French automotive manufacturer selects ICEM’s industry-leading surface modelling, analysis and visualisation software following successful pilot project.

ICEM Ltd., the leading surface modelling, analysis and visualisation software developer, announced today that French automotive vehicles manufacturer Renault has selected ICEM Surf software for use in the interior design development of its vehicles.

Renault selected ICEM Surf over other vendors’ software offerings following the successful completion of a six-months long pilot project last year. As a result of this pilot, ICEM was asked to supply Renault with some 28 end-user licences of ICEM Surf, along with additional licences of a number of the optional add-on software modules available with ICEM Surf for use in specialised applications.

“We selected ICEM Surf for our future vehicle interior design development requirements because, not only are we convinced that it is the best tool for the job but also because ICEM demonstrated to us that they understand our needs and those of the automotive industry in general,” said Jean-Pierre Carrion, head of interior technical surfacing at Renault. “We are confident that we have made the right choice and that ICEM Surf will bring real benefits to us, in both time- and cost-savings in the design development of our vehicle interiors.”

In addition to ICEM Surf, the contract calls for a number of ICEM’s specialised application software modules, including Scan Modelling, for the generation of surface models from point cloud 3D scan data, as well as facilities for the dynamic global construction and modification of surface models using existing surface data, such as might be required in face-lift design projects.

To enable two-way communication of design data between ICEM Surf and Renault’s Catia CAD/CAM system from IBM/Dassault Systemes, ICEM has also provided its ICEM/Catia direct translation interface.

Installation and implementation of ICEM Surf in Renault’s Interior Design Department, where it replaces that department’s previous CAD system, has recently been completed. The software is now being rolled out to the department’s technical surfacing engineers for their daily use.

About ICEM Surf.
ICEM Surf is a suite of surface modelling, analysis and visualisation software that enables product development teams to combine styling and engineering requirements in order to develop fully feasible, aesthetic designs faster and more cost effectively. ICEM Surf enables these teams to create and analyse complex 3D surface models to the highest possible quality, known as Class A surfaces in the automotive industry, in the shortest possible time.

Today, ICEM Surf is used around the world in the automotive industry for exterior and interior design development, Class A surfaces engineering and production tooling design processes, as well as in the more general industrial design sector.

About ICEM Ltd.
With its headquarters in the UK, ICEM Ltd. is the leading worldwide developer and supplier of advanced, surface-based modelling software for use in the design and development of automotive vehicle bodies and interiors and consumer durable products. The company has a worldwide network of sales and support offices and specialist distributors covering continental Europe, the USA, Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

ICEM’s principal market sector is the worldwide automotive industry, where it includes most of the leading manufacturers among its customers, including the Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler Group, Volkswagen Audi Group, Porsche, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Nissan, Subaru and Harley Davidson among others, as well as leading automotive industry companies such as Volke, EDAG, Pininfarina, Bertone and Bertrandt, among many others. The company also has a significant presence in the consumer durable products design market.