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Virtual Prototyping Solution for the Automotive Textiles

13 Mar '12

3 min read

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials - textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, and composite materials - is pleased to announce the launch of their DesignConcept Auto V4R2, an innovative solution for designing and developing 3D/2D products within the automotive industry. With the new version of DesignConcept Auto, car suppliers can optimize their costs and production time, while improving the quality of their products (seats, headrests, armrests, dashboards, side door panels).

DesignConcept Auto V4R2 enables car manufacturers and suppliers to design 3D virtual models, obtain photo-realistic renderings, define product specifications, conduct a feasibility analysis, develop textile/leather prototypes ready for cutting, and estimate the total cost of manufacturing, while reducing the environmental impact of their product development activity.

"A true accelerator of the decision process, DesignConcept Auto allows industrialists from the automotive market to control their margins, optimize their costs, while accelerating the decision-making process and reducing time-to-market. With this new version, Lectra offers the automotive industry the most complete virtual prototyping solution on the market, to increase their competitiveness in a highly competitive sector", said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

DesignConcept Auto V4R2: from complete preliminary costing to production-ready patterns

Car manufacturers can anticipate the total production cost of a new virtual model during the validation or tender phases, explore a multitude of creative options and simultaneously optimize quality, feasibility and production costs. Sharing information with a company's ERP system, DesignConcept automatically exports the required pattern information as well as assembly instructions for preliminary costing activities.

After having optimized 3D seam locations and validated the compatibility of a new style with a selection of fabric/leather, this new release helps to increase the quality of the initial 2D patterns to achieve production-ready patterns. Modifications, which are often needed when working with soft materials, can be made to the 2D patterns at the prototyping stage thus eliminating imperfections in the final prototype and reducing late-stage iterations.

Precise documentation ensures that the final product is correctly assembled according to design intent. With DesignConcept V4R2, new functionalities are available that streamline the communication of product specifications, the page layout and help define the complete sewing process using specific trim nomenclature and new libraries of customized components. With pattern-making and documentation all within the same solution suite, updates to the documentation are automatic when pattern modifications are made. Companies hence benefit from a solution that covers the end-to-end 3D to 2D design process, translating into significant time savings.

About Lectra:

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline, and accelerate product design, development, and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), and furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as the aeronautical and marine industries, wind power, and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,350 employees and $287 million in 2011 revenues. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.

Lectra