Business Wire, Nov 18, 2009
New Products Focus on Convenient Lifestyles While Delivering Added
Safety Features
PARIS & ARMONK, N.Y. — Dassault
Systmes (DS) (Paris:DSY) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world
leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, and IBM
(NYSE: IBM) today announced that they have teamed up with Panasonic’s
Home Appliances Company and its Kitchen Appliance Business Unit (BU) to
support the development of more convenient and safer home appliances and
accelerate the introduction of induced heating (IH) appliances, such as
flat cooktops, into the Japanese market.
IH appliances are produced and developed by Panasonic’s Kitchen
Appliance BU and they are gaining popularity as an alternative to
gas-heated appliances. These appliances generate heat through a process
known as Joule heating or the transfer of heat to the bottom of a
cooking pan through an electromagnetic field. Heating efficiency levels
are over 90% since heat is transmitted directly to the cooking area
safely without any air pollution as this method avoids cooking food
using direct fire.
With its industrys first all-metal heating and light-sensor
technologies, Panasonics IH appliance leads the industry in heat
induction technology allowing consumers to quickly measure cooking
temperatures so they can accurately control the amount of heat generated
for cooking.
As demand increases for products that perform intelligent functions,
companies face the challenge of managing complex design environments to
interconnect the software, mechanical and electrical components required
to manufacture more sophisticated products. IBM and Dassault Systmes
are helping Panasonics Kitchen Appliance BU use CATIA software, a 3D
virtual design platform, for the digital development of product design
plans used in the manufacturing of more energy-efficient, electrical
appliances with features that will help consumers lead smarter lives.
Panasonic’s Kitchen Appliance BU uses PLM software solution CATIA to
help shorten the product development period and improve design quality
as follows:
-
All design processes, from initial digital designs to physical mold
fireplaces designs, were done as part of one integral process to shorten the
product development cycle. -
Key IH appliance parts, such as resin and plate parts, were designed
in a 3D format allowing fast and direct collaboration with multiple
factory mold makers. The process of mold drawing and production was
shortened by 40%. -
Metal parts, critical to the operation of IH appliances, were designed
and tested quickly, saving up to two days of testing time by using
module of CATIA Sheet Metal Design. -
With CATIA Analysis features, product designers performed repeated
analysis of large and complex assembly parts quickly, which allowed
the Kitchen Appliance BU team to focus on delivering a high quality
product early in the design process.
Industry analysts point to demand for future products such as zoneless
induction stoves that can be powered with intelligent sensors that
determine the presence of pots anywhere on the stove and automatically
ignite energy under the cooking pot and nowhere else. Panasonic’s
Kitchen Appliance BU will continue using Dassault Systmes PLM solution
for the design and development of new eco-friendly products that help
reduce of carbon monoxide (CO2) emissions.
“Compared to other software design products, CATIA has a rich set of
design functions needed for products requiring sophisticated surface and
shape designs such as our electric cooking heaters,” said Mr. Yasushi
Morimoto, team leader, Kitchen Appliance BU, Home Appliances Company,
Panasonic Corporation. “Seamless integration between CAD, CAE (Computer
Aided Engineering) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) drove our
decision to choose Dassault Systmes 3D platform. Our goal is to expand
into new product development areas by enhancing collaboration among
internal units, realizing global collaborative design, and improving
perfection of design through expanding utilization of CAE,” added Mr.
Morimoto.
“Japanese companies have long mastered the art of achieving excellence
in product design and manufacturing and with Dassault Systmes CATIA 3D
software, Panasonic’s home appliance division can now deliver a smarter
and greener product,” said Albert Bunshaft, vice president, IBM Product
Lifecycle Management.
For more information about IBM please visit www.ibm.com
and www.ibm.com/solutions/plm.
For Dassault Systmes please visit http://www.3ds.com.
About Dassault Systmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
solutions, Dassault Systmes brings value to more than 115,000 customers
in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981,
Dassault Systmes develops and markets PLM application software and
services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of
the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to
recycling. The Dassault Systmes portfolio consists of CATIA for
designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design –
DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for
global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D
lifelike experiences. Dassault Systmes shares are listed on Euronext
Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) and Dassault Systmes ADRs may be traded on the
US Over-The-Counter (OTC) market (DASTY)