World-leading airline, United Airlines, has implemented CATIA Version 5 (V5) solutions from IBM and Dassault Systèmes to create and manage key engineering data relating to aircraft maintenance. The decision to use a single CAD/CAM system was based on a strategic move to reduce production costs. This decision included the implementation of over 300 CATIA workstations. IBM business partner, INCAT, was selected by United Airlines to implement and deploy CATIA V5 solutions at United's maintenance engineering sites.

The United Airlines engineering team will use the full range of CATIA V5 3D capabilities such as modelling, analysis, manufacturing, and review based on a digital mock-up (DMU) in various areas such as fleet engineering, component engineering, engine overhaul, tooling, general manufacturing, aircraft interior reconfiguration, and illustration creation.

In rapid response to the recent global requirement for upgraded safety in the aircraft industry, United Airlines also used CATIA V5 for reinforcing existing cockpit doors. "CATIA V5 significantly reduces design time and when such critical situations occur, we need to react very quickly. Not only did we gain in cycle-time, but creating the engineering data in 3D allowed us to verify fit and assembly at the design stage," said Greg Taylor, director, Information Services Division - United Airlines. Further, United Airlines' information technology and engineering personnel have teamed with INCAT to implement and deploy CATIA V5 across all maintenance engineering sites, and to ensure a seamless migration of over 200 users and their data from five legacy CAD programs on mainframe and Apple Macintosh platforms to a single Windows-based CATIA V5 environment.

For more information: Igal Filipovski, CDC (CNC Design Consultants), 011 786 3516.