“With CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM our engineers can generate a wider variety of high quality designs per seat thereby maximising their productivity and keeping innovation at the forefront of the development process.” - Dr. Andreas Hillenmeier, Manager of Product Development

Focusing on innovation to win market share

Founded in 1845, German cookware manufacturer, Fissler, has taken the market lead by making innovation their driving force. Specialising in the design and manufacture of cookware such as pots, pressure cookers, pans and woks as well as kitchen accessories, Fissler’s innovative magic line, originally designed using CATIA V3, won 15 international awards for outstanding design and functionality. By producing innovative, high quality products that respond to customer needs and preferences, Fissler has succeeded in winning market share over their competitors.

The right product for every customer

Fissler has been able to provide their customers with the right products at the right time by adopting a 3D approach to design that helps them capitalise on company know-how, reuse standard components and create and use templates that increase productivity and design quality. This is very well demonstrated in tooling design, which was originally done in 2D using CATIA V4. One of the biggest challenges facing Fissler was convincing their engineers to think in 3D, not only for product design but for the complete product lifecycle including areas such as tooling and manufacturing. After a six-month pilot phase during which they developed standard methodologies and templates with the support of TransCAT GmbH & Co. KG specialists, Fissler engineers are now satisfied with this new 3D approach to tooling design. They are convinced that designing in CATIA V5 is easier and therefore more productive than ever before.

Fissler also uses SMARTEAM for documentation management in the design process, product development and production and tooling design. They are currently looking into implementing a client-server Web environment that would allow project managers to review products without the need for CAD workstations. This will open the way for collaborative review and cooperation between the different actors involved in product development and located on different sites.

A methodical approach to success

One of the main factors that led to the acceptance and successful integration of CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM at Fissler was a four-step roadmap that guided them through the migration process. With the support of Transcat PLM GmbH & Co. KG, they defined objectives for each step and tested new design methods and processes through pilot projects. Once the new methods and processes were validated, Fissler launched the use of CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM in production. Whereas at the start of the migration process Fissler had only one V5 seat, today they have 12 seats in design, tool design, tool construction and fixture construction.

Another factor considered essential to the success of the project was the fact that they were able to develop and deploy a tool design methodology. Transcat PLM GmbH & Co. KG provided Fissler with support in creating templates, which in turn, led to company-wide know-how capture and standardisation. One advantage that was immediately perceived was the ability for designers to see and understand the design choices that were made by their colleagues who had worked on the design before them.

Fissler has already reaped considerable benefits by migrating to CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM. For one, motivation is very high in all departments since once tedious tasks have now become streamlined through standard templates and methodologies, leaving more time for creativity and innovation. Fissler displayed their confidence in IBM and Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions when they decided to develop their new Intensa product line entirely with CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM. And they were right : they increased their overall productivity between 20-25 percent. Dr. Andreas Hillenmeier, Manager of Product Development, said, “Our Intensa cooking systems are renowned worldwide. They are synonymous with quality and innovation. CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM have been instrumental in helping us constantly exceed our customers’ expectations.”