DELMIA Software Used to Develop Ground Breaking Manufacturing Process

26 June 2006

BMP Slashes Blade Manufacture Time from Months to Minutes

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2006--Dassault Systemes (NASDAQ: DASTY: Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that worldwide manufacturing group, BMP -- which supplies the best-known makers of printers and photocopiers -- has used DELMIA software to develop a revolutionary process to manufacture polyurethane components for office automation products.

The premise for the new process originated out of BMP's plant in Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom, which specializes in producing high-grade polyurethane blades that wipe excess toner from the printing transfer drums. Since the product demands a variety of accurately cut, clear sheets mounted onto metal blades, manual labor was thought to be the only viable option.

Pepperday stated: "DELMIA QUEST addressed all our trouble spots with the result that we have a production capability to fulfill all our initial expectations, and considerably more. We believe that our automated line will be able to produce 3.6 million blades annually in addition to flexibly manufacturing our new range of feed tires. We expect to produce in excess of a million of these in our first year without working at full capacity. Next year, the line could be expanded or even duplicated as it has managed since its inception to decrease the work content of blade and feed tire production by around 80%."

In a patent-pending process, BMP developed a flexible, automated production line that enables it to produce a component from its principal product line in just 30 minutes. The goal was to have the ability to cast directly onto metal blades and avoid the need for cutting and the extra adhesion processes.

One month into developing the process and facing its challenges, Patrick Pepperday, engineering manager, BMP, remembered a demonstration of DELMIA production line simulation given by Northern Technologies. He commissioned Northern Technologies to create a virtual model of his proposed manufacturing line using DELMIA QUEST software.

Prior to its use of DELMIA QUEST and the implementation of BMP's new process, the company spent an extra 12 weeks in additional labor and shipping to a satellite factory located in China. With DELMIA QUEST, that extra step is negated.

Paul Bateson, manufacturing specialist at Northern Technologies, explained that by utilizing the DELMIA QUEST model, he identified potential snags with the line, though almost all of these were solved by enabling the conveyors to run at variable speeds. This prevented the logjam effect that can occur when some processes take under a minute, while others take nine. He added, "The QUEST model also proved that instead of the originally planned six workers needed to run the line, just three were needed, despite deciding not to build in automated blade fitting. DELMIA HUMAN allowed us to analyze the cycle times of the workers without trial and error try out sessions."

About BMP

The BMP Division is a wholly owned subsidiary of the private multi-national company Andrew Industries Limited - a highly diversified industrial manufacturing group. The BMP Division was established 30 years ago manufacturing components for the major OEM's in the Office Automation industry. The business first expanded in the UK followed shortly afterwards in North America. Further expansion has taken place with additional subsidiary companies being established in Europe, Mexico and Singapore and more recently in China making the BMP Division the partner of choice for many of the world's major OEM manufacturing companies.