HEEL that PAIN is a joint venture between GID Development Corp. and Dr. Art Smuckler, a certified podiatrist. After developing a few customized foot-pads for patients complaining of persistent heel pain, Smuckler wanted to share the benefits of these foot pads with the mass market.
"I knew this product could do wonders for the 2.5 million Americans who suffer from chronic foot pain, but I was naive about the complexity of bringing the product to market," said Smuckler. "Then I met with GID senior design engineer James Grimes and he assured me that with CATIA V5 we could take my idea from concept to the store shelves in only a few months."
Using CATIA V5, GID Development designed and manufactured the new heel seats, based on Smuckler's original design. Grimes designed the pads and performed human analysis simulations, testing a variety of materials. Once the optimal design was determined using the software, CATIA V5 was then used to design the tooling. Prototypes were then easily manufactured for clinical trials. After a successful series of trials, CATIA V5 was also used to design the blister package.
"This is the second product we have taken to market using CATIA V5," said James Grimes, senior design engineer, GID Development Corp. "IBM and Dassault Systèmes are the 'Swiss army knife' of technology providers for small manufacturing businesses that have big dreams, but not a big budget."
The HEEL that PAIN foot-pad product is expected to be available at drug stores across the Unites States by the end of the year.
About HEEL that PAIN Inc.
HEEL that PAIN Inc. is a privately-owned specialty manufacturer of patented orthotic devices, for the relief of heel pain, commonly know as plantar fasciitis. Our customers are the millions of people who experience foot pain and require an affordable over-the-counter quality solution. Located in Yorba Linda, Calif. the company internally develops and manufacturers all aspects of the products it sells. 'HEEL that PAIN' is a 'Made in the USA' product. Distribution and sales of its product are through recognized industry channels for orthotic devices.
About GID Development Corp.
GID Development Corp. is a boutique design firm based in Southern California with the ability to take any idea from concept into the marketplace, all in-house. For more information, visit http://www.gidcompany.com.
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. 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 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 maintenance. Its offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA®, ENOVIA®, DELMIA®, SMARTEAM®), general-use 3D solutions (SolidWorks), and 3D components (ACIS®) from Spatial Corp. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.
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