DELMIA World News
Read about the following articles in DELMIA’s World News March – April 2005 publication:
- Nissan: Builds Flexible Production Lines with DELMIA Solutions to Meet Fluctuations in Demand
- Dassault Aviation: Realizes Huge Gains in Quality, Cost Savings with DELMIA as part of PLM “Virtual Platform”
- DaimlerChrysler: Signs Multi-Million Euro Contract for DELMIA Digital Manufacturing Technology
New Industry Solution from IBM and Dassault Systèmes Optimizes Aerospace Suppliers’ Productivity and Flexibility
Aerospace Supplier Collaboration solution extends supplier control over data and process, enhancing responsiveness to OEMs
IBM and Dassault Systèmes announced a specialized PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) Industry Solution for aerospace suppliers. Aerospace Supplier Collaboration (ASC) is a strategic solution that enables companies to better manage and control the processes common to suppliers in the aerospace industry.
ASC delivers a suite of aerospace-industry process models, templates, and practices based on SMARTEAM, an industry-leading collaborative product data and lifecycle management solution.
The solution manages data in the context of an aircraft program structure, internal communication, traceability of information, and control of key engineering processes (engineering and manufacturing change, distribution of work tasks, preliminary data release, configuration management, and document management). It also manages and automates the release of maturing product data across the enterprise and supply chain.
With the ASC solution, companies can realize a significant reduction in product development cycle times as well as reduced work-package risk. Greater control over data and process enables suppliers to work more efficiently and responsively, enhancing their competitive ability while optimizing collaboration and compliance with any given customer. The solution is designed to be easy to install and configure, delivering a rapid return on investment.
“Tomorrow's Best Practice is about creating the future competitive environment rather than being constrained by it," said Brian Little, executive vice president, European Operations, Magellan Aerospace Corporation, a leading global supplier of technologically advanced aerospace systems and components and an early adopter of the ASC solution. "We are transforming our business by proactively piloting and developing this solution and other related initiatives. We have been able to achieve a 30-35% improvement in effectiveness of engineers’ time, and, by bringing our product information and configuration under control, we have significantly reduced risk and waste and created opportunities for later incorporation of design maturity. Time savings are channeled into real value adding activity - ultimately increasing our profitability. The ASC solution from IBM and Dassault Systèmes helps us deliver greater value to our customers now and in the future."
“More easily than ever before, suppliers can demonstrate control and compliance with aerospace processes and industry standards,” said Hervé Rolland, vice president, Global PLM Solutions and PDM sales, IBM PLM. “The ASC solution brings them rapid payback through efficient implementation, process templates and PLM Practices. This new solution will help our aerospace customers deliver innovative products to market faster, laying the groundwork for their future success.”
“The ASC solution is a powerful combination of SMARTEAM’s collaborative capabilities and industry-specific templates and PLM practices,” said Stephen Shibel, director, Aerospace Industry Solutions, Dassault Systèmes. “The result is a solution that enables aerospace suppliers to transform their businesses and cut costs by optimizing the use of critical information and collaborating to streamline processes.”
PLM Industry Solutions from IBM and Dassault Systèmes are field-proven Solutions that help manufacturers increase productivity, profitability, and return-on-investment. Developed in conjunction with industry-leading companies, they are based on IBM Industry Thought Leadership and best practices, DS PLM Practices, and IBM PLM applications developed by Dassault Systèmes.
About Magellan
Magellan Aerospace Corporation is one of the world's most integrated and comprehensive aerospace industry suppliers. Magellan designs, engineers, and manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure assemblies and components for aerospace markets, advanced products for military and space markets, and complementary specialty products. Magellan is a public company whose shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MAL), with corporate offices in Mississauga, ON, Canada and operating units throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest technological company, providing leadership and innovation throughout the world for more than 80 years. IBM is the largest supplier of “hardware”, “software” and Information Technology services, and pioneered the development and implementation of “e-business” solutions. IBM Sales & Distribution, which supports more than a dozen key industries worldwide, works with companies of all sizes around the world to deploy the full range of IBM technologies. The fastest way to get more information about IBM is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com
About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the Dassault Systèmes group brings value to more than 70,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from conception to retirement. Its offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA ®, DELMIA ®, ENOVIA ®, SMARTEAM ®), mainstream 3D design tools (SolidWorks ®), and 3D components (Spatial/ACIS ®). Dassault Systèmes is listed on the NASDAQ (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.
Tuning Your Workstation for Maximum Performance, the HP Way
Getting the best performance from your design environment is usually a case of updating software, running virus protection and keeping it organized. Some of the most detailed tasks involve enabling larger memory allocation for huge assemblies and models and configuring new graphics cards for better performance with the application. To complicate matters, many engineers and designers run multiple design and engineering programs on the same machine with different drivers and registry settings for each.
The HP Performance Tuning Framework (The Framework) vastly simplifies these processes, reducing some to mere mouse clicks. The user interface for The Framework is the familiar Windows tab format—with clickable tabs to navigate through the utility.
The Configuration tab details the configuration of your workstation including hardware, Framework-supported applications installed, graphics drivers installed, operating system tuning settings and other detailed information.
The OS Tuning tab allows you to custom tune your workstation for your unique performance, security and work-style needs—such as enabling HyperThreading and determining how your system uses .dll files.
The Applications tab lists all applications currently supported by The Framework and whether they are installed on the machine, and provides tips and website links to specific HP web pages for those applications.
The Graphics Driver tab shows the user what graphics card is installed, what drivers are certified for which applications, and provides a one-click download and installation interface. This is extremely valuable when multiple applications are installed—including those from other vendors. This tool makes it easy to find a graphics driver that works well for all your applications, or to switch back and forth between drivers to suit each application.
The Framework also includes application-specific tuning pages when available. For Dassault Systemes CATIA V.5, the Framework allows you to enable “Large Memory Access” of up to 3.0 GB and HyperTune with the click of a button. HyperTune is a collection of performance enhancements that can improve CATIA performance by up to 20 percent. HyperTune improvements are made possible by the deep knowledge HP engineers have developed of CATIA over years of close partnership.
The HP Performance Tuning Framework is constantly evolving, with new capabilities being added to help you get the most out of your design and engineering resources. It is available from HP as a free download and comes pre-installed on all new HP workstations. The only hitch is that the Framework is only available for HP workstations.
For detailed information on the HP Performance Tuning Framework, visit The Framework web site at: http://www.hp.com/go/framework.
For information about the latest HP workstation offerings, check out the HP workstations page: http://www.hp.com/go/workstations
Dassault Systèmes Announces Creation of TransCAT PLM Organization for Europe
Business unit to operate as IBM/DS PLM business partners in four European countries
Dassault Systèmes announced the creation of TransCAT PLM Europe, a business unit created from former RAND Worldwide companies in Germany (previously known as TransCAT), Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, all acquired by Dassault Systèmes last January.
Each of the four companies will operate autonomously in its respective country with the mission of developing activities and associated services as an IBM/DS business partner. All four will benefit from the strong infrastructure already in place at TransCAT PLM in Germany, which will serve as headquarters for TransCAT PLM Europe. Dassault Systèmes will act as shareholder for the four companies and will provide each with the same level of operational support that it provides to other IBM/DS business partners operating in the same countries.
As of today, TransCAT PLM has 222 employees in 12 branch offices across Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom as well as in a software development group in Slovakia. Software products previously developed by TransCAT, such Q-Checker and CAVA, will continue to be developed and supported by TransCAT PLM.
“We are pleased to welcome a well-known team of PLM professionals to Dassault Systèmes and help them along a path to developing their activities in a profitable way while improving the satisfaction of their clients and employees,” said Denis Senpéré, vice president, PLM Europe, Dassault Systèmes. “We also made sure that this new setup protects the interests of our other business partners in the countries in which TransCAT PLM will operate, and we are confident that the whole community of IBM/DS business partners will benefit from this new DS investment across Europe.”
“The whole team at the new TransCAT PLM is excited to be part of Dassault Systèmes, which serves as a solid shareholder for our organization,” said Gerhard Keller, managing director, TransCAT PLM Europe. “We are confident that our integration process will be completed very quickly and that we will be able to use our new position to reinforce the relationships between TransCAT PLM and its customers in the countries where we operate.”
For more information on TransCAT PLM Europe, http://www.transcat-plm.com will be available as of mid-April.
Cosmic Blobs Cited as ‘Breakthrough Product’
Software earns recognition from parents’ organizations
Cosmic Blobs, the most powerful 3D graphics software ever invented for kids, is rapidly gaining approval of prominent organizations that ensure the quality of children’s toys, games, and educational products, Dassault Systèmes announced.
“The creative potential is huge,” said a recent Children’s Technology Review article of Cosmic Blobs – Lab Rat Edition. “As a new way to let children create, and better understand 3D design, this is a breakthrough product.” The publication gave the software a 4.5 rating out of a possible 5.0 applying these criteria: ease of use, childproof, educational, entertaining, design features, and value.
Cosmic Blobs – Lab Rat Edition is also a 2005 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award winner. Announced March 17, the award places Cosmic Blobs in elite company: Fewer than 15 percent of products submitted to the Parents’ Choice Foundation receive any level of commendation. “It’s all pretty cool and unlike anything else on the market,” the foundation said in its spring 2005 review.
Established in 1978, Parents’ Choice Foundation is the nation’s oldest nonprofit consumer guide to quality children’s media. The guide serves as a trusted and independent source for educators, librarians, and journalists, as well as families searching for children’s media and toys.
Cosmic Blobs is also a winner of Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toy Children’s Products for 2005, sponsored by the non-profit Institute for Childhood Resources. Reviewers lauded the product’s “exciting graphics” and intuitive 3D manipulation processes. “This is the first 3D graphics software for children that will keep them entertained in a futuristic environment. In minutes, your child can create Play-Doh-like objects from their imagination,” said Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., better known as Dr. Toy.
“It’s terrific to hear the experts saying the same things our customers and their parents tell us every day,” said Scott Harris, Cosmic Blobs’ creator. “These publications understand the fun of Cosmic Blobs and the growing legion of Blobbers in their proper context as part of a dynamic, constructive edutainment community.”
With Cosmic Blobs, digital modeling clay for children, kids ages 7 to 14 can quickly design and animate 3D creations that are on par with today’s leading computer-generated movies and cartoons.
Cosmic Blobs can be purchased for $44.99 at www.cosmicblobs.com and Amazon.com. It requires a Windows PC running Windows 98SE or later, a Pentium 1.0 Ghz processor or equivalent, 256 MB RAM, and a 3D graphics video card with 16MB RAM or more.
About the Cosmic Blobs Team
Cosmic Blobs is the result of sustained efforts to unleash the power of 3D computer graphics for everyone, including children. The Cosmic Blobs team is a dedicated group of programmers, mathematicians, artists, and visionaries – all kids at heart – at Dassault Systèmes S.A. For more information, visit www.cosmicblobs.com.
IBM Accelerates Grid Initiatives for Customers
Industry Leaders Embrace Grid Technology; Driving Collaboration and Product Innovation
IBM announced a series of worldwide Grid projects that are revolutionizing the industry, increasing productivity, improving collaboration and reducing overall operating costs. With assistance from IBM Business Consulting Services, Airbus, Land Rover and ZJ Transportation are each utilizing new Grid-based offerings to increase their competitive advantage, speed time-to-market and reduce the costs of their engineering and design process.
Enabling the virtualization of distributed computing and data resources, Grid technologies create s a logical system view, granting users and applications seamless access to vast IT capabilities. At its core, Grid computing is based on an open set of standards and protocols that enable communication across heterogeneous, geographically dispersed environments. Organizations deploying Grid-enabled technology can optimize computing and data resources, pooling them for large capacity workloads to share across networks and enable collaboration.
Improving the quality of products by grid-enabling CATIA, the leading design application developed by Dassault Systemes, IBM and Platform Computing, a commercial Grid software provider, customers in the manufacturing industry are drastically reducing the time lost in waiting for results from clash simulation testing. Through accelerated and comprehensive engineering design analysis protocols, Airbus and Land Rover are able to quickly react to tightened safety regulations, evolving consumer and customer preferences as well as developing competitive advantages.
The IBM Grid offerings deployed for the manufacturing industry help design engineers use Grid technology for more rapid evaluation of design alternatives during sub-assembly clash analysis. Developed by IBM and exploiting Platform Computing technology and the Dassault Systems’ CATIA and ENOVIA application environment, the IBM Grid Clash offering provides a truly collaborative environment which fosters creativity, sharing and communication of three-dimensional products and process-centric definitions. The complete solution captures and reuses know-how that drives the implementation of corporate design best practices, reducing overall operating costs and increasing individual productivity.
“Leading customers in the industries are deploying Grid initiatives to address their most mission critical business challenges,” said Albert Bunshaft, VP, Sales and Business Development Grid and Virtualization. “Consistently searching for ways to optimize their business processes, increase the productivity of their end-users and decrease the amount of time lost in waiting on analysis, our most discerning customers are looking to Grid technologies to help them improve the utilization and responsiveness or their IT systems to deliver real business value.”
Airbus Soars to New Heights with IBM Grid Computing
Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer whose technological leadership and manufacturing efficiency place it at the forefront of the industry, is currently undertaking two large projects, a double-decker passenger and freight aircraft, the A380, and the A400M, a military transport aircraft.
Working with the IBM Global Services PLM team, Airbus built a trial Grid of 15 IBM CATIA workstations, identifying ways to reduce the costs of development and time-to-market for both projects. Requiring the ability to be more responsive to changes and alterations in design, Airbus has realized that the Grid-based technologies employed enable the clash analysis to be carried out in one hour, where prior to the IBM trial, initial results were not seen for days.
“By leveraging IBM’s experience with Grid technology in our clash process, we have reduced the time taken to carry out clash analyses and enabled the analyses to be re-run after changes or variations in design,” said an associate from Airbus. “With the number of components that are integrated in our products, it is critical that we receive constant updates on the product development process to ensure that we continue to produce the safest, most efficient airplanes in the market.”
Land Rover Smoothes out Rough Terrain with IBM Grid Computing
Land Rover, the producer of the 2005 Motor Trend Sport Utility of the Year, the Land Rover LR3, is utilizing IBM Grid-enabled technologies to generate timely and accurate information on the clash status of its designs during pre-production. Leveraging emerging technologies to realize efficiencies and cost reductions in the vehicle manufacturing process, Land Rover has deployed Grid workstations with the CATIA V5 interface tools on IBM WebSphere Application Servers.
Working with IBM Business Consulting Services, Land Rover has completely reengineered its clash management process, bringing a significant reduction to time lost waiting on clash management analyses and a rapid increase in time-to-market. IBM Grid-enabled technologies improve the process by promptly generating results, from the initial review of the clashes through the resolved clashes and continued product development.
“IBM has helped us build a new clash management solution that takes time, cost and complexity out of the product development process,” said Dave Walker, Packing Manger, Land Rover.
ZJ Transportation Travels through the Zhejiang Province with IBM
ZJ Transportation, in collaboration with IBM Business Consulting Services, is now aligned with more than 100 transportation companies across the Zhejiang Province through a deployment of Grid-enabled technologies.
By using grid to integrate information, the network of transportation companies is now able to share bus routing information, ticket price and scheduling online. Leveraging and sharing the collaborative Grid workstations , ZJ Transportation has enabled its collaborators to have access to information similar to a third-party ticketing vendor.
About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources form across IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business on demand. For more information about IBM’s Grid computing business, please visit www.ibm.com/grid.
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