," says Shawn Gilmour, product line manager for Autodesk. "We are not sitting in a back room making up what we think people will want to buy. "We are at customers' sites talking to them about the problems they are having and working with them to try and solve them."

"We are constantly working on the future," says Jean Marc Deshays, worldwide automotive strategy executive, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. "Our goal is to define the next solutions that we need to deliver to our customers in order to help them Face the challenges that will come."

Each company offers a successful product lineup targeting the CAE, CAD and CAM needs of a variety of industries and neither is showing any signs of complacency.

AutoCAD recently unveiled AutoCAD 2004. According to the company, AutoCAD 2004 introduces new features like productivity tools and presentation graphics for creating data more quickly; CAD standards tools and electronic documentation using Design Web Format; as well as new software licensing tools for more efficient data management.

Design Web Format (DWF) is an open, plot--ready the format developed by Autodesk for the secure transfer of drawings over networks, including the internet. The D-VVF enables designers, engineers, developers and their colleagues to communicate design information and intent to anyone needing to view, review or print the data.

"In developing AutoCAD 2004, we concentrated on features in the areas of performance, to make the product perform faster," says Gilmour. "We also concentrated on a number of ease of use features in the drafting area."

AutoCAD 2004 can be used for 2D drafting, detailing, design documentation or introductory 3D design. Engineers can personalize or program the software to meet specific design needs or add an industry-specific application built to work with AutoCAD.

"The use of AutoCAD within the automotive industries is varied," says Gilmour. "A lot of the larger manufacturers like GM and Ford use AutoCAD when it comes to the point of doing assembly line layout, plant layout, tool and die design--the things actually help the plant to run and build the components for the cars.

"What I found in the smaller manufacturers, the parts suppliers for example," says Gilmour, "is that AutoCAD is used in the small component design. It might be brackets for the alternator and mounting different hardware on the motor, for example. I've even seen it being used for routing for the exhaust system designs."

IMB introduced CATIA V5R12 in September and is already at work on CATIA VSR13, which will be unveiled in first quarter 2004.

CATIA Version 5 is an integrated suite of CAE, CAM and CAE applications for digital production definitions and simulations.

According to IBM, the CATIA V5 architecture enables the user to 'copy' previously validated engineering rules and tooling definitions to automatically create new designs or modifications in less time than is traditionally taken. Templates based on full 3D CAD geometry can be generated as standard master designs and provide the links to simulation and manufacturing, all within one integrated set of applications.

As a specific tool targeting the automotive industry, IBM and Dassault Systems introduced the Generative Car solution this fall. Utilizing CATIA V5 software, the Generative Car solution is a comprehensive offering that applies to all facets of the automotive development process, including body, interior and exterior trim, chassis, powertrain, electrical and vehicle synthesis and assembly.

"Generative Car is our newest strategy and is a global solution in order to support the different automotive processes," says Deshays.

The Generative Car solution consists of a set of integrated products from CATIA, ENOVIA and DELMIA, combined with a set of IBM Best Practices and DS Product Lifecycle Management practices developed for the automotive industry. According to IBM, it enables auto manufacturers and suppliers to leverage valuable corporate knowledge in order to meet market demands for an ever-increasing number of vehicles.