In the ruthless world of shipbuilding, the Arcachon-based company made out well with its constant innovations and the elegant interior designs of military ships and yachts that lure their clients. An approach based in particular on the TopSolid'Wood software by Missler Software, a tool that adds intelligence to the personalization of each of these exceptional boats.

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Created by Albert Couach to make marine engines, this year the company with his name is celebrating its 120th anniversary. The Couach family's passion for navigating is thus alive and well in one of France's oldest shipyards. Since 1897, this small business has been  perpetuating he nautical tradition and leading the shipyard toward excellence, and 120 years of values have traveled through time with the same guiding principles: commitment, discretion, trust, honesty, pride, and courage. 

Since its creation at its base at Gujan-Mestras on the Arcachon Bay, one innovation has been followed by another. In 1946, the family-run shipyard began to manufacture series boats, and over the years the company, which now employs 300 people, has made a name for itself in yacht building thanks to their exceptional marine qualities.

In the early 2000's, the shipyard was modernized and shifted toward the construction of super and mega luxury yachts. Authentic craftsmanship and unrivaled power of the yachts are the expert know-how that Couach offers, along with a constant dialog with its clients. These units, which measure anywhere from 11 to 50 meters and are made entirely of composite, have always been built hand in hand with its clients. For examplen the shipbuilder conceived its "Taylor-made" luxury yachts in strict compliance with French-style luxury standards. And some of its most recent yachts are ultra-fast. They are joy to sea-lovers and speed fiends alike. In addition to the construction of yachts, the shipyard also designs military ships: interceptor craft, patrol boats and surveillance vessels made with composite materials and the V-shaped hull that has become a trademark of the Couach brand. Working with navies and governments from all over the world, the shipyard offers hugh-speed boats and related services. It has already equipped more than 20 countries with its ships. More than 280 vessels have been sold to French and foreign governments. 

None of these exploits would have been possible without the unparalleled know how of these yachts "artists" who use powerful computer-assisted design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) tools that are perfectly suited to this kind of meticulous work. For five years, the interior design of these luxury boats, tailored to the tastes of each client, have been created by the design department using TopSolid'Wood software by Missler Software. "Dedicated to "wood" applications, it allows us to stand out from the fierce competition in the yacht building business", explains Benoît Llomedet, one of two designer that make the "interior designs" in th company's specialized design department. The boat's empty hull is quickly fitted with a 3D version of the furtniture, the wood and metal finishings, and the insulation and electrical systems. Based on the powerful Parasolid modeler, the Missler Software application unshackles the limits of design. In addition, its industry features allow machining issues to be taken into account on the 3D model from the modeling stage.

Design faster and better... This goal has been successfully achieved thanks, among other things, to the standard libraries archived by the software. "These powerful configuration and associativity features make it easier for us to manage our daily know-how", says Pierre Castel, the other ship interior design specialist at Couach. "Everything has been done to fluidify the designer's job and improve productivity." Capable of handling multi-material projects, TopSolid'Wood offers designers preset positionings and geometrical pilots as well as components the software communicates with the comparny's other IT tools. It can thus constantly enrich the digital model of the future boat designed with another CAD/CAM application. "Thanks to communicating with our clients. The latter can view a 3D version of the interior design of their future yacht", exclaims Benoît Lhomedet. Lastly comes the manufacture of the interior design items. Automatic recognition of the geometry for machining operations, associativity of CAD model with CAM preparation, various machining processes available, appropriate post-processors, etc. In the rich TopSolid'Wood toolbox, nothing has been overlooked. And these features will be put to the test when designing and manufacturing the future avant-garde yachts that Couach is already planning...

 

Strong points of TopSolid'Wood application at Couach:

• Powerful configuration and associativity features that facilitate the management of daily design know-how through standard libraries 
• Capable of handling multi-material projects, the software has preset positionings and geometrical pilots as well as components with their machning. 
• The software communicates with the tool used to design the boat, constantly and reliably enriching the ship's digital model

Benoît Lhomedet's opinion: 

"TopSolid'Wood facilitates data exchanges with our partners and communication with our clients. The latter can view a 3D version of the interior design of their future yachts." 

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