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Building Efficiency Through 3D Design Solutions

Gunther Barajas - Dassault Systèmes
Vice President of Dassault Systèmes de México

STORY INLINE POST

Sat, 09/01/2018 - 10:42

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Q: How important are manufacturing industries to Dassault Systèmes’ operations, particularly the automotive industry?
A: The automotive industry represents around 30 percent of our activities. In Mexico, the automotive and aerospace industries are our main business areas. Globally, OEMs are Dassault Systèmes’ main clients and in Mexico the company collaborates with OEMs and Tier 1 companies to support the development of local Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers. We have a supplier development plan for the automotive industry in which we collaborate with several clusters, including the State of Mexico Automotive Cluster.
Q: How has Dassault Systemès’ technology evolved to make design processes easier for clients?
A: We integrate design and simulation within the same platform, which we call the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. When defining the geometries of a component, loads and stresses are automatically pre-set so clients can have a clear idea of how the part will perform right from the beginning. Dassault Systèmes’ solutions can also make geometric and topological recommendations to reduce weight and make components more efficient. For hybrid and electric vehicles, this translates to a larger range of autonomy.
Q: How open are SMEs to adopting advanced software like that provided by Dassault Systèmes?
A: SMEs are interested in these solutions but the challenge they face is the initial cost of this technology. Dassault Systèmes collaborates with clusters and state ministries of economic development (SEDECOs) in the establishment of innovation centers to address this issue. At these centers, SMEs can use our technology to design and manufacture their components through rapid prototyping or 3D printing. These are also spaces for them to interact with OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. We include technological universities in this process as a way to train the talent the industry needs.
We also approach customers and run a simulation of the design and manufacturing of one of their components. That way, they can understand the benefits of our software. 3DEXPERIENCE is a highly intuitive platform that takes all company’s areas into consideration, which helps clients find ways to improve their operations. Eliminating information gaps, improving communication processes between designers and people on the production line and reducing iterations when checking if a design can be manufactured are the most common areas of opportunity.
Q: What level of penetration have augmented-reality solutions found in the Mexican market?
A: Dassault Systèmes’ clients are increasingly adopting this technology. Through augmented reality, a chassis-making company can see how its components will behave based on the workloads they will experience and the scenarios they will go through. This enables the company to calculate where a chassis will deform.
Q: What are Dassault Systèmes’ key growth objectives in 2018?
A: We experienced a 20 percent growth rate in 2017 and we expect to reach this same margin in 2018. Dassault Systèmes solutions are being increasingly adopted as the standard design platform for the next generation of vehicles, particularly EVs, where we have a market share of over 90 percent. Suppliers that want to work in these platforms will have to adopt Dassault Systèmes’ technology to integrate their supplier base and make design operations more agile.
Q: What is the main challenge that could stall Dassault Systèmes’ growth in Mexico’s automotive industry?
A: Our main issue is talent development. Without capable people, technology adoption becomes much harder. We collaborate with SEDECOs and state ministries of labor to open centers for training in design where companies can recruit new talent and adopt new technologies. Dassault Systèmes also supports technological universities through product life-cycle management competency centers to ensure talent is continuously generated.

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