The World Champion Renault F1 Team used Vistagy's FiberSIM® software to design and manufacture composite parts for its R26 racecar, which the team launched in Monaco in January of 2006. Vistagy, Inc, developer of engineering software that provides specialized design functionality to commercial CAD/PDM/PLM systems, is an official supplier of specialized engineering software to the F1 Team in Enstone, England.
"The composite parts on our racecars must be strong, reliable, and built to strict Federation Internationale de l'Automobile standards," says Bob Bell, technical director for Renault F1 Team. "But we also have a grueling production schedule to meet. There is no margin for error and we have no time for rework and up-front physical prototyping. We've been working with FiberSIM for more than three years, and it has helped our engineers increase our rate of composite ply layup on some parts by over 62%. The software is an essential tool for efficiently and successfully producing our composite components."
"It has been an honor to sponsor Renault F1 Team for the past three years and especially during its championship season last year," says Steven C. Luby, president and CEO of Vistagy. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with Renault F1 Team and providing specialized software that makes their engineers more efficient as they make another drive toward the winner's circle."
Strong, lightweight composites are ideal materials for Formula One racecar parts such as the chassis, nosebox, and front and rear wings. The complex curves characteristic of these parts can present some challenges during manufacturing. FiberSIM enables Renault F1 Team engineers to simulate composite designs and select a manufacturing strategy that is best suited for their specific application. The software enables the team to generate flat patterns of plies for cutting machines, create documentation, and export data to laser projection machines that guide manual layup.
July 2002 marked the 25th anniversary of Renault's competition in modern, top-level motor sport. In 2005, Renault F1 Team won the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Formula One Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships.
