Beth Shomin
INDUSTRY NEWS
Plasan Carbon Composites Concentrates CAD/CAM Capabilities
CompositesWorld.com (03/06/12)
Automotive composites structures supplier Plasan Carbon Composites USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Plasan of Israel, has replaced its three-CAD system with a composite design, manufacturing and simulation solution suite from Dassault Systèmes (DS), which combines CATIA Composites Design, Simulayt solutions for fiber modeling and linking and Abaqus FEA from SIMULIA for virtual testing of a design’s structural integrity. Because CATIA, Simulayt and SIMULIA Abaqus are integrated to work within a single user interface, Plasan has saved time, eliminated translation errors, and streamlined training. Plasan can quickly provide accurate quotes to its customers based purely on the OEM’s part data, which is available long before the lay-up tools themselves. Also, advanced flattening and producibility simulation algorithms allow engineers to understand how fibers in composite materials are conforming or deforming around the complex geometries typical in automotive components. Plasan also is using its new solution to develop next-generation processes that create parts faster by replacing autoclave treatments of the composites materials with out-of-autoclave pressure-based approaches. Savings to date include a 75 percent reduction in curing times, which translates into significantly decreased energy demand and faster delivery to customers.
