Super Aguri F1 Team went from concept to grid in 100 days

The project involved first migrating initial Catia V4 data to V5 fast and efficiently, before remodelling to transform an existing chassis into a 2006 specification F1 competitor compliant with the new FIA regulations. “Without the assistance and support of CenitDesktop it would have been difficult to get the cars to Bahrain for the first Grand Prix of 2006,” says Super Aguri CFO and company secretary Wayne Humphreys. The engineering team used Catia V5 PLM (product lifecycle management) software as the development environment for the design evolution project, with CenitDesktop providing support and additional resource. Transformation of the initial chassis meant outsourcing much of production – making maintenance of design accuracy and integrity even more important. CenitDesktop helped there too by overseeing Catia engineering data file transfer between suppliers and partners. “F1 can mean very short development and manufacturing times and companies have to able to respond very quickly,” says CenitDesktop’s Chris Palmer. “This relies on close partnerships between companies and suppliers and an ability to communicate effectively. Catia is ideally suited to this kind of high precision, customised environment. “We worked in complete partnership with the engineering team at Super Aguri F1 Team, and were on call to to ensure the project remained on track throughout the transition process. It has been a fascinating time for ourselves to see how the Team has grown from four people in November to where they are now.”