8 replies to this topic

[gray_cat]

In March 2000 Ilmor Engineering, IBM (USA) and Dassault Systemes (France) announced that Ilmor Engineering will use automotive industry standard CATIA Solutions as the computer-aided design (CAD), manufacturing (CAM) and engineering (CAE) system for its Formula One engines. The contract includes licenses for CATIA and ENOVIA Portal. Ilmor's first CATIA-designed Formula One engine will be the Mercedes-Benz F0110K V10 for the 2001 season.

Ilmor will reduce modeling and tooling time significantly, both during the six-month-long engine development process and, more importantly, during the Formula One season, when teams have only two weeks between races to complete engine modifications.


Other technical partners of Ilmor include :

Mercedec-Benz (Germany) - one of the largest assets of the Mercedes-Benz motorsport programme is the transient dynamometer in Stuttgart and the materials, research resources of DaimlerChrysler

TAG Electronics (Switzerland) provides electronics for engine management systems

Charmilles Technologies (Switzerland) are specialists in Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). This machining process is used by Ilmor Engineering Ltd for manufacturing parts from solid hard materials or complex shapes which would be too difficult to manufacture by conventional means.

Iscar Tools Ltd (Israel) - the greatest innovator in tool and insert design and one of the largest precision tool suppliers in the world

Mori Seiki (Japan) - the leading machine tool manufacturer in the world. They provide Ilmor with the latest in cutting-edge technology where accuracy is crucial when manufacturing to tight tolerances in lights out machining

Renishaw PLC (UK) design, manufacture and supply metrology systems of the highest quality and reliability which enable Ilmor Engineering to carry out dimensional measurements to traceable standards

All of the essential tools used in assembling each Mercedes-Benz CART and Formula One engines are supplied by Snap-on (UK)

[DaveK]

I can't see how revolutionalry a 3D model of an engine is. Briggs & Straton probably have 3D modelling of their engines too. Perhaps the software is more complex allowing better simulations etc. 2D is for wankers.

[baddog]

thats good because a 2 dimensional engine would be pretty crap eh?

;P

Shaun

[Matt Davis]

Wow a 3d engine that could just work definatly better that my idear of a engine the thickness of a piece of paper.

[david_martin]

Originally posted by gray_cat

Charmilles Technologies (Switzerland) are specialists in Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). This machining process is used by Ilmor Engineering Ltd for manufacturing parts from solid hard materials or complex shapes which would be too difficult to manufacture by conventional means.

Notably Beryllium alloys.

[MCH]

3D is nothing new really. 3D CAD programs have been around for more than a decade by now. I'm still at school but I was fortunate enough to spend 6 months of my 'pratical year' with PTC, the makers of Pro/ENGINEER.

Currently these are the three major 'high end' 3D CAD programs ('low end' is AutoCad 14):

-Catia (V5 0r V4) http://www.catia.com
-Pro/ENGINEER (version 2000i and up) http://www.ptc.com
-Unigraphics (also known as UG) http://www.ugsolutions.com
These programs are all able to do the same things, there's no real difference in that area. They do differ in the way their parts and assemblies are made and of course the interface is different. Some of them do have special qualities, Catia is very good with surfaces (complicated bodywork) and Pro/ENGINEER on the other hand is very good in the moving parts department (engines suspension etc.)

These 3d models (that is parts, drawings and assemblies) are more than just a graphic representation of a part. Stress calculations and the programming of the machines that will make the parts can be directly done within these programs.

Back to f1, I know Benetton us using Catia (it's also one of their sponsors), BAR is using Catia also I think. Ferrari is using Pro/ENGINEER to modell their engines...there's a nice battle; Merc's by Catia vs. Ferrari by Pro/ENGINEER .

[mono-posto]

I worked on a Unigraphics Work station for 2 years in the Aerospace Industry. We actually lost work from Boeing because they used Catia and didn't trust the conversion filters from Catia to UG. Oh well.

Catia is nothing new to F1 either. Some teams have been using it for up to 3 years now. I beleive Ferrari use UG on a Silicon Graphics network and McLaren uses Sun servers?

I can't see this as a major advancement. They most likely have been modeling the whole chassis with Catia for some time, it's just now that Ilmor is catching up with the times.

[RedFever]

this is a weird announcement, I have read about similar use of 3D software years ago at Ferrari and other engine manufacturers (was it Honda or Renault?).

If Ilmor has used 2D software so far, that would explain why the valves got smacked by the pistons last year in Australia.......;)

[bleakuzs]

3D modeling is usless unless you have laser modeler. Even though you designed it in 3D, you still only get it in 2D on the computer screen, all CAD people should know that.