AFNeT, PDES, Inc. and ProSTEP iViP sign a Memorandum of Understanding for fostering CAx Interoperability

Paris (F), Des Moines (USA), Darmstadt (D) – September 2016 – AFNeT, PDES, Inc. and ProSTEP iViP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the coordination of activities of common interest with regard to the CAx Implementor Forum (CAx-IF). Whereas the focus of the CAx-IF in the past was on CAD (Computer Aided Design), it will now be extended toward CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), as a first step.

PDES, Inc. and ProSTEP iViP have been cooperating for the past 20 years on harmonizing standards based data interoperability, primarily in the aerospace and automotive industries. Through the extension toward AFNeT and the thereby offered expertise, it is possible to provide additional benefits for industry toward standard-based exchange of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) data.

The CAx Implementor Forum (CAx-IF) will now be a joint testing effort between AFNeT, PDES, Inc. and ProSTEP iViP. The objective of the forum is to accelerate CAx translator development and ensure that user's requirements are satisfied.

The goals of the CAx Implementor Forum are to:

• Implement functionality for today's needs
• Identify functionality for tomorrow's need
• Avoid roadblocks by establishing agreed upon approaches
• Increase user confidence by providing system and STEP Application Protocols (APs) interoperability testing
• Ensure new functionality does not adversely impact existing implementations

The three associations are pleased by the perspectives offered by this MoU to further extend in the future the domains of the CAx-IF.

More information can be found on the CAx-IF here: http://cax-if.org/

AFNeT is a non-profit association in operation for more than 30 years. It is a multi-sectoral Think Tank articulated with a Do Tank (i.e. with digital transformation projects or standardization projects in many industries). These activities have led to the emergence of a network of recognized and highly skilled participants from the manufacturing industry, IT, business and research companies. Its members represent leading industrial companies, SMEs, French governmental agencies, software vendors, universities, and research organizations. AFNet promotes the development, testing and the usage of a set of coherent international standards for supporting these activities, especially in the PLM and the SCM domains.

PDES is an international industry/government/academia consortium committed to accelerating the development and implementation of standards that enable enterprise integration and Product Lifecycle Management interoperability. Its members represent leading manufacturers, U.S. governmental agencies, software vendors, universities, and research organizations. PDES supports the Digital Enterprise (DE) through the development and implementation of information standards to support Model-based Engineering, Model-based Manufacturing, and Model-based Sustainment. Testing of implementations and data exchange using standards is an integral part-of PDES as well as enabling cross industry collaboration for the Digital Enterprise.