ICEM Software Enables Spanish Auto Maker to Complete Cupra GT Racer Design in 2 Months

ICEM Surf surface modeling, analysis and visualization software helps SEAT create design to full-scale prototype

Southampton, UK (PRWEB) August 1, 2003 -- ICEM, a developer and supplier of advanced, surface-based modeling software for product design and development, announced that the ICEM Surf surface modeling, analysis and visualization software was instrumental in enabling the designers at Spanish automotive manufacturer SEAT to complete the body design of the new SEAT Cupra GT racer in just two months.

Unveiled at the Barcelona Motor Show in April, the Cupra GT is the result of joint design and development work by SEAT Sport and the SEAT Design Centre. SEATs designers used ICEM Surf throughout the body design and development process in order to reduce the number of iterations required to arrive at the final shape. Additionally, ICEM Surf was used to ensure dimensional accuracy and tolerances in an aid to Class A surface development and to reduce overall development time.

Designers, clay modelers and ICEM Surf users worked in parallel to refine the car design by modifying the digital model and making the appropriate changes to the clay and vice-versa. Once the final design was completed, the ICEM Surf digital model data was used to machine a full-scale prototype model of the car for display at the Barcelona Motor Show.

ICEM Surf allowed interaction between the stylists and the body designers," said Juan Pérez Serrano, manager of Exterior Design at SEAT. This was very important to us during the design development process since the stylists would change various features of the body shape as the design proceeded.

With ICEM Surf we were able to modify the digital surface model very quickly and see the results of those changes immediately, while ensuring that the overall design continued to meet our surface quality requirements."

ICEM Surfs assembly modeling and photo-realistic visualization software was used extensively for design review purposes during the design development process. The design team was able to create high quality images of the Cupra GT that could be viewed on desktop PCs rather than expensive, specialized graphics workstations.

ICEM Surf enabled us to combine the traditional clay modeling approach to design with highly accurate, real-time digital modeling," says Serrano. This combination gave us the control we needed to develop the design data required by engineering and at the same time, maintaining the stylists the design intent."

The new SEAT Cupra GT is expected to race in this years Spanish GT series while SEAT Sport will start building GTs for customer orders later this year. With a 3 litre, V6 engine delivering some 500 bhp, a top speed of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a 0 - 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 4.2 seconds, the Cupra GTs power is harnessed in a striking body built for speed, handling and visual impact.

About ICEM Ltd.
Headquartered in Chilworth Science Park near Southampton, UK, ICEM Ltd. is an independent company specializing in the development, sales and support of advanced surfacing software. The software is used in design and development of products visible and underlying surfaces. The companys software development group is based in Germany, and has a network of sales, support offices and specialist distributors covering continental Europe, the USA and the Asia Pacific region.

ICEMs principal market is the worldwide automotive industry. Many leading manufacturers, such as the Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler Group, Volkswagen Audi Group, Porsche, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Harley Davidson, as well as leading automotive industry suppliers such as Volke, EDAG, Pininfarina, Bertone, Mayflower and Thyssen Kruppe use ICEM products. ICEM also maintains a significant presence in the consumer durable products design market, with customers such as Wilson Sporting Goods, Rossignol, Ping, WMF and Toto.

European Contacts:
Kate Mills
ICEM
+44 (0) 2380 768088
kate.mills@icem.com

Neil McLeod
ICEM
+44 (0) 1666 504293
neil_mcleod@compuserve.com

US Contact:
Ken Feitz
Strategic Reach PR
303 487 7406
ken@strategicreachpr.com

ENDS