DAVE BROWN’SCAD ROUNDUPComputer aided design, engineering and manufacturingWrightbus brings advanced vehicleto market with PTCProduct innovation winner implements PTCWindchill and Pro/Engineer to improvetime-to-market and product developmentWrightbus, the UKmanufacturing divisionof Wright Group and oneof Europe’s leadingproviders of passenger transportsolutions, has adopted Windchill forproduct lifecycle management (PLM).Windchill, the PTC content andprocess management solution, hasenabled Wrightbus to significantlyimprove its collaborative productdevelopment processes.Wrightbus has been a user ofPTC’s integrated CAD/CAM/CAEsolution, Pro/Engineer since 2000, and“the selection of Windchill providesWrightbus with the additional benefitsof the PTC integral ProductDevelopment System (PDS)strengthening the business processesthat keep this innovative and awardwinning company ahead of its globalcompetition. “We believe thatWrightbus is the most innovativesupplier in the market,” says MartinGraham, director of IT and logistics atAccelerating microwave designAcceleware and Vector Fieldshave announced a partnershipto accelerate microwavedesign by combining VectorFields’ Concerto automation softwarepackage with Acceleware’s FDTDAccelerator solution.“Our partnership with Vector Fieldsallows Acceleware to leverage anothersoftware channel partner to furtherpenetrate the electromagneticsimulations market, providing asignificant boost in simulation speedthat allows users to push theWrightbus. “In order tomaintain that position werecognised that ourengineering processesneeded to become a seamless part ofthe overall business process. Byadopting Windchill as our commonproduct information managementplatform we are now able tosynchronise all our internal processesand our aim is to eliminate 50% ofnon-value-add activities inengineering.”Established in 1946 and based inBallymena, Northern Ireland,This highlights PLM as a critical areaof business investment, as market leadersstrive to increase operational efficiency”Wrightbus is still a family owned andmanaged company. A pioneer of lowfloorbuses in the UK, Wrightbus isrenowned for producing vehicles thatare stylish, durable, of the highestquality and with innovative features –such as their hybrid diesel-electricvehicle which won the RenishawAward for Product Innovation in 2007.With a growing customer base, whichhas expanded into Central Europe andboundaries of innovation,” says SeanKrakiwsky, President and CEO ofAcceleware Corporation. “As simulationbecomes more complex ourpartnership will provide superiorquality design to the broader market.”Vector Fields produces software formodelling and analysingelectromagnetic equipment and effects.Acceleware develops the fastestelectromagnetic solver technologyavailable on the market. Together, thetechnologies will offer RF engineers thetools they need to experience a 20the US, the company recognised thatthe existing product developmentprocesses couldn’t sustain furthergrowth. So Wrightbus initiated aprogram to improve productdevelopment and manufacturingprocesses.Wrightbus has establishedWindchill as its PLM platform tosatisfy its needs of improving productstructure management, changemanagement and work flow <strong>control</strong>.This in turn has enabled the release ofproduct structure data to theproduction system using an optimisedprocess flow and provided accuratedata release from the PLM to the ERPsystem. Joshua Fredberg, vicepresident for product and marketstrategy at PTC, says: “Wrightbushighlights the momentum of PLM as acritical area of investment in businessinnovation as market leaders strive toincrease operational efficiency andmaximise productivity in productdevelopment.”MORE INFORMATION:Enter G184 on the enquiry cardtimes performance increase in theirelectromagnetic simulations –shortening design cycles while greatlyincreasing the integrity of productdesign and safety.“Model sizes are getting bigger,”says Vector Fields’ Dr Kevin Ward.“But project timescales are going theother way. Acceleware-boostedConcerto simulation gives developersan edge to get right-first-time ideasproduced very early in market cycles.”MORE INFORMATION:Enter G183 on the enquiry cardMoldflow acquiredby AutodeskAutodesk has completed itsacquisition of MoldflowCorporation. Moldflow is aleading provider of softwaresolutions that allow designers topredict and optimise how plasticcomponents will perform duringeach phase of the design andmanufacture process. Autodeskacquired Moldflow for $22 pershare, or approximately $297million, less the amount inMoldflow’s cash balance andproceeds from options exercises.MORE INFORMATION:Enter G185 on the enquiry cardMaplesoft to sellMaple directMaplesoft has announcedchanges to its relationship withThe MathWorks, which hasresold the Maple engine underthe product names SymbolicMath Toolbox and ExtendedMath Symbolic Toolbox. As thepartnership between Maplesoftand The MathWorks is changing,the Maple engine will be soldexclusively by Maplesoft. TheMathWorks will continue to sellversions of the Symbolic MathToolbox and Extended SymbolicMath Toolbox which use theMaple engine.MORE INFORMATION:Enter G186 on the enquiry cardMechanica usergroup reformsFollowing the recent release ofMechanica Wildfire 4.0T the UKMechanica User Group hasannounced that it has reformed.After several years of inactivitythe newly reformed group willhold its first meeting in July. Thegroup supports all users ofPro/Mechanica which providesFEA tools for structural andthermal analysis. You can findmore at www.promechuser.org.uk18INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • July 2008
New distributors forUK and GermanyIntegrated Engineering Software,a developer of hybrid simulationtools, has announced theextension of its global network ofdistributors. The company hasforged relationships withMagtronics in the UK andTrimerics in Germany. The moveindicates Integrated’s intention toexpand its European market.MORE INFORMATION:Enter G195 on the enquiry cardSixth generationbrings PLM to lifeDassault Systèmes announcedthe market introduction of V6, anext generation PLM 2.0platform and solution set. Thissixth generation version leveragesthe success of DS brands and V5PLM. V6 harnesses the power ofWeb 2.0, Web 3D and DassaultSystèmes’ technology portfolio.MORE INFORMATION:Enter G196 on the enquiry cardCraft Pattern halves delivery timeswith PowerShape design softwareDelcam software has enabled a precisionparts maker to cut the time to producecastings from a month just to two weeksCraft Pattern & Mold hasreduced its delivery times byup to 50% in the ten yearsthat it has been usingDelcam’s PowerSHAPE designsoftware and the PowerMILL CAMsystem. The company provides rapidprecision plastic or metal prototypes,and low-volume production parts forleading companies in the aerospace,agriculture, automotive, consumerproducts, electronics, medical and toy“industries.Established in 1986 to providehigh-quality moulds and patterns forthe foundry industry, Craft Pattern cannow ship machined prototype partswithin 14 days of receiving thecustomer’s CAD file. According toowner Tony Cremers, “By combiningour technical knowledge with thelatest manufacturing technologies, weare dramatically reducingthe development time forour clients.” The companyusually produces six to tendifferent patterns a week,depending on their size andcomplexity.According to Cremers,the Delcam software allowshis company to create models andsecondary tooling in a day or evenhours. “Previously, it might have takenup to a month to turn around castingsor machined parts, but with theDelcam software, we can go from thecustomer’s CAD file to patterns tocastings in one to two weeks,” hesays. “The speed with which we canPreviously it might have taken a month toturn around castings, but with Delcam wecan produce castings in one to two weekscreate toolpaths not only keep deliverytimes to a minimum, but keeps ourshop running consistently.”MORE INFORMATION:Enter G194 on the enquiry card”More details: Write in 190 on the free information card19
Change language