CATIA V5.18 improves quality of the final composite part through post-processing analysis

CATIA V5.18 extends the end-to-end composites process from design to simulation to manufacturing for automotive and aerospace industries. CATIA V5.18 delivers post-processing analysis on composite parts for an accurate product behavior evaluation. It embeds failure criteria specification to composites structure (Tsai-Hill and Tsai Wu criteria) to give a better assessment of composites parts. In addition, the composites analysis environment can receive all producibility information needed to ensure accurate manufacturing results.

Enables effective Electronics CAD and Mechanical CAD design collaboration by strengthening the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design process

A library of 3D components, defined in neutral data exchange format, from several construction methods, either designed in CATIA or imported through data exchange formats, makes it easy to map with several ECAD tool import/export references to the position of electrical components without the need to redesign in CATIA.

Integrates knowledge early in the design process for significant quality improvements

V5.18 enables Generative electrical design based on company rules captured in V5 knowledge - Generative Harness covering placement (Tube, Tape), Generative electrical parts connections (auto create electrical assemblies from catalog), and delivers more electrical design checks (part connection compatibility, wire route and manufacturability, splice location in harness, completion of V5 electrical model).

Reinforces end-to-end electrical process by integrating manufacturing constraints directly in the design

CATIA V5.18 enhances CATIA Electrical Harness Flattening for harness drawing production by delivering more accurate harness manufacturing documentation (Backshell representation), smoothing harness flattening process for device orientation and improving the harness drafting quality. The CATIA Electrical Harness offer reduces the design to manufacturing cycle time especially for Automotive and Aerospace CATIA V5 Electrical design customers. The flattening process becomes more robust and completes the layout process more efficiently.

Improves the structure functional design on 2 major axis

• Process - The introduction of a new FEM command makes the process of designing a ship easier .Naval architects are required to validate the structure of the ship during this iterative phase. This requires making analysis quickly using finite element solvers. CATIA Structure Functional Design 2 (SFD) provides a new bridge to develop automatically the Mesh Model within CATIA. Specific SFD object geometries and properties are taken into account such as seams on SuperPlate, stiffener trace, and so on. Then, the user is able to locally redefine a detailed mesh, using the regular Advanced Meshing Tools.
• With multiple changes and improvements, drafting solution for classification gets a massive upgrade. Performances are decreased by 50% in average, and several new features are facilitating the automatic generation of the drawings.
• The structure detailed design in many ways, among them include:
  • An important evolution in V5.18, named "Thickness compensation" enables users to automatically delimit object (plates or stiffeners) to other objects while taking into account the thickness of the limiting objects.
  • V5.18 reinforces existing detailed design with new built-in end cuts, new Opening from Catalog for more productivity, the Break command that supports now more features and computed attributed that are enlarged.

Enhances CATIA Machining solutions efficiency from NC Programming to simulation to increase manufacturing process productivity.

• V5.18 expands the CATIA Machining simulation coverage to mill-turn process by allowing the user to define, program and simulate ISO Code on lathe and mill-turn machines including multi-spindle, multi-turrets and auxiliary devices. Lathe productivity is significantly enhanced by improving global lathe operations, by releasing new turning revolution envelop computation and by supporting new "4-axis Pocketing" operation.

• Programming and machining time of milling process is appreciably reduced with the 3- to 5-axis switch capability on finishing operations to prevent collision and greatly improve machining time and cutting tool life. Users take advantage of the new 5-axis spiral milling operation and improved existing 5-axis operations, leading to major productivity gains in 5-axis solutions.

  Multi-part programming time is drastically reduced by merging and reordering the sub-programs to machine several parts on a single setup. CATIA V5.18 enlarges and improves 2.5- & 3-axis operations with T-Slotter function for efficient undercut areas finishing, new sequential axial operations for more flexibility on non-standard holes, and helical machining strategy for machining time reduction.

Accelerates quality control and enforces inspection mechanism during reverse engineering process

• A new deviation analysis command allows users to analyze the deviation between elements. With this new command, the quality is a key point in reverse engineering process. Users can rapidly compare physical mock-up to the CAD model, and easily check the quality of rebuild surfaces in comparison to the scanned data.

• The role of inspection during the reverse engineering process is reinforced by allowing users to create associative annotations on a deviation analysis.

  Using CATIA V5.18 associativity mechanism, any modifications to the deviation analysis updates the associated annotations. In addition, the users can use a report that summarizes the results of the deviation check to cover the last stage of part inspection process.