(Photo © SONACA España)
The aerostructures manufacturer, formerly Aciturri Aerostructures, now manages programs like Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL on a single source of truth. Dassault Systèmes features the story in a new customer story.
Thousands of part numbers, multiple configurations, and teams spread across sites and disciplines. That is everyday life at Sonaca España, an airframe supplier for programs like the Airbus A350, the Dassault Falcon 10X, and the Embraer KC-390, and now also for advanced air mobility with Vertical Aerospace’s VX4. To manage that complexity, the company has adopted Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, with ENOVIA as its central PLM environment.
Dassault Systèmes has dedicated a customer story to this transformation, specifically highlighting the joint work between Sonaca España and CADTECH to make it possible.
From Spreadsheets and Local Folders to a Single Platform
Before the migration, coordination relied on a mix of systems and local practices, and accessing data and aligning teams was often manual work. The decision to adopt 3DEXPERIENCE was years in the making. With major OEMs committing to the platform, Sonaca España saw that working in the same environment would strengthen its relationships with customers and accelerate programs. As Carina Kim-Darov, engineering and product systems manager, explains, customers like Dassault Aviation and Vertical Aerospace work on the same platform, which makes data transfer much faster and more efficient.
Today, Sonaca España has around 500 active users across design, manufacturing, and quality, and its goal is to extend the platform to the entire company, approximately 2,500 users.
More Connected Engineering, from Design to Production
(Photos ©SONACA España)
- Faster design with fewer errors: as soon as a designer uploads their work, the full product structure is available across the organization. This makes it possible to detect interferences early and improves the accuracy of the EBOM and, later, the MBOM.
- CATIA on the platform: on programs like the VX4 and the Falcon 10X, designers have found the latest version much more intuitive.
- A single source of truth: with structures of more than 3,000 part numbers, everyone works with up-to-date data at the same time.
- Traceability and audits: document and design approval workflows are integrated into the platform, providing traceability from design through to production. Mistakes in documents and the EBOM that previously went unnoticed have already been caught, and audits are much easier.
(Photos ©SONACA España)
The Human Factor: How Adoption Is Achieved
Migrating to a platform of this size is as much a people challenge as a technology one. Sonaca España created groups of key users in each department and day-to-day support teams to resolve questions quickly, and it has worked with CT CADTECH every step of the way: from the first training sessions to the demanding first weeks of the pilot project, and afterward with daily support and tasks such as preventive maintenance.
The collaboration stretches back two decades, and that trust has proved key at critical moments in the project. As Kim-Darov puts it: “CT CADTECH has been a key partner throughout the process. They are very flexible and helpful, and they support us every day.”
Montse García, team leader at CT CADTECH, explains the company’s approach: helping Sonaca España get the most out of 3DEXPERIENCE solutions so it can evolve its processes and maintain the level of competitiveness that positions it as a key player in the sector today.
Next Step: Bringing the Platform to Manufacturing
Sonaca España is now extending the platform into project management and manufacturing. DELMIA is already delivering results across several plants, and the next milestone is bringing the MBOM onto the platform to reduce time and, above all, errors. This integration also supports its sustainability goals: fewer physical prototypes, less rework, and less wasted material.
As Sergio Gil puts it: “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is not the future for us; it is the present.”
Read the full case study here: Sonaca España: Airframe Supplier | Dassault Systèmes
About Sonaca España
A family company founded in 1977, Sonaca España (former Aciturri Aerostructures) is one of the main references worldwide in the development and manufacture of aeronautical components. The company specializes in the design, manufacture, and assembly of aerostructures: wings, fuselages, empennages, fairings, and movable parts. Its customers include the sector’s main manufacturers: Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space, Boeing, Embraer, Deutsche Aircraft, Eve Air Mobility, Calidus, Dassault Aviation, Safran Landing Systems, Safran Aircraft Engines, ITP Aero, and Rolls-Royce. The company has work centers in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, France, and Morocco. Aciturri Aerostructures and Belgium-based Sonaca joined forces and became Sonaca España in 2026.
More information: www.sonaca.com
comunicacion@cadtech.es – 800 007 177