Archive for May, 2021
Friday, May 21st, 2021
The joint project “ICT-enabled model-based impact analysis in product development” or ImPaKT for short is picking up speed. Under the leadership of PROSTEP, the project partners are launching a survey to find out which software tools companies use in product development and for MBSE in particular. You are cordially invited to participate in the survey.
For complex and variant-rich products, it is very time-consuming to assess the effects of changes, especially when many domains and partners are involved in product development. In the joint project ImPaKT, a consortium of research institutes, software manufacturers and user companies led by the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at the University of Paderborn aims to simplify such impact analyses by means of a model-based and IT-supported solution approach. It combines the methods of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.
A key project goal is to establish a reference architecture for end-to-end model-based systems engineering that links the partial models in the existing data silos from the development of mechanical, electrical engineering and software engineering system elements. It will then serve as the basis for the development and implementation of model-based and AI-supported methods for holistic impact analysis.
As part of the project, PROSTEP will extend its OpenPDM product family to include software modules for the cross-domain coordination of changes and validate the functionality of the solution together with industry partners.
In order to align the reference architecture with practical requirements, the project partners need information about the existing system and process landscapes in the companies. In particular, the question of which IT systems the companies use to support their change processes, perform MBSE and how they exchange data across company boundaries is of great interest for the project work. To this end, the project partners will conduct interviews with selected companies. The findings obtained in this way will be supplemented and backed up by the results of this survey.
We would be pleased if as many readers of the PROSTEP newsletter as possible would participate in this german survey. Your answers will provide interesting insights into the IT systems currently used in product development and the PLM capabilities used, over and above support for the ImPaKT project. If you give us your consent when filling out the online questionnaire, we will be happy to inform you about the evaluation of the results. If you have any queries, please contact Christian Gentili, christian.gentili@prostep.com.
By Martin Holland
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Thursday, May 13th, 2021
During the last year, PROSTEP gave a boost to the development of the OpenPDM SHIP integration platform. The functionality was expanded in several areas, such as interfaces with CADMATIC and ShipConstructor or NAPA and NESTIX conversions. Continuous development of expertise in shipbuilding-specific software solutions remained high on our agenda.
OpenPDM SHIP is an integration platform designed specifically for the shipbuilding industry that connects shipbuilding-specific CAD/PDM/PLM and ERP solutions and mechanical CAD applications via standardized connectors. The product was launched as development evolved from numerous customer projects, where we tackled similar needs from the shipyards. The COVID pandemic slowed down the progress of customer projects but created a unique opportunity for development to leap forward and expand the functionality of the solution.
New connectors to CADMATIC, AVEVA E3D
OpenPDM SHIP connector with CADMATIC WebAPI offers new opportunities and more flexibility for data access. Besides outfitting model data access, it enables hull data accessibility for the CADMATIC Hull COS version. Additional functionality was added for CADMATIC eShare connector to integrate 3D visualization and collaboration platform with data stored in PDM systems, such as approval, procurement, or delivery status information or other data.
Another significant development currently under construction is the new connector to Everything3D (E3D), the successor system to AVEVA Marine. With a customer already using the system productively, we are working on an OpenPDM SHIP E3D connector that will initially cover the transfer of the outfitting data. Further steps will expand the interface to support E3D Hull in the future.
Additional functionality for CAD conversions
We have made significant progress in the native generation of ShipConstructor data from third-party applications such as NAPA. A corresponding API from SSI, which is still under development and is constantly being extended, enables generating or regenerating parts of the hull or steel structure natively in ShipConstructor.
OpenPDM SHIP supports the mapping of data and structures from ShipConstructor for production engineering with NESTIX, which is used at numerous shipyards for planning the cutting and welding work packages. Previously released functionality for the CAD/CAM process chain worked consistently between AVEVA Marine and NESTIX.
The agile approach to continuous development
The nature of OpenPDM SHIP lies in integration capability between many shipbuilding-specific CAx systems and PDM solutions. It requires deep expertise in exchange formats and integration technology and close cooperation with CAD software development companies. Keeping internal knowledge at a high level is one of the priorities for PROSTEP’s R&D teams.
The robustness and quality of OpenPDM SHIP have further improved because the development of the integration platform for the shipbuilding industry is now more closely aligned with the general development of the OpenPDM platform. We synchronize the sprints of SHIP development with the sprints of the general OpenPDM development. Our integration platform thus fits seamlessly into the product family.
By Matthias Grau
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Friday, May 7th, 2021
Magna is developing intelligent next-generation electric vehicles for the Chinese market together with Beijing Electric Vehicle (BJEV), the electric car subsidiary of the Chinese carmaker BAIC. Magna Blue Sky, the name of the joint venture, uses PROSTEP’s OpenDXM GlobalX solution, in combination with the PLM solution Teamcenter, for the secure exchange of data with partners and suppliers.
Approximately two years ago, Magna and BJEV announced that they would be jointly developing and manufacturing high-quality electric vehicles for the Chinese market. The joint venture set up a greenfield state-of-the-art development center in Zhenjiang for this purpose. It operates under the name Magna Blue Sky NEV Technology (Zhenjiang) and employs about 420 people, who not only develop electric vehicle architectures for the joint venture but also provide engineering services to other customers. The Magna Steyr Group, which is headquartered in Graz, was responsible for implementation of the completely new IT infrastructure.
Magna Blue Sky’s engineers use the mechanical CAD system CATIA V5 from Dassault Systèmes together with the PLM solution Teamcenter from Siemens PLM Software. OpenDXM GlobalX is used to manage data exchange with partners and suppliers. The decision in favor of the world’s leading data exchange platform from PROSTEP did not require a long evaluation process as Magna has been using the OpenDXM products for years and now operates its own OpenDXM GlobalX installation in Graz. “It offers us even greater flexibility and security when exchanging data,” says Oliver Burlon, project manager for data exchange at Magna Steyr.
Working in close cooperation with the IT experts in Graz, PROSTEP’s PLM experts implemented the data exchange platform in Zhenjiang, defined appropriate templates for integrating exchange partners, and adapted the data exchange processes and authorizations to Magna Blue Sky’s specific requirements. A complex approval workflow was implemented to ensure maximum protection of intellectual know-how. It ensures that all exchange processes are approved in accordance with the multiple-eyes principle before the data is made available to partners and suppliers for downloading.
The OpenDXM GlobalX Teamcenter integration allows engineers at Magna Blue Sky to initiate data exchange processes directly from the Teamcenter user interface. This not only makes operation easy but also saves time when data is sent since the export of data from Teamcenter runs completely in the background and users do not have to wait when larger assemblies are being exported. They also have the option of making data from MS Outlook or Windows Explorer available for encrypted exchange with OpenDXM GlobalX.
By Udo Hering
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Monday, May 3rd, 2021
Cloud-based applications can be used out of the box without high initial investments. This is especially interesting for start-ups or newly founded companies like Adient Aerospace. The manufacturer of aircraft seats, a joint venture of automotive seat manufacturer Adient and aircraft manufacturer the Boeing Company, has recently started using the OpenDXM GlobalX data exchange platform as a SaaS model.
Adient is a world leader in automotive seating. In 2018, the company brought its aircraft seating business into a joint venture with the Boeing Company. At the end of a transitional period, this created the need to carve out the PLM infrastructure and to introduce a separate data exchange solution for the joint venture. After a market analysis, the decision was made in favor of OpenDXM GlobalX from PROSTEP, as it guarantees the requirements of a secure and traceable exchange of data to the partner companies.
In order to be able to use the data exchange platform quickly and without any acquisition costs or installation effort, the company opted for the cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) model. The software is installed in the partner data center of PROSTEP AG, which users access via encrypted data lines and an intuitive web portal after appropriate authorization.
“As a result, the amount of training required is very low,” says Gregor Starck, manager engineering at Adient Aerospace.
The effort required for installation and ramp-up was also kept within limits. The solution was operational just one day after the order was received. Adient extracted the contact data of the aerospace partners from the legacy automotive system so that it could be automatically transferred to OpenDXM GlobalX.
Engineers at Adient Aerospace currently use OpenDXM GlobalX as a portal solution, meaning they extract the data to be exchanged from their PTC Windchill PLM system and send it manually using OpenDXM GlobalX. In order to automate and speed up the data exchange processes the company is considering the option to implement OpenDXM GlobalX Windchill integration. “PROSTEP’s data exchange platform integrates very well with the company’s processes and applications,” comments Starck. As the range of functions grows, a switch to an on-premises installation is also not out of the question.
By Daniel Wiegand
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