Seamless CAD Modeling for Suspension Specialist

Sydney, Australia - 19 April 2006 - Designer for OEMs in the automotive components market, Kinetic Suspension Technology, has implemented I-deas NX software for high-end digital modeling in its product development.

According to Neil Butler, the CAD Designer at Kinetic Suspension Technology, the company is using I-deas NX as it does not require conversion of CAD files from its customers into another CAD package format.

"This streamlines processes so we are also able to work in the native CAD format of our customers and our parent company Tenneco in the US," said Mr Butler.

"After some initial training, the I-deas NX package supplied by plm is very easy to understand and we are finding it to be useful in transferring concept designs between our customers and ourselves."

In terms of how Kinetics uses I-deas NX, Mr Butler says a normal project would have four to six major components (cylinders, manifolds etc.) with a design time of six to eight weeks to have drawings ready for manufacture."

Some car makers that have benefited from Kinetics' know-how include Citro�n, which has used the Kinetic system on its Xzaras WRC cars from 2003 until 2005, winning 3 manufactures and 2 driver's titles and Mitsubishi, which used a similar system on the 2004 & 2005 Dakar Rally Pajeros - finishing 1st and 2nd both times.

Mr Butler says that he thinks the I-deas NX suite will be of even greater benefit to his company in the medium to long term.

"The Kinetics suspension systems is unique in that it can provide reduced articulation stiffness, increased roll stiffness, high levels of comfort and mode decoupled roll and bounce damping all in a passive interconnected hydraulic system.

"Kinetic systems are not active; they typically require no motors, pumps or computers.

"Nonetheless they can readily be provisioned to provide load leveling and ride height adjustment and can also be adapted to include active or semi active control features to enhance their inherent passive functionality," he said.

According to Director of Product Lifecycle Management Australasia (plm), Mr Dennis Colusso, I-deas NX is a software suite that is very popular with carmakers such as Ford and Nissan. It is essentially, he says, "a 3D design-based CAD program."

"I-deas NX suite gives companies the advantages of a master model-based approach to product development," said Mr Colusso.

"A comprehensive suite of solutions easily tackles the most complex product designs and encompasses the entire digital product development process.

"The master model enables manufacturers to design, simulate, optimise, document, build, and test products within an integrated digital environment.

"As a result companies can maximise innovation and product quality, while minimising time to market and costs."

www.plma.com.au

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