Dassault Systèmes announced that Fisker
Automotive has relied upon CATIA for virtual design and ENOVIA for product data
management and collaboration in the development of its Karma and Surf models. The
integrated capabilities of CATIA enabled Fisker to work from a single
architecture for everything from wire harness design through Class A surfacing,
while ENOVIA managed the design data across multiple global locations. Fisker
also employs Dassault Systèmes’ 3DVIA and SIMULIA solutions in its product
development processes.

“We are proud to have successfully delivered highly stylized
vehicles while achieving all our eco-requirements,” says Mikael Elley, director
of Fisker IT. “The standardized collaborative design methods enabled through
CATIA and managed by ENOVIA SmarTeam help to save us time and money, as well as
encourage innovation and sharing of labor among our globally dispersed teams.”

CATIA’s knowledgeware capabilities streamline the design
process so that designers have more time to incorporate and test different design
features that can help to reduce energy consumption, and facilitate end-of-life
recycling and recovery. Fisker relied upon CATIA to help optimize numerous
factors that impact vehicle energy usage, including aerodynamics, rolling
resistance, and vehicle weight.

With numerous suppliers involved in the design and
manufacture of the vehicles, ENOVIA allowed the company to integrate and manage
its information among its supply base, while tracking design changes and
capturing best practices. This approach, in combination with Fisker’s design
process, helped the company to quickly launch its second model vehicle, the
Surf. With the integrated digital design platform from Dassault Systèmes, the
first Surf manufactured was not a prototype, but a full production model.

Dassault Systèmes, www.3ds.com