Michelin moves to improve CAD capability

CONCORD, Mass. (Nov. 4)—Groupe Michelin has agreed to buy about 1,000 licenses from SolidWorks Corp. to enhance its tire machinery design capabilities. The licenses cover SolidWorks' 3-D computer-aided design software, developed to increase the speed and accuracy of machine design, SolidWorks announced Nov. 4. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed. Michelin will use the CAD system as standard to develop equipment for its global production set up, SolidWorks said. The French company makes up to 21,000 different sorts of tires at 80 sites worldwide. SolidWorks will enable Michelin engineers to design machines right the first time, and to complete these designs 20 percent faster than before, according to Nathan Bayne, Michelin director of engineering process for North America.