Next-generation Skate Rolls with PLM Solutions from IBM

One of the hottest gifts this holiday season may be a new kind of roller skate designed using product lifecycle management solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes. Called the Vertical Skate (VSK8), its self-articulating wheels and axles make it an easy-to use, four-wheel skate with a low Center of gravity that can be easily and securely clamped onto a person's street shoes.

How the idea was born
In the early 90s, James Grimes had a successful industrial design company worth millions of dollars, with clients such as Apple Computer, Union Carbide and GE. When his wife died tragically, his company came to a crashing halt. Fast forward to 2002. Former toy designer Reynald Chaput had a vision to create a new type of roller skate with four wheels that was safe for 5-year-old children and 65-year-old adults alike. Unfortunately, the computer-aided design software that Chaput used didn't have the capabilities he needed. Serendipitously, Chaput and Grimes, who traveled in similar business circles, met and Chaput pitched the idea to Grimes. Less than nine months later, the Vertical Skate was born. It was designed using CATIA Version 5 (V5) from IBM and Dassault Systemes, which Grimes learned about in his previous business. Today, the new Grimes Industrial Design Company has five employees, is a contractor for Chaput and part owner of the Vertical Skate Corp.

Patented design
Using CATIA V5 with add-on modules from IBM Business Partner MSC.Software, Grimes was able to test the skate virtually to see how it would perform in reality. He could also run "what-if" scenarios as he changed materials on the skate to retain quality while cutting costs. Both of these elements were crucial for a small business such as his to eliminate prototyping costs, which could be substantial. A particular challenge that CATIA overcame was the development of unique self-articulating wheels and axles, which provide unprecedented mobility to novice and extreme skaters alike. For its unique features, VSK8 received a U.S. patent.

Speeding development
Grimes says that by cutting design costs and development time, his company saved thousands of dollars, which made it possible to sell the VSK8 at a competitive price. That affordability allowed his start-up company to compete in a very competitive marketplace. Grimes commented at Seattle COE that "CATIA paid for itself, with all of the costs it eliminated."

The Vertical Skate was designed on an IBM M Pro IntelliStation. All of the manufacturing, molding, assembly, packaging and distribution are done in-house with more than 20 components, all made in the United States. It's on sale at www.vskate.com for $149.00

IBM and Dassault Systemes Announce Industry Solution for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers

"Generative Car" first in a series of industry-specific PLM solutions -- dramatically reduces design cycle time through reuse of company know-how across extended enterprise.

IBM and Dassault Systemes announced in late November an IBM Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Industry Solution for the automotive industry.

The Generative Car solution is a comprehensive offering that applies to all facets of automotive development processes, including Body, Interior and exterior trim, Chassis, Powertrain, Electrical, and Vehicle Synthesis and Assembly.

The Generative Car solution consists of a set of integrated products from CATIA, ENOVIA, and DELMIA, combined with a set of IBM Best Practices and DS PLM Practices developed for the automotive industry. It enables automotive manufacturers and suppliers to leverage valuable corporate knowledge in order to meet market demands for an ever-increasing number of vehicle models. It permits simultaneous engineering, fast design change, and seamless processes from early styling to manufacturing definition.

Computer models in the solution incorporate component and knowledge rules that reflect design practice and past experience. These models or "intelligent templates" automatically adapt to new products or their corresponding manufacturing processes, and evolve dynamically as those requirements change. By employing intelligent templates, automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and their suppliers can leverage existing design knowledge to generate new components and vehicles, dramatically reducing product development cycles. Generative modeling enables high carry-over of standard parts to develop many vehicle models from the same components.

"We have been able to 'hard code' the lessons we have learned into CATIA V5 design templates and build in our experience with Knowledgeware," said Darren Carrens, engineering director of UK-based Integral Powertrain Ltd. "By using the Generative approach to Powertrain development, we can generate detailed and accurate concepts in 40% less time, and so win more business and stay ahead of our competition."

"For more than two decades, IBM has been working hand-in-hand with leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers to provide specialized IT solutions for vehicle development," said Jean-Marc Deshays, worldwide automotive business leader, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. "This industry-specific solution will help automotive OEMs and suppliers cope with the evolution of the automotive market. Cars are perceived more and more as fashion items to the consumer. Consequently, to deliver varied products in lower volume in line with changing consumer trends, the automotive industry requires standardization of parts, more process automation, and reuse of knowledge, development tools, and facilities. This is what today's new solution delivers: automotive industry applications and best practices for faster roll-out of innovative vehicles.

"The Generative Car solution enables carmakers to optimize their business processes in order to reduce the time between Styling Freeze and Start of Production," said Pierre Moreau, vice president PLM Automotive Solutions, Dassault Systèmes. "The knowledge reuse capabilities in the solution give automakers the means to leverage their intellectual capital and speed development of new models while reducing costs. The end result is a marked increase in competitiveness in an industry where reactivity and adaptability have become basic survival skills."

IBM PLM Industry Solutions are based on industry-specific IBM Best Practices and DS PLM Practices, and selected applications from the IBM PLM portfolio, developed by Dassault Systemes. They are easily implemented and lead to increased productivity, profitability, and rapid return on investment. The Solutions apply to companies of all sizes in the following industries: Automotive; Aerospace and Defense; Industrial Machinery; Consumer Goods; Plastics; Electronics; Shipbuilding; Consumer Packaged Goods; and Chemical and Petroleum.