How CATIA for Creative Designers helps to keep Recaro in the hot seat

Dassault Systèmes' latest release, CATIA for Creative Designers, is a software solution that bundles applications to help designers imagine, create, share and experience their product designs, virtually.

Johnson Controls division Keiper, is using Dassault Systèmes' latest CATIA software in the design process of its new Recaro vehicle seating systems.

Mathias Gischke, Head of the Style and Surfaces department at Johnson Controls' Technical Center in Kaiserslautern, says: "13 years ago we decided to use ICEM Surf, the Class-A leading software at the time. Most of our Class-A projects we do in ICEM Surf, for example covers and handles, which need a perfect finish.

"The applications from Dassault Systèmes enable us to very quickly and effectively generate data of a very high quality and then implement this into samples that can then also be assessed," says Gischke.

CATIA for Creative Designers allows users to express and communicate their design by initially sketching in 3D and then to smoothly bring their ideas to life in a 3D virtual product; the complete creative workflow from ideation, concept and refinement to design validation.

The solution also allows subdivision surfaces that gives designers the ability to develop their creativity directly in 3D by virtual 'clay modeling'. It finally gives designers more creativity tools to realize more design exploration in realtime.

"Years ago, we began straking on clay models...we always got scans of existing physical models, which we then loaded, prepared, filtered, cut and then based our data on," Gischke explains.

"Today, the situation is slightly different – sections are often used. We use data from our technology departments to create pictures and contours, which is where ICEM Surf or even CATIA Icem Shape Design comes in, with their ability to scan data in its native format."

Besides implementing these already existing features, CATIA for Creative Designers' new workflow allows designers to explore more ideas and push concepts further in the virtual development. Through lifelike visualization and simulation tools, the solution can better support decision making, ensuring that the concepts coming to real life are the ones which reflect the best creativity and innovation.

The Lifelike experience for exterior design, color and trim reviews and realtime visualization features enables design validation to occur at a faster pace, so products can be created more realistically accurate. This process also expedites time to market, and generates more effective working solutions for companies using the product.

"CATIA for Creative Designers includes a technology called Imagine and Shape (IMA) offering an opportunity to model NURBS surface joints with the subdivision surfaces technologies.The advantages of IMA can be easily explained: it provides easy and intuitive creation and modification of complex surface shapes. In this case the interaction with other CATIA functionality is possible," concludes Gischke.

Since the company was created in 1981, Dassault Systèmes has helped its industrial customers maximize product design and development. First used to design complex shapes, 3D now makes it possible to design and manufacture products creating digital mockups.

Tailored to address specific design expectations, CATIA for Creative Designers' portfolio has been designed as a platform for growth, with a small number of dedicated value-added packages.

For more information on CATIA for Creative Designers and other products in Dassault Systèmes' portfolio of 3D visualization products, visit the website.

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