French shipyard debarks in the luxury yacht business with CATIA

CMN launches multi-million dollar yacht line developed using ultra-advanced shipbuilding solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes

 

Cherbourg, France and Paris, France, 29 October 2001 - Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN), along with IBM and Dassault Systemes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), announced today that CMN’s new line of luxury yachts is being built using Product Lifecycle Management Shipbuilding Solutions.  These 3D design applications, developed by Dassault Systemes and sold and supported by IBM Product Lifecycle Management, include advanced 3d modeling, ship hull design, and other specialized steelwork functionalities tailor-made for the shipbuilding industry.  At their state-of-the-art production facility situated in the French port of Cherbourg, CMN is using these products to build some of the most advanced and well-crafted super motor yachts available today. <br/>

 

 

Since 1950, CMN has delivered over 350 vessels, mostly fast patrol boats and missile launchers for the defense market.  In 1997, faced with shrinking military budgets and orders, the company chose to develop a strategy geared toward the growing pleasure boating market.  CMN positioned itself to deliver some of the most innovative and high performance ships capable of cruising both coastal and transatlantic waters with ease.  <br/>

 

 

CATIA has played a critical role in the development of CMN’s blooming luxury yacht business.  As a newcomer to this market, CMN has had to prove itself through high quality craftsmanship and top of the line technology, coupled with competitive pricing and rapid delivery.  With CATIA, CMN is able to achieve all four of these key objectives. <br/>

 

 

Mr. Pierre Balmer, general manager, CMN Shipyards, explained, "When we begin building a luxury yacht with hundreds of thousands of different components which must all fit together perfectly, there is absolutely no room for design error or resizing slowdowns.  CATIA insures the perfect design coordination of these complex projects, such as our Héloval 43 meter luxury yacht comprised of about 9000 metallic parts for hull and superstructure, and over 5000 different types of parts for outfitting. All of our 25 design engineers plus the 300 member production team work in perfect harmony with the same data which is automatically updated with each design change in order to save time which can be used instead to make quality innovations. "

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 In fact, CATIA’s ability to fully develop a 3D design on the computer and make it available company-wide helps eliminate the need for cumbersome paper-based design processes.  Engineers at CMN create and test in a collaborative DMU (Digital Mock-Up) environment that insures first-time fit and assembly.  Even the most complex ships can be virtually designed and built piece by piece, section by section before even the first order of steel is placed. <br/>

 

 

Francis Bernard, Executive Committee Advisor , commented, “ CATIA addresses the design and optimization capabilities of our end-to-end 3D PLM solutions. By using CATIA Solutions, design teams comprised of engineers, production workers, support personnel and suppliers can work concurrently to determine the optimal location to install the various pumps, pipes, air conditioning ducts and other numerous equipments available on this type of outstanding luxury yacht.  The vessel and its components can be viewed and manipulated using CATIA’s 3D digital mock-up.  The result is a shortened product design cycle, a higher quality product and lower costs. "

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Mr. Balmer agrees that DMU (digital mock-up) gives CMN an enormous competitive advantage. "CATIA’s DMU function gives our potential customers the ability to see exactly what their future personal luxury yacht will look like before it’s built.  The customer is able to visualize the different options available and customize his yacht before he even signs the contract.  Plus, with CATIA, we can show our prospects and customers how our luxury motor yachts are conceived from both the esthetical and technological standpoints.  This is of the utmost importance because customers who spend over 15 million dollars on their future dream boat want to be assured that it’s truly top of the line."

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Since the luxury yacht launch in 1997, CMN is already reaping the benefits of adopting CATIA for this product line.  CMN now delivers an impressive average of 2.5 luxury yachts per year and has already earned a strong reputation for high quality and competitive prices.<br/>

 

 

Ed Petrozelli, general manager, IBM Product Lifecycle Management, said, " IBM is pleased to play a role in CMN’s continuing success.  We were there in 1982 when CMN implemented CATIA in their military vessel production process and now they are the global leader in the fast patrol boat market space.  With Product Lifecycle Management solutions, such as CATIA and its specific shipbuilding applications, shipbuilders like CMN can respond to market conditions by rapidly innovating and developing products that correspond to market demands.  Making our customers more competitive by enabling innovation: this is our vision here at IBM PLM. "

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