CargoLifter Uses CATIA for Composite Airship
PARIS - CATIA(a) Solutions have been chosen as the strategic CAD/CAM/CAE system for use in the development and engineering design of the unique, lighter-than-air CargoLifter airship.
CargoLifter AG said it will use about 50 seats of the software from IBM(b) and Dassault Systemes to design and develop one of the safest, most accurate and ecologically acceptable means of transporting heavy goods in the history of transportation.
The company said all of its more than two dozen European development partners also use CATIA. Considerable time and cost savings are expected from virtual development teams using CATIA's digital mockup capabilities and IBM e-business, electronic supply-chain and other networking solutions to implement concurrent engineering practices and minimize the need for prototypes.
The first generation of the CargoLifter, the CL-160, is expected to carry a payload of up to 160 tons non-stop over distances of more than 6,000 miles at a cruising speed of up 60 miles per hour. The maiden flight of the CargoLifter is expected in 2001. The CargoLifter has the ability to transport and place equipment or other materials at a precise location. Worldwide usage of CargoLifter airships for construction and other projects in remote areas will help minimize ecological damage by reducing the need to build extensive roads or temporary airfields.
Almost all of the components and assemblies in the CargoLifter will be new designs. Unlike the historical Zeppelins, the new airship will be filled with non-flammable helium gas and will have a rigid framework only at its keel. The carbon-fiber composite flight deck, loading bay, propulsion and maneuvering drives and tail units will be suspended from this framework.
"For such an innovative development and design job, we needed a CAD system and networking solutions that provide efficient support for the entire process chain and could also supply 3D models and visual displays for the early marketing activities. Such a system must also leverage all the possibilities of advanced, concurrent engineering methods," says Andreas Moder, managing director of CargoLifter Communications, GmbH. "CATIA and other solutions from IBM met all of these requirements." He adds: "Because CATIA incorporates aerospace engineering procedures and practices from companies around the world, its use in the CargoLifter project would help ensure optimum conformity with national and international regulations in the product development process."
Bernard Charles, president of Dassault Systemes, comments: "CATIA is proving a very affordable system that can meet all user needs for any size of company. More and more companies like CargoLifter are moving to CATIA in order to energise innovation and support the development process."
The CargoLifter AG Company represents a new transport technology. An international team of R&D experts from all fields of manufacturing, engineering and transportation has been involved in the project since it was launched in 1994. The CargoLifter AG Company, with headquarters in Wiesbaden, was founded September 1, 1996, after two years of intensive preparation. Its objective is the planning of the CargoLifter, including the development, construction and operation of multi-functional large-volume airships. More than one hundred employees and volunteers are working on the CargoLifter with numerous industrial partners and the academic community.
IBM is the leader in creating, developing and manufacturing the world's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM translates these advanced technologies into value for its customers through its professional solutions and services businesses worldwide. IBM's worldwide Engineering Solutions unit is the leader in helping manufacturers gain a competitive advantage by offering them consulting and e-business transformation services and solutions. Customers use IBM solutions for such activities as computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering, product data management, virtual product development and Web-based collaboration.
Dassault Systemes S.A. is a leading software developer for the CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM II market -- providing users with solutions for their product development needs. CATIA-CADAM solutions and Deneb solutions enable total simulation of the creation of a product. SolidWorks, a wholly-owned subsidiary, offers design-oriented, software solutions based on Windows(c). With Java-based CATWEB e-business tools, everyone can exploit engineering data over the Web. ENOVIA PDM II Solutions deliver a new multi-CAD collaborative and innovative environment for the virtual product and process modeling and management across the extended enterprise. The customer base comprises over 13,000 CATIA-CADAM and 9,500 SolidWorks customers.
Additional information may be found at: For IBM Engineering Solutions: http://www.catia.ibm.com. For IBM: http://www.ibm.com/mfg/ or http://www.ibm.com/news; For Dassault Systemes: http://www.dsweb.com. For additional information, customers can contact their local IBM sales representative. In North America, customers can also call 1-800-395-3339 or fax 1-972-280-3140
(a) CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systemes SA.
(b) indicates a trademark or registered trademark of the IBM Corporation