PLM Industry Summary Christine Bennett, Editor Vol. 13 No.16 Friday 22 April 2011 Contents
CIMdata News ______2 The Power of Partnership: A New White Paper from CIMdata ______2 Company News ______3 Altium Continues to Expand its Reseller Network in the Baltics ______3 AESSiS Joins the ShapeSpace Reseller Team ______4 Autodesk Adds Platinum Tier and Enhances Channel Partner Program ______4 DS SolidWorks Corp. Announces Global Green Design Contest Honoring Earth Day ______5 HP Appoints Veteran Marketing Professional Marty Homlish as Chief Marketing Officer ______6 Humans and Computers Compete in Marker Making Contest ______7 MSC Software Launches Registered Consultant Program to Deliver Simulation Best Practices to Customers ______7 New Mastercam Software Development Center Opened in Switzerland ______8 Siemens Helps Universities Develop Next Generation of Vietnamese Engineers with US$71 Million In-Kind Software Grant to the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program ______9 solidThinking Expands its Global Presence by Adding U.K.-Based Cadsoft Solutions as a Distributor ____10 Xavier Falcons from Middletown, CT Win the 2010-2011 Real World Design Challenge ______11 Events News ______12 Alibre-Designed WIKISPEED 100 MPG Ultra-Efficient Car to be Top Exhibit at Boeing’s Future of Flight Earth Day Event ______12 ASCON Successfully Hosts KOMPAS-3D V12 at Hannover Fair 2011 ______13 AVEVA to Exhibit at Nor-Shipping 2011 ______14 Bluebeam Software to Host First-Ever International Rally User Conference ______14 CGTech to Preveiw New VERICUT Drilling and Fastening Programming and Simulation at the Paris Air Show ______15 ESI User Conferences Underline Growing Presence in India ______16 Executives from BP, Huntsman, and Shaw Group to Headline Keynote Speeches at AspenTech’s OPTIMIZE™ 2011 Conference ______17 FISHER/UNITECH to Participate in Erie Tool Show ______18 Pratt & Whitney and Micro Engineering Solutions Experts Announced as EASTEC 2011 Keynotes _____18 Speakers Announced for the 11th FLOW-3D European Users Conference ______19 TactonWorks to be Featured at 2011 Design Automation Conference Hosted by Lino GmbH ______19 Tanner EDA to Demonstrate Version 15.11 of Full-flow Analog Design Suite and TowerJazz PDK at ChipEx 2011 ______20 VISTAGY Webcast: How to Profitably Develop Composite Aerostructures ______21 ZW3D a Hit at the 17th AUTOMATICON in Poland ______22 Financial News ______22 EMC Reports Record First-Quarter Results ______22 IBM Reports 2011 First-Quarter Results ______25 SofTech Announces Audit Completion & Financial Results for Its Fourth Quarter & Fiscal Year 2010 ___30 Surfware Reports 31% Increase in Sales Growth for 1st Quarter of 2011 ______31 Implementation Investments ______32 Autodesk Software Aids Quest to Harness Energy from the Sea ______32 Autodesk Wins Global Deal Worth More Than AUD 5 Million with GHD ______33 Catalog Data Solutions CAD Download Solution Selected by CUI, Inc. ______34 Copyright © 2011 by CIMdata, Inc. All rights reserved. CIMdata, Inc. 3909 Research Park Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 Tel: +1 (734) 668–9922 Fax: +1 (734) 668–1957 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.CIMdata.com CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Customer Case Study: Jobshop: “Monumental Contribution to Our Success” ______34 Engineering Team for British SuperSonic Car Addresses Design Challenges with Altair's HyperWorks Technology ______36 Fashion Retailer The Limited Selects Visual PLM.net® ______37 KTH and COMSOL Sign $400,000 Software License Agreement ______37 Leading Australian Manufacturer Wilson Transformer Company Expands Use of Epicor® With Migration to Latest ERP Solution ______39 Materion Implements Stature from Dyadem for Quality Risk Management ______40 Radan Customer Case Study: Punching and Bending Keeps Nichol McKay in Shape ______41 Synopsys Design Compiler Graphical Cuts Design Time at Exar ______42 VeriSilicon Standardizes on Springsoft’s Verdi Debug Platform for Digital IC and System-On-Chip Verification ______42 Product News ______43 Bentley’s AutoPLANT Design Software Now Available for 64-Bit Platforms ______43 Bentley Showcases First Commercially Available Products to Support Two-Way Interoperability With ISO 15926 ______45 CCE Broadens its PLM Portfolio to Include Aras ______46 Cortona3D Launches RapidAuthor 6.0 A Single Suite of Tools for all Support Documentation: Manuals, Parts Catalogs, Training Materials and Assembly Instructions ______47 Dassault Systèmes Announces Isight 5.5 for Simulation Automation and Design Optimization ______47 Extensible CAD Joins Aras Partner Program; Integrates InspectionXpert with Aras PLM ______48 Omnify Software Launches Next Generation Empower PLM Solution ______49 Process Management and New Nest Functionality for Radan ______50 Siemens PLM Software Introduces Next Generation of Social Product Development Built on Microsoft Technology ______51 SmartCAM V18 Features New Rest-Milling Roughing, Improved Modeling & Toolpath Editing ______52 Synopsys Advances Mixed-Signal Verification with New CustomExplorer Ultra ______54 TransMagic Ships R8 sp5 with Enhanced Support for CATIA V5 Meta Data ______55 CIMdata News
The Power of Partnership: A New White Paper from CIMdata 20 April 2011 CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM consulting and research firm announces the availability of “The Power of Partnership.” Today’s manufacturing industries are under continuous pressure to deliver competitive products faster and are implementing enterprise solutions to improve their operational effectiveness and ability to deliver more innovative products. These business networks are becoming increasingly globalized as more and more companies compete internationally. But while globalized markets expand business opportunities, they also intensify competitive pressures. Global competition, product complexity, time to market, cost and quality continually drive businesses to become more efficient and innovative, especially in the manufacturing industry. Maintaining a competitive position in today’s global market requires accelerating the pace and efficiency of the business while getting the most from its business systems, information technology (IT) infrastructure, people, suppliers, and partners. This paper describes the challenges companies are facing, why and how they need to work smarter, how a SOA-based enterprise information and process management approach enables a smarter business, and
Page 2 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary how IBM and Siemens PLM Software have teamed to form an alliance that is integrating and leveraging their individual corporate capabilities and solutions to help customers accelerate their businesses and bring innovative products and services to the market faster while using fewer resources. The goal of this IBM-Siemens PLM Software Alliance is to help companies’ technology-enabled businesses work smarter by deploying environments that maximize flexibility and responsiveness for rapidly changing business needs. The Power of Partnership is available for downloading at no charge at: http://www.cimdata.com/publications/reports_complimentary/white_papers.html About CIMdata CIMdata, a leading independent worldwide firm, provides strategic management consulting to maximize an enterprise’s ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. Since its founding more than 25 years ago, CIMdata has delivered world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM solutions. These solutions incorporate both business processes and a wide-ranging set of PLM enabling technologies. CIMdata works with both industrial organizations and suppliers of technologies and services seeking competitive advantage in the global economy. In addition to consulting, CIMdata conducts research, provides PLM-focused subscription services, and produces several commercial publications. The company also provides industry education through PLM certificate programs, seminars, and conferences worldwide. CIMdata serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more about CIMdata’s services, visit our website at www.CIMdata.com or contact CIMdata at: 3909 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922. Fax: +1 (734) 668-1957; or at Oogststraat 20, 6004 CV Weert, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)495 533 666. Click here to return to Contents Company News
Altium Continues to Expand its Reseller Network in the Baltics 18 April 2011 Altium has appointed SIA TechNet as its new value added reseller in Latvia. TechNet will represent Altium in the Baltic States and will provide pre- and post-sales support for Altium’s electronics design tools - software and development hardware. This unified electronics design environment is now an essential part of AltiumLive, a web-based portal which helps professional electronics designers connect with Altium and users worldwide to create a wider ecosystem. In a first joint activity, Altium and TechNet are currently running several migration campaigns in Latvia for users of legacy tools like P-CAD and Protel as well as other electronic design software. Altium Designer is the successor to the widely used P-CAD and Protel design solutions. In a single solution, using a single data model, it lets designers create products in all three design domains: PCB layout, programmable hardware and software. Click here to return to Contents
Page 3 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary AESSiS Joins the ShapeSpace Reseller Team 14 March 2011 ShapeSpace Ltd and AESSiS, engineering product development and PLM implementation specialists, have furthered their partnership by announcing that AESSiS will become resellers of ShapeSpace’s 3D search technology. About ShapeSpace Built on a strong background in information retrieval, geometric reasoning and visualization, the ShapeSpace’s search software and consultancy service helps engineering companies reduce costs by increasing design reuse and improving part management through the identification of duplicate components and the rationalization of parts libraries. For more information, contact [email protected]. About AESSiS AESSiS delivers strategic business improvement projects &initiatives to improve operational & financial performance in engineering and product development. For more information, visit http://www.aessis.com. Click here to return to Contents
Autodesk Adds Platinum Tier and Enhances Channel Partner Program 19 April 2011 Autodesk, Inc. introduced several enhancements to the 2011 Autodesk Partner Program that will help the company’s global resellers to increase their capabilities and capacities. With the addition of a new Platinum Tier, more industry specializations and product certifications, and new ways to measure customer satisfaction, the Partner Program provides new opportunities for Autodesk value-added resellers (VAR) to grow their businesses. Last year, Autodesk introduced the global Partner Program, a natural evolution of the company’s effort to provide better customer and partner experiences. With these changes, Autodesk is building on the program to deliver the best products and solutions to their reseller partners through expanded product access, tiers and specializations. The 2011 Autodesk Partner Program Customer value is at the core of the Autodesk Partner Program. The Program recognizes partners who provide the highest level of value to Autodesk customers, and it enables customers to purchase complete solutions from the partner of their choice. In addition to the new Platinum Tier, enhancements to this year’s program include role-based, on-demand online training, as well as an increased focus on partner capacity, capability and productivity. These enhancements help automate and streamline Autodesk’s channel business and optimize the productivity of the company’s reseller partners. Autodesk Platinum Tier The new Platinum Tier is a clear indication to Autodesk customers that Platinum Partners provide the highest level of service and industry expertise. This tier recognizes partners who deliver the highest level of value to customers. Autodesk reseller partners earn Platinum Tier status by demonstrating deep
Page 4 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary industry expertise, completing training and certification requirements and meeting the highest Customer Satisfaction requirements. Partner Specialization and Certification The new Autodesk Partner Specializations enable partners to highlight and brand their expertise in delivering services in key industry areas. Current specializations include Consulting, Building Engineering, Process Plant and Factory Design. New content and roles have been added to the Autodesk Partner Certification program, which provides role-based, industry-specific training for partners to enhance their professional development in critical problem solving and technical skills. The program has seen tremendous success since its introduction last year, with more than 20,000 partner personnel receiving certification in a variety of areas. Specialization, certification training and exams are available to partners through the Autodesk Learning Central (ALC), an online learning portal for partners launched last year. Customer Satisfaction Program The Customer Satisfaction Program enables Autodesk reseller partners to gain valuable feedback on the customer experience they deliver through 10-minute, web-based surveys. In keeping with Autodesk’s focus on customers, the Customer Satisfaction Program provides valuable data to help partners improve their services and support, strengthen their customer relationships, improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, and identify additional sales opportunities. Click here to return to Contents
DS SolidWorks Corp. Announces Global Green Design Contest Honoring Earth Day 22 April 2011 Product designers around the world are becoming more aware of their ability to make a positive impact on the environment. When you consider that hundreds or thousands of units of any single product may be used for decades, it’s easy to see how one small design decision can drive a real and scalable impact on the future of the planet. As this awareness grows, giving every product designer the ability to consider the environment with every design becomes increasingly important. The occasion of Earth Day offers designers a chance to pause and reflect on the choices they make. Observed since 1970, Earth Day is intended to help inspire appreciation and understanding of the planet’s natural environment, and is now celebrated in over 175 countries every year. To mark the occasion, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. is announcing the launch of a new Green Design Contest. Every SolidWorks® software user around the globe is invited to demonstrate his or her creativity and consideration for the Earth by re-designing one of the world’s most ubiquitous objects— the airport terminal chair. “Imagine a five percent reduction in the environmental impact of a chair at every stage of its lifecycle— from raw materials through manufacturing, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling,” said Asheen Phansey, product manager for SolidWorks Sustainability. “Considering the rows upon rows of chairs you see at an airport terminal, you’re starting to talk about a compounding benefit. Now expand that idea to other products. If we can use sustainable design for every product that’s made, designers and engineers can drastically improve the environmental footprint of their designs and truly enrich the planet.”
Page 5 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary The contest requires contestants to use SolidWorks CAD to design a lower-impact chair, which can be mass produced for the terminals of a fictitious new green airline. In addition to delivering a SolidWorks model, the contestant must include a report from SolidWorks SustainabilityXpress, the environmental impact assessment software included with every license of SolidWorks CAD software. SolidWorks SustainabilityXpress measures carbon footprint, air and water impacts, and energy consumption through every stage of a product’s lifecycle. The designer must also analyze the model with SolidWorks SimulationXpress, a first-pass analysis tool included with SolidWorks CAD which allows users to quickly determine the effects of force and pressure, and generate reports to document results. A panel of industry experts will judge the designs based on sustainability, aesthetics, creativity, and manufacturability. The judging panel consists of: Al Dean, Editor-in-Chief of Develop3D and Develop3D Sustainability magazines; Josh Mings, editor of the popular SolidSmack blog; Solomon Diamond, Assistant Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College; and Mark Buckley, Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Staples Inc.; as well as SolidWorks software experts: Stephen Endersby, Simulation Product Manager; Asheen Phansey, Sustainability Product Manager, and Rick Chin, Director of Product Innovation. There are separate categories for commercial designers, students, and SolidWorks resellers. The Grand Prize in the commercial category is a trip for two to Chaa Creek rainforest eco-resort in Belize. The first and second-place winners in the student category will each receive a trip for two to SolidWorks World 2012 in San Diego, with the first-place winner also receiving a new Apple® iPad® 2 device. In each of these categories, DS SolidWorks will give away five additional iPad 2 devices to runners-up, and SolidWorks “goody bags” to 20 honorable mention winners. DS SolidWorks will also award iPad 2 devices for the leading designs submitted by reseller employees. The Green Design Contest runs through midnight EDT on June 30, 2011. More details about the contest can be found at http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/green-design-contest.htm. Click here to return to Contents
HP Appoints Veteran Marketing Professional Marty Homlish as Chief Marketing Officer 19 April 2011 HP announced that Martin “Marty” Homlish will be joining the company as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. In this position, Homlish will be responsible for overseeing and leading marketing across the company and will become a member of the company’s Executive Council, reporting directly to Léo Apotheker. Homlish has more than 25 years of brand management and technology and consumer marketing experience on a global scale. He comes to HP after more than 10 years at SAP AG, where he was the global chief marketing officer and corporate officer, as well as president and CEO of SAP Global Marketing, Inc. During his time at SAP, Homlish was responsible for strategic branding initiatives that resulted in a doubling of the company’s brand value, while aligning the company’s marketing, field and product organizations around a best-in-class customer experience. Prior to joining SAP, Homlish spent 15 years at Sony Corporation in several strategic roles, including: president of Sony’s Media Solutions Company and the head of the Sony Electronic Corporate Marketing Services division with responsibilities to create a unified corporate brand strategy for the Sony Corporation of America, Sony Pictures and Sony Music and PlayStation. He also served as president of
Page 6 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Sony Consumer Audio Group and president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, where he was responsible for the highly successful U.S. launch of Sony PlayStation. He also was a board member of the influential Recording Industry Association of America. Homlish holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Goddard College. He continued his education at Babson College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. In his spare time, Homlish sits on the boards of several organizations, including: Columbia Center for Global Branding and the New York Stock Exchange Marketing Advisory Board. He also is a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Click here to return to Contents
Humans and Computers Compete in Marker Making Contest 18 April 2011 Gerber Technology recently sponsored a marker making competition between skilled marker makers and Gerber’s AccuNest™ automated nesting software. Material utilization of markers created by AccuNest was 5.5 percent better on average than markers created manually by humans. Competitors used Gerber’s AccuMark® pattern design, grading and marker making software to create markers with optimal material utilization within a fixed amount of time. At the same time, Gerber’s AccuNest software used the same pattern pieces to generate its markers. Contest results showed that, in addition to significantly better material utilization, AccuNest created an optimized marker in 3-5 minutes compared to 10-15 minutes needed for humans to produce the best results. AccuNest software creates efficient markers automatically by analyzing multiple markers and selecting the one with the best material utilization. It is easy to operate and saves companies considerable time and money in the generation of sample, costing and production markers. The software creates markers 24 hours a day even running unattended overnight to satisfy peak demands with no additional labor expense. AccuNest also proved to be 0.76 percent better than even the best manually made marker. Forty-six individuals took part in the competition that consisted of five preliminary matches and a final match to determine winners. All contestants had between three and nine years of experience as skilled marker makers. First, second and third place winners respectively were Mr. Luo Yibin from Yishion Group, Ms. Lai Shidi from Sheng Yang Trade Company, and Mr. Wen Yucai from Zhongshan Yida (Crystal Group) Apparel Co., Ltd. The competition, organized by Paper Communication Exhibition Service Company, was held at the Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center in Houjie Dongguan March 28-31. The marker making competition has been a highlight of the show since 2007 and provides a platform for marker makers to learn from each other and improve their skills. Click here to return to Contents
MSC Software Launches Registered Consultant Program to Deliver Simulation Best Practices to Customers 19 April 2011
Page 7 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary MSC Software Corporation announced the launch of a global program to complement its already world class team of simulation consultants to deliver the latest simulation know-how and best practices to end users. The Registered Consultant Program is intended to supplement the highly demanded MSC Global Engineering Services organization with independent consultants who can join the team to deliver high value simulation results to MSC customers. MSC has begun the process of recruiting engineers with specific industry and application experience to join the MSC services family. The program is attracting consultants with top-notch engineering and simulation skills in industries like aerospace, automotive, energy, shipbuilding and rail, consumer, machinery, and civil engineering. Registered Consultants who are accepted into the program are eligible to receive many benefits in addition to the opportunity to apply their skills by working on assigned engineering simulation projects such as mentoring, on-site simulation projects, implementation, knowledge transfer, and training for leading manufacturing companies around the world. Consultants accepted into the program are eligible to receive the following benefits: Participation in MSC training courses and workshops to sharpen user skills Assignment to customer projects where there is a match for specific experience MSC registered Consultant Logo credentials Participation in MSC Beta Programs to learn and test new releases “The purpose of this program is to attract and expand on the already impressive expertise within the global MSC services team to deliver even more extensive engineering and simulation services to our customers worldwide,” said Dominic Gallello, President and CEO at MSC Software. “The program will also enable engineers with diverse backgrounds and experiences to join and grow with the MSC team and gain new experiences in exciting areas of engineering simulation innovation.” “We are delighted to announce the first phase of our recruitment activities beginning this month in select regions,” said Bert Knops, Vice President of Global Services at MSC Software. “Potential consultants interested in participating in the program can apply with MSC online, and upon acceptance into the program are eligible to begin engaging in challenging and rewarding projects.” For more information about the Registered Consultant Program and how to apply, please go to: www.mscsoftware.com/rcp. Click here to return to Contents
New Mastercam Software Development Center Opened in Switzerland 20 April 2011 CNC Software Europe SA has been created in Porrentruy, Switzerland for the development of Mastercam Swiss Expert, a CAD/CAM product dedicated to the Swiss turn market. CNC Software acquired sole rights to SylvieXpert, a Swiss turn software developed in this area of Switzerland in June 2010. The creation of CNC Software Europe SA will allow the company to access the expertise available in the Jura Region of Switzerland, known as the birthplace of Swiss machining. According to Gary Hargreaves, CNC Software Vice President of Business Development, “we opened
Page 8 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary the development center in Switzerland because of our commitment to Mastercam Swiss Expert. Hiring the right talent in Switzerland gives us the team to successfully push forward in this growing market. The Swiss Expert product is a great compliment to the existing suite of Mastercam products.” Swiss turning machines are typically highly complex with many operations happening simultaneously. "The ability to accurately drive these machines and simulate the complex motion requires software developed specifically for this type of machine," says Hargreaves. "CAM vendors find that a Swiss turning package cannot simply be a module that is added on to a standard package without a significant development effort.” Hargreaves says the market for Swiss turning machines has been increasing steadily. "In addition to the shop that specializes in Swiss machines creating small, highly accurate parts, the use of products like Mastercam Swiss Expert has allowed the job shop with part runs of 1000 pieces to buy these machines. Many existing Mastercam customers are now buying Swiss turn machines to produce smaller lots of parts and provide faster turnaround to their customers,” he adds. Click here to return to Contents
Siemens Helps Universities Develop Next Generation of Vietnamese Engineers with US$71 Million In-Kind Software Grant to the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program 15 April 2011 Siemens announced an in-kind software grant with a commercial value of US$71 million to the Higher Education Engineering Alliance Program (HEEAP). The in-kind software grant, provided by Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, will help universities develop the next generation of Vietnamese engineers. HEEAP, developed in collaboration with the government of Vietnam, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Arizona State University Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (ASU), Siemens, and Intel Corporation will collaborate with top technical universities in Vietnam to advance their Electrical and Mechanical Engineering curricula. The goal is to develop a highly skilled technical workforce that will attract and sustain a healthy high-tech manufacturing industry, thus positioning Vietnam to compete among high-tech centers of excellence. HEEAP focuses on developing and advancing interdisciplinary and applied engineering and vocational curriculum through instructional innovation and university level transformation. Working with the Ministry of Education and Training, partner university leadership, and industry leaders, the project focuses on faculty instructional innovation and university level transformation needed to succeed in the emerging Vietnamese high-tech sector. The in-kind software grant made through Siemens PLM Software’s GO PLM™ initiative, will provide its NX™ software and Tecnomatix® software to Ha Noi University of Technology, Da Nang University of Technology, Can Tho University, Ho Chi Minh University of Technical Education, and the Ho Chi Minh University of Technology. “Advanced technology like the PLM software is critical to preparing our students for the challenges of a global economy. We are pleased to partner with Siemens PLM Software to give students in Vietnam access to state-of-the-art tools that provide the knowledge and experience that will help them be successful in a highly competitive marketplace,” Jeffrey S. Goss, Director, Vietnam Higher Engineering
Page 9 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Education Alliance Program and Assistant Dean, Global Outreach and Extended Education for ASU's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. “Siemens is pleased to support the universities with the state-of-art Siemens PLM Software technology in their education program,” said Erdal Elver, President and CEO, Siemens Vietnam. “This is our commitment to Vietnam as part of our corporate social responsibility. I sincerely wish the program a very successful start and bring down-to-earth benefits to the participants for their career development.” “Siemens PLM Software provides universities with access to PLM technology, which otherwise would be out of reach for the academic community, giving students a distinct advantage by being able to use the same PLM technology widely-used by leading multi-national manufacturing companies around the globe,” said Rajiv Ghatikar, General Manager, APAC and Australasia, Siemens PLM Software. “The experience gained in the use of these tools better prepares students for today’s highly-competitive manufacturing jobs requiring full knowledge of modern technologies.” Siemens PLM Softwares Global Opportunities in Product Lifecycle Management (GO PLM™) initiative leads the industry in the commercial value of the in-kind grants it provides and brings together four complementary community involvement programs focused on academic partnership, regional productivity, youth and displaced worker development and the PACE (Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education) program. GO PLM provides PLM technology to more than one million students yearly at nearly 10,800 global institutions, where it is used at every academic level – from grade schools to graduate engineering research programs. For more information on GO PLM and the partners and programs it supports visit www.siemens.com/partners/goplm. About the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP) Through the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Arizona State University Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (ASU), Portland State University Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science (PSU) and Intel Corporation will collaborate with top technical universities in Vietnam to advance their Electrical and Mechanical Engineering curricula, considered the "bread and butter" degrees for technology manufacturing. The goal is to develop a highly skilled technical workforce that will attract and sustain a healthy high-tech manufacturing industry, thus positioning Vietnam to compete among high-tech centers of excellence. Siemens Vietnam dates back to 1993, when representative offices were officially established in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, Siemens has participated in numerous Vietnam’s infrastructure projects, particularly in all key areas of the economy such as energy, industry, healthcare and transportation. In order to create a solid basis for enhancing cooperation with local partners, Siemens Ltd. was founded in September 2002 to provide solutions and services related to Siemens products and systems. The rapid expansion of its business relations with Vietnam prompted to establish Siemens Automation Systems Limited in 2005 to produce busbar trunking systems. To date, Siemens is an integral part of Vietnamese economy and is committed to further contribute to the socio-economic development of Vietnam. For more information please visit our website: http://www.siemens.com.vn. Click here to return to Contents
solidThinking Expands its Global Presence by Adding U.K.-Based Cadsoft Solutions as a Distributor 19 April 2011
Page 10 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary solidThinking, Inc. (http://www.solidthinking.com) announced that it recently signed Cadsoft Solutions Limited (http://www.cadsoftsolutions.co.uk) to its network of worldwide distributors. As the company's U.K.-based distributor, Cadsoft Solutions will introduce its creative design and architectural customer base to the extensive design capabilities of solidThinking 8.5 and solidThinking 8.5 Inspired™. Located in Cambridge, Cadsoft Solutions provides 2D and 3D CAD and design software solutions that enable innovative product development and design. The addition of solidThinking to its product portfolio will further enhance Cadsoft Solutions' ability to provide its customers with the latest in concept design technology. "solidThinking's powerful conceptual tool set and cross platform compatibility make it an ideal addition to our product portfolio," said Nicholas Johnson, founder of Cadsoft Solutions Limited. "We are genuinely excited to be able to offer our existing and prospective customers access to solidThinking's cutting edge technology. True surface modeling history via solidThinking's ConstructionTree™ and the ability to rapidly explore organic forms through solidThinking Inspired's morphogenesis technology are just some of the highlights which will enhance design flexibility and value." solidThinking, a NURBS-based software, offers conceptual modeling, high-quality visualization tools and fast real-time photorealistic rendering for design presentation. Its ConstructionTree™ technology allows designers to experiment with designs without having to start from scratch when changing their minds. solidThinking is available on Mac and Windows operating systems and is compatible with leading CAD/CAID/CAE software, encouraging enhanced collaboration and productivity between industrial designers and engineers during the product development cycle. For designers and architects who are interested in exploring with form generation to enhance and structurally optimize their initial design concepts, solidThinking offers solidThinking Inspired™ software. With solidThinking Inspired™, users can apply morphogenesis™ form-generation technology – which draws on the principles of biomimicry – to grow efficient shapes in response to environmental forces and pressures. Click here to return to Contents
Xavier Falcons from Middletown, CT Win the 2010-2011 Real World Design Challenge 18 April 2011 PTC, a Founding Member of the Real World Design ChallengeTM (RWDC), announced that the Xavier Falcons from Middletown, CT won the 2010-2011 National Finals Competition. PTC along with the Challenge partners congratulate the Xavier Falcons for designing a next-generation airplane wing that maximizes fuel efficiency and enhances performance. The Real World Design Challenge is a national aviation design competition for high school students run by a public-private partnership with the goal of increasing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. Students from 20 states competed in elimination presentations on Saturday, April 16th at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD. The top three teams surviving the elimination rounds presented their national final solutions to a panel of VIP judges representing government, academia and industry in Washington, D.C. In a very close competition, the Xavier Falcons' design was judged to be the best. After a year-long competition, the champion team from each state came to Washington, D.C. to compete. President Obama sent a letter congratulating all of the students who participated on their
Page 11 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary achievement in completing the Challenge. The letter was read to the teams by Dr. Ralph K. Coppola, Director, Real World Design Challenge & Senior Director Government & Strategic Education Programs. The Challenge problem was designed by a team of engineers from government and industry including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cessna Aircraft Company, the Federal Aviation Administration and others to let students tackle the design challenges that engineers face every day. This Competition prepares them for the workforce of tomorrow. As a founding member of the RWDC, PTC supports the program on multiple fronts. PTC provides program management, a grant of software to each participating school, including CreoTM Elements/ProTM, Windchill® and Mathcad®, engagement with industry partners, team support and technical and administrative support. "Businesses today are concerned about where they will find a creative, highly skilled workforce needed to prosper 10 and 20 years," said John Stuart, Senior Vice President, Education, PTC. "Through the Real World Design Challenge, we are significantly building the next generation of engineers. We have high school students already using the same tools as the best engineers in the industry and taking on the same challenges the best and brightest engineers face every day." This year, more than 3,000 students from across the country participated in the Challenge. Every student participated at no cost to themselves or their schools. In fact, partners donated more than a billion dollars to schools since the Challenge's inception. Forty partners from industry, government, and academia have come together to make the Challenge a reality. They have worked in collaboration with the governors and lieutenant governors of 28 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about the Real World Design Challenge, contact the Program Director, Dr. Ralph K. Coppola: [email protected]. Click here to return to Contents Events News
Alibre-Designed WIKISPEED 100 MPG Ultra-Efficient Car to be Top Exhibit at Boeing’s Future of Flight Earth Day Event 20 April 2011 WIKISPEED, the Seattle-based team developing ultra-efficient road vehicles, announced that the company will publicly demonstrate the Alibre-designed SGT01, a vehicle that can deliver more than 100 miles per gallon, at the Earth Day celebration at Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour (http://www.futureofflight.org), which will take place on April 22, 2011 at 8415 Paine Field Blvd., Mukilteo, WA 98275. The SGT01 was designed with 3D software from Alibre, the leading global provider of cost-effective professional grade mechanical CAD, CAM, and PDM solutions. The WIKISPEED SGT01, an ultra-light, four-passenger car that is easily configurable with different seating and body styles, shares its approach to fuel efficiency, modular engineering and composite carbon fiber exterior construction with Boeing’s own innovative, next-generation aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. Officials from Alibre will join WIKISPEED’s founder, Joe Justice, as he demonstrates the SGT01 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT.
Page 12 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary “Alibre’s 3D CAD software is at the very core of the design and engineering of the SGT01, and this crucial technology is the key for providing the vehicle with its unique modularity,” said Joe Justice, founder of WIKISPEED. “The Alibre-enabled modular components are at the very foundation of the other four advantages the SGT01 brings to the market – ultra fuel efficiency, a 5-star equivalent crash safety in simulation, powerful acceleration and top speed, and most of all, the vehicle’s affordability. We even rely on the AlibrePowered.com user community forum to help recruit designers, engineers and others interested in contributing to the ongoing collaboration that is the WIKISPEED project,” added Justice. WIKISPEED’s SGT01 placed in the top ten in its vehicle class in the 2010 Progressive Auto X Prize, a global competition to build cars that achieved at least 100 MPGe in real-world driving. The SGT01 runs on regular gasoline, meets all road-safety regulations based on lab simulations, and is uniquely modular in design – thus delivering fully interchangeable parts and body panels including the drive train, suspension, safety structures and interior seating. The design is so flexible that even the engine can be switched from gasoline to electric in 30 minutes, and owners can also quickly switch its lightweight body from a sedan or coupe to a pick-up/SUV or even a convertible. Click here to return to Contents
ASCON Successfully Hosts KOMPAS-3D V12 at Hannover Fair 2011 18 April 2011 ASCON earlier this month showcased KOMPAS-3D V12 at Hannover Messe 2011, the leading international technology trade fair. Visitors to the KOMPAS-3D booth in Hall 17 said they appreciated rich feature set of the modern and professional 3D modeling software. Designers, engineers, students, journalists, and other interested visitors paid special attention to the broad collaboration capabilities of KOMPAS-3D V12, its intuitive and interface, new surface modeling functions, and the very reasonable price for a system that operates at such a high level. Several high-performance add-ons to KOMPAS-3D and KOMPAS-Graphic also attracted favorable comments: • Steel Structure 3D for automating the design process for metal construction from metal rolling profiles. • Universal Mechanism for proximate dynamic, kinematic, and static analysis of models developed with KOMPAS-3D. • APM Studio FEM designs and calculates machine elements, mechanisms, and structures, and performs general purpose strength analyses using FEM (finite element method). The ASCON booth attracted a large attendance in the course of the five- day fair, with many new perspective business contacts made, and meetings held. Dozens of free demo and trial versions of KOMPAS-3D V12 were distributed, allowing fair goers to further familiarize themselves with the software. The trial version is also available online at ascon.net/download/kompas. Special Offers from ASCON ASCON Solutions provides professional value at a reasonable cost:
Page 13 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary • Rent Your CAD: rent KOMPAS-3D at 75 euros per month. • Trade in Your CAD: exchange your outdated CAD for KOMPAS-3D at a 50% discount. • Free CAD: download KOMPAS-3D LT from ascon.net/download/kompas. Click here to return to Contents
AVEVA to Exhibit at Nor-Shipping 2011 19 April 2011 AVEVA announced that it will be participating in the Nor-Shipping trade fair, in Oslo from May 24th - 27th showcasing its field marine solutions. AVEVA staff will be on hand to discuss the full AVEVA Marine integrated engineering and design portfolio, as well as to discuss AVEVA's information management capabilities and the recently launched Integrated Shipbuilding Strategy. Demonstrations at the event include: AVEVA MARS, a purpose-built shipyard process management system that optimises project control, logistics, materials management, resource and production planning. AVEVA NET, a digital asset management solution that enables powerful information access and validation across disciplines, between organisations, and around the world. AVEVA Review, a 3D visualisation tool for large, complex marine models. With features such as walk- through, animation, and high-quality photo-realistic images, AVEVA Review lets you analyse designs and communicate complex ideas. The Integrated Shipbuilding Strategy embraces the business lifecycle of the entire shipyard. Featured in a recent business paper, it explores how shipyards can optimise the design, procurement and production process through improved information management, shortening schedules, increasing productivity and driving down costs. To learn more about the capabilities of AVEVA technology visit AVEVA on stand C03-02a. Click here to return to Contents
Bluebeam Software to Host First-Ever International Rally User Conference 21 April 2011 Bluebeam Software announced that registration is now open for its first-ever Bluebeam International Rally Conference 2011 (IRC). This event promises three action-packed days of educational sessions focused on Bluebeam's PDF platform and advanced technologies along with a once-in-a-lifetime rally car racing experience with a team of Swedish professional rally car drivers. Set for June 14-17 at the enchanting Rånäs Slott in Rånäs, Sweden, the Bluebeam IRC is a must-attend event for Bluebeam users in the European architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing industries who are looking for new ways to fully-leverage Bluebeam's extensive PDF solutions to reduce printing and shipping costs and achieve greater efficiency. Additionally, the event will push networking into high-gear with rally car, golf and skeet shooting activities at the breathtaking Sundsta Manor in Roslagen.
Page 14 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary "We are thrilled to host this first-ever Bluebeam IRC and give our users this great opportunity to power- up their Bluebeam skills and satisfy their need for speed with a chance to get behind the wheel of a real rally car," said Bluebeam Software Director of Worldwide Marketing Stephani Haynes. "In addition to cutting-edge product training, the IRC will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and network with other Bluebeam users and learn from our top developers and experts how Bluebeam's advanced technologies can digitize your workflows." The Bluebeam IRC features nine educational sessions spanning two full days, including: Three sessions on how to get the most out of PDF editor Bluebeam PDF Revu® with insider tips and tricks including customizing Revu's interface and Tool Chest™, keyboard shortcuts, one-click-away file access and other time-saving tips One session on real-time collaboration using Bluebeam Studio™, and one session dedicated to administering your own Studio Server™ for more control Going mobile with Bluebeam PDF Revu and a tablet PC Two sessions on implementing and customizing the Bluebeam Q™ server solution for automated PDF publishing and processing in enterprise digital workflow environments Integrating Revu's PDF markup tools with PDF files stored online with Bluebeam File Exchange, or bFX™ A double session for resellers on the advantages and resources available for Bluebeam channel partners In addition, keynote presentations from industry leaders and Bluebeam executives will give attendees insight and real world examples on how Bluebeam increases project efficiency and delivers a return on investment. Limited accommodations are available for a special rate at the historic Rånäs Slott castle nestled alongside Lake Spoon Bay, which serves as the host site for the IRC. Other overnight accommodations are available at the Åtellet Hotell overlooking Nortälje Bay. All conference sessions, keynote presentations and most meals will take place at Rånäs and are all included in the registration fee. Shuttle transportation will be provided for guests staying at Åtellet Hotell to Rånäs and to the rally racing, golf and skeet shooting activities at Sundsta Manor. Space is limited; to make reservations now, visit www.bluebeamirc.com/registration. Click here to return to Contents
CGTech to Preveiw New VERICUT Drilling and Fastening Programming and Simulation at the Paris Air Show 19 April 2011 CGTech will be exhibiting at the Paris Air Show, Le Bourget, Paris on stand number 2B-F172 from June 20-26 2011. The stand will feature the latest versions of CGTech’s VERICUT software products for both Machine Tool Simulation and Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) programming and simulation. In addition CGTech will present the first European preview of a new product for programming and simulation of Automated Drilling and Fastening machines used for airframe assembly. VERICUT Drilling and Fastening Programming and Simulation
Page 15 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary VERICUT Drilling & Fastening is a new software application for simulating and programming auto- drilling and fastening machines. These machines are used to assemble large aero-structures and it is essential to avoid programming errors and collisions at such a late stage in the aircraft manufacturing process. VERICUT allows the user to programme drilling and fastener assembly operations in a virtual machine tool environment and provides simulation to check for a variety of potentially disastrous error conditions. Like all VERICUT software the new module interfaces to leading CAD/CAM/PLM systems and is independent of the assembly machine manufacturer. VERICUT Composites Applications Throughout the show, CGTech will be demonstrating VERICUT Composite Applications: VERICUT composite Programming (VCP) and VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS). There will be demonstrations of projects that highlight the implementation and use of machine independent off-line NC programming software for AFP machines. Current customer projects to be highlighted include: a large one-piece fuselage barrel on an Electroimpact multi-machine AFP fabrication cell; an aircraft inlet duct on a Cincinnati Viper 1200 AFP machine; a flexible AFP gantry machine; layup of a U-channel structure on a 7-axis mTorres AFP machine; and aircraft skin panels and experiments using an AFP head mounted on a 6-axis FANUC robot. VERICUT Machine Tool Simulation CGTech will also be exhibiting version 7.1 of its VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization software. VERICUT simulates all types of CNC machining, including aerospace processes such as multi axis milling, drilling and trimming of composite parts, water jet cutting, robotic and mill/turn machining. VERICUT runs standalone, but can also be integrated with leading CAD/CAM/PLM systems including Dassault Systemes Catia, Siemens NX, PTC, Delcam PowerMill and Open Mind Hypermill. Click here to return to Contents
ESI User Conferences Underline Growing Presence in India 19 April 2011 ESI Group announced the success of its user conferences in Bangalore and Pune, India. The conferences provided attendees with an excellent opportunity to learn about new projects undertaken by ESI customers and highlighted the growing importance of end-to-end virtual prototyping and its substantial benefits. End-to-end virtual prototyping addresses virtual fabrication, building and testing of a product in coherent, progressive stages: part by part, component by component and per assembly, and concurrently across multiple domains. An effective virtual prototype enables at each step of the development cycle to concurrently test the performance, margins and robustness, in order to evaluate and correct, if needed, critical aspects of the product design or fabrication. Issues typically discovered only by building and testing real (hardware) prototypes are exposed up-front. The user conferences allowed designers, engineers, analysts and managers from different industries to come together to share best practices, challenges as well as successes in virtual prototyping. Conference attendees listened with interest to the key note speeches by Dr. Ashok R. Joshi, Deputy Director Automotive Research Association of India and Dr. Sarma Akella, Head CAE from Ashok Leyland. In addition, there were presentations from customers who shared their success with ESI
Page 16 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary solutions. These included: Tata Motors, IIT Bombay, Bilcare Research, BARC and BaeHal. Furthermore, attendees were able to get the inside track on ESI’s latest product features and associated benefits thanks to a range of presentations from ESI product experts in the areas of Virtual Manufacturing (Casting, Welding, Sheet Metal Forming), Virtual Performance, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Multiphysics, Vibro-Acoustics and Simulation Systems Integration. The ESI India user conferences attracted over 100 ESI customers in Pune and 90 customers in Bangalore; numbers which emphasize ESI’s growing presence in the emerging Indian market. The user conferences in Pune and Bangalore brought together product development professionals from various industries and simulation domains and received excellent feedback, with 95 to 100% of attendees satisfied. David Hudson, Head of NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) at TATA Motors Ltd declared, “by meeting my industry peers and ESI product experts at the 2010 ESI India Forum, I was able to exchange experiences, understand common challenges and learn about new ways to improve product development. With the growing importance of Virtual Prototyping, ESI user conferences are must attend events.” Venugopal Rallabhandi, Country Sales Manager at ESI India commented, “our growing presence in India now makes our user conferences a necessity. Between 2009 and 2010 ESI India recorded revenue growth of 33%, demonstrating our ability to meet the needs of the Indian market. ESI India now counts over 150 employees across sites in Bangalore and Pune, and serves the needs of a string of major organizations including: Nissan, General Motors, Renault, Tata Motors, Munjal Castings, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bilcare, 3M India Ltd, Ashok Leyland, GE India Technology Center, Bajaj Auto, IPR, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Whirlpool.” ESI’s next user conferences on virtual prototyping will take place in September 2011 in Italy and in China. See which events ESI will be hosting and attending in 2011: www.esi-group.com/events Click here to return to Contents
Executives from BP, Huntsman, and Shaw Group to Headline Keynote Speeches at AspenTech’s OPTIMIZE™ 2011 Conference 19 April 2011 Aspen Technology, Inc. announced that executives from BP, Huntsman, and Shaw Group will headline the OPTIMIZE 2011 conference taking place May 23rd – 25th in Washington, D.C. Process industry leaders Michael Gibbs, VP and CIO of BP, John Prows, VP of Corporate Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence Support of Huntsman, and Bert Aragon, SVP of Engineering – Energy & Chemicals Group of Shaw Group, will join AspenTech CEO Mark Fusco, and EVP Manolis Kotzabasakis, for the opening session of AspenTech’s 30th anniversary year global conference. Michael Gibbs will discuss how global companies such as BP use optimization technology to drive operational excellence. John Prows will discuss how combining self-empowered teams with best-in- class optimization technology delivers substantial improvements to Huntsman’s worldwide chemicals businesses. Bert Aragon will discuss how to achieve engineering excellence by harmonizing best practices and tools for thousands of engineers worldwide at Shaw. The 2011 conference is expected to attract upwards of 1,000 attendees from more than 40 countries.
Page 17 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Participants include global industry leaders Alcoa, BASF, BP, Bechtel, BluESP, Buckeye Technologies, Chevron, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Électricité de France, ExxonMobil, Fluor, GlaxoSmithKline, Huntsman, KBR, Marathon Oil, Microsoft, Pfizer, Shell, TOTAL, WorleyParsons, and many more. OPTIMIZE 2011 will showcase how the world’s leading process industry companies use process optimization software to achieve superior financial and operating results. OPTIMIZE 2011 offers a unique environment for industry experts to share best practices in optimizing engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain operations using aspenONE. OPTIMIZE 2011 will be held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center from May 23-25, 2011. Click here to register, or for more information visit the OPTIMIZE 2011 site. Click here to return to Contents
FISHER/UNITECH to Participate in Erie Tool Show 18 April 2011 FISHER/UNITECH will exhibit at the upcoming Erie Tool Show, at the new Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, April 26-27, 2011. Meet their local team of experts and learn more about the SolidWorks family of design products. SolidWorks offers solutions for 3D CAD, Design Validation, Product Data Management, and Documentation. Learn more about the Dimension 3D printer, designed and priced for in-office use enabling users to create perfect working models directly from their CAD software. 3D models printed from a Dimension printer can be sanded, milled and even painted. The Dimension 3D printers lets one test form, fit and function with faster turnaround, reduced costs, greater detail, higher durability, and ease of use than traditional prototyping methods. The Erie Tool Show brings together machine tool suppliers and support industries from the tri-state area to display the best selection of equipment for advanced manufacturing. Learn how FISHER/UNITECH's offering of product design tools can help your organization streamline its design, development and manufacturing processes while cutting costs and achieving faster time to market. Click here to return to Contents
Pratt & Whitney and Micro Engineering Solutions Experts Announced as EASTEC 2011 Keynotes 20 April 2011 EASTEC 2011 has announced its keynote speakers for the May 17–19 event held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass. Pratt & Whitney’s Joe Presing, manager of strategic manufacturing, and Paul Faughnan, technology manager and manufacturing engineer, will present “The Trends Driving Jet Engine Manufacturing” on Tuesday, May 17 at 10 a.m. Attendees will learn about the challenges presented by customer requirements, the global manufacturing environment and how manufacturing technology can be used to overcome those challenges. Donna Bibber, president and CEO of Micro Engineering Solutions LLC, will present “Advances in Micromanufacturing Technology for the Medical Device Industry” on Thursday, May 19 at 10 a.m.
Page 18 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Bibber will explain why medical device manufacturers need new products that create tinier, less invasive, fluid-induced and/or space-saving microdevices. “These free keynote presentations, along with our Resource Centers, will give manufacturers insight into vital technologies, progressive strategies, the latest lean thinking and clear advice on making operations greener,” suggests Kimberly Farrugia, senior show manager for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the organizer of EASTEC 2011. Farrugia also announced EASTEC 2011’s new Management Roundtable Solutions. “These roundtables are fast-paced sessions to allow participants to find solutions their companies can apply immediately,” she noted. “Each table will discuss a predetermined topic for 25 minutes.” Discussion topics and leaders are: Teamwork — Glenn Jensen, Technical Change Associates Business Strategy — David Liddell, SKYE Business Solutions LLC Performance Management — Andrew Lopuchowycz, Summit Ascent Enterprises LLC, and Theresa Botellio and Joe Menhart, Willington Nameplate Social Media — Ric Dragon, DragonSearch, and Kathy Hokunson, Site-Seeker Inc. The roundtables are scheduled Wednesday, May 18 starting at 3:30 p.m. Click here to return to Contents
Speakers Announced for the 11th FLOW-3D European Users Conference 19 April 2011 Flow Science, Inc. announced the speakers for its 11th annual FLOW-3D European Users Conference, to be held on May 26-27, 2011 at the Hotel Royal Falcone in Monza, Italy. This year's conference offers two full days of user presentations that showcase applications of FLOW-3D in traditional applications like hydroelectric projects and high-pressure die casting, as well as more-unique interests such as semi- solid castings, twisted and conventional Savonius rotors, self-compacting concrete, and wave interactions. Users from 11 different countries will present and discuss their work. Go here for a full list of speakers and their topics. The conference is open to FLOW-3D, FLOW-3D/MP and FLOW-3D Cast users and those interested in learning about the software. Flow Science staff will be on hand, both to present the development plans for FLOW-3D and to engage attendees in detailed conversations and consultations. A half-day of advanced training will be offered the day before the conference. Online registration for the conference is available until May 13, 2011. Four visualization and optimization companies are the official conference sponsors this year: Ceetron, Genias Graphics, Sigma Technology, and OMIQ. Click here to return to Contents
TactonWorks to be Featured at 2011 Design Automation Conference Hosted by Lino GmbH 18 April 2011 Lino GmbH will present Tacton Design Automation, an enterprise-wide technology platform, at the
Page 19 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary TactonWorks User Conference in Frankfurt, Germany on 26 May 2011. Lino GmbH, a consulting firm specializing in design automation, 3D CAD, and data quality, invites to the second Design Automation Conference in Frankfurt on May 26, 2011. The conference will be held by Lino GmbH, an authorized Tacton sales and service partner. The main sponsor of the event is Tacton Systems AB and Tacton’s product for Design Automation, TactonWorks, will be featured at the event with representatives from Tacton’s management, sales and development team attending. TactonWorks optimizes sales and production configuration processes, generates quotations, bills of materials, drawings, and other documentation. It can integrate with ERP, CRM, PDM, CAD, and e- commerce systems and link up directly with production processes. Conference participants will have the opportunity to experience TactonWorks as the technology platform for enterprise-wide product and sales configuration – together with the Tacton user community. The full-day program of the conference features application examples from a range of industries in the investment-goods sector, expert presentations on new or supplementary functionalities, and an international panel of experts that includes chief product specialists of Tacton Systems. This exclusive platform will benefit both current and prospective users by enabling the sharing of experience and knowledge transfer with highly qualified experts for this SolidWorks-integrated product configuration. To learn more about the 2011 Design Automation Conference in Frankfurt, Germany and register for this conference, go to http://www.design-automation.de. For more information, contact: Lino GmbH Michael Kilian | Marketing Director Phone: +49 (6131) 9064 485 Email: [email protected] Tacton Systems AB Petra Lindgren | Marketing Director Phone: +46 (73) 661 49 68 Email: [email protected] Click here to return to Contents
Tanner EDA to Demonstrate Version 15.11 of Full-flow Analog Design Suite and TowerJazz PDK at ChipEx 2011 20 April 2011 At ChipEx 2011, Tanner EDA, the catalyst for innovation for the design, layout and verification of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs), will demonstrate the latest version of their full-flow analog design suite, HiPer Silicon, and the TowerJazz process design kit (PDK) for analog designers. ChipEx 2011 takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 3rd and 4th, 2011.
Page 20 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary What: Demonstrating version 15.11 of the company’s HiPer Silicon full-flow design suite, which gives designers a complete analog design flow from schematic capture, circuit simulation, and waveform probing to physical layout and verification. HiPer Silicon v15.11 contains new features and functionality, including: S-Edit Additions T-Spice Performance Improvements W-Edit Enhancements L-Edit Productivity Gains HiPer DevGen Additions HiPer Verify Enhancements When: Tuesday, May 3rd through Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 Where: New Artech Technologies booth, #5, at ChipEx 2011, the annual international event of the Israeli semiconductor industry, at the Hilton convention center in Tel Aviv. This professional industry event is produced by TAPEOUT magazine in cooperation with the GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance). Click here to return to Contents
VISTAGY Webcast: How to Profitably Develop Composite Aerostructures April 2011 Please plan to join HITCO Carbon Composites and VISTAGY on Thursday, May 12th for a 60-minute live Webcast entitled, “How to Profitably Develop Composite Aerostructures.” Thursday, May 12, 2011 8:00 PDT / 11:00 EDT / 15:00 UTC/GMT This Webcast will address the specific challenges that Tier 1 and Tier 2 aerospace suppliers face when engineering composite structures as well as the value of industry-specific software in creating an efficient flow of data. Examples of manufacturing process improvements and how they deliver cost savings will be discussed, including hand layup, RTM, forming, tape layup, and fiber placement. Also discussed will be how HITCO reduces costs and increases productivity using VISTAGY software and MAG fiber placement machines. Specifically, you will learn how: FiberSIM® composites engineering software increases productivity, reduces costs, and addresses the specific challenges that Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers face Recommended manufacturing process improvements provide cost savings Featured Speakers: Keth Houseal Lead Composite Manufacturing Engineer HITCO Carbon Composites
Page 21 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Over the past 4 years, Keth Houseal has been an integral part of taking Boeing 787 primary structure to production by leading a process development team in meeting the strict requirements of the BAC 5578 process specification. Prior to HITCO, Mr. Houseal was involved in building composite UAVs and composite open-wheel race cars at Swift Engineering. Mr. Houseal holds a B.S in Aerospace Engineering (specializing in composite aircraft structures) from Iowa State University. John O’Connor Director of Product and Market Strategy for Aerospace VISTAGY, Inc. John O'Connor has served in many roles at VISTAGY ranging from application support and technical sales management to business development. Prior to VISTAGY, Mr. O'Connor was a Senior Design Engineer at Lockheed Martin where he led a variety of product design teams. Mr. O'Connor holds an M.S. in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. An interactive discussion will follow the presentation. Space is limited. Reserve your Webcast seat now! Click here to return to Contents
ZW3D a Hit at the 17th AUTOMATICON in Poland 13 April 2011 3D Master, ZW3D authorized reseller in Poland, brought ZW3D 2010 to visitors at the 17th AUTOMATICON held on April 5-8, 2011. During the three-day event, ZW3D's booth received hundreds of professional visitors, most of who were pleased by the fact that ZW3D was capable of making complex part and assembly modeling, as well as 2 through 5 axis machining, yet at a relatively lower price than its comparable products. Visitors had the chance to watch live demos on ZW3D, and get more information on how ZW3D. About 3D Master 3D Master is now ZW3D's VAR (Value Added Reseller) in Poland. It aims to deliver professional solutions and support to individuals, start-up businesses, and large corporations in the CAD/CAM design industry. Click here to return to Contents Financial News
EMC Reports Record First-Quarter Results 20 April 2011 First-Quarter Highlights: • Record first-quarter consolidated revenue up 18% year over year • All-time record consolidated quarterly revenue for Asia Pacific and Japan region
Page 22 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary • Record first-quarter GAAP net income up 28% year over year • Strong year-over-year percentage increase in gross and operating margins EMC Corporation reported record financial results for the first quarter of 2011. Continued healthy customer demand for EMC's information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure products and services, and strong performance within the company's Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific/Japan regions, contributed to EMC achieving record first-quarter consolidated revenue, record first-quarter net income, and strong year-over-year percentage increase in operating and gross margins. First-quarter consolidated revenue was $4.6 billion, an increase of 18% compared with the year-ago quarter. First-quarter GAAP net income attributable to EMC increased 28% year over year to $477.1 million. First-quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.21, up 24% year over year. Non-GAAP¹ net income attributable to EMC for the first quarter was $700.4 million, an increase of 27% compared with the year-ago quarter. First-quarter non-GAAP¹ earnings per diluted share were $0.31, an increase of 19% year over year. During the first quarter, EMC expanded gross and operating margins substantially on a year-over-year basis. The company achieved operating cash flow of $1.1 billion and free cash flow² of $857.3 million, and ended the first quarter with $9.5 billion in cash and investments. Joe Tucci, EMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "EMC is off to a strong start in 2011 with significant opportunity and long-term growth potential ahead. With market-leading virtualization and information infrastructure products and services, and a strong partner ecosystem, we are positioned squarely at the intersection of two of the most sweeping trends in IT – cloud computing and Big Data. These assets, along with a robust innovation pipeline, uniquely align EMC to help customers accelerate their journey to cloud computing and unlock the full value of their information." David Goulden, EMC Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, "For the fifth consecutive quarter EMC achieved our financial 'triple play' – gaining market share, investing aggressively to take advantage of the rapidly emerging opportunities offered by cloud computing and Big Data, and improving profitability. Financial strength and flexibility, combined with an intense focus on customers, enable us to continually identify and successfully execute on opportunities that increase our value proposition to customers and reward shareholders. Given the strong growth we saw in the quarter and the opportunity we see throughout 2011, we are now even more confident that we can meet and potentially exceed our 2011 consolidated revenue, non-GAAP EPS and free cash flow goals while continuing to achieve our 'triple play' over the long term." First-Quarter Highlights First-quarter highlights included strong customer demand for the company's market-leading high-end EMC Symmetrix storage product portfolio, which increased revenue 25% compared with the year-ago quarter, and EMC's portfolio of mid-tier storage products³, which grew revenue 20% year over year. Revenue from VMware (NYSE: VMW), which is majority-owned by EMC, increased 33% and revenue from EMC's RSA information security business grew 8% year over year. Additional first-quarter highlights included consistently strong revenue growth for EMC's backup and recovery solutions, led by EMC Data Domain products. The new Isilon Storage Division exceeded revenue expectations in its first quarter within EMC, while the Data Computing Division continued to perform well with highly differentiated Greenplum offerings in the Big Data warehousing and analytics space. Also during the quarter, VCE – the Virtual Computing Environment Company formed by Cisco and
Page 23 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary EMC with investments from VMware and Intel – experienced increasing customer traction and an expanding pipeline for its Vblock converged architecture. EMC's consolidated first-quarter revenue from the United States reached $2.4 billion, an increase of 12% year over year, representing 51% of consolidated first-quarter revenue. Revenue from EMC's business operations outside of the United States reached $2.2 billion, an increase of 26% year over year, representing 49% of consolidated first-quarter revenue. Within this, consolidated revenue in EMC's Europe/Middle East/Africa region increased 21% and consolidated revenue in EMC's Asia Pacific/Japan region reached an all-time record amount, growing 43% year over year. Business Outlook The following statements are based on current expectations. These statements are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. These statements do not give effect to the potential impact of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures or business combinations that may be announced or closed after the date hereof. These statements supersede all prior statements regarding 2011 financial results. All dollar amounts and percentages set forth below should be considered to be approximations. Consolidated revenues are expected to be $19.6 billion for 2011. Consolidated GAAP operating income is expected to be 16.5% to 17.5% of revenues for 2011 and consolidated non-GAAP operating income is expected to be 23% to 24% of revenues for 2011. Excluded from consolidated non-GAAP operating income are restructuring and acquisition-related charges, stock-based compensation expense and intangible asset amortization, which account for less than 1%, 5% and 2% of revenues, respectively. Total consolidated GAAP non-operating expense, which includes investment income, interest expense and other expense, is expected to be $120 million in 2011 and total consolidated non-GAAP non- operating expense is expected to be $175 million in 2011. Excluded from non-GAAP non-operating expense is a non-recurring gain on strategic investments of $55 million. Consolidated GAAP net income is expected to be $2.5 billion in 2011 and consolidated non-GAAP net income is expected to be $3.3 billion in 2011. Excluded from consolidated non-GAAP net income are restructuring and acquisition-related charges, stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization and a non-recurring gain on strategic investments, which account for $70 million, $590 million, $200 million and a gain of $30 million, respectively. Consolidated GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected to be $1.09 for 2011 and consolidated non- GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected to be $1.46 for 2011. Excluded from consolidated non- GAAP diluted earnings per share are restructuring and acquisition-related charges, stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization and a non-recurring gain on strategic investments which are expected to be $0.03, $0.26, $0.09 and ($0.01) per diluted share, respectively, for 2011. The consolidated GAAP income tax rate is expected to be 20% for 2011. Excluding the impact of restructuring and acquisition-related charges, stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization and a non-recurring gain on strategic investments, which collectively impact the tax rate by 2%, the consolidated non-GAAP income tax rate is expected to be 22% for 2011. GAAP net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware is expected to be $117 million and non-GAAP net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware is expected to be $175 million for 2011. Excluded from non-GAAP net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in
Page 24 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary VMware are acquisition-related charges, stock-based compensation expense, intangible asset amortization and a non-recurring gain on strategic investments which are expected to be $1 million, $57 million, $8 million and ($8 million), respectively. The incremental dilution attributable to the shares of VMware held by EMC is expected to be $15 million for 2011. The weighted-average outstanding diluted shares are expected to be 2.26 billion for 2011. Consolidated net cash provided by operating activities is expected to be $5.3 billion for 2011, and free cash flow is expected to be $4.0 billion in 2011. Excluded from free cash flow are $900 million of additions to property, plant and equipment and $440 million of capitalized software development costs. EMC expects to repurchase $1.5 billion of the company's stock in 2011. Supporting Resources EMC will host its first-quarter 2011 earnings conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET, which will be available via webcast on EMC's Investor Relations website at http://www.emc.com/ir Click here to return to Contents
IBM Reports 2011 First-Quarter Results 19 April 2011
• Diluted EPS:
GAAP: $2.31, up 17 percent;
Operating (non-GAAP): $2.41, up 21 percent;
• Revenue: $24.6 billion, up 8 percent, up 5 percent adjusting for currency;
• Net income:
GAAP: $2.9 billion, up 10 percent;
Operating (non-GAAP): $3.0 billion, up 13 percent;
• Pre-tax income:
GAAP: $3.8 billion, up 9 percent;
Operating (non-GAAP): $4.0 billion, up 12 percent;
• Gross profit margin:
GAAP: 44.1 percent, up 0.5 points;
Page 25 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Operating (non-GAAP): 44.5 percent, up 0.8 points;
• Software revenue excluding divested PLM operations up 10 percent, 8 percent adjusting for currency; 6 percent including PLM, 4 percent adjusting for currency;
• Systems and Technology revenue up 19 percent, 16 percent adjusting for currency;
• System z mainframe revenue up 41 percent; MIPS up 34 percent;
• Services revenue up 6 percent, 3 percent adjusting for currency;
• Services backlog of $142 billion, up $8 billion;
• Growth markets revenue up 18 percent, 12 percent adjusting for currency;
• Business analytics revenue up 20 percent;
• Smarter Planet revenue up 20 percent;
• Cloud revenue 5 times first-quarter 2010 revenue;
• Full-year 2011 Operating (non-GAAP) EPS expectations raised to at least $13.15 from at least $13.00.
IBM announced first-quarter 2011 diluted earnings of $2.31 per share, compared with diluted earnings of $1.97 per share in the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 17 percent. Operating (non-GAAP) diluted earnings were $2.41 per share, compared with operating diluted earnings of $2.00 per share in the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 21 percent. First-quarter net income was $2.9 billion compared with $2.6 billion in the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 10 percent. Operating (non-GAAP) net income was $3.0 billion compared with $2.6 billion in the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 13 percent. Total revenues for the first quarter of 2011 of $24.6 billion increased 8 percent (5 percent, adjusting for currency) from the first quarter of 2010. “We delivered a strong first quarter with revenue growth across hardware, software and services and with more than 40 countries growing in double digits. We continued to see excellent momentum in our growth initiatives - smarter planet, cloud, business analytics, and growth markets - which bring together the full value of the IBM portfolio," said Samuel J. Palmisano, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We achieved broad-based margin improvement, while our cash flow and strong financial position enabled us to continue to return value to our shareholders. "On the strength of this performance, we are raising our full-year 2011 operating earnings per share expectations to at least $13.15.”
Page 26 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary First-Quarter GAAP – Operating (non-GAAP) Reconciliation First-quarter operating (non-GAAP) diluted earnings exclude $0.10 per share of charges: $0.09 per share for the amortization of purchased intangible assets and other acquisition-related charges, and $0.01 per share for retirement-related charges driven by changes to plan assets and liabilities primarily related to market performance. Full-Year 2011 Expectations IBM raised its expectations for full-year 2011 GAAP diluted earnings per share to at least $12.73 from at least $12.56; and operating (non-GAAP) diluted earnings per share to at least $13.15 from at least $13.00. The 2011 operating (non-GAAP) earnings exclude $0.42 per share of charges for amortization of purchased intangible assets, other acquisition-related charges, and retirement-related charges driven by changes to plan assets and liabilities primarily related to market performance. Geographic Regions The Americas’ first-quarter revenues were $10.3 billion, an increase of 9 percent (8 percent, adjusting for currency) from the 2010 period. Revenues from Europe/Middle East/Africa were $7.8 billion, up 3 percent (2 percent, adjusting for currency). Asia-Pacific revenues increased 12 percent (4 percent, adjusting for currency) to $5.9 billion. OEM revenues were $600 million, up 13 percent compared with the 2010 first quarter. Growth Markets Revenues from the company’s growth markets increased 18 percent (12 percent, adjusting for currency). Revenues in the BRIC countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — increased 26 percent (22 percent, adjusting for currency). Growth markets revenue represents 21 percent of IBM’s total geographic revenue for the first quarter. Services Total Global Services revenues increased 6 percent (3 percent, adjusting for currency). Global Technology Services segment revenues increased 6 percent (3 percent, adjusting for currency) to $9.9 billion. Global Business Services segment revenues were up 7 percent (3 percent, adjusting for currency) at $4.7 billion. Global Services pre-tax income increased to $1.9 billion, up 34 percent year over year. Pre-tax income from Global Technology Services increased 29 percent and pre-tax margin increased to 12.2 percent (10 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively, when adjusted for workforce rebalancing charges in the first quarters of 2010 and 2011). Global Business Services pre-tax income increased 44 percent and pre-tax margin increased to 13.0 percent (19 percent and 14.0 percent, respectively, when adjusted for workforce rebalancing charges in the first quarters of 2010 and 2011). The estimated services backlog at March 31 was $142 billion, up $8 billion year over year at actual rates ($1.5 billion, adjusting for currency). Software Revenues from the Software segment were $5.3 billion, an increase of 6 percent (4 percent, adjusting for currency), or 10 percent (8 percent, adjusting for currency) excluding the first-quarter 2010 divestiture of the Product Lifecycle Management operations (PLM), compared with the first quarter of 2010. Software pre-tax income of $1.7 billion was down 18 percent (up 9 percent when adjusted for the gain on the sale of IBM’s PLM operations in first-quarter 2010 and for workforce rebalancing charges in the
Page 27 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary first quarters of 2010 and 2011) year over year. Revenues from IBM’s key middleware products, which include WebSphere, Information Management, Tivoli, Lotus and Rational products, were $3.3 billion, an increase of 16 percent (14 percent, adjusting for currency) versus the first quarter of 2010. Operating systems revenues of $542 million increased 9 percent (7 percent, adjusting for currency) compared with the prior-year quarter. Revenues from the WebSphere family of software products increased 51 percent year over year. Information Management software revenues increased 13 percent. Revenues from Tivoli software increased 8 percent. Revenues from Lotus software increased 1 percent, and Rational software increased 5 percent. Revenues from the company’s business analytics operations across services and software segments increased 20 percent. Hardware Revenues from the Systems and Technology segment totaled $4.0 billion for the quarter, up 19 percent (16 percent, adjusting for currency) from the first quarter of 2010. Systems and Technology pre-tax income was $132 million, an increase of $329 million. Systems revenues increased 18 percent (16 percent, adjusting for currency). Revenues from System z mainframe server products increased 41 percent compared with the year-ago period. Total delivery of System z computing power, as measured in MIPS (millions of instructions per second), increased 34 percent. Revenues from Power Systems increased 19 percent compared with the 2010 period. Revenues from System x increased 13 percent. Revenues from System Storage increased 10 percent, and revenues from Retail Store Solutions increased 18 percent year over year. Revenues from Microelectronics OEM increased 23 percent. Financing Global Financing segment revenues decreased 4 percent (6 percent, adjusting for currency) in the first quarter to $516 million. Pre-tax income for the segment increased 22 percent to $519 million. The company’s total gross profit margin was 44.1 percent in the 2011 first quarter compared with 43.6 percent in the 2010 first-quarter period. Total operating (non-GAAP) gross profit margin was 44.5 percent in the 2011 first quarter compared with 43.7 percent in the 2010 first-quarter period, with increases in Systems and Technology and Software. Total expense and other income increased 9 percent to $7.0 billion compared with the prior-year period. SG&A expense of $5.8 billion increased 3 percent year over year compared with prior-year expense. RD&E expense of $1.6 billion increased 5 percent compared with the year-ago period. Intellectual property and custom development income increased to $262 million compared with $261 million a year ago. Other (income) and expense was income of $202 million compared with prior-year income of $545 million. Interest expense increased to $93 million compared with $82 million in the prior year. Total operating (non-GAAP) expense and other income increased 8 percent to $7.0 billion compared with the prior-year period. Operating (non-GAAP) SG&A expense of $5.7 billion increased 2 percent year over year compared with prior-year expense. Operating (non-GAAP) RD&E expense of $1.6 billion increased 4 percent compared with the year-ago period. Pre-tax income increased 9 percent to $3.8 billion, and pre-tax margin was 15.5 percent, up 0.1 points. Operating (non-GAAP) pre-tax income increased 12 percent to $4.0 billion and pre-tax margin was 16.2
Page 28 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary percent, up 0.6 points. IBM’s tax rate was 25.0 percent, down 1 point year over year; operating (non-GAAP) tax rate was also 25.0 percent, down 0.8 points. Net income margin increased 0.3 points to 11.6 percent. Operating (non-GAAP) net income margin increased 0.6 points to 12.1 percent. The weighted-average number of diluted common shares outstanding in the first-quarter 2011 was 1.24 billion compared with 1.32 billion shares in the same period of 2010. As of March 31, 2011, there were 1.21 billion basic common shares outstanding. Debt, including Global Financing, totaled $30.3 billion, compared with $28.6 billion at year-end 2010. From a management segment view, Global Financing debt totaled $23.7 billion versus $22.8 billion at year-end 2010, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.0 to 1. Non-global financing debt totaled $6.5 billion, an increase of $712 million since year-end 2010, resulting in a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 25.1 percent from 22.6 percent. IBM ended the first-quarter 2011 with $13.2 billion of cash on hand and generated free cash flow of $0.8 billion, down approximately $600 million year over year primarily due to net income tax payments. The company returned $4.8 billion to shareholders through $0.8 billion in dividends and $4.0 billion of share repurchases. The balance sheet remains strong, and the company is well positioned to support the business over the long term. Presentation of Information in this Press Release In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding the company’s results as determined by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the company has also disclosed in this press release the following non-GAAP information which management believes provides useful information to investors: IBM results and expectations — presenting operating (non-GAAP) earnings per share amounts and related income statement items; presenting non-global financing debt-to-capitalization ratio; adjusting for free cash flow; adjusting for currency (i.e., at constant currency); adjusting for workforce rebalancing charges; excluding divested PLM operations. The rationale for management’s use of non-GAAP measures is included as part of the supplementary materials presented within the first-quarter earnings materials. These materials are available on the IBM investor relations Web site at http://www.ibm.com/investor and are being included in Attachment II (“Non-GAAP Supplementary Materials”) to the Form 8-K that includes this press release and is being submitted today to the SEC. Click here to return to Contents
Page 29 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary SofTech Announces Audit Completion & Financial Results for Its Fourth Quarter & Fiscal Year 2010 19 April 2011 SofTech, Inc. announced the completion of its audit for fiscal year 2010. The audit for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2010 was delayed during the negotiation and completion of the recently announced recapitalization transaction that improved the Company’s book value by more than $8 million. “While the results that are summarized below are now quite dated, I am very happy that we were able to complete the audit process,” said Joe Mullaney, the recently appointed President and CEO. “The completion of the FY2010 audit is a critical element of our plan to re-commence filing public reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission and seek an improved listing status for our common stock for our shareholders. We have committed to completing all filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and, in the coming weeks, will be releasing our quarterly results for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2011,” he added. Revenue for the fourth quarter ended May 31, 2010 was approximately $2.0 million as compared to about $2.2 million during the same period in 2009. Revenue for the twelve month period ended May 31, 2010 was approximately $7.7 million as compared to about $9.5 million for the same period in 2009. Net income the fourth quarter ended May 31, 2010 was approximately $227,000 as compared to about $349,000 during the same period in 2009. Net income for the twelve month period ended May 31, 2010 was approximately $673,000 as compared to about $1.3 million for the same period in 2009. “During the first three quarters of fiscal year 2011, the revenue and profitability have stabilized,” Joe Mullaney continued. “The new team is enthusiastically engaged in identifying growth opportunities that could allow us to monetize some or all of our tens of millions of dollars of tax assets.”
SOFTECH, INC. FINANCIAL SUMMARY (In thousands, except per share data)
Statements of Operations:
For the Three Months Ended May 31,
2010 2009
Revenue $ 1,956 $ 2,241
Income from operations 425 446
Net income 227 349
Basic and diluted income per share .02 .03
For the Fiscal Years Ended May 31,
2010 2009
Revenue $ 7,711 $ 9,498
Income from operations 1,349 2,132
Net income 673 1,321
Basic and diluted income per share .06 .11
Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income:
Page 30 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary
To arrive at EBITDA, net income, calculated in accordance with GAAP, is adjusted by adding back interest expense, taxes, non-cash expenses related to amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions and depreciation expense.
For the Three Months Ended May 31,
2010 2009
Net income $ 227 $ 349
Plus: Interest expense 142 129
Tax expense 16 16
Depreciation expense 9 18
Amortization expense 24 101
EBITDA 418 613
For the Fiscal Years Ended May 31,
2010 2009
Net income $ 673 $ 1,321
Plus: Interest expense 589 760
Tax expense 16 16
Depreciation expense 63 127
Amortization expense 113 405
EBITDA 1,454 2,629
Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company believes that EBITDA is useful supplemental information for investors, when considered along with net income, cash flow from operations and other financial statement data. The Company believes that EBITDA is useful because it provides investors with information concerning the potential longer term profitability of the Company’s technology assets (subsequent to full amortization of non- cash expenses), as amortization of acquisition costs has been added back to net income in arriving at EBITDA. Further, management believes that EBITDA provides a useful financial metric by which the Company can be compared with other companies that have different capital structures (interest expense, a cost of debt capital, has been added back to net income in arriving at EBITDA). It is also management’s belief that this non-GAAP measure of performance continues to be used in the investment community as a financial metric for business valuation purposes. However, the Company believes that EBITDA is not a substitute for cash flow from operating activities. Investors should carefully review the financial statements of the Company in their entirety in order to obtain a complete understanding of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Click here to return to Contents
Surfware Reports 31% Increase in Sales Growth for 1st Quarter of 2011 19 April 2011 Surfware, Inc. reported a 31% increase in sales growth for the 1st quarter of 2011 as compared to 2010 at its “Annual Reseller Meeting” in Ventura, California last week. “In addition to this increase in 1st quarter sales numbers, Surfware has achieved the highest profitability gains ever in Surfware’s history during the last 3 quarters. This is a great leap forward for Surfware’s
Page 31 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary business to keep SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems poised at the forefront of technology and innovation.” "We are very pleased with our sales growth for the 1st quarter of this new year," says Peter Marton, Vice President of Surfware. "In addition to this increase in 1st quarter sales numbers, Surfware has achieved the highest profitability gains ever in Surfware’s history during the last 3 quarters. This is a great leap forward for Surfware’s business to keep SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems poised at the forefront of technology and innovation.” Click here to return to Contents Implementation Investments
Autodesk Software Aids Quest to Harness Energy from the Sea 20 April 2011 T Power, an energy consultancy headquartered in the United Kingdom, is using 3D design software from Autodesk, Inc. to develop renewable energy devices for harnessing wave and tidal power. IT Power is the lead company in an EU funded project to develop the innovative Pulse Tidal device. IT Power is providing engineering, design, management and project management services to the consortium. The Pulse Tidal device uses oscillating horizontal hydrofoils in place of more traditional rotating blades to generate renewable energy. This pioneering approach offers many advantages over existing tidal stream technology by maximizing the area that can be swept — and hence the power captured — in a given depth of water. This makes the technology particularly suited to shallow tidal flows, while requiring smaller support structures and lower installation costs than many competing systems. IT Power is also the lead engineer in the UK’s Technology Strategy Board funded Offshore Wave Energy Limited (OWEL) Marine Demonstrator project. OWEL is developing an innovative wave energy device and the current project will produce and deploy a machine with a target output of 500- kilowatt at the wave hub facility in the UK. The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program — which provides software for emerging clean tech companies in North America and Europe — enabled IT Power’s Marine Group to use Digital Prototyping technology to accelerate design of the mechanical and structural elements of its energy capture systems. Powerful Simulation with Autodesk Inventor IT Power made extensive use of Autodesk Inventor software to simulate the Pulse Tidal device’s transmission mechanism. Placing load data for the hydrofoils into a 3D model in Inventor and running a simulation enables the team to optimize the design of the mechanism and verify mathematical models of the system. “Inventor has saved us time, effort and money,” says Tim Twibell, senior marine engineer at IT Power. “In addition to running these kinds of calculations using complex mathematical models, we now have a compelling visual means of verifying accuracy, simply by running these simulations in Inventor.”
Page 32 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Using Inventor has helped IT Power speed the development of a preproduction 1.2-megawatt prototype of the Pulse Tidal energy device. IT Power is also using Inventor to assist the mechanical and structural designs of the OWEL device. “As the need for renewable energy grows, companies must continue to innovate and create the most efficient technologies,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing Industry Group. “This is precisely what IT Power is doing by using Autodesk Inventor to test its designs quickly and cost-effectively. We’re excited to help European clean tech companies like IT Power accelerate product design and development through the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program.” The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean technology companies by providing design and engineering software that accelerates their development of solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and Europe that can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk software applications includes up to five licenses of AutoCAD Inventor Professional Suite, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Vault Professional, Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Alias Design, Autodesk Simulation and Autodesk Inventor Publisher software. For additional information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/cleantech. *Value is based on up to five commercial licenses of each application. Click here to return to Contents
Autodesk Wins Global Deal Worth More Than AUD 5 Million with GHD 20 April 2011 Autodesk announced that it has signed an enterprise licensing agreement with GHD, one of the world’s leading engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firms to provide Autodesk software and services. The contract value of the deal is more than AUD 5 million, making it the largest ever contract win for Autodesk in Asia Pacific. This new agreement will enable GHD access to 25 Autodesk products and in excess of 1000 licensed seats globally. In addition, GHD will have access to Autodesk consulting services to help integrate the technology and assist in optimising their investment. GHD is also continuing its long standing engagement with KarelCAD to support the solution going forward in partnership with Autodesk. “We are extremely pleased to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with GHD with this global agreement,” said Paul Arthur, Sales Director, Autodesk Australia and New Zealand. “GHD is a true Australian success story, delivering innovative and world-class design solutions across five continents. We are delighted that Autodesk software and services will enable GHD to support their further push towards 3D design solutions as they scale for future growth.” GHD works across a wide range of international projects, some requiring them to collaborate across timezones and markets. The interoperability of Autodesk’s technology solutions combined with this new flexible licensing arrangement will allow GHD design teams to collaborate and be more resource- efficient. “We needed a solution that was flexible, allowing us to scale and collaborate effectively across multiple sites around the world,” said Gavin Cheetham, Global CADD Manager for GHD. “Autodesk was able to offer the best solutions to streamline our licencing while enabling us to use the latest Building
Page 33 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Information Modelling (BIM) software tools to support our clients’ current and future needs.” BIM is an integrated process for exploring a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally before it’s built, helping to deliver projects faster and more economically, whilst maximising environmental outcomes. GHD is seeing a strong demand from its customers for 3D solutions and is planning to pro-actively use BIM to help design innovative projects, reduce costs and deliver better performance. Click here to return to Contents
Catalog Data Solutions CAD Download Solution Selected by CUI, Inc. 19 April 2011 Catalog Data Solutions (CDS) announced that CUI, Inc. has selected its online CAD download solution. CUI Inc., based in Tualatin, Oregon, designs, manufactures, and markets electro-mechanical components for the OEM manufacturer in the areas of “We recognize that the industrial buying process has changed - designers now research and select products online, often before even talking to a supplier,” power, motion control, interconnect, and audio,” said Jeff Schnabel, VP Marketing, CUI. “Our website has become a key sales tool not only to enable customers to quickly find the “right” product but, equally importantly, to help customers ‘design-in’ our products by offering CAD downloads that simplify the process and save designers time. After evaluating several vendors, we chose the CDS ModelServer SaaS solution for its flexibility, adaptability and configurability.” Catalog Data Solutions helps industrial suppliers and distributors grow sales and strengthen customer loyalty through interactive online catalogs, ecommerce, 3D CAD model delivery and product configurator solutions. Click here to return to Contents
Customer Case Study: Jobshop: “Monumental Contribution to Our Success” 18 April 2011 Aish Technologies used to process around 4,000 work orders a year. Now, since bringing in the Jobshop advanced production planning and control system, the same number of staff manages 10,000. Operations Director and Company Secretary Nigel Barnes says introducing Jobshop just three years ago showed that they needed to make major changes to the way they worked. “We recognised that the business was heavily dependent on non-added-value staff to make it work. We were carrying a high burden of overheads to make the company function as it did. Our long-term solution was to say if we’re going to implement Jobshop it had to provide the capacity to grow the business without increasing this overhead burden. “However, as we always utilise the tools we have to the fullest possible extent, we’ve grown the business instead, by using Jobshop, increasing turnover to £12m, and we haven’t needed to increase staff.” Aish makes full use of many of Jobshop’s extensive suite of functions, including Sales Order Processing, Material Requirements Planning, Purchase Orders, Work Orders, Scheduling, Shop Floor Data Capture, Materials Control, Costing, and System Management. “Therefore, Jobshop has made a
Page 34 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary monumental contribution to our recent success. We couldn’t have grown the business without the step change improvements in both procurement and progressing the scheduling work load without Jobshop.” Established over 120 years ago Aish Technologies, based at Poole, in Dorset, develops and manufactures rugged multi-function consoles, cabinets, electronic racks, flat panel displays, land system vehicles and Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) systems. “We take a customer’s requirement and then produce bespoke enclosures which protect their equipment from harsh environments.” Products are supplied to over 70 Navies worldwide as well as a variety of other defence and maritime industries. In the short time they have used Jobshop they have taken an active role in helping to develop it. “Other systems we looked at didn’t give us any opportunity for working together with future input on developments. If we need a bespoke functionality Jobshop will create it for us, and if it can benefit other customers Jobshop will look at it being included as part of a future (general) release.” An example is the costing module. Nigel Barnes says they had specific requirements about costing contracts and controlling Work In Progress through the process. “We became heavily involved in the specification and layout, and then we supported Jobshop’s work in developing it, through in-depth testing. Following on from that, we now often undertake testing of other new functionality to assist Jobshop with its ongoing development.” Other Jobshop users regularly visit Aish to see how they implement certain functions. Paul Hardwick, Aish’s Information Systems Manager, says: “We have a growing reputation of using Jobshop to take our business to the next level.” And Aish are so pleased with the complete package that they have committed to it long-term by arranging, at their own instigation, a five-year maintenance agreement, instead of Jobshop’s usual annual agreement. The enhanced Crystal Reporting system plays an important part in how they use Jobshop. Nigel Barnes says: “We’ve bespoked almost all of the external documents to meet our exacting requirements. Jobshop is a great database, it’s got all the data we need to run the business, and we have very strong views on exactly how we want to present that data, both internally to the shop floor and the management team, and externally to customers. It’s so easy to get the data we need and present the report in the exact format we want.” Data Services Manager Phil Bew ensures the Jobshop functions are available to those who need to use them, including providing some extra tools on Shop Floor Data Capture screens with Crystal Reports to enable shop floor workers to see what they’ve done. “Everyone on the shop floor books their time through the Shop Floor Data Capture function, and we provide 15 touch screen terminals around the factory, on specially produced stands.” They have also set up a number of codes to analyse what their indirect, non-rechargeable staff in terms of overheads, are working on. “This means we can fully understand what’s driving costs throughout all areas of the business by utilising Jobshop’s time booking system.” Nigel Barnes says that overall, Jobshop gives managers a far better understanding of the business, including what they need to do and when they need to do it. “It gives us exceptional control across all contracts, telling us which orders have to be placed on any given day, and which parts have to be released into the manufacturing process. The costing engine enables us to identify the gross profit at the budget stage, anyone can see any data from any screen relating to where a job is and how it’s progressing. It also gives us far greater visibility in what products we’ve got in the stores and gives us total control over all surplus material.”
Page 35 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary He is already preparing for the next area they would like to develop in conjunction with Jobshop: “We want to look next at how much time the processes take, how many keystrokes people have to make, and how people’s workflow interfaces with Jobshop to allow us to get even more benefit from the system with less interaction.” Click here to return to Contents
Engineering Team for British SuperSonic Car Addresses Design Challenges with Altair's HyperWorks Technology 18 April 2011 Altair Engineering, Inc. reported that the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) team has employed the HyperWorks suite of computer-aided engineering tools in the development of its jet and rocket powered car. The futuristic speed machine is designed to reach mach 1.4 (approximately 1,050 mph) in its pursuit of the world land speed record. While its chassis resembles an aircraft, the vehicle has wheels, suspension, steering and brakes, just like a normal race car. Aside from its jet and F1 engines, each component of the car is being custom designed, and Altair's OptiStruct software, the structural optimization technology of the HyperWorks CAE software suite, is playing a crucial role in that design process. The lean Bloodhound team, based in Bristol, England, relies on a range of technology to spark innovation, technology that includes OptiStruct, which was used for optimization of the rear chassis structure and to set up a wheel design using the least amount of material possible without compromising the wheels' ability to manage anticipated forces of 50,000 G's. The rear chassis was designed using a steel structure. They placed the jet engine over the rocket and reconfigured the rear chassis. The vehicle has undergone 10 design iterations; to ensure the aerodynamic shape is correct at sub, trans and supersonic speeds. The team used OptiStruct, to determine the most efficient use of material. The software includes capabilities for topology, shape and size optimization, enabling engineers to quickly determine the main load paths in multiple design envelopes early in the conceptual design phase. "We used Altair's OptiStruct to develop a steel structure, because the team wanted to get the best strength-to-weight ratio," said Chief Engineer Mark Chapman. "We built various models, putting in stringers and trusses. OptiStruct showed us where we needed to put the material. We ended up with an organic, geodesic shape – one that we would not have thought of." "The key to success with this project is to undertake extensive computer modeling to increase understanding and reduce risk," added Project Director Richard Noble. "We need to prove our concepts by analysis and simulation before we enter the build phase of the Project." OptiStruct was also used to develop the wheels. Here the team's goal was to use the least amount of material while ensuring functionality. By using a design-of-experiments (DOE) methodology, engineers optimized the design to reduce the loads sufficiently to allow the wheels to be made of aluminum instead of the more expensive titanium. "OptiStruct showed us where to add and remove material from the parts," Chapman explained. "For us, it was invaluable in turning around designs. We saw the effects of our changes, and the software guided us in terms of adding or subtracting material. We used OptiStruct as a tool to show us the way to design the most efficient structures; we then turned these into manufacturable concepts."
Page 36 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Much work still lies ahead for the Bloodhound engineering team. Detailed designs are soon to be finalized as the project enters the build phase. Hybrid rocket testing is scheduled to start in the UK later this summer. The actual car will then be ready for action in 2013. "I'm very proud that OptiStruct was used in such an outstanding project," said David Mason, managing director for Altair, UK. "Once more, OptiStruct is helping to drive innovation and to realize a project that seemed to be unthinkable only a few years ago. The team members' reliance on technology is enabling them to push the limit on several fronts. Their efforts are expected to yield advances in metallurgy, low-level aerodynamics, high-vibration telemetry and low-level jet and rocket operation. This project has no precedent, and everything the Bloodhound team does is innovative. I'm looking forward to seeing the first real-time tests and the final run for the world speed record at the Hakskeen Pan in 2013." The engineering community will capitalize on the technology and experience gained from this iconic engineering adventure to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. To follow the development of the Bloodhound SSC on the Web, visit http://www.bloodhoundssc.com, or read Beverly A. Beckert's article in Altair's magazine Concept to Reality at www.altair.com/c2r. Click here to return to Contents
Fashion Retailer The Limited Selects Visual PLM.net® 18 April 2011 Visual 2000 International Inc. announces that fashion retailer The Limited (http://www.thelimited.com) is set to begin implementation of the Visual PLM.net® product lifecycle management solution at its New York design and product development offices. The fashion-focused PLM software will replace a legacy PDM system to manage all product components and details; and track and manage related pre- production tasks and processes. The Limited expects the new system to help streamline product development cycles and increase visibility into pre-production business processes. According to Limited Stores CIO Roger E. Coville, “After a thorough evaluation, we selected Visual PLM.net due to its close alignment with our specific business needs and requirements. We are impressed with the depth of capabilities that the system delivers right out-of-the-box. We also liked that Visual 2000 is deeply experienced and solely focused on our industry. Because of these and other important factors, we expect to achieve a rapid implementation and speed-to-benefit.” Global suppliers and vendor partners will also use the web-based system to electronically collaborate with the retailer on product issues and share visibility into process timelines and milestone performance. Expected to go-live later this year, the new system will also be used at the Limited Stores, LLC headquarters in New Albany, Ohio. Click here to return to Contents
KTH and COMSOL Sign $400,000 Software License Agreement 14 April 2011 The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, has signed a three-year site license agreement with COMSOL to provide all the Schools within KTH with COMSOL Multiphysics
Page 37 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary simulation software. Over 16,000 teachers, researchers and students will now have access to the entire suite of tools. COMSOL Multiphysics enables engineers and scientists in a wide array of engineering fields to conduct real-world simulations of any physics-based system for product design and development. The site license worth $400,000 brings the same simulation toolset that is being used by high-tech firms and top researchers worldwide to users throughout KTH. In this educational environment, COMSOL Multiphysics helps students gain insights into basic principles of physical effects and also how to build computer models that represent those effects. Over the last two decades, KTH and COMSOL have continually strengthened what has been a long- standing bond. “Today, KTH graduates are omnipresent among our company’s employees, going all the way back to our founders,” notes COMSOL Sweden Sales and Marketing Manager Daniel Ericsson. “We continue to rely on KTH to recruit new talent for our core development team, and we are delighted by the fact that KTH has chosen to strengthen its relationship with us. There’s also a trend among our commercial customers to look for new hires who have experience using COMSOL. In the end, businesses benefit from the fact that KTH students get training in the use of leading simulation software as part of their core education.” KTH’s IT Department Operation Manager, Lars Eneslätt, has nothing but praise for the use of COMSOL Multiphysics because it addresses such a wide scope of simulation domains. “Now, with one and the same software environment, our researchers and students alike can simulate structural mechanics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, chemical engineering and fluid flow. Instead of purchasing ten or more specialized codes, we can invest in one unifying environment that encompasses the needs of all the KTH Schools and that covers a multitude of applications. Also key is the long-term commitment to centralize licenses and agreements. Today we can assure users throughout KTH of continued access to the crucial environment that COMSOL Multiphysics provides for our education and research.” Professor Carl-Mikael Zetterling in the Department of Microelectronics and Applied Physics explains, “By using COMSOL Multiphysics, we can quickly set up models and analyze their physical effects. The software’s flexibility and open structure allows us to customize models to our specific requirements. In addition, the vastly improved user interface in Version 4.1 makes it even easier for new users to get up to speed using the software.” World’s largest site license “Early on, KTH pioneered the adoption of our groundbreaking multiphysics tools,” comments Per Backlund Sales Manager at COMSOL Sweden. “That institute became a customer with the release of the very first version of COMSOL Multiphysics, and today it has the world’s largest license based on the number of users. With this new agreement, KTH gets access to COMSOL and its application- specific tools plus automatic access to new products, which we are expecting several of in the next few years.” About KTH KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm is the largest, oldest and most international technical university in Sweden. No less than one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education capacity at the university level is provided by KTH. Education and research spans from natural sciences to all the branches of engineering and includes architecture, industrial management and urban planning. The educational programs lead to Bachelor, Master or PhD degrees in engineering, science, and architecture. There is a total of just over 13,000 year-round equivalent undergraduate students, more
Page 38 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary than 1,500 active graduate students and around 3,000 full-time equivalent employees at KTH. Click here to return to Contents
Leading Australian Manufacturer Wilson Transformer Company Expands Use of Epicor® With Migration to Latest ERP Solution 19 April 2011 Epicor Software Corporation has announced that Wilson Transformer Company, a leading Australian manufacturer of power and distribution transformers, will implement the next-generation Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. The company will be the first customer in Australia and New Zealand to implement the solution’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capability. With over 650 employees based in Australia, Wilson Transformer Company works collaboratively with its customers, using its experience and know-how in engineering, manufacturing and logistics, to provide tailored solutions to satisfy customer requirements. Wilson Transformer Company also has two specialised manufacturing operations based in Victoria, one for Power Transformers in Glen Waverley and the other for Distribution Transformers in Wodonga. Wilson Transformer Company selected Epicor ERP through Epicor’s strategic partner, COGITA, which has worked with Epicor for more than ten years. COGITA, who was recently named “Global Partner of the Year” by Epicor for the third consecutive year, sells and supports Epicor ERP products, for design- to-order, make-to-order, engineer-to-order, configure-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturing companies in the private sector. Wilson Transformer Company’s decision to opt for the Epicor ERP solution was based, in part, on the success the company has enjoyed to date using the Epicor Vantage solution. Wilson Transformer currently uses the Vantage solution to support its financial management system and logistics operations. More specifically, the company was vigorously searching for a robust PLM system. “While we were very happy with the capabilities offered by the Vantage solution, we knew that the platform and upgrade path offered by Epicor’s next-generation ERP solution was ultimately a better fit for our organisation as we continue to grow,” said Ed Wilson, General Manager, Power Business Unit at Wilson Transformer Company. “In particular we were also impressed with the product lifecycle management capability offered through Epicor ERP. We have been looking for a comprehensive PLM system for some time. Given the nature of our business, it is critical we have access to, and complete visibility of all information pertaining to a specific product including specifications, design, client liaison, service, maintenance, manufacture and procurement terms. Ultimately we wanted an end-to-end solution that would enable is to generate greater efficiencies in terms of design, production and engineering workflows.” “The out of the box integration of the PLM system with Epicor, as well as its integration with other third party systems including 3D CAD, was a huge draw for us. In addition, the modern technology and flexible platform of Epicor ERP, which is built on Microsoft .NET technology, was also a very attractive proposition. By upgrading from Vantage to Epicor ERP, we have the best of both worlds: we still retain a strong ERP infrastructure but now have the added integrated PLM component, which we have been striving for, for some time. Knowing we will work closely with COGITA for the initial implementation and for ongoing support is also a huge comfort for us,” explained Guy Barnsley, Mechanical Engineering Manager at Wilson Transformer Company, Power Business Unit.
Page 39 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Roger Fairgray, client services director for COGITA said, “We are delighted that Wilson Transformer Company is expanding its engagement with Epicor by leveraging the increased functionality and scope of embedded modules that Epicor ERP has to offer, including: Advanced Planning and Scheduling, Maintenance Management, Enterprise Quality Assurance, Enterprise Performance Management, as well as expanding to PLM.” For more information about Wilson Transformer Company please visit: http://www.wtc.com.au/ . Click here to return to Contents
Materion Implements Stature from Dyadem for Quality Risk Management 14 April 2011 Dyadem announced that it has been selected by Materion to provide Quality Risk Management software solutions to support its commitment to product quality. Materion will use Dyadem’s Stature software to gain more visibility between departments and to more efficiently manage its quality risk assessment efforts, improve its process controls and to manage overall product quality. Stature is being deployed at Materion's Advanced Materials Technologies & Services (AMTS) business, an advanced materials products and services company that manufactures and produces everything from specialty metals and precision optical filters to inorganic chemicals and powders. Previously, Materion had been using a non-specialized spreadsheet software program to conduct risk assessments. As part of a global project initiated in 2010 to improve its process controls across all of its manufacturing operations, Materion has implemented Stature, and is now able to consolidate and standardize all risk assessments across departments, ensuring shared corporate knowledge and the capture of best practices and lessons learned. The focus for Materion’s global quality project is the development of several key quality tools, including Process Maps, FMEAs and Control Plans. Stature will enable Materion to develop these tools in a standardized format using a common application. "As our organization moves forward in improving our Quality Systems through the use of tools such as Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA), Dyadem software solutions will allow us to implement these tools more efficiently,” said Matthew Rigerman, Director of Quality, Materion AMTS. “Stature allows our team to share information across our product lines and production facilities, ensuring that lessons learned are communicated across our entire organization." Stature, Dyadem’s enterprise risk management software solution, will help Materion conduct more efficient Design and Process FMEAs, and share information from one study to the next and across users. Stature is a Web-based enterprise risk and quality management system that links disconnected risk management processes across the organization. By helping companies identify and mitigate risks across a global organization, Stature enables companies to increase their operational effectiveness, comply with industry regulations and bring better quality products to market. Ensuring continuous communication and transparency throughout a program, project or process, Stature provides key performance indicators and visibility into an organization's top risks. With access to data from across risk assessments, knowledge libraries and managed through standardized templates, Stature will serve as the system of record for quality while ensuring corporate consistency across all past, present and future quality studies. “The manufacturing industry as a whole faces a multitude of risks, in both engineering and production, and from across the entire supply chain," said Kevin North, President and CEO, Dyadem. “With Stature, Materion is not only proving its commitment to product quality, but also its commitment to its stakeholders. With better visualization of quality risks, Materion will be able to identify potential issues
Page 40 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary early in the product lifecycle, and will be able to reduce the likelihood of bringing defective products to the market.” Click here to return to Contents
Radan Customer Case Study: Punching and Bending Keeps Nichol McKay in Shape 21 April 2011 Nichol McKay, which is based at Prestwick Airport in Scotland, manufactures components used in a wide range of products for a number of industries, including power generation, fork lift truck chassis, agricultural machinery, and earth moving equipment. Their CNC cutting machines are driven by the sheet metal software Radan, including an LVD press brake, two Amada and two Trumpf punches, four Trumpf lasers and two Messer Cortina gas profiling centres. “Without the CNC programming that Radan produces for us, we just wouldn’t be able to carry out any of the work we do,” says senior engineer Tim Paterson. “We’ve used Radan, from Planit Software, for around ten years, and it’s absolutely essential to our business.” Of particular importance to them is the accuracy with which Radbend – Radan’s offline programming for press brakes – generates bend allowances. “It has to be precision bending every time, so the welders can create perfect joints. If it’s not spot on, it can’t be welded. But Radbend helps to ensure that everything we do is totally accurate and repeatable.” The software gives Nichol McKay full, accurate 3D model simulation of the bending process, including advanced features such as automatic bend sequence calculation, automatic tool selection and automatic finger-stop placement, offering simple programming and high productivity. As it programs and verifies bending operations offline it frees up valuable machine time and improves first-off reliability, reducing manufacturing costs. It is also used extensively to prove out prototypes for customers. Costly mistakes are also eliminated with automatic detection of collisions both with the tooling and the machine tool itself. The parts made on the punches, press brake and lasers are manufactured from various types and grades of materials up to 15mm thick. They include panels for acoustic canopies to mask the sound of mobile generators used in public areas, and control boxes for the generators themselves. Before the parts are taken to the LVD press brake for bending into shape, they are created on the Amada or Trumpf punches, or the Trumpf laser cutters. “We generally receive customer information as a 2D drawing which we then draw in 3D using Autodesk Inventor where we design the sheet metalwork, include the mitres, corner reliefs and bend allowances. Radan flattens it and we add the toolpaths before saving it as a part on the nester ready for machining.” With fluctuations of our raw material costs, Tim Paterson says efficient nesting is particularly important to give them the very best material utilisation. “We try to avoid passing on costs to our customers, and Radan’s powerful nesting software is just brilliant for keeping waste to an absolute minimum. It has saved a lot of money through material utilisation -- it would be impossible to squeeze any more parts out of a sheet when Radan produces the nest.” Nichol McKay’s two Messer Cortina AR gas profiling centres are used to produce heavier products typically in 15 to 70 mm steel (and sometimes thicker), such as the bases for mobile power generators, fork lift truck chassis, and components for earth-moving equipment.
Page 41 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Click here to return to Contents
Synopsys Design Compiler Graphical Cuts Design Time at Exar 19 April 2011 Synopsys, Inc. announced that Exar Corporation, a provider of software and subsystem solutions for industrial, datacom and storage applications, has broadly deployed Synopsys' Design Compiler® Graphical RTL Synthesis solution, a key component of the Galaxy™ Implementation Platform, to shorten its IC design schedule. Previously, engineers at Exar performed multiple time-consuming iterations between synthesis and place and route due to routing congestion issues identified late in the design flow by the backend design teams. Using Design Compiler Graphical, on their latest networking IC, Exar engineers detected and fixed routing congestion hot spots early during synthesis before passing the design on for physical implementation. This allowed them to shorten their design schedule by three weeks. Consequently, Exar has made Design Compiler Graphical an integral part of its design flow in order to shorten design time across all ICs. "Using Design Compiler Graphical's congestion analysis and optimization capabilities on our latest networking chip, we were able to address routing congestion issues during synthesis prior to place and route, enabling the design to be accomplished much faster," said Scott Peterson, division vice president of engineering design services at Exar Corporation. "With Design Compiler Graphical, a design block that would require significant effort to route was taken out of the critical path." Design Compiler Graphical extends Synopsys' DC Ultra™ topographical technology to predict routing congestion hot spots early in the design flow, providing designers with visualization of congested circuit regions and allowing them to perform specialized synthesis optimizations to minimize congestion in these areas. Additionally, it provides access to the design planning capabilities of Synopsys' IC Compiler from within the synthesis environment, giving RTL designers the ability to explore and converge on an optimal floorplan faster. It also produces physical guidance to IC Compiler physical implementation, tightening timing and area correlation up to 5 percent while speeding IC Compiler placement by 1.5X. By enabling RTL designers to efficiently achieve an optimal floorplan and passing physical guidance to IC Compiler, Design Compiler Graphical doubles the productivity of the entire synthesis and place-and-route flow. Click here to return to Contents
VeriSilicon Standardizes on Springsoft’s Verdi Debug Platform for Digital IC and System-On-Chip Verification 20 April 2011 SpringSoft, Inc. announced that VeriSilicon Holdings Co. Ltd. (“VeriSilicon”), a leading ASIC design foundry and semiconductor IP provider, has selected its Verdi™ Automated Debug System as the standard debug platform. The Verdi software is currently being deployed by VeriSilicon’s worldwide research and development (R&D) organization and implemented in its debug reference flow to significantly reduce debug time and accelerate functional verification of complex digital IC and system- on-chip (SoC) designs at advanced technology nodes. VeriSilicon has already integrated the Verdi platform into its verification flow for most digital design projects. The Verdi tool suite and design analysis capabilities are used today by all VeriSilicon design
Page 42 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary engineers responsible for functional verification during both pre- and post-layout simulation. With the ability to visualize the hierarchy and relationship of a design from multiple views, VeriSilicon engineers are able to locate problems and trace root causes, reducing debug cycles by 20 percent on average across its broad range of design applications. “As a leading design service company, VeriSilicon is continuously honing and improving our design and verification flow. Verdi is a very important tool in the flow that enables us to deliver the best-in- class design service quality and enhance our overall verification competency,” commented James Jiang, corporate vice president of engineering for VeriSilicon. The Verdi Automated Debug System is SpringSoft’s flagship product for advanced debug. It cuts debug time in half by automating the process of comprehending how complex IC and SoC designs work, particularly unfamiliar legacy design elements or third-party intellectual property. The full-featured system automates behavior tracing over time with its unique analysis engines, provides a powerful set of design views to visualize and help analyze cause-and-effect relationships, and uses patented techniques to reveal the functional operation and interaction between the design, assertions and system testbench. Click here to return to Contents Product News
Bentley’s AutoPLANT Design Software Now Available for 64-Bit Platforms 19 April 2011 Bentley Systems, Incorporated announced the release of AutoPLANT V8i (SELECTseries 3). This new version is fully compatible with 64-bit AutoCAD, Windows, and Microsoft Office. The AutoPLANT products include specification-driven 3D design tools for piping, equipment, isometric, raceway, and steelwork design, along with 2D functional design applications for instrumentation and wiring, data sheets, and process and instrumentation diagrams. The many new enhancements to AutoPLANT V8i further streamline workflows, improve information sharing and engineering content management, reduce risk, facilitate more effective change management, and lead to higher-quality projects. The highly scalable and flexible AutoPLANT V8i (SELECTseries 3) software features the ability to work either in “briefcase mode,” disconnected from a host database, or in “project mode,” for information sharing among small to large project teams. In addition, its updated user interface with intuitive ribbon menus and tool pallet is easy to learn and use. AutoPLANT V8i’s new ability to support the creation of i-models (containers for open infrastructure information exchange) adds project value through greater interoperability with other software. Among the applications with which it now interoperates are the ProjectWise V8i project team collaboration platform, Bentley Navigator V8i for iterative project review, and OpenPlant, the first 3D plant modeling software to natively use the ISO 15926 data model as specified by the iRING user community (www.iringug.org). Commenting on the latest AutoPLANT capabilities, Anne-Marie Walters, Bentley global marketing director, said, “The new release of AutoPLANT underscores Bentley’s continuing commitment to this leading software for plant creation and provides our users with better support for their businesses. It enables them to keep software operating systems aligned across the enterprise, and to leverage the power of the latest computer hardware. At the same time, it increases productivity and speeds project delivery
Page 43 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary by enhancing interoperability with other key project software products through i-models. Users can bring their data, models, and drawings into any environment also supporting i-models – right alongside information from other disciplines and systems.” Walters continued, “For example, users can now bring their AutoPLANT models directly into Bentley Navigator V8i to perform clash detection and resolution and full model reviews, and in the near future into OpenPlant to benefit from real-time design collaboration across all disciplines. In short, the easiest- to-use 3D plant design software on the market providing the best value – according to a Daratech survey – has just gotten better!” AutoPLANT users were quick to applaud the many benefits of the newest version. “We at Z-CAD AS are delighted to hear that the new AutoPLANT V8i release will be compatible with 64-bit computer hardware and Windows,” said Terje Olaussen, chairman, Z-CAD AS. “This proves to us Bentley’s commitment to the future of AutoPLANT and gives us confidence in our investment.” Demetrius Franklin, CAD manager, ESI Tennessee, said, “Benefits we’ve achieved from our use of AutoPLANT at ESI Tennessee include the many efficiencies that result from real-time design review, a significant decrease in clashes during construction due to our ability to detect and resolve potential conflicts during the design phase, and a reduction in paper waste. Without question, those moving to a 3D environment should think of AutoPLANT as the best of the industry. Our savings on generating piping isometrics are over 90 percent, and this is a small part of the project. Overall return on investment on our projects using AutoPLANT, as compared to the estimated 2D manual process, is in the neighborhood of an incremental 2 to 3 percent, which translates to cost savings for ESI and its clients. “Now, with the availability of AutoPLANT for 64-bit platforms, we have the added advantage of moving to a 64-bit operating system to increase our processing speeds. This is a cost-effective way to increase productivity.” The AutoPLANT V8i (SELECTseries 3) products are available to organizations and individual practitioners through one of Bentley’s many flexible pricing models. For example, value-creative pricing is available through two Passport Subscriptions: the Designer for Piping Passport Subscription (AutoPLANT) and the Mechanical Engineer for Piping Passport Subscription (AutoPLANT). The software and the included learning in these subscriptions provide individual practitioners with advanced capabilities superior to those of competing AutoCAD-based products, and minimize the adoption barrier of start-up costs. Each Passport Subscription is priced at $3,995 annually and provides access to the full range of software, training, and content that piping designers and plant mechanical engineers require. Through this “professional upgrade” in software toolset and skills, individual practitioners quickly make their work more valuable. The additional value created is passed on to constituents in the form of higher- quality projects delivered in less time and at lower costs. The Designer for Piping Passport Subscription and Mechanical Engineer for Piping Passport Subscription each include AutoPLANT Piping, AutoPLANT Equipment, Bentley OpenPlant PowerPID, ProSteel Modeler, Bentley Data Manager, ProjectWise Passport, and ProjectWise Clash Resolution Visa. For additional information about Bentley’s Passport Subscriptions and other subscription offerings, visit www.bentley.com/subscriptions. Click here to return to Contents
Page 44 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Bentley Showcases First Commercially Available Products to Support Two-Way Interoperability With ISO 15926 20 April 2011 Bentley Systems, Incorporated announced that it is showcasing this week at FIATECH 2011 the first commercially available products to support two-way interoperability with ISO 15926. Bentley is presenting a live demonstration of the ease with which component data and information can be shared with systems deployed by iRING user community members Bechtel, Hatch, and Emerson Process Management, as well as among Bentley’s ISO 15926-based AXSYS.Process V8i conceptual design application, OpenPlant PowerPID V8i application, and Instrumentation & Wiring V8i design software. All of the read/write information exchanges being demonstrated are accomplished using the same interface. Moreover, they require only a one-time, simplified mapping, allowing multiple reuses and repurposing of data by making it unambiguous. In real-world projects, these data exchanges lead to lower administration costs, higher quality data, increased productivity, and reduced project and business risk. Commenting on the FIATECH demonstration, Ken Adamson, Bentley vice president, Electrical, Piping, and Plant, said, “With our OpenPlant products, which natively use the ISO 15926 reference data, we have always had the capability to empower two-way, real-time interoperability among different applications. This week at FIATECH, we are demonstrating this same high level of interoperability among our other design tools, as well as with our partners in the iRING community. This success validates our decision to embrace the ISO 15926 standard – not only to achieve seamless interoperability among the Bentley applications our users employ, but also to enable interoperability with third-party software and systems using a single standard interface. At the same time, we can provide our users with full and open access to their plant data without the need for a particular software provider’s application.” Through the ISO 15926-based interoperability now available with Bentley AXSYS.Process, Bentley Data Manager, Bentley Instrumentation & Wiring, OpenPlant PowerPID, OpenPlant Modeler, and OpenPlant ModelServer products, control system vendors such as Emerson Process Management can benefit from error-free read/write data and information exchange. As a result, they can, for example, import all instrumentation data from Bentley’s P&ID applications, as well as add and export their control system data, which Bentley applications can then automatically acquire. Added Adamson, “This level of interoperability means any supplier, EPC, or other infrastructure organization can be brought into a project at any phase, and if its software and systems have ISO 15926 interfaces, it can begin sharing information with other project participants immediately because all of the data is in a common standard format.” The support of ISO 15926 that Bentley products ensure currently includes compliance with: Part 4 – Initial Reference Data – clear definition of terms so no interpretation of data is required; Part 7 – Templates – a pattern of information that conveys the structure of the data using units of information built from a clear definition of terms; Part 8 – Web Ontology Language (OWL) Representation – a standard specification for representing ISO 15926 information. Robin Benjamins, corporate engineering automation manager, Bechtel, said, “The iRING community has achieved significant progress that moves the process industry forward. We are seeing this progress showcased at the FIATECH event and I look forward to further continued cooperation.”
Page 45 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Peter Blake, director, Project Delivery Group at global EPCM firm Hatch, said, “The iRING community has shown great commitment and cooperation in helping users solve the challenges of interoperability between systems. For Hatch, we see this as a valuable way of helping us better serve our clients, and cooperate with our vendors and clients on the projects we execute around the world.” Duane Toavs, director of Emerson Process Management’s Human Centered Design Institute, said, “We have made tremendous progress over the past year working with Bentley and other consortia partners in the iRING community to deliver quality information to our clients through improved interoperability and information sharing.” For additional information about Bentley ISO 15926-based products, visit www.bentley.com/openplant. Click here to return to Contents
CCE Broadens its PLM Portfolio to Include Aras 19 April 2011 CCE is broadening its PLM portfolio by announcing services and technology solutions for the Aras user base. Aras is a provider of open source enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software solutions. Aras provides a FOSS (free & open source) alternative to implementing PLM that is rich in functionality and easily scalable & upgradable. CCE is announcing three products for the Aras market place: • EmCee for Aras comprises of a set of tools that will allow Aras PLM to manage CAD data from all major CAD systems, including CATIA (V4&V5), SolidWorks, Creo Elements/ProTM (Pro/ENGINEER), UG/NX, Inventor, and Solid Edge among others. EmCee will provide access to CAD data within Aras and dramatically reduce time for integrating workflows and user adoption in a multi- CAD environment. EmCee is based on CCE’s proven Oceans SDK technology. • EmVee for Aras is a light-weight version of CCE’s EnSuite “multi-CAD toolbox” solution integrated within Aras for enterprise-wide viewing of CAD data. This integrated viewer will be completely CAD- independent and similar to Creo Elements/ViewTM (ProductView) for Windchill® users and Visualization Mockup for Teamcenter® users. • EmDee for Aras is a set of tools to migrate data from any existing PLM system to Aras quickly and efficiently. The above technology announcement bolsters CCE’s extensive hands-on experience in PLM consulting, implementation and migration services to customers worldwide. In addition to Windchill®, Teamcenter® and Enterprise PDM, CCE now offers implementation and deployment support for the Aras PLM platform. “CCE’s solutions are unique in that they provide PLM users a holistic approach to implementing, customizing and optimizing their PLM platform” said Vinay Wagle, CCE’s VP of Sales & Marketing. “By combining expert services and proven technology, CCE provides users a one-stop shop to maximize their PLM investment” added Vinay. Like Aras PLM, EmCee, EmVee and EmDee for Aras will be available without per-license charges to qualified customers. Customers can opt for paid support and enhancement contracts directly with CCE to ensure timely assistance for this critical technology.
Page 46 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary For additional information, please visit http://www.cadcam-e.com/plm.aspx Click here to return to Contents
Cortona3D Launches RapidAuthor 6.0 A Single Suite of Tools for all Support Documentation: Manuals, Parts Catalogs, Training Materials and Assembly Instructions 14 April 2011 Cortona3D announced the release of Cortona3D RapidAuthor 6.0, a new product suite including the previously standalone products RapidManual, RapidCatalog, RapidLearning and RapidWorkInstruction. With a variety of new features and improvements, organisations can now create all their support documentation in a single tool, enabling companies to produce documentation quicker whilst delivering higher quality output, and all at lower cost. Matthew Booth, VP sales, said “The range of enhancements included in the new RapidAuthor 6.0 continues Cortona3D’s drive to improve and speed the production of end user materials for maintenance, installation, assembly, training and repair of complex equipment. Cortona3D’s vision has always been to maximise customer productivity by providing one integrated tool to author all required graphical and textual information. Cortona3D RapidAuthor now provides the first complete technical authoring solution.” RapidAuthor 6.0 also sees the launch of a new Cortona2D Viewer, an interactive 3D and 2D CGM viewer. This further supports the fast implementation and transition from a traditional process to the unified RapidAuthor interface where it is much more efficient to author text, 2D and 3D illustrations simultaneously. RapidAuthor can import legacy data and existing structured documents or illustrations ensuring a smooth transition from 2D to 3D driven authoring directly linked to engineering change. Building on the existing integration of XMax from Just Systems, a lightweight, easy-to-use XML editor, authors are able to work in a familiar word-processing interface to create the XML text while simultaneously creating the necessary graphics and synchronizing both. It is now possible to embed and view 2D images directly in the XML window and apply all graphical references directly in the tool. With the globalisation of companies Cortona3D is pleased to launch versions of RapidAuthor in German and Russian – more languages will follow shortly. RapidAuthor now provides full support for all major CAD tools and formats including NX, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Inventor, CATIA, Pro/E, 3DXML, I- deas, IGES, Parasolid, STEP, STL, VDA-FS amongst others. For a full listing of all the new features and benefits in Version 6.0 please click here Click here to return to Contents
Dassault Systèmes Announces Isight 5.5 for Simulation Automation and Design Optimization 19 April 2011 Dassault Systèmes announced the latest enhancements for modeling and simulation of integrated systems within Isight 5.5, the open desktop solution for simulation process automation and design optimization from SIMULIA. Isight provides designers, engineers, and researchers with an open system for integrating design and simulation models—created with various CAD, CAE and other software applications—to automate the execution of hundreds or even thousands of simulations. Isight allows users to save time and improve
Page 47 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary their products by optimizing them against performance or cost metrics through statistical methods such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or Design for Six Sigma. "Isight allows us to quickly evaluate a large number of design possibilities and identify those that meet our required parameters,” said Abel Pardo, stress engineer at aerospace company Grupo TAM. “We now have a clear understanding of which variables are most critical when manufacturing composite panels in order to meet our stringent quality and safety criteria.” Among the new components delivered to enhance the integration of modeling and simulation tools, Isight 5.5 provides support for Dymola (also from Dassault Systèmes) which leverages the open Modelica language. This allows Isight users to develop process flows which simulate the dynamic behavior and complex interactions between engineering disciplines, such as mechanical, electrical, thermodynamic, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal and Modelica-defined control systems. “Today more and more products feature a tight coupling between physical behavior and embedded computer systems,” said Alex Van der Velden, product manager for Isight at Dassault Systèmes. “A good example of this is a vehicle electronic stability control system. The Dymola component in Isight allows our customers to optimize their products for overall targeted system behavior.” Isight 5.5 also includes additional optimization capabilities, such as Mixed-Integer Sequential Quadratic Programming (MISQP) for solving problems with “integer” and “real” variables. “Common design optimization problems that combine discrete and continuous parameters are often extremely difficult to solve,” stated Dr. Klaus Schittkowski, professor for applied computer science at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. “For instance, when we try to find the smallest bolt possible while not stripping the threads, only discrete combinations of bolt diameter and hole, pitch, flange diameter, thickness of the plate and nut height can be considered due to ISO regulations.” Schittkowski continued, “The search space is no longer continuous and lacks derivatives, and has many isolated points and coupled parameters. The state-of-the-art Isight embedded MISQP code excels at solving these types of problems efficiently.” Further optimization enhancements in the Isight 5.5 release include a custom exploration strategy— which enables users to create custom search techniques at the application programming interface (API) level—as well as support for easier integration of legacy C or Fortran algorithms. For additional product information, visit: http://simulia.com/products/isight.html. Click here to return to Contents
Extensible CAD Joins Aras Partner Program; Integrates InspectionXpert with Aras PLM 20 April 2011 Aras® announced that Extensible CAD Technologies, creator of automated quality control and inspection solutions, located in Apex, North Carolina, has joined the Aras Partner Program. Through the partnership, Extensible CAD will enable Aras users to automatically extract detailed characteristics and data from leading CAD applications, including SolidWorks, CATIA, AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER and Solid Edge, directly into Aras PLM Quality Control Plans, saving time, increasing accuracy, and improving APQP and related compliance efforts. Since 2004, Extensible CAD Technologies has focused on the needs of CAD and PLM users by developing integrated software solutions and productivity enhancement tools designed to eliminate
Page 48 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary manual processes. The Company’s flagship product, InspectionXpert, eliminates the manual ballooning of inspection drawings and automates the creation of inspection sheets for first article and in-process inspections, including AS9102 and PPAP forms. InspectionXpert is being used by companies across the world particularly in the aerospace, automotive, medical device, oil and gas, and defense industries as well as by contract manufacturers and job shops. “We are pleased to welcome Extensible CAD to the Aras Community and the Aras Partner Program,” said Peter Schroer, President of Aras. “The integration of InspectionXpert and Aras is a big advantage for our users, as it enables them to incorporate a highly granular level of detail right into their control plans, increasing plan accuracy and eliminating the risks associated with data entry errors.” Click here to return to Contents
Omnify Software Launches Next Generation Empower PLM Solution 20 April 2011 Omnify Software announced the next generation Empower PLM solution, version 5.0. This product release boasts a completely browser-based platform which further enhances user accessibility, system performance and scalability to support the product design and development needs of small to mid-size manufacturers. Key product enhancements include: New Browser-based Platform: • All Empower modules have been transitioned to web browser applications, completely eliminating any client installation and expanding operating system/platform support. Significant Performance Improvements: • New platform and algorithm developments have had a significant performance improvement on many common operations such as authentication, Change/ECO processing, Bill of Material viewing/reporting, etc. Multiple Language and Vernacular Support: • New XML “dictionary” support provides multiple language support and customizable vernacular to the application forms without having to install multiple application instances. Each user can select from a different language dictionary. Enhanced Integration: • The new platform provides enhanced integration across all Empower modules as well as 3rd party applications. New Graphical Reporting Engine: • Standard reports and a customizable reporting engine have been provided to easily create bar graph, pie chart, Pareto charts, and line graphs. Streamlined User Interface: • Many forms have been redesigned to further improve readability and simplify navigation. "Vergent Products is excited about the Omnify Empower version 5.0 release," stated Caroline Lace,
Page 49 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Director of Business Systems for Vergent Products. "The new web based functionality allows us to deploy the application quickly and with less overhead, it will also allow for increased access beyond our current infrastructure, gaining efficiencies in productivity, not just for us but for our clients too." Ms. Lace also added that, "The new user interface provides easier navigation and allows for better organization of documents and other related files, enabling the user to get exactly what they need quickly. We expect to see significant improvements in our entire product lifecycle management processes with Empower PLM 5.0." For more information or to see an online demonstration of Empower PLM version 5.0 visit http://www.omnifysoft.com/Products/Launch.aspx. Click here to return to Contents
Process Management and New Nest Functionality for Radan 18 April 2011 New features allow Radan 2011 R2 to integrate more with users’ processes. Radan product manager Olaf Körner says: “As many new functions have been added to Radan in recent years, we’re now starting to look at bundling all related functions together into processes, to ensure that Radan users can get the most from the new features and work as efficiently as possible. Nesting “We’ve included new nesting functions in Radan 2011 R2, and everything related to nesting is contained in just one process.” • Those new nesting functions include giving more control over specific parts and sheet sizes, to ensure the final nest takes the user’s individual requirements for that particular job into account. “For example, in a list of 100 parts, maybe 60 aren’t needed until tomorrow, so our new ’exclude from nesting function’ lets you start with the other 40. This gives users much greater control regarding which parts in the nest they want to manufacture immediately, and which can be kept until later.” • There is also a new option of excluding certain sheet sizes from the nester, giving the user the ability to relate what he is doing offline to what is happening on the shopfloor. “The user will know what sheet sizes are available on the shop floor, and may wish to restrict the next nest to just one sheet size because he knows that certain sizes are required for other jobs. Now the nester can be told to exclude those sheet sizes.” • Combining two parts together on the nest in a specific arrangement as if they are only one part can optimise cutting sequences, and is known as a multi-part symbol. But many nesters cannot recognise that they are two parts, and want to make double the required number. Radan 2011 R2 features a technology which allows the nester to use multi-part symbols to produce the correct number of parts. “It allows greater flexibility, meaning better cutting efficiency for users. It’s a more controlled, more advanced way of working.” • A new “Publish Remnants” function allows remnants to be published into a central folder. The user decides whether to publish them as soon as the nest been created on the computer or whether to wait until the parts have been manufactured. “Some users will want to physically see the remnant before making it available for anyone else to use, while others may decide to publish it as soon as they know it is going to be left over from the job, so that piece of metal can be used immediately,” says Olaf Körner.
Page 50 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary • Radan 2011 R2 also creates a utilisation premium for remnants. It is a better way of comparing whether it is better to use a remnant or a new sheet for a specific job. “At the moment it is a straight comparison; for example, a new sheet may give 84% utilisation and a remnant 78%. But there might be several factors -- such as a large number of remnants may have built up and are cluttering the shopfloor, or some remnants are ideal for a particular job -- which affect why the remnant should be used instead. Our new utilisation premium helps the user make a more informed decision about whether to use a remnant or a new sheet.” Machine Control • Radan 2011 R2 features improved tool optimisation for single nests and sequences of nests. “Accurate information reaching the shop floor is crucial; any time that can be saved for the operator is a bonus.” • In previous versions of Radan, the machine tool would not operate if a stack of parts was going to be too high. “Customers told us they are happy to remove the parts during manufacture before the stack gets too high, so we have incorporated a notification system that alerts them, but lets production continue.” CAD • A new optional alert has been added for a bend allowance that is not in the bend table, enabling the user to input a bend value to suit their individual requirements whilst ensuring high precision unfolding.
2D Import • Layer mapping in dxf and dwg files is now accessible from the import facility. “Each layer can be drawn on its own, so the operator can just cut one layer rather than taking the whole drawing and having to remove what doesn’t need to be cut.” Infrastructure • Radan 2011 R2 provides complete compatibility for users of 64-bit operating systems. • The new ACIS kernel gives access to all 3D software translators. Says Olaf Körner: “When ACIS 14 was written it could communicate with ProEngineer Wildfire 4, but Wildfire 5 is now the norm. We’re upgrading our kernel to ACIS 21, which not only reads Wildfire 5, but also works with Visual Studio 2010.” Click here to return to Contents
Siemens PLM Software Introduces Next Generation of Social Product Development Built on Microsoft Technology 19 April 2011 Siemens PLM Software announced that the community collaboration capabilities built into its Teamcenter® software now support Microsoft SharePoint 2010, further expanding popular social networking concepts into the product development process. Through its strong alliance with Microsoft Corp. and its own internal development, Siemens PLM Software is introducing the next generation of social product development and helping manufacturers enhance collaboration among their employees, suppliers and customers to streamline the introduction of new products using corporate social networks.
Page 51 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary “Working side-by-side with our own development team, Siemens PLM Software has done an outstanding job of weaving Teamcenter into the fabric of SharePoint 2010 in a way that feels seamless and natural to the end user,” said Sanjay Ravi, managing director, Worldwide Discrete Manufacturing Industry, Microsoft. “As a result, manufacturing companies using Teamcenter with SharePoint 2010 can boost productivity in all departments — not just engineering — while they use social networking technology to collaborate with clients.” Teamcenter manages the product and process data for many of the manufacturing industry’s most sophisticated products. Through its long standing alliance with Microsoft, Siemens PLM Software has been able to progressively integrate Teamcenter capabilities into its customers’ standard desktop environment, significantly expanding its usability into all departments throughout a wide variety of industry segments. With the release of the Teamcenter community collaboration capabilities on SharePoint 2010, Siemens PLM Software and Microsoft continue to expand the value of PLM in a digitally connected world. For example, teams can increase their productivity by coordinating their daily activities through shared project workspaces enhanced with social networking tools such as wikis, blogs, profiles, surveys and more. “Siemens PLM Software and Microsoft have been helping product development organizations share data and collaborate for years,” said Steve Bashada, vice president of Teamcenter Applications, Siemens PLM Software. “With today’s announcement, we are further harnessing the power of corporate social networking concepts, and helping our customers transform the challenges of working with globally distributed product development teams into a competitive advantage.” Click here to return to Contents
SmartCAM V18 Features New Rest-Milling Roughing, Improved Modeling & Toolpath Editing 11 April 2011 SmartCAMcnc has announced the field test release of SmartCAM® V18.0. Version 18.0 delivers new and improved milling functionality to the SmartCAM milling suite, and several modeling and toolpath editing enhancements to the entire SmartCAM suite of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system software. General release of the software is expected for June of this year. The SmartCAM product family consists of applications for Computer-Numerical Control (CNC) milling, turning, fabrication and wire EDM. Version 18.0 is built on two central themes: core milling improvements, and core modeling and toolpath editing enhancements requested by customers. The new Rest-Mill Roughing capabilities, one of three a major core milling improvements in SmartCAM V18.0 milling applications, allow users to identify areas of remaining material, then machine those areas using a new Region Rough process. The Region Rough process machines the rest mill regions by automatically switching between profiling and pocketing strategies, depending on whether a region is open or closed. These new capabilities make it extremely fast and easy to re-machine features using progressively smaller tools. In addition to the Rest Mill Roughing improvements, V18.0 introduces new Feature-based Hole-Making capabilities. Solid model hole-feature recognition has been enhanced to automatically identify compound hole-features, and create corresponding hole-feature elements which include full parametric detail of the hole. A new Hole Making process allows toolpath to be created by applying hole-making
Page 52 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary tools to a group of hole-feature elements, and automatically determining the start levels and hole depths from the input hole-features. The user has complete control over the hole-feature sequence, and the hole making processes can be modified and regenerated at any time. These capabilities allow full automation for the creation of hole-making toolpath for common features, thereby saving time and ensuring accuracy and repeatability. “Our last SmartCAM release focused on solids machining improvements in our advanced milling applications. For V18 we decided to concentrate on core milling functionality that will also benefit our SmartCAM Production Milling users,” said Douglas Oliver, SmartCAMcnc’s Senior Product Manager. “The wireframe rest-mill roughing and feature-based holemaking are fundamental capabilities that will be a huge time saver for all our milling users.” The third core milling improvement found in SmartCAM V18.0 is a set of enhancements related to the Helical Milling. Helix elements can now be created with left- or right-offset properties, and can be offset during verification and code generation. The Thread Milling process has been enhanced to take advantage of the new helix offsetting capabilities, as well as adding support for single point tools, tapered threads, multiple-side passes, and a user-specified lead extension. Additionally, changes to the code generator provide greater control over the output of straight and tapered spirals. These improvements are in direct response to frequent user requests for improved thread-milling support. Additionally a number of customer-requested core modeling and toolpath editing improvements can be found in all SmartCAM V18.0 applications, including machinable system fonts, a clip-to-intersection editing tool, improvements to toolpath verification and enhanced geometry layer mapping. Machinable Geometry from System Fonts now provides a full variety of font choices to the user. When a font is selected, SmartCAM extracts and scales the outline curves of the font and converts it to lines, polylines and arcs for use as machinable geometry. The Clip-to-Intersection Editing Tool provides a method to split and remove geometry segments with a single click. This feature makes it remarkably easy to convert construction geometry into final part profiles. Two requested enhancements have been made to SmartCAM's Showpath Toolpath Verification functionality. A new Showpath option allows the verification to be restricted to only the portion of the model within the viewing window, and new configuration settings allow the tool motion speeds to be customized to better match the user’s system capabilities and preferences. These two options allow a more efficient use of this heavily employed feature. New Layer Mapping and Filtering Options allow better organization of the user’s part geometry when importing CAD data into SmartCAM. SmartCAM layers can be pre-named and specific CAD layers can be directly mapped to SmartCAM layers. Additionally, specified layers not required for the manufacturing process can be filtered out of the import entirely. These features allows companies that use standardized CAD modeling layers to dramatically reduce the number of initial steps required to begin building toolpath for the model. “We’re very happy with the new core improvements based on SmartCAM customer requests,” Douglas went on to say. “The new Clip to Intersection is a huge timesaver when editing wireframe geometry and toolpath. And the addition of machinable Windows Fonts is another frequently requested feature that will provide benefit to all SmartCAM users.” About SmartCAM & SmartCAMcnc
Page 53 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary The SmartCAM family of computer-aided manufacturing software provides toolpath modeling and CNC programming for prismatic production work to complex molds, dies, and prototypes. SmartCAMcnc provides affordable maintenance contracts, updates, upgrades and technical support for all SmartCAM users, regardless of version. All SmartCAM products include updated data translators and market- leading NC editing software from Predator Software, Inc (http://www.predator-software.com). To monitor further developments please visit http://www.SmartCAMcnc.com. Click here to return to Contents
Synopsys Advances Mixed-Signal Verification with New CustomExplorer Ultra 18 April 2011 Synopsys, Inc. announced the immediate availability of the CustomExplorer™ Ultra mixed-signal verification environment as part of Synopsys' Discovery™ Verification Platform. CustomExplorer Ultra provides a comprehensive regression and analysis environment to increase verification productivity and streamline the verification process for analog and mixed-signal designs. The combination of CustomExplorer Ultra and Synopsys' CustomSim™/VCS® mixed-signal verification solution provides design teams with a high-performance, productive mixed-signal simulation and regression management environment for complex system-on-chip (SoC) verification. "With the increasing number of mixed-signal circuits in SoCs, verification teams are demanding a high- productivity environment to significantly reduce the complexity of mixed-signal verification tasks," said Paul Lo, senior vice president and general manager, Synopsys Analog/Mixed-Signal Group. "CustomExplorer Ultra complements our strong CustomSim/VCS mixed-signal verification solution to provide design teams with a scalable solution to tackle the verification challenges of complex mixed- signal SoCs." Regression Automation CustomExplorer Ultra is integrated with the CustomSim/VCS mixed-signal verification solution. Multiple testbench and corner configurations can easily be set up, and simulation jobs are automatically queued and submitted to the server farm. Simulation job distribution and monitoring gives real-time status of multiple jobs running on multiple machines, providing quick feedback if problems are detected during simulation. Advanced Analysis and Debug Simulation results are collected, processed and presented in a spreadsheet-style display, providing an easy-to-read visual summary of the verification tests. Pass/fail results are indicated in the display, and the results can be filtered by design, design variables, equation results, or equation expressions. The unique Waveform Compare technology in CustomExplorer Ultra can be used to compare simulation results to a known-good waveform, saving considerable analysis time. The CustomExplorer Ultra debug environment offers complete SPICE linting, design hierarchy file browsing and signal tracing, as well as cross-probing between netlists, waveforms and interactively-generated connection visualization for rapid debugging. CustomExplorer Ultra is integrated with Custom WaveView (included), enabling waveform cross-probing and sophisticated waveform measurements. Together, these features aid designers in rapidly performing customized advanced analyses in a powerful design verification and debugging environment for analog and mixed-signal designs. Heterogeneous Netlists Assembly
Page 54 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Netlists can be imported from a variety of heterogeneous sources and assembled into a single simulation netlist for verification using the configuration manager; SPICE, Verilog, Verilog-A, Verilog-AMS and SystemVerilog formats are supported. CustomExplorer Ultra's ability to assemble heterogeneous netlists from multiple sources greatly enhances the automation of mixed-signal verification. Availability The CustomExplorer Ultra mixed-signal verification environment is available immediately. CustomExplorer Ultra Webinar Synopsys will host a webinar entitled "Advanced Regression and Analysis for Mixed-Signal Verification Using CustomExplorer Ultra" premiering at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2011. This webinar will demonstrate how CustomExplorer Ultra enables high verification productivity for complex SoCs using advanced strategies that surpass traditional verification approaches. People interested in viewing this webinar can register online. All Synopsys webinars are listed on the web site at http://www.synopsys.com/Company/Pages/WebinarTopics.aspx. Click here to return to Contents
TransMagic Ships R8 sp5 with Enhanced Support for CATIA V5 Meta Data 19 April 2011 TransMagic, Inc. announced the release of TransMagic R8 service pack 5 (sp5). TransMagic grants clients access to the latest technology and product enhancements for 3D data exchange. TransMagic provides a 3D interoperability platform to preserve design data accuracy and reusability for years into the future. The new release includes many notable enhancements that empower users of 3D data to get the most from any 3D design file. The enhanced Assembly Browser in TransMagic now offers access to more metadata and information than ever before. These new features are optimized to assist professionals to find and use the data they need. In addition to processing massive files, TransMagic R8 sp5 turns multi- gigabyte assemblies into a virtual design database, allowing parts and sub assemblies to be exported and re-used, on demand, for any purpose. “TransMagic is more than a product – it’s a system to cut waste, increase throughput and help you design the future. By eliminating the barriers to access and re-use of your engineering data, TransMagic offers improved design efficiency throughout the product manufacturing cycle,” said Todd Reade, CEO of TransMagic. New Features and Enhancements in R8 sp5* • Updated Assembly Browser for added functionality and performance • Greater access to engineering data and PMI (Product Manufacturing Information) • Enhanced PMI Support for CATIA V5 and Parasolid New Supported Versions in R8 sp5* • TransMagic offers regular product updates so customers can stay current with all major CAD programs for maximum interoperability. New file version support includes: o SolidWorks 2011
Page 55 CIMdata PLM Industry Summary o Siemens UG/NX 7.5 o Siemens JT 9.4 o Parasolid v23.0 *The features listed above are available in specific configurations of TransMagic. Localized or embedded versions may not include all features. Click here to return to Contents
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