Mitsubishi Lancer/Carisma GT Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart

Technical excellence is a pre-requisite in motorsport, such is the level of competition and investment made by the competing manufacturers. How each of the car makers achieves this is, in essence, probably very similar - a dynamic combination of brain and computer power. But, where Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart likes to think it has the edge, is in its partnership with Rand Worldwide™, a global leader in knowledge-based solutions to engineering, design and information technology requirements.

The Rand engineering suite at Mitsubishi Ralliart in Rugby, England

Rand Worldwide™ does more than put its corporate identity on the striking red and white Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/Carisma GT that competes around the globe in the FIA World Rally Championship. It also does more than simply deliver computer gadgetry to the team’s headquarters at Rugby, England, leaving the engineers to get on with it. As the official engineering software partner to the team, Rand Worldwide™ provides a full engineering suite of hardware, software and as importantly, support services to Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart.

"The beauty of implementing a suite of software such as this is that it creates a seamless engineering environment through which the present and future rally cars can be designed, electronically, from the ground up", comments Chris Warner, Project Manager of Rand Worldwide™. "This technical partnership with Ralliart is a perfect way for us to showcase these advanced CAD products and our engineering support services at the cutting edge of technology in world rallying".

The Pro/ENGINEER ® layout model of World Rally Car cockpit

Four main engineering solutions are being implemented at Ralliart Europe in Rugby, including Pro / ENGINEER ®, Pro / MECHANICA ®, Pro / CDRS ® and Pro / INTRALINK ® and Product VIEW ®, which provide unique capabilities and solutions in both a static and dynamic environment.

"This is a new system for us", comments Chief Engineer Bernard Lindauer. "The implementation of the system is smooth as we have Rand engineers on hand to help with the development of the system and training. The immediate advantage was that it allowed us to extend our drawing office capacity and efficiency during the World Rally car development. In the longer term advanced technology systems such as these are very necessary for us to remain competitive at the top level".

As the world’s largest independent provider of engineering design solutions, the difference Rand’s software is making to the team’s output, and the speed at which it can happen, is marked.

The Pro/MECHANICA ® structural analysis model of Mitsubishi's rally wheel

Pro/ENGINEER ®, the kind of software most would probably expect to find in a design office, enables the Ralliart engineers to design the components, assemblies - and consequently the car - in a full 3D environment, digitally validating the engineering performance and creating production drawings.

The Pro/MECHANICA ® software is a very powerful technology and will, in the future, allow the engineers to actually ’drive’ the World Rally Car across a virtual stage in the World Rally Championship to simulate and analyse stress loadings throughout every component of the car, from the suspension to the roll cage. "With this package Ralliart will be able to analyse the strength and structural soundness of the designs, identify areas of potential weakness or even where something may have been over-engineered", comments Warner. "If this is the case, they can then remove what has effectively been identified as excess material, reducing the overall weight of the car".

Pro/CDRS ® model of carbon dashboard