RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS Formula 1

Takes the Checkered Flag with IBM PLM Solutions

 

Hinwil, Switzerland, October 1st, 2001 -  RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS, the Swiss Formula 1 race team, IBM and Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA)  announced today that the RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS  team has seen significant monetary and time savings in the testing and development of this season's race car due to the extensive use of IBM Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. <br/>

 

 

Since the early 1980's SAUBER has been using CATIA Solutions, but most recently has developed a PLM environment by integrating the 3D software with SAP for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and for product data management (PDM). For digital mock-up RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS is piloting ENOVIAVPM Version 1.3. CATIA is instrumental in all engineering and design work including mechanical design and kinematics. Using a single PLM environment for all aspects of the development cycle enables the team to streamline its entire engineering and manufacturing process, thus improving the quality of the high performance race car. <br/>

 

 

CATIA is also involved in all manufacturing processes of the chassis, through the extensive use of CATIA's numerical controlling (NC) functionality for direct 5-axis milling in house.  Since RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS has the modules in-house, purchase can send IGES or STEP files directly to its suppliers for manufacturing parts.   <br/>

 

 

 

"We have no compatibility issues with our suppliers," says Peter M. Brak, Head of IT Department, RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS. "When you have two weeks between races, we don't have the luxury of wasting time.  Our PLM environment provides us with an efficient development model that enables us to stay focused on the design and not the process." <br/>

 

 

 

RED BULL SAUBER PETRONAS 's engineering environment includes a total of 65 seats of CATIA Version 4 for UNIX, on IBM RS/6000 workstations, which is integrated with SAP R/3 and some Version 5 for Windows NT on high-end PC's. <br/>

 

 

 

"Every second counts in Formula 1 racing whether you are on the track or in the engineering department," explained Carlo Ranfagni, director of small and medium worldwide sales, IBM Product Lifecycle Management Solutions. “By integrating CAD and ERP more then just seconds will be saved, working will be made easier and the efforts previously required for time consuming tasks, like data management, will now become nonexistent.” <br/>

 

 

 

 

"CATIA is used by over 60 percent of the Formula 1 race teams this year as well as by teams in the Le Mans and CART circuits," said Etienne Droit, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Dassault Systemes. "CATIA is providing these teams with real time competitive advantages and the proof is in the point standings."