Lattice Technology’s ultra lightweight and accurate XVL format is helping Thatcham (the British Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre) dramatically reduce lead times and operational costs.
Thatcham has purchased and implemented Lattice Technology’s 3D Dataway from Lattice’s UK reseller Epitomy Solutions. The implementation has produced immediate and significant efficiency improvements for Thatcham which undertakes research on behalf of UK motor insurers to calculate repair times for all models of car on the UK roads. These ‘Thatcham times’ are used by the UK motor insurers to assess the cost of repair when claims are made.
Andrew Marsh, Advanced Data and Methods Operations Manager, explains “Tracking down the required car model, shipping it to our workshop and then undertaking these disassembly processes is a very costly procedure in both monetary terms and time.” He continues, “With 3D CAD data we knew that we could reduce the cost of this process.”
As a not-for-profit organisation Thatcham was looking for a flexible, value for money XVL solution to operate with the wide range of CAD packages used by the various automotive manufacturers. Epitomy recommended Lattice3D Dataway as the ideal one stop conversion solution for handling various CAD data types for a fraction of the cost.
“Lattice3D Dataway offers the flexibility Thatcham needs to open various CAD data formats and export as XVL. Once in XVL format, Lattice’s Studio tools can be used to edit, animate and manipulate the 3D data” explains Emma Brealey, Epitomy’s Sales Executive.
Andrew Marsh continues “The immediate return on investment comes from exporting technical illustrations directly from XVL Studio. Without the CAD data, technical Illustrations previously took hours to create from photographs and other sources. Traditionally, this has involved physically disassembling a particular car model; stripping it of its parts and then conducting timed studies as it is reassembled. With Studio’s Illustration Export Option, we anticipate a 70% time saving in producing supporting publications.”
Epitomy is the UK reseller for Lattice Technology selling the Lattice suite of modules independently of its own solutions. Additionally, Epitomy has incorporated Lattice Technology products into its Epitomy Data Manager and Epitomy Publisher products so providing 3D dynamic graphic capability whilst facilitating file sharing through Lattice’s unique compression technology.
The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, or Thatcham, was established in 1969 by British Insurers. The Centre is independently operated with a Board of Directors drawn from more than 30 insurer members who fund its work. Its main aim is to carry out research targeted at containing or reducing the cost of motor insurance claims, whilst maintaining safety and quality standards.