CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
7 September 2004
Implementation Investments
Spanish Product Design Group Selects ICEM's Surface Modelling software to Smooth Development of New Mobile Phone Range
ICEM Ltd . announced that its ICEM Surf software suite was recently selected by Maier, the Spanish product design and development group, as its preferred software tool for the design of the exterior surfaces of a new range of mobile telephones.
Alvaro Paramo, head of the styling department at Maier stated, "The benefits of using ICEM Surf on a project like the design of a mobile phone are that not only does it enable us to have complete control over the design surfaces, especially when it comes to the very small dimensions involved in a mobile phone but that we are also able to use ICEM Surf's ability to exchange design data directly with our Catia engineering CAD/CAM system. On this project it ensured that the design development of the phone's exterior components and of its internal electronic and mechanical components and assemblies moved forward together smoothly and without any undue delays."
For this range of mobile phones, Maier's designers first imported the original 2D styling sketches, along with the internal components' space envelopes, into the ICEM Surf environment as a visual reference. They then used the software's surface modeling tools to create the initial digital surface models of the outer skins, including the front and back covers, battery covers, camera trims, front windows and keypads.
These digital models enabled Maier's designers and engineers to carry out early feasibility studies on the design. Photo-realistic renderings of a variety of design options were also created with ICEM Surf and sent to the client for a decision on the final design approach.
ICEM Surf was then used to develop the final surface models, with surface quality, in terms of flatness and the transitions between surfaces being analyzed using the software's advanced surface checking and shape diagnosis tools. The final surface models were then exported via ICEM's direct translator to Catia, for incorporation into the engineering design model.
Any required modifications, due to component interferences or manufacturing requirements, were dealt with by re-exporting the surfaces to ICEM Surf, where the necessary changes were made, before the modified surface models were imported back into Catia for use in the final tooling development process.
"The ability to modify complex surfaces and to simultaneously analyze the quality of those surfaces with ICEM Surf - and to see the results immediately - is a major benefit to us and certainly helped on this project," commented Paramo.
With facilities in three Spanish locations, as well as the UK, Maier specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of injection molded thermoplastic components and sub-assemblies for the automotive, telephony and domestic white goods industries. Employing over 2,000 people and with annual revenues of around Euros 200 million, the company's services include design and development of injection molded plastic products, such as mobile telephones, automotive vehicle exterior and interior components and trim and domestic appliances; surface finishing; and moulds and dies, prototypes and pattern making.
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