Aerospace and automotive software reseller, CNC Design Consultants (CDC), in partnership with France-based product lifecycle management solutions company Dassault Systèmes, will release an upgraded version of Dassault Systèmes’ existing Computer-Aided Three-dimensional Interactive
Application (CATIA) version 6 (V6R2013x) software onto the South African market in 2013.

“[The V6 software] has made the design and planning of aircraft and automotive systems simpler and has helped to globalise the process of aeronautical design collaboration projects, as it can be accessed from any country in the world using a cloud computing system,” says CDC MD Igal Filipovski.

He states that companies such as Airbus and Boeing are still using the CATIA V5 software, but are considering incorporating the V6 programme into their design process in the near future.

“[V6] streamlines the design process by making necessary information accessible to everyone working on a particular project. It is a nonfile-based system that uses a database to retain information,” explains CDC technical manager Kyle Elsmore.

He notes that, in the past, project managers had to manually collect information from the designers and compile a report for upper management on the project’s progress.

“It would often take a long time to gather the relevant information and compile a report and, by the time the report had reached [upper] management, the information would be outdated and irrelevant.

“There is a lack of qualified aeronautical engineers worldwide. V6 enables qualified engineers to work from home and keep up to date with various projects through a Web connection alone,” notes Elsmore.

Filipovski states that the aerospace industry is one of the most competitive industries globally and is especially competitive in South Africa.

“Aerospace companies in South Africa deal with constant global pressure. They compete in aspects such as price, quality and delivery time, and have to ensure that the quality of their product is not compromised,” he says.

Filipovski explains that, owing to the lack of aeronautical engineers in South Africa, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, as well as the governments of France and South Africa, opened a Project Lifecycle Management (PLM) Competency Centre at CPUT in May this year to teach students modern manufacturing aeronautical skills.

“The centre will focus on various application domains, which include PLM and the development of, specifically, new educational methods adapted for the strong competency expectations of the globalised industries, as well as the research and development institutions in South Africa, particularly in the automotive and aerospace industries,” says Dean of Engineering at CPUT Dr Mahomed Nawaz.

He explains that this platform will enable the reform of engineering curricula and act as an integrating agent for multidisciplinary research and development.

“It will also provide a networking capability for integrated learning projects conducted between geographically dispersed teams,” says Nawaz.

The activities of the centre will involve hundreds of students and educators, and these activities will be strongly linked to industrial, community-based and rural development initiatives from the private and public sectors.

“Most significantly, the centre will be able to play an active role in strategic national efforts, such as large infrastructure projects in the energy and transport sectors, as well as space science projects, including satellite technology and astronomy infrastructure,” Nawaz states.

He further notes that the French Ministry of Education is assigning a full-time professor to design training programmes for the centre.

The full suite of Dassault Systèmes’ latest V6 software for the three-dimensional (3D) experience – CATIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA and the DELMIA – as well as the 3D development platform for lifelike applications, will complement CPUT-developed modelling and simulation capabilities that support South African industries.

“Large national and international companies in South Africa use Dassault Systèmes and PLM software. “They also expect a continuous flow of highly employable new graduates to sustain their competitiveness.

“Students in mechanical, mechatronic and electrical engineering now need to manage software ranging from mechanical design to the 3D representation of integrated systems. The global integration of the Dassault Systèmes platform fulfils this need.

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The cooperation with Dassault Systèmes and the French Ministry of Education will create a model for innovative, advanced software instruction and contribute to the promotion of innovation and sustainable development in South Africa,” says Nawaz.

He further states that the global industry is evolving from a good-product perspective to a longer and broader strategic perspective of delivering a good experience to end-users.

“Academic institutions with foresight, such as CPUT, realise this and address this perspective in their curriculum. As part of a global network of PLMs advancing digital innovation in engineering education, the centre will play a central role in developing the talent that the global industry is seeking through a national network of PLM centres,” concludes Dassault Systèmes senior director of academic programmes Xavier Fouger.