CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
26 January 2011
Implementation Investments
NIAR and Dassault Systèmes Partner to Foster Composites Innovation in Aviation
Dassault Systèmes announced an expanded partnership with the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) to sustain innovation and advanced use of composites materials in the aerospace industry. With the reliance on composites materials significantly growing with every new aircraft program, the industry has gone through major transformations. These developments make it critical for manufacturers to leverage the most advanced software and methodologies to fully capitalize on the benefits such as durability, weight savings, contribution to fuel efficiency, and lower CO₂ emissions. NIAR’s CAD/CAM Laboratory is supporting the transition by empowering employees of leading aerospace manufacturers and university students through hands-on instruction on a single platform with Dassault Systèmes end-to-end solutions.
“For more than a century, metal parts have been the de facto standard in the aerospace industry. Moving to composites has revolutionized what’s possible in aerospace design, but transitioning an entire industry is a momentous task,” said Shawn Ehrstein, director of NIAR’s CAD/CAM Laboratory. “We now give students and aerospace professionals the ability to learn how to master composites technology and optimize industrial practices with a cutting-edge comprehensive solution combining CATIA, SIMULIA and DELMIA from Dassault Systèmes. It represents a significant contribution to moving the industry forward.”
Located at Wichita State University, NIAR provides research, development, testing and certification services to the aviation manufacturing industry, government agencies, educational entities and other clients. The Institute has provided training on CATIA and other Dassault Systèmes products since the mid-1990s and has broadened its offerings to specifically address the industry’s demand for knowledge of composites-based engineering. Traditional composites solutions address design, simulation, and manufacturing separately, resulting in a slow, tedious and strictly sequential process. Dassault Systèmes’ integrated solution removes barriers between teams and enables real-time collaborative engineering throughout the composites process to accelerate core activities, reduce risks and costs, and improve productivity.
“Dassault Systèmes is part of a global composites community. Building strong partnerships with leading composites academic institutions, research centers, and industry clusters is a key focus for us to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and accompany our customers through their business transformation,” said Philippe Savignard, composites domain leader, Dassault Systèmes. “Training current and future employees of leading aerospace manufacturers in a single environment that provides end-to-end collaboration between design, analysis and manufacturing teams is crucial. Through its research, training and consulting activities, NIAR provides an invaluable service to the aerospace industry, and we’re proud to play an active part in its success.”
Instruction is offered primarily on CATIA for Composites, a solution that addresses the needs of designing with composites, along with instruction on SIMULIA, for realistic simulation. The Institute plans to offer instruction on DELMIA, for digital manufacturing, within the coming months.
About the National Institute for Aviation Research at WSU
The National Institute for Aviation Research, an unincorporated division of Wichita State University, is an aerospace research and development laboratory with global reach and expertise in research, development, testing, and certification. The Institute’s clientele includes many of the world’s aerospace manufacturers, NASA and the FAA. It is the largest aviation R&D academic institution in the United States. http://www.niar.wichita.edu
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