Dassault design for Transition Roadable Aircraft

Dassault Systemes has announced that its Catia brand has been chosen by Terrafugia, creators of the Transition Roadable Aircraft for 3D composite and finite-element modelling.

Terrafugia will use Catia Analysis and Catia Composites Design (CPD) solutions to design and develop its beta prototype, with delivery expected in 2011.

In order to analyse the way different materials would bend or move under various conditions, the company required a solution with advanced 3D composite ply-modelling, dedicated part-modelling and material-behaviour simulation capabilities.

Catia's composite solutions were chosen for their exacting technical features, which would help Terrafugia correct problems like wrinkles and bridges in the very first stages of design by visualising ply characteristics and fibre behaviour.

They also emphasised Catia's value as an independent finite-element-analysis (FEA) tool.

Terrafugia adopted Catia Analysis and Catia CPD as composite-focused complements to its existing Solidworks infrastructure.

For the upcoming second prototype, Terrafugia's design team is using Catia Analysis to create preliminary design simulations rapidly, easily and within a familiar CAD environment.

The solution allows the team to optimise its designs based on product-performance specifications and to quickly make updates after real-world testing.

The company is using Catia CPD to build and test reinforcement spars on the prototype's structural panels.

Catia CPD gives Terrafugia the ability to verify whether it can feasibly produce what is designed and the ability to perform simulation directly in the same environment.

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