Image courtesy of Wikimedia.
Dassault Systèmes, a global CAD leader, has announced that it will acquire AITAC, a Dutch firm specializing in maritime engineering software.
AITAC is best known for its Smart Drawings software, which can automatically create engineering drawings from a master model. At shipyards across the globe, Smart Drawings is used to automatically slice 3D master models of boats into 2D drawings that guide construction. This automation not only preserves that accuracy of a 3D model when rendered in 2D, it also speeds up the drawing creation process, saving time and money.
According to Dassault Systèmes, Smart Drawings will be fully integrated into its “Designed for Sea” and “Optimized Production for Sea” industry solutions on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The fact that AITAC spelled backwards is CATIA, Dassault's core CAD product, may have been nothing more than a happy coincidence.
“We have always been passionate about transforming the way marine and offshore companies use 3D. and we work hard to provide our customers with the best experience of a 3D master approach,” said Marc Journeux, Co-director, AITAC. “Dassault Systèmes has always been a fantastic partner for us, and we truly believed this is the only company able to take this market to the next step. Now our team is excited to join Dassault Systèmes to accelerate the pace of innovation.”
While AITAC isn’t the only marine engineering software solution on the market (products from AVEVA, Intergraph, PTC and Siemens PLM come to mind) Dassault Systèmes’ acquisition of the Dutch company catapults them further toward the fore in the marine engineering industry.