Product Development – CATIA V5 & Innovative Lightweight Solutions

Innovation starts with the right development. SGS Schach Global Solutions offers you professional product development for the automotive industry – from the first idea through design engineering with CATIA V5 to a production-ready solution. Our development team combines deep material understanding with state-of-the-art CAD methods and delivers components and assemblies that are technically mature, optimised for manufacturing and economical.

CATIA V5 – Our CAD System of Choice

CATIA V5 from Dassault Systèmes is the standard in the automotive industry. Our experienced design engineers master all relevant modules: Part Design and Assembly Design for parametric 3D design, Generative Shape Design for complex free-form surfaces, Sheet Metal Design for sheet metal parts and Drafting for standard-compliant 2D drawings. By working directly in the CATIA environment, we ensure seamless integration into our customers' development processes.

Alongside CATIA V5, we also work with other CAD systems where required and can exchange data in all common formats such as STEP, IGES, JT and STL. This ensures smooth collaboration with your development team.

CFRP Development & Lightweight Design

Lightweight design is one of the most important trends in automotive engineering – driven by efficiency requirements, e-mobility and CO2 regulations. We specialise in the development of CFRP components (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics) and bring extensive experience in the design and dimensioning of fibre composite parts.

Our CFRP development expertise covers material-appropriate component design considering fibre orientation and layup, FEM simulation and strength analysis, manufacturing-oriented design for autoclave, RTM and press processes, and the optimisation of weight — components that are not only light but can also be produced economically.

Injection Moulding Development

A large part of our development work involves plastic injection-moulded components. We design parts that are suited to injection moulding from the very start – with optimal wall thickness distribution, suitable demoulding concepts and well-thought-out gate positioning. In close coordination with toolmakers, we ensure the tool concept fits the part and economical cycle times are achieved.

From Idea to Series Production

Our development process is structured and transparent. In the concept phase, we develop different solution approaches and evaluate them in terms of function, weight, cost and feasibility. The best solution is worked out in detail, simulated and agreed with the customer. After release, we support tool procurement, the initial sampling phase and the production ramp-up.

Whether individual components or complete assemblies – we deliver development services that meet the high standards of the automotive industry. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.

With CATIA V5 we carry out automotive product development at OEM level. We take over complete component development – from design, attachment points, tolerances and fastening concepts to manufacturing-oriented dimensioning for small-batch and series production.

Focus: Carbon and composite components as well as plastic and metal parts. In carbon and plastics we offer extensive hands-on experience from international projects, with decisions guided by feasibility, cost and series-production capability.

Added value: A proactive approach with quick counter-proposals on materials, processes and sourcing. Through integration with international parts sourcing, we evaluate alternatives early.

Special focus:

• Carbon & composite components automotive.
• Plastic and metal components.
• Weight optimisation and packaging integration.

Result: Technically clean, release-ready components that are structurally sound, economical and reliably manufacturable.

Our innovative core areas include:

Development of vacuum plastic injection-moulded components

Using materials such as:

• ABS
• Polycarbonat (PC)
• Polypropylen (PP)
• Polyamid (PA)
• PEEK.

Development of carbon components

Using materials such as:

• CFRP
• GFRP
• AFRP
• CFRP/GFRP hybrid
• AFRP/CFRP hybrid
• Elastomers/EPDM
• Sandwich systems.

Development of precision metal parts:

various coating technologies such as:

• Aluminium anodising
• Hard chrome
• Nickel plating
• PVD
• CVD etc.

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CAD Design & Product Development with CATIA V5

CATIA V5 is the industry standard in automotive development – and this is exactly where our strength lies. The design engineers at SGS Schach Global Solutions master all relevant CATIA modules: Part Design, Assembly Design, Generative Shape Design for complex free-form surfaces and Drafting for standard-compliant drawing derivation. Whether individual components or complete assemblies – we deliver production-ready CAD data that can be transferred directly to tool making.

CFRP Development & Lightweight Engineering

The development of CFRP components requires special know-how in fibre composite technology. We design components appropriately for the material, considering fibre orientation, layup and manufacturing process. Our experience covers autoclave components, RTM parts and press parts made from prepreg materials. We always optimise the balance of weight, strength and manufacturing cost – for lightweight solutions that are not only technically convincing but also economically sound.

Injection Moulding Design for Series Production

The majority of all plastic components in a vehicle are produced by injection moulding. Our engineers design parts to be suited to injection moulding from the very beginning: optimal wall thickness distribution, well-conceived demoulding concepts, correct rib and boss design and precise tolerance analyses. In close coordination with toolmakers and suppliers, we make sure the component not only works but can also be produced economically and with a stable process.

From Idea to Series – Our Development Process

Our development process is structured and customer-oriented. In the concept phase, we develop different solution approaches and evaluate them for function, weight, cost and feasibility. The selected solution is designed in detail, simulated using FEM and agreed with the customer. After release, we support tool procurement, initial samples and the production ramp-up. Contact us for your next development task.

Frequently Asked Questions – Automotive Product Development

What does product development in the automotive industry involve?

Automotive product development covers the complete process from product idea to series maturity — including concept development, design engineering, prototyping, validation, sampling (PPAP/PPF) and production launch (SOP). SGS supports this entire development process with experience from numerous OEM and Tier 1 projects.

Which development phases does SGS support?

We support all phases: concept and feasibility phase, CAD design and design validation, prototyping and testing, tool making and initial sample inspection, FMEA and risk analysis, PPAP/PPF preparation, and production launch and ramp-up support. Every phase is documented and released to OEM requirements.

What is PPAP/PPF and why is it so important?

PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) and PPF (the German production part approval procedure) are formal release processes with which OEMs confirm that series parts meet the specified requirements. Without a successful PPAP/PPF release, no series part may be installed. SGS supports the preparation of all required evidence and coordinates initial sampling with the supplier.

How does product development differ from design development?

Design development focuses on the visual and conceptual appearance of a component. Product development follows on from this and covers the complete technical development process up to series release — including design engineering, simulation, testing and sampling. At SGS, both areas work closely together.

What documentation requirements must be met in product development?

Automotive projects require extensive documentation: FMEA, inspection planning, MSA, SPC records, dimensional reports, material test reports and the PPAP/PPF documentation package. SGS knows the requirements of leading OEMs (BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, STELLANTIS) and ensures that all documents are delivered in the correct form and on time.

Who is product development via SGS suited for?

Our offering is aimed at OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and mid-sized suppliers who need to supplement in-house development capacity or require external project responsibility for launch projects — especially for components from Asia, Eastern Europe or complex multi-supplier projects.