Chrysler Corporation Uses Silicon Graphics Technology to Design the First 'Paperless' Cars
10 December 1997
Chrysler Corporation Uses Silicon Graphics Technology to Design the First 'Paperless' Cars
Design of Chrysler's Next Generation of Full-Size Sedans Done Completely Using
Digital Prototyping
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 10 -- Silicon Graphics, Inc.
announced today that Chrysler Corporation designed its
next generation of full-size sedans using Silicon Graphics(R) workstations,
saving the company months of design time while allowing it to significantly
increase the quality of its automobiles. The new line of sedans includes the
1998 Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid and the 1999 Chrysler 300M and LHS.
Chrysler used Silicon Graphics workstations, Dassault Systemes CATIA(R)
software, and Chrysler Data Visualizer(R) (CDV) software to design the first
"paperless" cars, including visualization and analysis of such activities as
model reduction, animation, interference, fits, assembly processing and
vehicle configuration. Chrysler's goal was to make the process more efficient
by eliminating the need for awkward, inefficient paper drawings and reducing
the number of expensive clay models through the use of digital prototyping,
also known at Chrysler as digital model assembly (DMA). For the new line of
vehicles, Chrysler created and analyzed more than 5,500 digital parts in its
Silicon Graphics workstations, allowing everyone involved in the project to
review design changes and issues in real time.
"Silicon Graphics' technology has changed our world at Chrysler. We never
could have done what we've done without Silicon Graphics systems," said Art
Anderson, manager of large car platform advanced vehicle engineering at
Chrysler. "In order to visualize the large number of models that define an
entire vehicle, we needed a powerful graphics engine that could generate
interactive images, with multiple processors for analysis. Using Silicon
Graphics workstations in the DMA process allowed us to identify and resolve
over 1,500 interference, fit and design issues prior to the build of the first
physical prototype vehicles for the Intrepid and Concorde. The DMA process was
a major contributor in reducing the design and engineering cycle time from
39 to 31 months.
"We were also able to verify the processing required to install the power
train and chassis into the body prior to actual installation," Anderson
continued. "During the build of the '93 LH, it took us three weeks to get the
power train and chassis installed because we had so many major interferences.
With the '98 vehicle, it fit the first time we tried it.
"The key enabler to the DMA process is being able to efficiently and
quickly communicate via interactive visualization of the issues at hand.
Pictures convey a much deeper understanding than words can convey on their
own. Now we review design changes and issues in real time, often at
coordination meetings with interactive images projected on the wall. These
images allow us to clearly communicate what the real issues are and then
resolve them in minutes, versus the old 12-week physical mock-up process. This
technology will be applied to every future project at Chrysler Corporation,"
Anderson concluded.
"Chrysler has succeeded in turning collaborative design into a strategic
advantage, something toward which many other companies are striving," said
Jennifer Morton, market development manager for digital prototyping, Silicon
Graphics.
Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a leading supplier of high-performance
interactive computing systems. The company offers the broadest range of
products in the industry -- from low-end desktop workstations to servers and
high-end Cray(R) supercomputers. Silicon Graphics also markets MIPS(R)
microprocessor designs, Alias/Wavefront(TM) entertainment and design software
and other software products. The company's key markets include manufacturing,
government, science and industries, communications and entertainment sectors.
Silicon Graphics and its subsidiaries have offices throughout the world and
corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.
NOTE: Silicon Graphics and the Silicon Graphics logo are registered
trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Chrysler Data Visualizer is a registered
trademark of Chrysler Corporation. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault
Systemes. Alias/Wavefront is a trademark of Alias/Wavefront, a division of
Silicon Graphics Limited. Cray is a registered trademark of Cray Research,
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Graphics, Inc. MIPS is a registered
trademark of MIPS Technologies, Inc.
All press materials are available on the World Wide Web via
http://www.sgi.com/Overview/newsroom.
SOURCE Silicon Graphics, Inc.