Leading provider of composite and sheet metal components continues to reap DS CAA V5 partner benefits such as software that extends the reach of CATIA V5 composite design to manufacturing.

Composites design software extended to manufacturing Leading provider of composite and sheet metal components continues to reap DS CAA V5 partner benefits such as software that extends the reach of CATIA V5 composite design to manufacturing. 'We are delighted with this new achievement of our CAAV5 Partner CIMPA, demonstrating a fruitful and dynamic collaboration: a composites solution that extends the reach of CATIA V5 Composite Design to manufacturing, within a single unified V5 PLM environment'. 'This global PLM solution for composites benefits not only the aerospace industry, but all industries leveraging composite materials for their manufacturing processes,' said Jacques Leveille-Nizerolle, CEO of CATIA.

CIMPA, a leading supplier of composite and sheet metal components to the aerospace industry, has already produced a second new product in its first year since joining the Dassault Systemes CAA V5 partnership community, by using the fully integrated CATIA V5 software.

As part of Dassault Systemes' Component Application Architecture Version 5 (CAA V5) software partner community, CIMPA developed the new TAPElay global solution, which allows the manufacturing of composite parts by creating tapes from plies, while generating the laying trajectory and checking laying quality.

These advanced functionalities were used successfully to design in 3D the carbon-fiber centre wing box of the Airbus A400M in Nantes, France this summer.

The TAPElay software is composed of Tape Courses Generation and Tape Courses Manufacturing products.

Tape Generation is a complete set of tools designed for tapes creation and analysis from composite manufacturing plies.

The product is available through a new toolbar under V5 Composites workbench.

Tape Manufacturing is a complete set of tools designed for the creation of the tape laying process for tapes created by Tape Generation, available through a workbench under machining workshop.

This easy-to-use software is a fully integrated component of CATIA V5, and will enhance Dassault Systemes PLM functionalities for the composite cutting industries.

Customers can benefit from a direct use of native CATIA V5 geometry from composites workbench, a full visibility of the machine process in the CAD System, and a reduced programming time with a high level of automation.

The integrated process algorithms offer also the ability to manufacture the parts exactly 'as designed,' to achieve maximum productivity due to an optimized tool path, and to lay the just necessary quantity of laid carbon, meaning no excess weight on the finished part.

CIMPA has a sales partnership with Forest-Line, a machine builder, which distributes TAPElay.

'Forest-Line Capdenac recently concluded a first contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Nagoya, Japan, for the turnkey supply of two Linear Atlas contour tape laying machines, with the relevant Access tape pre-cutting machine.

This complete system features the integrated CAM software, the training and the assistance to the MHI specialists as well.

It will be operated as of early 2006, to manufacture the carbon fiber wings of the brand new 7E7 Boeing commercial jetliner.' (Forest-Line News No 8 , september 2004).

'The extension of the partnership provides the TAPElay global solution, which is dedicated to manage automatic tape cutting and automatic tape laying to meet the needs of companies who want a fully-integrated CATIA V5 solution,' said Christophe Cochard, chief technology officer of CIMPA.

'Further more, the industrial necessities, and in particular the capabilities of the Forest-Line machines, allow the realisation of quick and efficient programming.' Leveille-Nizerolle said: 'We are delighted with this new achievement of our CAAV5 Partner CIMPA, demonstrating a fruitful and dynamic collaboration: a composites solution that extends the reach of CATIA V5 Composite Design to manufacturing, within a single unified V5 PLM environment.

This global PLM solution for composites benefits not only the aerospace industry, but all industries leveraging composite materials for their manufacturing processes.'