Japan’s Toda racing team gains speed with PLM Solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes

Toda uses CATIA V5 to shorten development cycle of high-speed race cars

 

Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France.  20 November, 2001 - Toda Racing Co. Ltd., a leading team in All Japan Formula 3 racing, along with IBM and Dassault Systemes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), announced today that it has selected CATIA V5 to develop, design, and manufacture high performance and reliable auto racing parts.  CATIA V5 is contributing to shortening the development cycle within Toda Racing.<br/>

 

 

Toda Racing Co. Ltd, one of the foremost component manufacturers in high-speed racing, is involved in all aspects of race car design, from research and development to design, manufacture and sale of specialized auto racing parts and engines and also competes with its own team in the All Japan Formula 3 race circuit.  The company’s primary focus is critical areas that directly affect racing performance, such as racing pistons, camshafts, clutches and shock absorbers, as well as the complete high-power racing engines.  <br/>

 

 

Toda Racing has been participating in the race while developing racing components for 30 years since its foundation in 1972.  During the maintenance of an F2 BMW racing engine in 1982, President Toda was drawn to the high precision and design quality of this engine, designed and built using CATIA, and he realized that there was strong needs for them to build powerful and reliable engines using computers, from design to processing.  Toda Racing selected the world’s leading Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution “CATIA,” used by major car manufacturers, after performing its own extensive evaluation.  Toda Racing is now fully exploiting CATIA V5 for component design, structural analysis, stress analysis, and processing. <br/>

 

 

The technology of practical experience and know-how have always been put to good use in the development of racing parts.  Yukio Toda, President of Toda Racing commented, “One of our objectives in deploying CATIA was to capture the technology and knowledge we had developed, and manage it as corporate standard data.  CATIA standardized the manual work-based skills to computer-based and gave us technological innovation for saving time and improving the quality of our products.”

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Using CATIA V5 kinematics option, Toda Racing defines the mechanism for the peripheral parts of the camshaft, dynamically analyzes it through kinematics simulation and then calculates the optimum profile for such aspects as valve operating angles.  This product data is then sent to the machine tool and processed.  Toda Racing also performs analysis of the engines components with the CATIA V5 GPS module.  CATIA V5 GPS, which offers ease of use and advanced analysis functions, enables Toda Racing engineers to reduce the weight of individual parts and improve their durability. <br/>

 

 

Another vital element of Toda Racing’s decision to purchase CATIA V5 was the Windows® interface and compatibility. “Understanding the Windows® operation, our engineers were rapidly operational on the CATIA applications, after a very brief training period of just one week.  When engineers have their hands full with engine development design, I do the modeling even by myself.  Even though I do not use it every day, I feel I can operate it easily. The CATIA V5 concept suits me to a “T”.” said Toda. <br/>

 

 

 

“We are extremely honored that Toda Racing selected CATIA, seeing the complexity and variety of the cases where CATIA V5 is being used to solve problems.  The top level of hands-on expertise and operational constraints at Toda Racing makes it a challenging environment.  We are equally proud to have contributed to a successful and smooth transition to full 3D digitization from end-to-end, with all the resulting benefits this entails for Toda Racing.”said Christian Nardin, Representative Director & General Manager of Dassault Systemes K.K. <br/>

 

 

Raoul Van Engelshoven, Director, IBM Product Lifecycle Management Asia Pacific, commented,