Aras Innovator is Schaeffler’s overarching PLM platform for mechatronic product development and model-based systems engineering (MBSE). The plan is to merge not only the mechanical and electrical/electronic product data in the new Engineering Cockpit but also the software development statuses. At Schaeffler, the latter are managed using PTC Integrity, which controls the entire software development process. Hence the request to connect the ALM system to the Engineering Cockpit.

Schaeffler decided last year not to develop the interfaces for connecting the various IT systems in-house but instead implement OpenPDM as middleware. The fact that PROSTEP’s standards-based integration platform offers maximum investment protection and requires less effort to develop and maintain the integrations – thanks to the fact that tried-and-tested connectors for the existing CAD, PLM and ERP systems PTC Creo, PTC Windchill and SAP are already available – worked to its advantage. As we did not yet offer integration with PTC ILM, Schaeffler commissioned us to develop an appropriate connector.

The new PTC ILM connector allows us to expand our portfolio of standard integrations and take an important step towards supporting application lifecycle management. ALM is becoming increasingly important in the context of developing smart, connected products. The first release of the new connector was delivered to Schaeffler before Easter and can in the future also be used by other customers.