In the labs

Modelling: the key to understanding realityp. 6

In the loop

Past, present & future of Altranp. 12

septeMbeR 2012 #22

altran.com

In the woRld

China: build trust locally p. 14

altran’s science and technology magazine

> Eva Yang, Altran China

altitude | # 22 # 22 | altitude

04 | In the aIRAltran in the age of e-mobilityIn order to offer comprehensive e-mobility solutions, Altran has decided to concentrate its efforts in several key areas.

Solar Impulse in the African skyFor the first time in the history of aeronautics, an airplane powered entirely by solar energy has completed an intercontinental flight.

06 | In the labsModelling: the key to understanding realityDigital modelling and simulation techniques speed up the design of new products by transforming reality into mathematical equations and helping solve problems that used to have no solution.

08 | In the knowReconquering outer spaceSince the end of the American lunar programme in the early 70s, public fascination with outer space has dropped sharply. Even so, the sector has never been so dynamic. The space race is on… again!

12 | In the loopPast, present & futureAltran’s thirtieth anniversary is a special occasion for Alexis Kniazeff, Co-Founder, and Philippe Salle, Chairman and Chief Executive, to share their views on the Group and its evolution.

14 | In the woRldChina: build trust locallyChina, along with India, is among the countries targeted by Altran’s Strategic Plan for 2012-2015, as an intrinsic part of the Group’s activities in the most advanced emerging markets.

96, avenue Charles de Gaulle 92200 neuilly-sur-seineFrancewww.altran.comaltitude@altran.com

altitude n°22

Publishing director:philippe salleeditorial director:Frédéric Fougerateditors in chief: kaling Chan, benoît Repouxeditorial content:Martin bellet, pierre Michaud, Gilmar sequeira-Martinscontributors: Florence barré, Carine brégeon, leena Chauhan, Caroline ernoult, Isabelle Fougeras, Christian le liepvre, olivier nold, Markus Ross, anne-laure sanguinetti, phoebe Zhangdesign and page layout:

01 77 45 86 86Publishing manager: Martin belletart director:david CorvaisierPage layout:Marion stepieneditorial secretary: Corporate editions translation: Corporate editionscover credit:teng Maon the cover:eva Yang, programme development engineer, altran ChinaProduction: sylvie esquerPrint by:design Colorcopyright:september 2012issn: 1767-9974 altitude (paris 2003)

IN THE LABS

Modelling: the key to understanding realityP. 6

IN THE LOOP

Past, present & future of AltranP. 12

SEPTEMBER 2012 #22

altran.com

IN THE WORLD

China: build trust locally P. 14

ALTRAN’S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

> Eva Yang, Altran China

Technological innovation at the service of industrial performance

Industry is evolving to stay apace with changes in the market. Information technol-ogy is giving competition a global dimen-sion, while the difficult economic environ-ment is making it all the more intense.

A race to technology and performance has begun. In this context, companies are focusing on their core businesses, and are seeking partners able to help them develop new areas of growth, to carry out technology transfers and to consolidate the supply chain.

Altran aspires to be this agile industrial partner, capable of handling the complexi-ties of product lifecycle management, of mastering the challenges of systems engineering and of nurturing a pool of talent around the world.

Our ability to project internationally, to understand the weak signals of the industry, to capitalise on our experience, to bring together communities of experts and to deliver complex and global projects will be the key to our success.

Every day, Altran’s 17,500 employees live out their passions at a time when technological adventure and industrial performance are building the future.

CErTIFICATIOn

AwArD

SPOnSOrInG

PoRTugAl

unITEd kIngdoM

BElgIuM

Altran Portugal reached CMMI DEV 1.3 Maturity Level 2, a certificate which evaluates the activities and processes of engineering companies. This rating assures clients that the Altran group respects the four cornerstones of project management: budget, time, scope and quality.

MIChAEl gAInfoRd, Systems Engineering Practice Lead at Altran Praxis UK, has recently been awarded the Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP) designation, a recognised standard attesting systems engineering excellence worldwide. At the time he received the award, only 94 people were qualified at the ESEP level globally. Mr Gainford was the 3rd recipient in the UK and the 6th in Europe.

CélESTIn dE WERgIfoSSE may only be 15, but he is already both an inventor and entrepreneur. His project: a mobile and solar-powered electric generator. Altran is helping him conduct a feasibility study and make the necessary preliminary specifications for launching industrial production.

EdIToRIAl BY CYRIl RogER senIoR eVp FoR southeRn euRope, altRan

02 | Contents & ContRIbutoRs Contents & ContRIbutoRs | 03

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Team of auditors and auditees

Pascal Laffineur, Executive Director Altran Belgium and Céléstin de wergifosse

altitude | # 22 # 22 | altitude

onlineTHE GIzA PLATEAU AnD PyrAMIDS, EnTIrELy rECrEATED In 3D by Dassault Systems.

ALTrAn SITES HAVE BEEn GIVEn A MAKEOVEr and the Group’s online presence is keeping up to speed with its new graphic design.

rEVAMPInG OF THE ALTrAn FOUnDATIOn FOr InnOVATIOn. Learn about the changes to the 2012 Prize.

99.9999% ThE dEgREE of CERTAInTY on ThE PART of CERn* RESEARChERS that they have found the elusive Higgs Boson, the “God particle” that gives matter mass. *European Organisation for nuclear research

72ThE nuMBER of houRS of vIdEo uPloAdEdonto youtube per minute. A year ago, only 48 hours per minute were uploaded.

30 YEARS old

Metapaper is a form of wallpaper that blocks GSM and wi-Fi waves while letting in those of radio and television. It makes it possible to create electromagnetic-free zones, a welcome change for hospitals and similarly calm places.

This year, Altran celebrates three decades of operation. In honour of this special occasion, a book about the 30 years of the Group will be distributed all year round to Altran’s clients and 17,500 employees.

F or the first time in the history of aeronautics, an airplane powered entirely by solar energy has com-

pleted an intercontinental flight. Solar Impulse took off on May 20 from Switzer-land and landed in Morocco after a voyage rife with weather complications. The Altran team responsible for the routing and simu-lation of the mission succeeded in calculat-ing new itineraries for the aircraft, taking into account the landscape, weather fore-cast and airplane’s energy needs, some-times in less than 24 hours. “I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together: from the engineers who built this fantastic airplane to the experts of the mission team – particularly the Altran con-sultants – who developed a strategy that was both safe and effective”, said André Borschberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Solar Impulse.

over 20 weeks, the PEgASoS Project airship will explore the skies of Europe to study the exact relationship between air quality and climate change. The airship, manufactured by the legendary Zeppelin company, took off from germany on May 4. on board are scientists from the sixteen countries involved in the PEgASoS project and over a tonne of analytical equipment. The results of the study will ultimately help to make recommendations for future European regulations. The flight also offers the opportunity for project experts to improve their digital simulations considerably by comparing the models with reality.

More:

pegasos.iceht.forth.gr

Solar Impulse in the african sky

PEGASOS: a bird’s eye view of pollution

04 | In the aIR In the aIR | 05

AErOnAutIcS

EnvIrOnmEnt

s ay goodbye to keyboards, mice, and remote controls: from now on a simple hand movement is all it takes to control your tech-nology’s interactive environment. Leap Motion is for the hand

what Microsoft’s Kinect was for the human body. Measuring a mere few inches, this little device is designed to replace the mouse and keyboard, instead capturing all your hand movements through 3D point-tracking infrared LEDs. Leap Motion allows you to play video games or work in CAD* software intuitively, rapidly, and accurately.

A Matter of Touché In 2012, Disney research introduced touch-sensitive technology that measures human and object responses at multiple frequencies. Dubbed Touché, it can detect contact on any kind of surface, including liquid and even skin. Unlike current binary touchscreen technology (i.e. input as either contact or no contact), Touché is capable of determining whether, for example, one or more fingers are touching an object. The technol-ogy can be programmed to respond differently according to the type of contact and has been met with no shortage of application ideas. One of the most original is to use finger-to-arm contact for controlling an MP3 player: two fingers against the wrist to increase the volume, three to lower it, four to skip.

*Computer-aided Design

the power is in your hands!

ElEctrOnIcS

I n order to offer comprehen-sive e-mobility solutions, Altran has decided to concen-

trate its efforts in several key areas (battery, motors, etc.). The teams at the Flöra development centre in Germany are currently developing an electric motor that runs with-out rare-earth magnets, ending manufacturers’ dependency on this extremely expensive material. In addition, Altran is working on new aeronautics-inspired design methods to reduce the weight of tomorrow’s vehicles. The goal is to

improve e-mobility by relying less on batteries.

optimised battery re-chargingCharging electric vehicles poses a challenge for today’s car manufac-turers. The lack of standardisation in this segment has caused con-cern about compatibility problems between electric vehicles and the array of re-charging systems availa-ble. In response to this issue, Altran teams have designed the PLC Tracer, a device which optimises the battery re-charging process by checking system compliance and monitoring data transfer between the car and the charging terminal.

More:

www.altran.com/PlC-tracer.html

Altran in the age of e-mobilitytrAnSPOrtAtIOn

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Crossing frontiers 2012 – Flight to Ouarzazate – Last preparation before take-off (21 June 2012)

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altitude | # 22 # 22 | altitude

by a cash transportation company for three years. Before giving the employee access to the safe, DIVA calls him and asks a few questions. It then analyses the level of stress detected in his voice as he answers. If the level is too high, the software alerts the police instead of sending the code to access the cash.Sometimes the challenge is related not to the complexity of the process itself, but rather how it is implemented. An in dustrial company in the field of aero-nautics thus called on Altran to under-stand why a laser welder was unable to correctly weld metal sheets more than 4 mm thick, while it was supposed to handle sheets up to a thickness of 13 mm. neither the techni-cians sent over by the manufacturer nor welding or laser specialists were able to shed light on the mystery. Thanks to its method of complexity analysis, Altran found the solution: a combination of adjustments that the sensor had previ-ously, and erroneously, determined to be fruitless. The company was back to

normal production levels in a mere ten weeks (see illustration above).

At the service of tomorrow’s lifestyleThese techniques can also help public services run effectively. Since novem-ber 2011, the LA Police have used soft-ware that tells them in advance when and where crimes are most likely to be

committed. Preven-tive patrols seem to have a deterrent effect, as burglaries have dropped by 25% in one year in the areas concerned.

These equations for human behaviour no doubt strengthen the assurance ex-

pressed by followers of the teams in Japan who are already designing robots capable of both understanding what humans are feeling and communicat-ing with them. nobody knows how long it will be before we start mistaking robots for human beings, but the time may not be that far off when we will have to adopt laws like those imagined by Isaac Asimov.

igital modelling and simulation techniques emerged in the field of aeronautics in the 1960s to carry out structural calcula-

tions. Today, they are tackling ever more complex problems such as bio-logical processes, human behaviour or detecting emotions using the voice. This field, which is quite promising for sectors concerned with measuring their employees’ sincerity or resist-ance to stress, was until quite recently faced with a dual obstacle: not only are there hundreds of factors involved in a human voice, but stress only affects some of these factors, and even then the effect is very slight. Producing a reliable result required specialists to spend hours listening to high-quality recordings.

To solve problems of this sort, Altran analysed robert May and Herbert Simon’s work on complexity. By going beyond the original limits, the approach taken made it possible to transpose any physical system or phenomenon into a purely mathematical pattern. This pat-tern has its own exploration and con-trol instruments that verify its internal coherence. Complexity can then be removed from any context and decom-posed to isolate the structures, param-eters and links that comprise it.

Analysing voices in real timeAltran succeeded in transforming the voice into a series of mathematical equations to isolate stress-induced micro-variations, thus creating DIVA software. This software provides secu-rity for employees responsible for restocking ATMs and has been used

realityModelling:

key to understanding

dIGItal ModellInG and sIMulatIon teChnIques speed up the desIGn oF new pRoduCts bY tRansFoRMInG RealItY Into MatheMatICal equatIons and helpInG solVe pRobleMs that used to haVe no solutIon.

DAERonAuTICSAltran, numerical partner of Snecma

For more than 12 years, Altran has been working with Snecma on the development of turbo-machines to propel civilian aircaft (Airbus, Boeing, etc.) and military aircraft (rafale, etc.). At its bureau for aerodynamic studies in Massy, France, Altran is carrying out a number of numerical calculations for Snecma, related to every phase of the development cycle: pilot study, design and approval. Committed to delivering results, Altran conducts numerical studies that are both classic (compressor performance calculations, acoustic signature, vane and shroud design, etc.) and more advanced (instationary calculations and flutter measurements).

1949development of the Monte-Carlo algorithm, a product of american

atomic bomb research. Calculations are no longer purely deterministic, but also based on probability. the algorithm lets scientists explore

new types of models.

1971launch of the 1st microprocessor

(Intel), with 2,300 transistors. the microprocessor opens the door

to vector calculus (1975), allowing for calculations of much more

complex models.

1986birth of the multilayer neural network (d. Rumelhart and

Y. leCun). starting from “observations”, the computer

develops the ability to learn on its own and to make “decisions” when

faced with a new factor.

2003after 15 years of research with

the help of massively distributed calculations, an international

team completes sequencing of the human genome.

06 | In the labs In the labs | 07

information technology

“IF A SOLUTIOn ExISTS, wE CAn FInD IT”

CHrISTOPHE BéESAU, Director of the Advance Modelling and Simulation Practice

in 2003, the solar impulse project seemed to be nothing more than a wild dream. Why?when bertrand piccard and andré borschberg launched the solar Impulse project – a solar energy-powered aircraft capable of flying continuously day and night – the vast majority of experts said that it was impossible. In any case, they said that it would take at least five years to model such a complex project.

so they came to see you…Indeed, they presented us with their challenge. with our extensive experience in the field of simulation, we told them that if a solution exists, we can find it quickly.

how did you proceed?we analysed the factors that made up the project’s complexity. Rather than trying to achieve precision on every front, we worked to design the right model, a model that would be stable enough to handle the subsequent accumulation of complex systems interacting with one another. after 18 months, we presented the initial calculations to the design team, along with the solution to the problem. we had found the right combination of aerodynamics, energy and size; now the overall design of the aircraft could begin!

Complexity can be removed from any context and

decomposed to isolate the structures

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Identification of thead-hoc model structure:(suitable for computationalanalysis).

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PhYSICAl WoRld

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Extractionof the problem’scharacteristics:technical information,parameters, observations,measurements, etc.

1

MathematicalComplexityAnalysis (MCA)

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Identification ofthe sourcesof complexity,and of their internalstructure. Calculatingcriteria for evaluatingweak signal outlines.

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4 Constructingmathematicalmodels: setting upequations includingself-checkingwith the MCA.

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6

Testing solutionson the systemValidation ofthe optimisationfound: stabilityvs. weldingconditions.

7

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# 22 | altitudealtitude | # 22

ravelling to outer space is expensive. This statement is especially true since space launchers are almost never reus-able. nonetheless,

the market has never been so dynamic. According to a Euroconsult study, 1,200 satellites will be put into orbit in the current decade, compared to 770 over the previous ten years. This boost in activity is due to the multiple uses of these devices. But there’s more: reaching outer space is also a symbol of independence. The launch of Galileo, the European competitor to the Ameri-can GPS system, is a perfect example. Today, only the American military can take advantage of the full potential of this satellite positioning system. with Galileo, Europe – and its armed forces – will have access to this technology as well. As for russia, since the mid-90s it has had its own system, GLOnASS.

TSErVInG THE EArTHOuter space is hardly reserved for the military. Today, GPS is widely used for civilian activities and by the general public: telephone communications, tel-evision, the Internet, and even text mes-sages now pass through outer space.

Another advantage of satellites is the unparalleled view they offer of the Earth. They make it easy to observe changes in weather conditions, melting of Arctic ice or refugee movements in Somalia. From environmental and climate studies to management of humanitarian crises, observation satellites have become an indispensable tool to better understand not only our world but the universe as a whole. Indeed, countless observation projects have been conducted using space probes and super telescopes like the famous Hubble Telescope.

A symbol of international co-opera-tion, the International Space Station (ISS) is the most emblematic scientific space programme. Six astronauts are perma-

OUTEr SPACE: TODAy AnD TOMOrrOw

OLIVIEr nOLD, Head of International Business Development Space & Defense, Altran

space sector players have a few particularly difficult years ahead of them, with budget reductions affecting the main european programmes. to help our clients remain competitive, we focus on innovation and performance, giving them the chance to find new growth drivers. we create a true technological partnership approach with a dual objective: not only guiding and maximising their R&d initiatives, but helping them transfer their expertise to new sectors (telephone, rail, automobile, nuclear, etc.) where altran has been working for nearly 30 years.

years ago, man walked on the Moon. But no one has set foot on the lunar surface for 40 years.

43

outer

sInCe the end oF the aMeRICan lunaR pRoGRaMMe In the eaRlY 70s, publIC FasCInatIon wIth outeR spaCe has dRopped shaRplY. eVen so, the seCtoR has neVeR been so dYnaMIC: polItICal pRestIGe FoR ChIna, teChnoloGICal leVeRaGe FoR RussIa and IndIa, pReseRVatIon oF essentIal skIlls FoR the west. the spaCe RaCe Is on… aGaIn!

aerosPace

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altitude | # 22 # 22 | altitude

The space infrastructure market (launchers, satellites, etc.) is now mature, I would

even say flat, and new players arriving on the scene make things even worse. At the same time, the world of space applications is booming. A bright idea based on using free satellite data such as GPS can lead to enormous profit for a modest investment.

In the satellite positioning system sector, Europe and China are engaged in a

veritable battle for speed: after investing heavily in the European Galileo project, the Chinese are now developing their own system – Compass – which uses the same frequency range. Both systems are likely to be finished in the next two or three years and the first to be fully operational will take 50% of the available frequencies.

Europe has developed a range of launchers that meet all of its current needs: Ariane for

large high-orbit satellites, Soyuz for mid-sized and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, and most recently Vega, designed to launch “light” satellites into low orbit, primarily for Earth observation. Nevertheless, with the launching sector as competitive as ever, it is imperative that we continue our efforts to optimise costs.

> Sébastien Poncin, Director of the Astrium Toulouse facility

> Thomas Poltnigg, Lead Consultant for OHB-System, Altran

> francesco de Pasquale, General Manager of ELV

10 | In the know In the know | 11

satellites will be put into orbit this decade1,200

AlTRAn: fEET on ThE gRound, hEAd In ThE STARS

ALTrAn SUPPLIES THE ISSon March 29, a delicate operation took place 250 miles (400 km) off the ground: for the third time, the European supply vessel ATv docked at the International Space Station (ISS). Altran had the opportunity to contribute to this success thanks to a team of seven consultants who participated in the preparation, review and execution of flight procedures.

with nearly 500 consultants based primarily in France, Italy, Germany and spain, and €45 million in sales, the space sector represents a significant percentage of altran’s current business. the Group guides the sector’s leading european players, particularly astrium and thales alenia space, in every phase of the development cycle. In addition to its positioning in the fields of engineering and complex systems (navigation systems, integrated systems, stationary systems), altran offers its clients expertise in the fields of simulation and modelling of flight patterns and trajectories. It also works with the sector’s more recent players such as ohb system in Germany. altran aims to strengthen its presence in europe and guide its traditional clients in the implementation of their diversification plans.

nently stationed on the ISS, where they work on projects surrounding supercon-ductivity, molecular biology and other fields of scientific study in one of the station’s thirteen pressurised modules.

you can find scientists in outer space, but you can also find tourists! In 2001, Dennis Tito spent $20 million for a week aboard the ISS, thus becoming the first space tourist in history. For a fraction of the cost, the company Virgin Galactic gives its clients the chance to spend a few hours at an altitude of 60 miles (100 kilometers). The maiden flight will take place in 2013. 500 people have already booked their ticket to outer space!

GALACTIC BELT TIGHTEnInGHowever, making it to outer space is

no small matter. The colossal invest-ments required mean that there are pre-cious few players in the sector. Histori-cally, russia and the United States have always been on the cutting edge in this field, but the end of the Cold war led to drastic budget reductions. To save money, nASA ended its Space Shuttle programme in 2011 and now relies on a private company, Space x, to deliver supplies to the ISS. Moscow has estab-lished a partnership with the European company Arianespace to launch the russian rocket Soyuz from Kourou, in French Guyana. Closer to the equator

sible given the enormous strides China has made. The latest Chinese space mis-sion is proof of this potential: last June, three astronauts spent thirteen days in outer space.

Determined to stay in the lead, Moscow and washington are looking towards Mars. For the Mars 500 project, which came to an end in november 2011, six men (including three russians) sim-ulated a mission to Mars by remaining locked in a replica of a space shuttle for 520 days.

Two years ago, President Obama assigned nASA the goal of sending a man to Mars by 2035. But funding is in short supply, and for the moment only rovers will be treading the ground on the red planet, in search of water and life... like Curiosity.

than Baikonur, this launch site allows for a greater “slingshot effect”, meaning that rockets can enter into orbit with a larger payload.

As for Europe, it does not yet know how to proceed with its Ariane pro-gramme, now the leader in commercial launches. Two options are currently under review: Ariane 6 and Ariane 5 ME. Industry tends to favour the second solution, for fear that Ariane 6 may not take off for several decades, with the risk that precious skills may be lost.

DESTInATIOn MArS?The next man to set foot on the Moon will be Chinese. Such is the target that the Middle Kingdom has set for itself. Its short-term goal is to have its own space station. This challenge is far from impos-

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future What was the situation when Altran was founded?> Alexis kniazeff: when Hubert Martigny and I founded Altran, it was the dawn of the digital revolution, micro-processors and new technologies, with a host of major industrial programmes starting up – the TGV high-speed train, Concorde, Airbus, the aerospace industry, the Minitel, etc. Industry needed to be put in touch with engineers to help them accomplish this technological revolution. And that is the role Altran has played.

Is it a profession you invented?> Alexis kniazeff: we invented high-technology consulting. we were not supplying classic computing services. Our value-added was our use of computer science to solve technology problems. Good engineers were scarce; we knew where to find them and how to attract them. That has not changed, but the market then was demand-driven. now supply drives the market.

did you have a special form of organisation?> Alexis kniazeff: we were organised in a very unusual way – in profit

centres, around a business manager who was a real entrepreneur. This network-based organisational structure was our strength. It enhanced business growth, work motivation and savings more than a centralised organisation could have generated.

does this model still meet your clients’ requirements?> Philippe Salle: we have to adapt our model to market trends, in particular the increasing internationalisation of our programmes. we need greater centralisation to manage increasing risk and projects that are more international in scope. we have set up a Programmes and Innovation department and redesigned our monitoring and tracking procedures. Central career management would be as beneficial to our engineers as it would be to the company.

how has Altran developed up until now?> Alexis kniazeff: Twenty years ago we were opportunistic. we were disseminating technologies, and business skyrocketed. we created markets that did not exist before

> Alexis kniazeff, Co-Founder of Altran

> Alexis kniazeff

> Philippe Salle, Chairman and Chief Executive, Altran

we need greater centralisation to manage increasing risk and projects that are more international in scope.

we created markets that did not exist before by forming subsidiaries and buying up companies.

by forming subsidiaries and buying up companies for which the Group provided the model or the driving force. In fact, chance played an enormous part.

And tomorrow?> Philippe Salle: we can no longer expand as we used to. we are completing the legal process of unifying Altran around a single company in each country and we have pulled out of Brazil. There are nine countries where we aim to be really strong: six European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), India, China and the United States. we have to reach the critical mass to trigger a virtuous cycle between brand recognition, projects and recruitment for the six European countries by 2015 and for the other three by 2019. with its ability to manage complex problems, its specialisation and its international presence, Altran will strengthen its position as an indispensable partner for all future international projects.

We invented high-technology consulting. We were not supplying classic computing services. Our value- added was our use of computer science to solve technology problems.

12 | In the loop In the loop | 13

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past, present& & intervie

& intervie

p& past, present& ast, presentrEAD THE FULL InTErVIEw in the Thirtieth anniversary book.

# 22 | altitudealtitude | # 22

14 | In the woRld In the woRld | 15

BIo

1988 BTS (advanced specialist degree) in mechanical engineering1989 Designer of vehicle components for Sotreg1998 Designer of interior plastic parts and pilot studies for Sommer Allibert (which was acquired by Faurecia in 2001)2004 Technical director of design in India2007 Design manager and product manager (since 2010) in China

BIo

EvA YAngProgramme Development Engineer

2005 M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology 2011 Consultant for Altran China (Shanghai)

BIo

John ZouHead of Consulting for Tooling & Processes, Automotive Interior Systems

2007 Bachelor in Science in Environmental Engineering – Southwest University of Science and Technology 2007 Designer for an equipment manufacturing company 2009 Engineer for an international company 2011 Consultant for Altran China (Shanghai)

S tarting from the 3D images that the automakers’ trend forecasters send us, we design the entire

structure of the vehicles’ interior sys-tems: dashboards, central consoles and door panels. To accomplish this mission, we call on Altran in several areas: the design concept, that is to say the 3D modelling, and the development. In this way, we benefit from a high level of support throughout the phase from 3D modelling to the design of the actual parts. The consultants I work with have a very good knowledge of computer-aided design and are equally capable of making physical models to see how to improve the “flush fit”, or the interplay between the different parts Altran has presented to us by versatile, indepen-dent consultants. we work together with complete confidence.

I am in charge of the plastic injection equipment used for Faurecia interior systems (i.e., instrument panels, central

consoles and door panels). I ensure that the equipment provided by suppliers meets project requirements. To this end, I conduct feasibility analyses, which require me to work with the teams responsible for moulds and the casting processes. My responsibilities include problem-solving and providing technical support. In this capacity, I make regular visits to our suppliers’ factories.I must also confirm that Faurecia’s Altran team in Shenzhen meets deadlines and quality requirements. I have two main responsibilities: establishing technical

specifications for products and confirming process feasibility, in accordance with Faurecia’s cost, quality

and planning restraints. My initial involvement in this capacity was with IP and DP (Instrument Panel/Door Panel) developments for an electric vehicle: I was responsible for finding product quality and assembly solutions. I am currently involved in an IP development programme for a Daimler minivan. My responsibilities include proposing ideas for product improvements, identifying causes of possible assembly problems and overcoming these obstacles. we have established a genuine partnership with Faurecia.

We work together with complete confidence.

Proposing product improvements

Meeting deadlines and ensuring quality

China, along with India (see Altitude #21), is among the countries targeted by Altran’s Stra-tegic Plan for 2012-2015, as an intrinsic part of the Group’s activities in the most advanced emerging markets. In China, where Altran began working for Faurecia in 2011, 21 consultants have lent their exper-

tise to the French manufacturer in the following areas: engineering of interior trim production and design, computer-aided design of interior and exterior parts and development of tools and logistics. Two of our consultants, as well as our client (below) share their experience of working together with us.

AlTRAn In ChInA

historically, altran’s China operations have been in the automotive industry (psa, bMw, dpCa, Fiat, bbaC, Continental, Faurecia, Valeo, Johnson Controls, ti automotive peguform, thyssenkrup and others), telecommunications (alcatel-lucent, Cisco, st ericsson, st, philips, technicolor) and, more recently, energy, life sciences and aeronautics. the company has regional head offices in shanghai as well as a beijing office and currently employs more than 120 engineers. the aim is to double this number every year until 2015, through organic growth as well as partnerships with local players. ThIERRY MunCh Product Line Platform Manager in charge of China,

South Korea and Thailand for Faurecia

build trust locally

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2005Mechanical Engineering at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology 2011for Altran China (Shanghai)

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altitude | # 22

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