MAHLE Behr Winds of change for leading automotive suppliersSAP CAD integration for CATIA V5 and NX at MAHLE Behr

Customer reference

the people in charge. However, the challenge here was that a CATIA V5 interface did not exist in the ECTR at this time. Taking this into account, MAHLE Behr searched for a partner with the necessary specialist knowledge along with experience with CATIA V5 integration.

Based on its many years of expertise in SAP integration ofCATIA V5 – with the SAP PLM Interface to CATIA, CENIT offers an official premium qualified SAP product on the SAP price list – CENIT possessed the necessary specialist expertise. The existing collaboration with the ECTR developer, DSC Software AG, and therefore the in-depth knowledge of the platform, was an additional argument that won over the IT company from Stuttgart during the selection process. „We chose CENIT because we had full confidence in this company‘s ability to carry out such a product development, including maintenance and upkeep,“ states Werner Buchmeier, project manager/PDM methods manager at MAHLE Behr when ex- plaining his choice.

cenitCONNECT product suite as a key solution component

Based on joint analyses with MAHLE Behr, the CENIT experts defined a solution that focused on two challenges: the develop- ment of a CATIA V5 interface for ECTR and ensuring optimum CAD data transfers between the global locations and the world- wide partner and customer network of the company. When developing a direct interface for the Engineering Control Center, CENIT‘s own software solution, Engineering Control Center Interface to CATIA V5, was used — a solution that excels with consistent data organization both in CATIA V5 and in SAP.

First climatic wind tunnel, first air conditioning system for cars in Europe, first fully automated electronic climate control: Founded in a small workshop constructing car radiators, Behr – today MAHLE Behr GmbH & Co. KG – over the course ofa century developed into one of the world‘s largest manufac-turers of components, modules, and systems for vehicle air conditioning and engine cooling.

Even before the merger with MAHLE, Behr took the decision to update its PLM system. As a new adjustment of the system that was procured some 15 years ago seemed uneconomical with a view to the future, the legacy PLM system was to be replaced with SAP PLM 7 – a good strategic decision since both companies now have the same basis for global product development and change processes following the merger. This should enable the global collaboration and the innovative strength of MAHLE Behr to be reinforced further.

Standard platform for CATIA V5 and NX data

As is the case with many automotive suppliers, MAHLE Behr works with a heterogeneous CAD landscape: CATIA V5 by DASSAULT SYSTEMES and SIEMENS NX are used as the main systems. To be able to provide a work environment in SAP that is as standardized as possible, it was necessary to in- corporate both CAD systems „under one roof.“ A standard interface that integrates CATIA V5 and NX data was required. MAHLE Behr is making use of the Engineering Control Center (ECTR) as the central platform. With its clear illustration of the CAD and SAP objects that are relevant for the designerand its convenient handling of the ECTR functions, it won over

In order to guarantee the locations in Germany, India, France, Brazil, and the USA are speedily and securely supplied with the respective CAD data, the cenitCONNECT Collaborationsoftware was used — in two forms: The cenitCONNECT Docu-ment Distribution Manager product was intended to ensure the supply of the worldwide cache server with comprehensive CAD data, such as complex 3D originals. The objective was as follows: speedy access to data and shorter response times.For the data exchange between customers and partners, such as construction room data in the CAD format, the data exchange product, cenitCONNECT Enterprise Connector, was to be used. With the assistance of this software, CAD structures from various CAD systems can both be loaded in SAP and exported both for customers and suppliers. In addition to the data exchange, the cenitCONNECT Data Exchange software is also being used in a second area at MAHLE Behr: The tool also simultaneously supports the migration of the inventory data into SAP.

Tight schedule and agile product methodology

When considering the project process, CENIT and MAHLE Behrthink back to an ambitious project: Following joint determination of the requirements in 2010, CENIT started developing the ECTRV5 interface in the fall of 2011, which was completed by the end of 2012 and extended by customer-specific adjustments.

Six months later, i.e. in June 2013, the pilot operation with tenvehicle projects was launched. Following the successful con- clusion of this phase too,the rolling migration of all development projects into the SAP system started in January 2014.

MAHLE Behr

In view of the time and content-related objectives of the project, the seamless collaboration between CENIT and MAHLE Behr was a key factor for success: „The biggest difficulty with the project was clearly time. With approximately one and a half years for the programming and implementation of the CATIA interface and the NX integration, the planned period of time was tight. The pioneering nature along with additional factors meant it was a project with a high level of dynamics.

The collaboration characterized by partnership played a key role in ensuring that the project was a success for everybody,“says Peter Preß, project manager at CENIT. To achieve a trulycustomized result, ECTR developers of DSC were also involved in the process. In order to manage the time factor as best as possible, the project team opted for an agile project methodo-logy, the administrators were trained on the job. This meant it was possible to work in a results-orientated way and manage the progress in the best possible way. Monthly steering group meetings of the SAP, DSC, and CENIT project partners formed the basis of the collaboration, in order to discuss any challenges that arose.

Further regular cyclic agreement meetings between CENIT and MAHLE Behr ensured that requirements and implementation went hand in hand. „It was important for us to have a partner throughout the entire process who implemented our clear ideas. At the same time, we needed a consultant whose competence we could trust. We were not disappointed,“ says Dieter Heinle, R+D process and methods manager at MAHLE Behr when de-scribing the collaboration.

»The main difficulty of the project was clearly time. With approximately one and a half years for the programming and implementation of the CATIA interface, and the NX integration, the planned period of time was tight. The pioneering nature and additional factors meant it was a project with a high level of dynamics. The collaboration characterized by partnership played a key role in ensuring the project was a success for everyone« Peter Preß, Project Manager of CENIT

Decisive milestones on the way forward

Following the successful pilot operation, the Engineering Control Center provides the 500 or so global CATIA and NX users at MAHLE Behr with a standardized interface for the ad- ministration of their product data – irrespective of which CAD system is used. One of the clear advantages of the integration that took place: The connection to the previous parts list and change management can take place via a central application. The interface also administers structural components, not just individual parts. „In this way, the parts list management is incorporated into SAP – a clear success,“ summarizes Jörg Stenner, CAD methods & tools development manager atMAHLE Behr. The quality of the data, which has increased enormously, is one of the quantifiable results of the interface development and the migration that took place. „Our projectfor introducing SAP PLM 7 and optimizing our global product development and change processes is still ongoing. In the course of the planned extensions in the area of usability and other options concerning the multi CAD release use, we still have a lot to do. With the ECTRV5 integration we have, however, reached a decisive milestone,“ says Werner Buchmeier at MAHLE Behr.

At a glanceChallenge

■ Development of a unified interface for CATIA V5 and NX-CAD data for the Engineering Control Center

Solution ■ The development of a CATIA V5 interface for ECTR

based on the SAP Engineering Control Center Interface solution to CATIA V5 software solution

■ Ensuring high-performance CAD data transfers between the global locations by means of two products from the cenitCONNECT collaboration: ensuring the local availability and performance of CAD data on cache services by means of cenitCONNECT Document Distri-bution Manager. Use of the Data Exchange software cenitCONNECT Enterprise Connector for the exchange of data

Benefits ■ Standardized user interface irrespective of

the CAD data system used ■ Connection to the previous parts lists and change

management via a central application ■ Higher data consistency by means of the automated-

layout of structures

MAHLE Shaping the future with innovative strength

As a leading global development partner of the automotive and engine industry, MAHLE offers a unique system competence in the areas of engine systems, filtration, electrics/mechatronics, and thermo management. The MAHLE Group ranks among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for mobile applications in these sectors.

In the original equipment industry, MAHLE provides technologically innovative solutions for automotive, commercial vehicle, machinery, and other industrial applications. The after-market business unit also serves the independent parts market with MAHLE products in original equipment quality.

MAHLE has a local presence in all major world markets. In 2014, some 66,000 employees at approximately 150 production locations are expected to have generated sales of around EUR 10 billion. At ten major research and development centers in Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China, and India, more than 4500 development engineers and technicians are working on forward-looking concepts, products, and systems.

CENIT AGFor over 25 years, CENIT has been successfully active as a leading consulting and software specialist for optimizing business processes in the Digital Factory, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), SAP Solutions, Enterprise Information Management (EIM), Business Optimization & Analytics (BOA), and Application Management Services (AMS) fields.

CENIT complements standard solutions by strategic partners such as DASSAULT SYSTEMES, SAP and IBM by providing well- established own software solutions. These include the FASTSUITE product family for software solutions in the Digital Factory field, cenitCONNECT for SAP PLM-related processes, cenitSPIN as a high-performance PLM Desktop, CENIT ECLISO for efficient information management as well as CENIT SERVICEMANAGER – a platform for integrating software systems into the ECM system.

The enterprise employs around 700 staff worldwide, serving customers primarily from the automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, tooling and molding, financial services, commercial and consumer goods industries.

Contact

CENIT AGIndustriestraße 52-5470565 StuttgartGermanyPhone: +49 711 7825-30Fax: +49 711 7825-4000E-Mail: info@cenit.dewww.cenit.com