In the automotive industry, a new component is not won or lost on the shop floor – it is won or lost in CAD. That is precisely where our CATIA V5 design engineering as an automotive service provider comes in: we deliver OEM-compliant data models, clean class-A surfaces and consistent bills of material that keep our clients on schedule – whether the part is later produced in Munich, Wolfsburg, Shanghai or Spartanburg.
In this article we explain why CATIA V5 remains the backbone of the OEM CAD world in 2026, how professional design engineering differs from pure CAD work – and how to recognise a reliable engineering partner.
From Scan to Release-Ready Model – A Look Into Our Daily Work
The picture above shows a typical day in our Munich engineering office. The left monitor displays a 3D scan of an existing component – polygonal mesh data captured by a structured-light or laser scanner. Scans like these are not usable for a series release: they have no construction history, no parametric features, no tolerance information. On the right monitor, the clean CATIA V5 model is being built up in parallel: reconstructed surfaces, parametric sketches, product structure, PMI annotations.
This step – moving from a geometric point cloud to a production-ready CATIA V5 model – is one of the most valuable services an experienced automotive engineering partner can deliver. Typical triggers are:
- an existing part without CAD data that needs to be reworked or re-manufactured
- a body or interior component from a clay or hard model that has to be transferred into the strak
- a competitor benchmark whose geometry is documented for packaging or function studies
- the quality validation of supplier samples, where the measured actual is compared against the CAD nominal
Why CATIA V5 Is Still the Standard in 2026
Most European OEMs – BMW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and PSA among them – continue to run their development and supply chains primarily on CATIA V5. Even where in-house development is migrating towards CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE or Siemens NX, V5 will remain the shared data standard with Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers for the foreseeable future.
For you as a supplier or development partner, this means:
- Data exchange in CATPart, CATProduct, CATDrawing is mandatory – not STEP or IGES.
- OEM-specific methodology rules (such as BMW PEP, VW KVS, Mercedes MBN) can only be mapped cleanly in CATIA V5.
- Class-A surfaces for visible body and interior parts are still built in ICEM Shape Design – natively in V5.
Anyone showing up without these tools will fail at the first data alignment with the customer. This is exactly where a specialised design engineering service provider earns its place.
What “Design Engineering” Really Means as a Service
In many job advertisements, “design engineering” is used interchangeably with “CAD modelling”. That falls short. A full design-engineering service covers five disciplines that all converge inside CATIA V5:
1. Concept Phase and Packaging Study
Before the first surface is drawn, we work with the customer to validate the packaging in the overall vehicle, define the interfaces to neighbouring parts and identify critical tolerance chains. The output is a robust concept DMU (digital mock-up) that can be presented to the steering committee.
2. Class-A Surface Modelling
Visible parts – bumpers, mouldings, interior trims, lamp lenses – require strak-grade surface quality. We model class-A surfaces in ICEM Shape Design or Generative Shape Design (GSD), build the continuity and curvature conditions cleanly, and deliver data that flows directly into the OEM strak.
3. B-Surfaces, Attachments and Functional Geometry
This is where ribs, screw bosses, clip geometries, sealing surfaces and all functional features are designed – manufacturing-aware for injection moulding, RTM, SMC or carbon prepreg. This is the stage that decides whether a part can be produced economically later on.
4. Tooling and Moulding Validation
We design part and tool together. Draft angles, parting lines, slider and ejector positions are stored parametrically inside the CATIA model. This saves multiple iteration loops in tool design – a direct lever on your time-to-market and your tooling cost.
5. A-, B-, C-Sample Support Through SOP
Design engineering does not end at data freeze. We support component maturity through A-samples (functional samples), B-samples (near-series tooling) and C-samples (production tooling) and update the data after every build phase – right up to start of production.
Six Reasons to Use an External CATIA V5 Service Provider
Building an in-house CAD department is expensive, slow and – in Bavaria’s current talent market – simply not available on the timelines you need. An experienced engineering partner delivers immediately:
- Scalable capacity – we ramp 2 to 8 engineers in parallel for peak loads, with no hiring on your side.
- Methodology experience – more than 10 years on OEM projects, from BMW and Audi to Chinese new-energy manufacturers.
- Material and process expertise – especially for CFRP, GFRP, technical plastics and high-pressure die-cast aluminium.
- Cost transparency – fixed daily rates or fixed-price packages per component iteration.
- Direct interface to sourcing – we design parts that our parts sourcing team in Asia can release straight into tooling. No friction between engineering and procurement.
- Escalation capability – if a supplier slips, our project management goes into task-force mode the same day.
Typical CATIA V5 Projects We Deliver
- Illuminated exterior and interior components (illuminated mouldings, illuminated badges, ambient-light carriers)
- Carbon visible parts for performance and special-edition models
- Structural components in SMC, RTM and organosheet
- Add-on parts in technical plastics (PA6 GF, PC/ABS, electroplated ABS)
- High-pressure die-cast aluminium parts, including topology optimisation
- Full module packages in cooperation with our OEM customers
For each of these projects, we deliver clean CATIA V5 data – including bill of material, drawing derivation per DIN/ISO and 3D PMI.
Why SGS Schach Global Solutions
We are not a classical CAD office. We are an integrated automotive partner with three tightly linked building blocks: design engineering, project management and global parts sourcing. Your benefit: the part we engineer in CATIA V5 today can go straight into our Asian supplier network for tooling release tomorrow – with no friction between engineering and procurement.
Our Munich team works with the methodology rules of the major German OEMs every day and knows the requirements for data quality, maturity levels and release processes from hands-on project experience. You can find more about our service portfolio on the pages Design Engineering and Product Development.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions on CATIA V5 Design Engineering
Which CATIA V5 releases does SGS support?
We work productively with releases R29, R30 and R31, and on request inside OEM-specific licence environments via VPN.
Can you also handle pure data conversions or strak repairs?
Yes. We clean up imported STEP or IGES data, close surface gaps and bring models up to class-A quality.
How do you hand the data over to our PDM/PLM system?
We deliver in CATPart, CATProduct, CATDrawing and – where required – in 3DXML, JT or STEP AP242. On request also via direct check-in to TeamCenter, Windchill or ENOVIA.
How is confidentiality handled during ongoing projects?
We work under NDA by default. For sensitive pre-development projects we set up isolated project environments on request.
How much does a CATIA V5 design-engineering project typically cost?
We provide a first reliable estimate after a 30-minute scoping call. An overview of our pricing logic is available on our Pricing page.
Conclusion: Design Engineering Is a Lever, Not a Side Activity
In 2026, CATIA V5 is more than a CAD tool – it is the shared language between OEM, Tier-1 and Tier-2. Suppliers and development partners that deliver cleanly here gain speed, cost certainty and trust. That is the standard we hold ourselves to in design engineering.
Do you have a part that needs to reach series faster – or a data set that is not release-ready?
Get in touch with us. In a first conversation we clarify maturity, packaging and target cost – and show how we move your project forward in CATIA V5.
