Engineering companies are more often becoming what in the technology world is termed “agnostic” when it comes to their engineering software.
That means they’re choosing to install the CAD, and product lifecycle management systems best suited for their purposes rather than simply going with a PLM system from the vendor that supplies their CAD system.
Many companies also use various CAD systems from different CAD software vendors, whether in-house or between the engineering company and its external partners or vendors. These CAD programs too need to be able to pass information seamlessly back and forth. Also, CAD design data must be able to connect with engineering business processes across product development, manufacturing, quality, suppliers and field service.
This, of course, makes evaluating and choosing applications a difficult and potentially lengthy decision. But regardless of the systems chosen, the applications must still “play well together;” that is include interfaces that allow information to easily flow between CAD systems or between CAD and PLM.
The problem is, systems from different vendors might not necessarily work together.
Information moving from one application to the other—when those applications come from different vendors or contain different file types—often needs to be translated. That is, files coming from the first system must be turned into a filet type that can be understood by the second system, and thus by the user.
That’s why, increasingly, vendors are announcing new collaborations—and methods of collaboration–between their systems. Not only does this give vendors a leg up when potential users are evaluating their systems for compatibility with existing applications, these type of integrates save engineering companies money as well. For the engineering company, the costs of ensuring interoperability between systems—such as the need to translate information before it can move from one system to another—can add up.
“Incompatibility among various CAD systems has been an ongoing issue that adversely affects manufacturers worldwide and can add to the cost of products from cars and airplanes to smart phones and golf clubs,” said Stefan Jockusch, Siemens PLM vice president strategy, in a statement.
CAD makers Autodesk and Siemens PLM recently announced an interoperability agreement to help manufacturers cut interoperability costs and data integrity problems. Through the agreement, Autodesk and Siemens PLM will significantly improve the interoperability between their companies’ respective software offerings, according to a joint statement.
“We understand that our customers use a mix of products in their workflow,” said Lisa Campbell, Autodesk vice president of manufacturing strategy and marketing at Autodesk.
In a similar-style statement, Aras, which makes PLM software, also, recently announced that its partner Elysium has integrated data exchange between the 3DExperience platform from Dassault Systèmes’ and the Aras Innovator PLM system.
Translation between the two systems happens via Elysium’s xPDM for Aras connector, which allows the two systems to communicate, much as a human translator might serve as translator between an English and a Spanish speaker.
The connector solution offers engineering companies a way to seamlessly integrate to the 3Dexperience environment, which includes CAD, analysis, and other business intelligence programs, said Doug Macdonald, Aras product marketing director.
“Having the ability to bring mechanical CAD data from multiple systems together with electrical CAD designs, software and firmware at the product’s system-level configuration is critical to coordinate development, achieve quality and meet deadlines,” Macdonald said.
Data translation issues won’t be going away anytime soon, but vendors are increasingly unlikely to pass those issues on to their users. Until interoperability issues ease, look for more of these types of collaborations in the future.
