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Remapping the world of design
Designing, simulating and mapping the results of tests into the same CAD model in the same environment is now a reality. Tom Shelley reports |
13/03/2008
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Teamwork makes for tasty results
Several design teams, working across the United States, have joined forces to develop a revolutionary fast food machine. Tom Shelley reports |
08/02/2008
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3D CAD’s warm embrace
Tom Shelley reports on some dramatic business benefits achieved by 3D CAD users and new capabilities in the latest versions of software |
28/01/2008
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CAD-tastic
3D CAD software is now more functionally capable than ever. But, as Dr Tom Shelley
discovers, it’s also intelligent and supremely good at helping users make the right decisions
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02/10/2007
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Managing your change much better
Managing engineering change has always required serious attention to detail, but Dr Tom Shelley says that relatively simple integrated systems and switched on people who are serious about what they’re doing have become today’s prerequisites |
04/04/2007
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Make collaboration scream for SMEs
Whereas large manufacturers can manage how things are done and with which systems, engineering SMEs have to be more flexible and resourceful, finding ways of tapping into and integrating with suppliers and customers that benefit all parties. Again, large companies often have their own initiatives and big ticket PLM (product lifecycle management) systems to manage changing engineering data and to accelerate development, but smaller companies facing the same challenges need a more modest approach – and one capable of protecting their intellectual property. But it can and is being done: today many products are the result of collaborations between teams in different countries, often on different sides of the world. |
19/01/2007
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What can go wrong when you give IT the large
The news that the Airbus A380 is two years behind schedule because its German and Spanish offices were using Catia V4 CAD/CAM software, while its French and UK offices used V5, and the German engineers in Hamburg could not add their electrical wiring design changes to the common 3D digital mock-up in France, should serve as a warning to us all. |
18/12/2006
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Welcome to the secure connection
Success depends upon the speed and agility with which organisations and their partners can share information – but the barriers are numerous. Systems are typically designed for internal, confidential operation, yet, as Mark Wheeler, Adobe’s marketing director for Northern Europe, explains, there is huge business benefit in exposing some content to the supply chain. |
28/11/2006
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Visualisation speeds paths to production
In the words of Phil Sholl, managing director of AMTRI, formerly the Advanced Machine Tool Research Institute: “You cannot design a component without thinking about how you are going to make it.” At least you can, and engineers all too often do, but it’s extremely foolish. In short, it is not enough to design it, nor even to design it and then think about how it is going to be made. Engineers need to model the making of the part to see that it is feasible. Nothing new, and CAM (computer aided manufacturing) packages have had this facility for years, while wire frame simulation of machining has gradually given way to rendered solid models. However, such simulations all assume that everything is going to run perfectly, and there are many manufacturing processes that until now could not be modelled at all. |
07/11/2006
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Magellan speeds up on collaborative IT
Aircraft equipment builder Magellan Aerospace (UK) has developed a collaborative system that enables its designers to work with production and suppliers all through new product development. The result is not only faster, better, more joined-up processes and faster time to market, but risk mitigation all round. |
04/10/2006
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25 times faster with smart models
Engineering productivity up 25-fold and costs down accordingly, with BoMs (bills of materials) listed accurately and automatically, and engineering drawings created instantly: the judges felt Mech-Tool Engineering’s initial achievements were mouth-wateringly good, and hence this commendation. Mech-Tool is an £8m engineer-to-order company, designing and manufacturing one-offs for the oil and gas, general process and energy sectors – blast walls and, more recently, explosion-proof control rooms and fire-proof noise-control enclosures for industrial pumps, engines and turbines. It’s all costly bespoke stuff. |
04/10/2006
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CAD and PDM transform Mitsubishi MotorSports
Mitsubishi MotorSports (MMSP) has cut development times for its Lancer Evolution World Rally Championship (WRC) cars by a full 30% while also improving design accuracy, product quality and manufacturing consistency – it was a clear front runner, said the judges. It’s achievements have come since standardising on PTC’s Pro/Engineer 3D solid modelling, Wildfire collaboration tools and Pro/Intralink CAD data management system. Chief designer Paul Doe says the MMSP development team now works entirely collaboratively. It uses PTC tools for everything from development and modification of complete surface design and car components, to CAE tasks including structural and thermal simulation and FEA (finite element analysis) of highly stressed and safety-critical parts. |
04/10/2006
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Stannah lifts output using PLM software
Stannah Lifts’ collaborative cross-company product development environment, which automates custom design work and has effectivly quadrupled the firm’s capacity to build retail store platform lifts for the disabled, was highly commended. Stannah invested in Autodesk Inventor for 3D CAD, and integrated that with its production and back office apps. Beyond the usual advantages of 3D, Stannah CAD development engineer Martin Lee says the data behind it is what’s transforming the company. |
04/10/2006
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3D and CAM transform fortunes at Deltron Emcon
A full 40% reduction in lead times, a 15% increase in new business in the last 12 months, 25% productivity gains and a 12% reduction in cycle times. Those are the headline improvements at electromechanical devices manufacturer Deltron Emcon – all from an investment of just £20,500 in modern CAD software. They couldn’t fail to impress the panel of judges. Says Deltron Emcon R&D manager John Hutchinson: “That investment has enabled us to improve our overall capability; it’s increased opportunities to improve margin; and it’s greatly improved our customer service, which has led to new business and substantially increased profits. It’s also enabled us to speed up new product introductions and we’ve attained higher product quality as well.” |
03/10/2006
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3D CAD ripples out over risk-takers' operations
The IT for streamlined business operations way beyond collaborative engineering is transforming its adopters. Brian Tinham talks to CAD luminary David Prawel about what’s stopping the rest from progressing to 3D modelling and all the advantages and efficiencies it and associated technologies can bring |
14/09/2006
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Management and 3D provide a lean model
Cutting time to market and getting projects right first time are nothing new. But, says Dr Tom Shelley, advances in lean thinking provide useful direction for engineering design - like not just using the right CAD/CAM software but using it intelligently. As well as designing in 3D there is a need, for example, to ensure re-use wherever possible, but also to minimise re-creation of data for manufacturing and for preparing documents, whether paper-based or electronic. |
07/09/2006
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Special report: Lean and agile thinking - appropriate IT for successful manufacturing businesses
The application of lean concepts, methodologies and supporting tools, techniques and systems to whole businesses, not just to the factory – continues to grow in popularity. As manufacturers experience worsening competitive pressures from rivals in the UK as well as those around the world, management teams seem to be realising that, while ‘going lean’ is neither trivial nor short and sharp, it’s the only way they’re going to survive and hopefully revive their fortunes.
This report examines what’s working, how well, where and under what circumstances. It looks at current preferred lean initiatives across manufacturing industry and across different departments – the choices, uptake, barriers and outcomes – with statistics derived from a comprehensive online survey conducted for Manufacturing Computer Solutions. Importantly, it provides detailed analysis of relevant IT uptake, appropriate application and potential benefits. |
16/08/2006
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Make this your online home page
www.mcsolutions.co.uk has been massively upgraded. Brian Tinham test drives the amazing new free online resource for news, reference and supplier information covering all of IT for all of manufacturing and engineering industry |
14/07/2006
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Printer presses ahead on integrated ERP and CAD
Flexographic printing presses manufacturer Edale, in Romsey,
Hants, has gone live with a new Syspro ERP system from K3,
including advanced planning and scheduling (APS) and e-business. |
26/06/2006
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Get motoring on 3D CAD systems
3D CAD is now the universal development tool for motor sport. And for good reasons, says Dr Tom Shelley, that apply to any fast-moving engineering business |
24/05/2006
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Scheduling software solves bottlenecks at machning shop
Accurate delivery forecasts and huge efficiency and utilisation
improvements are being recorded at Czech subcontractor Frencken's site in Brno, thanks to planning and scheduling software linked to its machining centres. |
22/05/2006
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Piping up for full 3D modelling
Tradition and technology hit just the right note for this organ builder as it moved up from 2D to 3D CAD design. Brian Tinham reports |
21/05/2006
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