Abstracts

Challenges of Digital Product Development at DaimlerChrysler

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System-partnership and Plattforming - Crucial Aspects for PLM!

The trends of the next decade are faster technology change, ongoing globalization, decreasing resources and a growing information/knowledge society. Out of this point of view PLM will be a key to innovation, competitiveness and customer focus. All these aspects have an impact on the necessary changes within companies. At the same time the design of business processes will play a decisive role in the speed of innovation. Therefore we need a seamless planning between the processes of customer relationship management, supply chain management and product lifecycle management (PLM). System-partnership will be the appropriate cooperation model to keep the speed in innovation and to get the right impulses for technology trends to safeguard the leading position in the global market. In addition platforming is the way to be ahead in terms of customization, pricing and quality. Consequently PLM is not a software tool or a new marketing strategy for vendors, but it is indeed the driving force for innovation, technology trends and leadership in cost and quality!

PDM and CAD Integration in Cross-brand Automotive Projects

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Design Anywhere Manufacture Anywhere - Best Practices Approach and Future Trends

Design Anywhere Manufacture Anywhere (DAMA) is a strategic business approach applying a consistent set of business solutions that collaboratively manage the product definition lifecycle, its development / realization and manufacturability across an extended enterprise. DAMA enables enterprises to bring innovative and profitable products to market more effectively, especially in the evolving e-business environment. DAMA focuses on the complete product definition, including all mechanical, electronic, software, and documentation components, and the processes that are used during the lifecycle. It is an approach that incorporates a full suite of best-practices methods and technologies such as product data management, collaboration, collaborative product commerce, visualization, enterprise application integration, component supplier management, and others. Within this presentation Zuken will come up with a real customer project for developing an electronic multimedia product to show the best practices approach based on a Platform Design Concept approach across the customer's enterprise.

Business Success through Product Data Integration

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Collaborative Engineering - Cooperation in Partner Networks

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Object Oriented Modeling of 3D Structures in CAD

Modern CAD Systems allow and demand the methods and procedures which were never discussed in past and hence it will appear to be fairly strange to the “classic” mechanical engineer. Complex structured assemblies and the demand for simple re-usability of created modules as well as the enforcement to reduce development costs while increasing quality and standard conformity, ask for entirely new approaches. The principal problems, however, are not as new as they seem to be: software engineering has found answers to these problems, already years ago. But how can principles and concepts from software engineering be adopted by 3D engineering or design respectively? Intelligent Engineering Templates (IET) which are based on Object Oriented Methods are revealing new ways how to work efficiently and effectively using modern CAD systems. What is an “Intelligent Engineering Template” and how to work with CAD systems using the Object Oriented approach? The contribution at hand provides an insight into the complex matter.

plm2plm - Global Engineering Collaboration at a Supplier

This presentation will give an overview of a worldwide project being carried out at Johnson Controls to provide the support for global engineering collaboration by integrating the Matrix10 PDM backbone with the multiple worldwide distributed CAD specific data management systems (e.g. Enovia VPM, EDS iMAN). The required integration is being implemented on the basis of the gedas plm2plm architecture. An overview will be given of the project from both business and technical perspectives. Business requirements, challenges and the benefits gained for the support of global collaboration will be summarized. Key´features of the chosen gedas plm2plm solution will be highlighted: business event triggered integration, utilization of standards and the achievement of complete data consistency by end-to-end transaction control.

Successfully Creating Engineering Communication – Demands, Problems, Solution Approaches

In the last years the focus of development has been set on realizing company-spanning processes in engineering within the automotive industry. For this purpose various solution approaches with, to some extend, high technological efforts emerged. However realization did not succeed. Demands regarding security, encryption, single sign on, a mostly heterogeneous PLM world and, most of all, organizational barriers complicate the establishment of integrative processes. The presently used PLM products are inadequately prepared for the integration of engineering partners. The right technology at the right place is required – simplified 3D representation instead of communication of geometry data in gigabyte scopes. Moreover we observe the fact, that many companies go their own way by setting up web portals. It should be kept in mind that support and usage of asynchronous processes safeguard the reproducibility and reliability of engineering processes. The common formulation and use of guidelines and standards is and remains the most efficient way to successful problem solving for all partners in engineering communication.

E&E Systems- and Software Lifecycle Management – Challenges and Solutions for the Automotive Industry

Driven by the demands on fuel consumption reduction, security and comfort as well as on communication and information, the automotive industry developed solutions that lead to increasing portions of electronics and software. Thereby the trend towards comprehensive functionalities beyond classical domains (chassis, break, steering, engine, electrical system, comfort, information etc.) can be observed. Car manufacturers have to face this challenge in particular ways. Those who understand best to define hard- and software architecture in a way that components can be re-used, will bring down costs, enhance quality and place innovations on the market faster and more secure. Especially the management of domain-spanning functionalities will become a core competence of successful car manufacturers. Future electronics architectures will allow to enhance functionalities and to perform trouble shooting through software upgrade into existing hardware. Thus, the management of the respective car configuration and the design of an infrastructure for the distribution of software will be required. In short – the automotive industry has to deal intensely with the same topics that the IT industry is concerned about for a long time.

Core issues for the E&E system and software lifecycle management are:

approved methods and processes for system and software engineering

architectures and open standards

integration of tools for a continuous tool chain

IT platform for data management and cooperation

software configurations and upgrade management

Mastering Huge Part Databases by Using Geometric Search

Effective administration of non-variable and synergy parts is a key factor to further optimize commercial vehicle development. Only a fully automated IT solution is able to process large quantities of assemblies for enquiry and to promptly cope the continuously increasing number of parts. The core of cvdPartFinder is a search engine that easily and efficiently locates three-dimensional CAD models. The default for the search for resembling parts may be an arbitrarily constructed assembly as well as a first sketch. Within seconds the cvdPartFinder finds all parts that show most resemblance with the referrening part, even if the part database includes millions of 3D models. The analysis is completely based on the three-dimensional geometry of an assembly. There is no need to have alphanumerical attributes like part number or part name nor values of a classical object parameter list. Thus, cvdPartFinder is able to transcend language or organization barriers. Even parts that were classified based on an unknown standard or parameterized in a foreign language can be found without high level manual maintenance. cvdPartFinder has been seamlessly integrated into the existing EDM system and process environment of the commercial vehicles division at DaimlerChrysler AG. Our solution did not replicate the already established large-scale part management systems, further more they have been completed by an intuitive and company-spanning research tool. We will present the technology of cvdPartFinder and show various application examples within the product life cycle – from the early design phase to purchase, controlling and after sales.

Information Sharing in Reality - from Design to Spare Parts

Efficient Management of information related to purchased products, from Design information to information related to spare parts is crucial to many companies today. This information is typically stored and managed in different systems and in different ways by the involved companies. This presentation will describe Volvo’s experiences from implementing and using a standard based data sharing solution based on ISO 10303 AP214 and Internet Technology. The described case deals with a supplier providing Volvo with a number of different engines. Three different types of information is managed, basic engine properties like size, power and weight to ensure that the correct engine is ordered, detailed design information to do a correct integration and spare part information for the preparation of spare part catalogues. Challenges in this project include management of changes to provided information and the security and access control of the shared information. The presentation will also touch on future plans including information on “produced products”.

Collaborative Engineering in an Integrated Environment

mySAP PLM covers the entire development process – both inhouse engineering and collaboration in virtual teams. cProjects provide broad functionality for collaborative project management. Beside time scheduling – defining phases, activities and approvals- resources and development costs are calculated. mySAP PLM supports the entire design process from the first specification –using Easy Document Management- up to detail design with mySAP integrations to the most important CAD systems. Using mySAP CAD Integrations all product data are stored within mySAP PLM. Therefore wait times in third party systems are avoided and any project member has access to actual and consistent product data. For collaboration design tasks parts of the product structure are selected and published to cFolders. Using cFolders design data like materials, bill of materials and documents are provided on the web and processed within a collaboration team. After release of design data cFolders supports the procurement of these engineered parts. For this cFolders has an integration to the SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) and allows to define a collaboration in cFolders as part of an bid invitation. Furthermore design data from cFolders can bei integrated to the mySAP PLM System using the backend integration. mySAP PLM supports a comprehensive range of functionality for collaboration in an integrated environment: from project management over design collaboration to procurement.

PLM for Mechatronics

New and changing market requirements (globalization, market saturation among other things) lead also to rising requirements (function, diversification, costs...) for new products and/or product lines. The complexity of new products will continue to grow (e.g. mobile telephones contain digital cameras and other functions). The development and handling of these complex interlaced systems over the entire product life cycle represent an increasing challenge for all manufacturers and their suppliers. Current and future developments use increasingly Programming Logic Controllers (PLC) and Electronic Control Units (ECU) to realize the rising requirements. This applies to dishwashers exactly the same way as to automobiles. The development of applications for embedded and distributed ECU networks is seen as a competitive advantage by many companies (e.g. in the automobile industry). Beyond that an increasing linkage between the development of the mechanical components of a product and its electrical and electronic components exist. While the IT support (PDM systems, CAx systems) over the entire product life cycle for mechanical components today can be seen as standard, there are at present no IT solutions on the market, which accompanies the existing mechanical development process with the electrical and electronic development process in the necessary way. The Mechatronics Initiative by UGS PLM Solutions is aimed to merge the mentioned mechanical and electrical/electronic development processes in the context of the entire product lifecycle. Important component of this initiative is the implementation of standards like STEP AP 212, which has a crucial importance for the electrical and electronic product development.

DMU Collaboration - Process and Economic Benefit

In recent years the exchange of STEP AP 214 structures with referenced CAD files increased. Based on this technology Delphi realizes a common DMU structure for visualization and analysis of product data. The data (2D/3D/metadata)are descended from heterogeneous CAD and PDM landscapes of OEM and several suppliers. This process enables a fast and easy-to-use access of all involved partners beginning at acquisition to design and packaging up to simulation and manufacturing planning in a common environment. The economic benefit and time savings depend on development scenario (see VDA 4961 cooperation model).

Engineering Change Management within an Electronic Market Place

The drastic reduction of product development time in the automotive industry demands an increase in process security through new communication methods between tier 1 and tier n suppliers. The example of the backend-integration of the SAP environments between the electronic market place SupplyOn and the Continental Teves AG & Co oHG will show how the Engineering Change Process with the suppliers of Continental Automotive Systems will be considerably optimized and accelerated. Via the pull-principle the suppliers will have access to technical documents during the RFQ process as well as after the SOP. To guarantee the security of the sensitive technical data via Internet is a particular challenge in this context.

Product Specification and Configuration Management at a Globally Acting Tractor Manufacturer

Designing and building tractors today is a highly complex process. Like in the automotive industry mechanical design has to be combined with electrical and electronics design. Farmers sitting in their tractor have various computers that help them to do their job on the field. The tractor and the attachments need to work effectively together for different applications. All this makes a complex equipment. And there is almost no tractor like another. There are so many different options a customer may choose, that hardly no configuration is the same. Starting with the engine, tires, axles, transmissions etc. more or less every detail can be configured, with many dependencies between all these options. Therefore product development always starts, just like in automotive, with a specification phase. Which models do we want to offer, which options do we need and which dependencies do we need to pay attention to? Those are the questions that Product Managers, Marketing and Engineering have to answer as early as possible so that Engineering can design and reuse the necessary modules and components. John Deere Werke Mannheim, most advanced and one of the biggest tractor factories in the world does this very successfully, using Matrix10.

Application Integration - a Crucial Factor for Business Success?

The presentation focuses on the integration of the “engineering world” with the “manufacturing world” considering as example the actual possibilities of integrating the leading product development environment CATIA V5 (Dassault Systèmes) and SAP applications in the area of the “enterprise backbone”. Expenses, risks and benefits of highly integrated applications will be critically discussed with the help of practical examples. The presentation gives information about the necessity to quit the splitting of technical and commercial data processing which is often manifested by the use of different hardware platforms, operating systems, standard software products and more. It is necessary to consolidate these components in order to optimize integrated core business processes. This consolidation has no reasonable chance without the support of an adequate IT. Available standard integration products for seamless integration of development and construction departments will be presented. Various approaches to map processes in the field of CATIA V5 / SMARTEAM / ENOVIA / DELMIA or SAP will be discussed bit furthermore demonstrated with successful customer implementations. The presentation conveys concrete hints concerning expenses, benefits, target definition and degrees of achieving targets by showing practical examples from the Automotive, Aerospace&Defense, F&A and Consumer Goods industries.

Globalisation needs Communication

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Workshop 1: Methods to Measure the Benefits of Product Data Integration

The use of solutions for product data integration (e.g. advanced STEP technology) for exchanging data in the product development process must also be justified by economical aspects today. This also includes furnishing proof of their economic efficiency. In 2003, on behalf of the ProSTEP iViP Association, together with its members SBS has formulated a method of recording quantitative and qualitative benefits and measurement criteria as a result of the use of product data integration and for deriving statements on economic efficiency in practical use with reference to business cases. On the basis of the plenary lecture that explains the method, a moderated discussion is to obtain an impression of the opinions on it. An intensive exchange of ideas is to be conducted in the form of a workshop and permit detailed addressing of questions that arise. Aspects from the lecture will be explained in more depth and feedback and suggestions for further development gathered.

Workshop 2: Engineering Change Management

Mastering change processes is more and more becoming a crucial success factor in networked cooperations within the automotive industry. Today, suppliers are involved into the development and planning at an early stage. Due to project- and partnerdependent differences, the partner integration into change management is a non-trivial task. Harmonized standards and recommendations for the design and implementation of cross-company ECM processes do not exist. But they are necessary for an efficient integration. According to estimations, one could expect cost savings up to 30% by reducing the time for search, coordination and processing within comprehensive change processes. Based on project examples and experiences, like they will be shown in the plenary presentation “Collaborative Engineering – Cooperation in Partner Networks”, and the actual development status of the VDA and ProSTEP iViP project group ECM, trends, possible solution approaches and their benefits for optimizing company-spanning change processes will be discussed. The workshop’s objective is to gain an overview of the current status for on- and offline integration of cooperation partners into the own ECM processes. Thereby fundamental risk factors, the greatest potentials for benefits as well as the driving forces within the companies shall be identified. A further result of the workshop should be a common understanding of the necessary interactions and the formulation of demands regarding relevant ECM information.

Workshop 3: Virtual Product Validation - Simulation goes PDM

Due to the efforts to shorten the „Time to Market” for new products, the Virtual Product Development becomes of increasing importance within enterprises. In the automotive industry the design is based on 3D-CAD models, the packaging is done with DMU software and the validation uses simulation tools. Additionally, a continuous increase of product variants is seen due to the increasing individualization of products for the customers. In order to cope with product variety, Product Data Management Systems (PDM-Systems) were introduced - at first for the management of design data. Until today, simulation relevant data are inadequately considered in PDM-Systems. Therefore the search for parameters of the simulation models is time-consuming and error-prone. Furthermore the simulation models and results are often stored in file systems which results in most cases in data redundancy. For that reason, simulation models as well as the simulation results have to be managed within the PDM-System with a close relationship to the design data. In order to ensure a consistent data management, a defined structure mapping between the simulation tools and the PDM-System needs to be established. Because of this need, the working group “SimPDM” was founded within the ProSTEP iViP association. This workshop is designed to gather different views on the integration of computation and simulation into PDM systems and to create a common understanding of this topic. The existing results and concepts of the working group SimPDM will be presented. Furthermore your demands and views may enrich the future work on solutions. An active participation in the working group, which could be of benefit for you, will be discussed as well.

Workshop 4: Collaborative Engineering, a New Challenge for a More Effective Product Development

The efficiency of product development within the automotive industry may be increased in the upcoming years by reducing part variety, implementing model range - and brand-spanning platform concepts, re-organizing tasks, competence and responsibility in cooperating with suppliers and a global cross-company integration of competences and resources. In order to realize these potentials a product development is necessary, that is performed by worldwide located, organization-spanning teams. Today, these teams lack of an organizational framework, capable IT solution approaches as well as appropriate standards. Important questions in this context are:

	What are the demands on a solution approach for the realization of collaborative engineering?
	What organizational framework has to be created?
	How may the technical challenges be solved?
	How may the challenges of a intercultural collaboration be mastered?

The workshop will highlight that the challenges of collaborative engineering can only be accomplished through a joint exertion within the automotive industry (OEMs, suppliers, IT provider, research institutes, bodies). A common understanding regarding the tasks, rules etc has to be devised. The ProSTEP iViP Association offers an ideal platform on this.

Workshop 5: Engineering Visualisation and Virtual Conferencing - a Cornerstone for Innovative Product Development Processes

In the passed years, 3D mechanical CAD has been established as a standard tool for product development across all industry sectors. Nevertheless the creation of 3D models in design is followed by the time consuming activity of creating 2D engineering drawings. They still are the most important documents for further use of engineering data, and in many times they are the only means of communicating engineering information. The throughout usage of 3D visualisation offers the chance of distributing engineering information to all stakeholders of the product development process as early as possible and to integrate them into the decision processes. This opens up the potential of reducing time and cost as well as the improvement of product and process quality. Availability for non-designer (sales, purchasing, production planning, quality assurance, ...) requires the use of simple tools like 3D viewers, which are also much cheaper than CAD software. These 3D Viewers are supplementary at the beginning, but will reduce the currently used 2D viewers for raster data step for step. A new standard for collaboration seems to be emerging. Up to now, it is typically restricted to company internal usage but taking into account the highly integrated supply chains of today’s industries, it will soon become relevant for data exchange and the online usage in virtual conferences across company borders. This topic is also addressed by the presentation of Mr. Schulze-Ameling, Delphi Corporation, on the “DMU Collaboration - Process and Economic Benefit”. The decisive question is: How could a standardization for functioning, formats and protocols in the field of 3D visualization and virtual conferencing be achieved and what activities do already exist on this? Role models are data exchange formats and protocols within the 3D CAD area as well as established functions in CAD data exchange (e.g. STEP Standard, VDA Recommendations, ProSTEP iViP Benchmark and Implementor Forums, etc.). With this workshop we would like to contribute to the exchange of information and to involve interested persons into our activities concerning the formulation of recommendations and/or standards. It is conceivable that a new project within the ProSTEP iViP Association may emerge in order to save the common interests.