New partners will help Chinese automotive manufacturers increase the perceived quality of their vehicles through the use of Icona’s aesthetica software.

Icona Solutions, Ltd., which develops, supplies and supports the innovative perceived quality simulation and visualisation software solution, aesthetica, has appointed its first two value-added resellers in China. Beijing-based Sili-Tech Co. Ltd. (www.sili-tech.com) and Shanghai-based Shanghai RPT Automotive Engineering Co. Ltd. (www.rpt-auto.com) will be responsible for selling and supporting aesthetica in the rapidly growing domestic Chinese automotive design and manufacturing industry.

“The Chinese automotive industry is a key growth market for us,” stated Tim Illingworth, chief executive, Icona Solutions. “With 3.5 million cars sold in China in the first three months of 2010 Ð a 76% increase over the same three months last year Ð and 42% growth in 2009 over 2008 as a whole, forecasts indicate that sales of cars and light trucks will reach some 25 million annually by 2014, with an estimated total ownership of 130 million vehicles by that time.”

“However,” he noted, “the domestic Chinese automotive manufacturers realise that in order for them to succeed in this rapidly growing marketplace, one of their major tasks is to increase the perceived quality of their vehicles. That’s where we see major opportunities for Icona Solutions and aesthetica.”

Commenting on their appointment, Jason Li, managing director, Sili-Tech, which is a CAE consulting and systems integration specialist and Siemens PLM Software CAE solutions partner in China, with customers in the automotive, aerospace and ship building industries, said, “We are proud that Icona Solutions selected us to be their partner in China and we are excited by the opportunities that exist in the Chinese automotive industry for a unique software solution like aesthetica.”

Meanwhile, Fang Ming, general manager, Shanghai RPT Automotive Engineering, which counts Chinese automotive companies including SAIC, JAC, NAVECO, Chengfeng and GW among its customers and is a leading reseller of Dassault SystŽmes’ full line of CAD/CAM/CAE and PLM software solutions, said, “Icona Solutions’ aesthetica software is an ideal complement to the mainstream vehicle design and engineering solutions that our customers use on a day-to-day basis, so we see major opportunities in helping them to improve the perceived quality of their vehicles through the use of aesthetica.”

“Both Sili-Tech and RPT have the technical expertise and the market knowledge that will enable aesthetica to make its mark on the Chinese automotive industry”, said Illingworth. “We are looking forward to working with them in taking Icona Solutions to the next level in the worldwide automotive industry.”

Icona Solutions’ aesthetica software provides an accurate, visual simulation of the effects of component variation, assembly variation and component deformation in manufactured assemblies to enable full perceived quality reviews using digital models in order to resolve issues of fit and finish quality. The use of aesthetica gives greater insight than has previously been possible into the impact of manufacturing variation on perceived quality by enabling the user to visualize a Ôvirtual’ product at different states within its geometric tolerance range, in real-time, and precisely as the customer will see the final, manufactured product. It helps to improve perceived quality while saving time and improving communication in the design process.

Icona Solutions Ltd. develops and provides innovative and unique solutions to audit and improve perceived quality in manufactured metal and plastics products. Its software can form an integral part of a product design and manufacturing company’s overall product lifecycle management (PLM) software environment and is supplied and supported globally both directly and through qualified, specialist resellers. Icona Solutions is a member of both Dassault Systmes’ CAA V5 Adopters and of Siemens PLM Software’s JT Open programs.

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