# Transforming manufacturing with virtual modeling and innovative thinking

Virtual environments are empowering manufacturers to become more efficient,agile, precise, competitive and sustainable

**In the VIRTUAL WORLD**

manufacturers are empowered to endlessly test ideas to address their most complex challenges using precise, scalable and science-driven methods...

**...enhancing REAL LIFE**

by developing optimized production facilities and processes that prioritize worker safety and sustainability, designing human-focused products.

Virtual technology empowers modern manufacturers to uncover new possibilities for real-world impact in efficiency, precision and sustainability, reshaping how industries create, operate and scale. The [Manufacturing Industries sector](/manufacturing "The World Needs Manufacturers") thrives on combining cutting-edge technology with innovative thinking. Virtual environments are fueling this revolution by allowing companies to design, simulate and test ideas for products and processes before physical implementation, heightening efficiency and reducing waste. This isn’t just about technological advancement; it’s a necessity for organizations to stay competitive in fast-evolving markets and to react to consumer wants and needs. From precise production and sustainable manufacturing, to planning modular facilities, to employing [virtual twins that monitor processes in real time](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/delmia/the-virtual-twin-experience-how-to-use-it-for-maximum-benefit/ "The Virtual Twin Experience: How to Use Digital Twins?"), the virtual world is helping manufacturing companies transform theoretical possibilities into impactful realities and helping to shape the [Generative Economy.](/insights/corporate-reports/helping-industry-leverage-data-science-and-ai-enter-generative-economy "Helping Industry Leverage Data Science and AI to Enter the Generative Economy")

Sustainable luxury cosmetics from field to skin

***Clarins has always believed that nature holds the key to beauty. Now, Clarins is taking that philosophy further by combining locally grown botanicals with cutting-edge*** [***digital manufacturing***](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/delmia/what-is-digital-manufacturing/ "What is Digital Manufacturing?")***. With Dassault Systèmes, Clarins modernizes its French facilities, merging tradition and innovation for smarter, more sustainable manufacturing.***

[**Clarins’**](/newsroom/press-releases/clarins-teams-dassault-systemes-achieve-new-levels-efficiency-its-two-french-production-sites "Clarins Teams Up with Dassault Systèmes to Achieve New Levels of Efficiency at Its Two French Production Sites") commitment to sustainability runs deep in the luxury cosmetic brand’s DNA. Known for its luxury skincare and makeup, the French company sources 80% of its active ingredients from nature and has made transparency, quality, and innovation central to its ethos. Across its two states – a newly established 115-hectare site near Nîmes and an open-air laboratory with a private farm in the French Alps – Clarins cultivates a rich variety of botanicals, including nopal, quince, almond, apricot, lavender, lemon thyme and cornflower. These plants are a primary source of high-quality, organic raw materials for Clarins’ formulas.

[Manufacturing Industries 1](/media/21515)

Beyond ingredient sourcing, [Clarins is also transforming the way its products are made](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/delmia/high-tech-innovation-relies-upon-radical-manufacturing-transformation/ "High Tech Innovation Relies upon Radical Manufacturing Transformation"). To align production with its commitment to quality and transparency, the company has embarked on a major digital transformation. At the heart of this shift is Dassault Systèmes’ [manufacturing execution system (MES)](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/delmia/do-you-know-the-difference-between-mes-and-mom/ "MES and MOM: Do You Know the Difference?"), [DELMIA Apriso](/products/delmia/apriso "DELMIA Apriso"), which is redefining how Clarins manufactures and delivers its luxury beauty products with greater efficiency and precision.

For years, Clarins has operated a single production facility in Pontoise, France. As demand for its products grows worldwide, Clarins recognized the need to expand. The company’s new Sainte-Savine plant, built from the ground up, represents a cutting-edge approach to manufacturing. Designed for flexibility and agility, this [modular, scalable facility](/newsroom/press-releases/clarins-teams-dassault-systemes-achieve-new-levels-efficiency-its-two-french-production-sites "Clarins Teams Up with Dassault Systèmes to Achieve New Levels of Efficiency at Its Two French Production Sites") combines automation and advanced supply chain management to optimize every step of the production journey. The new factory will initially produce 20 million products per year, scaling up to 100 million in the future – bringing it on par with Pontoise. To achieve this, Clarins’ manufacturing execution system integrates production, packaging, logistics and quality management while tracking all operations in real time.

Instead of simply adding new technology on top of old ways of working, Clarins took the opportunity to simplify and improve its processes. When implementing DELMIA Apriso, the company redesigned its workflows for maximum efficiency.

### Data-driven production monitoring

Automation is central to [Sainte-Savine’s plant design](https://www.groupeclarins.com/clarins-sainte-savine-factory-a-milestone-for-clarins-growth/ "Clarins’ Sainte-Savine Factory: A Milestone for Clarins’ Growth"). Acting as the factory’s central nervous system, DELMIA Apriso interfaces directly with all equipment and links automated guided vehicles (AGVs), production lines and quality control systems, keeping operations in sync.

AGVs handle everything throughout the plant, moving seamlessly as they navigate the shopfloor and supply production lines without manual intervention. Wherever an AGV is at work, DELMIA Apriso is there too, providing complete oversight of quality and production while supporting Clarins to maintain its zero-defect standards.

By monitoring production speed, yield and equipment efficiency in real time, Clarins can quickly pinpoint bottlenecks, refine processes and stay on track, producing the right quantities, using materials wisely and keeping waste to a minimum. This information also flows to the electronic batch record, tracking weight, batch numbers and other key variables to ensure every stage of production is traceable, secure and optimized for accuracy.

Operators now see all essential information on a single screen rather than having to switch between multiple applications. This unified approach saves time, reduces errors and makes tasks more straightforward. The feedback from teams is that there’s no comparison between an old-generation screen and the DELMIA Apriso user experience.

### The next chapter in sustainable beauty

Clarins’ new Sainte-Savine facility is a model for the company’s future. With a highly optimised layout and cutting-edge MES, it represents the company’s vision for modern, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing.

Following the successful rollout of DELMIA Apriso at Sainte-Savine, Clarins is now preparing to bring its Pontoise plant up to the same digital standard. Beyond that, the company is exploring other Dassault Systèmes solutions, including 3D design, to push its [digital transformation](https://blog.3ds.com/topics/company-news/the-ultimate-guide-to-cloud-digital-transformation/ "The ultimate guide to cloud digital transformation in 2025") even further.

80%

**OF CLARINS’ ACTIVE INGREDIENTS ARE SOURCED FROM NATURE**

30%

**OF CLARINS’ PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS WILL BE PRODUCED FROM ITS OWN ESTATES BY 2030.**

100 MILLION

**PRODUCTS PER YEAR WILL BE MANUFACTURED AT CLARINS’ NEW SAINTE-SAVINE PLANT.**

Heightening efficiency with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform

***Japan’s*** [***Kobelco Construction Machinery***](/insights/customer-stories/kobelco-construction-machinery-heavy-machinery-innovation "Kobelco Construction Machinery") ***turned to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to streamline operations, enhance design processes, boost production efficiency and deliver improved customer experiences through innovation and accurate integration of feedback.***

### New opportunities for growth

To build on its strong legacy of heavy machinery innovation and continue to transform, Kobelco Construction Machinery is enhancing its collaboration with Dassault Systèmes – a partnership first established in 2000 when it deployed [CATIA V5 for design](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/catia/webinar-how-to-design-connected-engineering-with-catia-v5/ "[WEBINAR] How to design Connected Engineering with CATIA V5?") and [ENOVIA SmarTeam for product data management.](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/enovia/enovia-smarteam-customers-are-moving-to-the-3dexperience-platform-read-why/ "ENOVIA SmarTeam Customers are Moving to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform: Read Why")

Kobelco’s design teams are spread across factories in China, India and Japan. They’ve shortened product design and improved design cycle times by leveraging CATIA V5 for 3D modeling in new product development, but have been doing so through an in-house data integration between CATIA V5 and various highly customized legacy solutions. This created challenges with product design collaboration and lowered efficiency because, without a centralized system, each team must manage data independently. The in-house system requires overnight data sharing, a process that is not only cumbersome but also prone to issues like duplicated data and extended wait times for synchronization. This setup also prevented Kobelco from updating their systems and benefiting from the rapid evolution of IT.

### Expediting the heavy machinery design process

Since all design data will be accessed from a single unified environment, Kobelco’s various teams will [no longer have to wait for data to be shared overnight between locations](https://blog.3ds.com/topics/cloud/a-scalable-foundation-for-innovation/ "A Scalable Foundation for Innovation"). They expect to speed up the collaboration between domestic and overseas design departments considerably.

### Democratizing data

[ENOVIA’s product data management capabilities](/products/enovia "ENOVIA") will allow 3D models to be used throughout the entire company and provide everyone access to a single unified bill of materials. They also expected this to translate into time and cost savings. Currently, Kobelco spends €400 million(Y56 billion) a year on purchased parts. By having better data surrounding these parts, they’ll be able to source from the right supplier at the right price and at the right time. They’ll also be able to better negotiate prices, consolidate suppliers and minimize excess stock. They estimate that just a two per cent reduction would result in savings of €8 million (Y1.1 billion) per year.

### Improving production processes

DELMIA’s smart factory capabilities offer further value to Kobelco. DELMIA will help improve accuracy by eliminating the variation between the simulated workload and actual work time at each workstation.

Kobelco expects each plant will be able to reduce takt time (the rate of production required to meet customer demand) from 15 to 12 minutes and increase production from 10,000 units per plant per year to 12,000 units per plant per year.

Kobelco is also looking to leverage [virtual twins to enable problem-solving before machines are even built](https://blog.3ds.com/brands/delmia/how-to-accelerate-efficiency-with-virtual-twins-and-ai-in-manufacturing/ "How to Accelerate Efficiency with Virtual Twins and AI in Manufacturing"), as well as to ensure greater precision during manufacturing. They also plan to use virtual twins to simplify maintenance, allowing for faster repairs and reduced downtime. Ultimately, these capabilities will help Kobelco in their quest to maximize customer value and satisfaction, achieve lasting growth and become a leading global brand known for innovation.

[Manufacturing Industries 3](/media/21517)

Taking air taxis from theory to reality

***Joby Aviation’s all-electric vertical take-off and landing air taxis will soon be shuttling passengers in Dubai. Joby engineered its entire operations from the ground up, leveraging Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform.***

Infrastructure & Cities 2

 [![Joby Aviation's all-electric air taxi taking off, showcasing innovation in urban mobility with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2025-08/jobyaviation-flight-electric-aircraft-1920x900px.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2025-08/jobyaviation-flight-electric-aircraft-1920x900px.jpg)

### Building the world’s first all-electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi

In early 2023, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that [Dubai will be the first city in the world to introduce an air taxi service](https://ir.jobyaviation.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/132/joby-cements-global-lead-in-air-taxi-industry-with-dubai "Joby Cements Global Lead in Air Taxi Industry with Dubai Flights and Beginning of Commercial Market Readiness Work") – a move that it believes will transform urban mobility as we know it. As soon as 2025, passengers will be able to travel from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah in just 10 minutes, in an electric air taxi traveling at200 miles per hour (322 kph). The same journey would take around 45 minutes in a car.

The company facilitating Dubai’s ambitious plans? California-based [Joby Aviation](/insights/customer-stories/joby-aviation-air-taxi "Joby Aviation").

“We’re building the world’s first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi,” saidEric Allison, Joby Aviation’s chief product officer. “Our aircraft can take off vertically like a helicopter, and then fly like an airplane. It can hold four passengers and a commercially rated pilot. It will transform how we move around – integrating into mobility-as-a-service. You can open an app on your phone, select ‘Joby’ through our app or via one of our partners, and then get to where you want to go faster than any other way.” Joby engineered its entire operations from the ground up, by leveraging Dassault Systèmes’ [**3D**EXPERIENCE platform](/cloud "3DEXPERIENCE Platform on the Cloud") from the outset.

### Meeting complex certification criteria

Building an [electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft](https://blog.3ds.com/topics/cloud/5-fascinating-facts-evtol/ "Redefining Flight: 5 Fascinating Facts About eVTOL Batteries") certified for commercial flight is no mean feat. It has taken Joby 15 years of engineering, prototyping and refinement as well as close collaboration with industry leaders such as NASA and Toyota. The company also works with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on how to bring this new technology – which is a set of new technologies – to the market in the most expedient and safest way possible, adhering to the regulator’s high standards.

“To launch this service and to make it possible to move in this transformational way, we have to certify our aircraft,” Allison said. But this isn’t a simple process. “We have to certify electric motors. We have to certify the battery systems. We have to certify the fly-by-wire electronics that enable pilots to fly these amazing new machines. That’s a lot of work. We have to work with the regulators to define the safety requirements for this new class of technologies. We have to define how we’re going to meet those safety requirements. And then we have to work on all of the myriad of tests, all of the test plans, all of the things we have to do to show compliance with that set of rules that we’ve agreed with the regulators. We’re deep into that process right now.”

Joby couldn’t achieve what it has to date without adopting the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform as a [collaborative environment](https://blog.3ds.com/topics/virtual-experience/4-ways-companies-benefit-from-the-3dexperience-platform/ "4 ways companies benefit from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform"), through which it carries out a range of activities such as composite design, additive manufacturing, verification through simulation, data management and more.“Dassault Systèmes has been a fantastic partner,” Allison said. “Our entire digital engineering is built around its **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, and we are doing all of our design work in CATIA. We are tracking all of our engineering data in ENOVIA.”

### A collaborative route to success

With the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform offering [digital continuity](https://blog.3ds.com/topics/company-news/the-ultimate-guide-to-cloud-digital-transformation/ "The ultimate guide to cloud digital transformation in 2025") from concept to flight, Joby takes a vertically integrated approach to designing and manufacturing its aircraft. “That means we have engineers working across different disciplines,” Allison said. “We’ve got engineers working incomposite structures. We have engineers working in small electronics. We have engineers working in motor design, battery design and integrated vehicle design. We have to bring all of those disciplines together.”

The [**3D**EXPERIENCE platform enables Joby to do just that](https://blog.3ds.com/industries/aerospace-defense/how-dassault-systemes-technology-is-bringing-electric-air-taxis-closer-to-reality/ "How Dassault Systèmes technology is bringing electric air taxis closer to reality") and then allows it to connect engineering to manufacturing so that it generates the required data to not only transmit to its manufacturing systems and build its amazing aircraft but also enable full traceability.

“This is really a big advantage for us, that we have a best-in-class system that we can use to track, manage and ultimately act on, manufacture and bring to market what started out as data and turns into the real world,” Allison said. “To create world-class technology, you have to use world-class technology.” With the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, that’s precisely what Joby has got.

Driving progress for customers

HD Hyundai XiteSolution

HD Hyundai XiteSolution

Korean construction machinery company HD Hyundai XiteSolution needed to create moresynergy between its subsidiaries with a common global product development managementsystem. Dassault Systèmes’ out-of-the-box capabilities helped them integrate their design,product lifecycle and bill of materials management capabilities in just six months.

[HD Hyundai XiteSolution](/media/22415)

Mahindra & Mahindra

Mahindra & Mahindra

Mahindra & Mahindra, a leader in automotive, farm and services businesses in India, is advancing its digital transformation by selecting Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to accelerate its end-to-end new product development process, including for all future auto programs.

[Mahindra & Mahindra](/media/22416)

Monceau Automobiles

Monceau Automobiles

To convert classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles into 100% electric cars, Belgium’s MonceauAutomobiles leveraged the Efficient Multi-Energy Platform industry solution experience to gain 3D design precision and manage its complex repository of product data.

[Monceau Automobiles](/media/22417)

Pivotal

Pivotal

California startup Pivotal is opening the world to the possibilities of personal aviation with itslight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Helix. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform,including the Reinvent the Sky industry solutions experience, is supporting a vertical design-to-manufacturing approach and helping to bring Pivotal’s first production aircraft to market.

[Pivotal](/media/22418)

ASICS

ASICS

ASICS launched their experimental “[ASICS Personalization Studio](https://www.3ds.com/newsroom/press-releases/asics-and-dassault-systemes-demonstrate-demand-personalized-footwear)” at Dassault Systèmes’ headquarters in Vélizy, demonstrating a science-based approach to aid physical recovery while improving performance.

[ASICS](/media/24365)

CNBM

CNBM Triumph Robotics

Shanghai-based robotic line builder [CNBM Triumph Robotics](/insights/customer-stories/cnbm-triumph-robotics "CNBM Triumph Robotics") adopted the [Digital Equipment Continuity](https://my.3dexperience.3ds.com/welcome/compass-world/3dexperience-industries/industrial-equipment/digital-equipment-continuity) industry solution experience to streamline and standardize its way of working. With virtual commissioning, customers now experience the production lines through virtual twins, which support them with diagnostics, equipment upgrades and training.

[CNBM Triumph Robotics](/media/24366)

Clarion Malaysia

Clarion Malaysia

[Clarion Malaysia](https://www.solidworks.com/success/delmiaworks/erp-case-study-videos/integrating-erp-plm-and-mbom-under-one-platform-paves-path-increased-efficiency/?utm_source=LINKEDIN&utm_medium=Social_Networks&utm_content=20241121%2020241121204732&utm_campaign=DELMIA%20Works&linkId=663449525) needed to control the way its business operated, which would allow it to be more productive, efficient and responsive to market changes and customer demands. Clarion’s path to success was the integration of [DELMIAWorks ERP system](/products/delmia/delmiaworks "DELMIAWorks") and PLM with the Manufacturing bill of materials on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform.

[Clarion Malaysia](/media/24367)

The University of Sheffield AMRC

The University of Sheffield AMRC

The UK’s [University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Center ](/insights/customer-stories/amrc-aircraft-manufacturing "The University of Sheffield / AMRC")(AMRC) recently expanded its partnership with Dassault Systèmes to provide software, training and support to help deliver advanced insights to aircraft manufacturers while equipping the next generation of professionals with the skills needed to excel in the sector.

[The University of Sheffield AMRC](/media/24368)

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