How PLM Helps Engineers Use Disparate MCAD and ECAD Cloud Tools

Using disparate PLM/PDM systems? No problem.

The days of creating purely mechanical devices are long gone, replaced by an era of multidisciplinary designs where mechanical, electronic and software components converge to produce cutting-edge innovative products. However, this convergence brings a lot of challenges to product development organizations, particularly when it comes to data integration.

An image of the integration between OpenBOM and Autodesk shows how SaaS PLM can be fully integrated. (Image: OpenBOM.)

An image of the integration between OpenBOM and Autodesk shows how SaaS PLM can be fully integrated. (Image: OpenBOM.)

In the past, engineers relied on mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) files to store information related to mechanical designs, and electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) files to store data related to electronic systems design. Product lifecycle management (PLM) and product data management (PDM) tools played a pivotal role in managing these files and ensuring seamless data exchange between MCAD and ECAD systems. However, with the shift to cloud-based solutions, data is now stored in disparate databases, making data management more complex and challenging.

As disciplines use disparate cloud PDM solutions data silos, version control issues and collaboration bottlenecks arise. These challenges have become particularly apparent with MCAD and ECAD databases. Modern SaaS PLM solutions aim to properly integrate these cloud CAD services to improve multidisciplinary data flow, design, data and workflows. These PLM tools help organizations bridge the gaps between disciplines, centralize data management and enhance collaboration between multiple design tools.

This article explores the growing complexity of modern product design, the multidisciplinary nature of engineering and the necessity of integrating data from various design tools, such as MCAD and ECAD. It will then discuss the challenges of working with multiple online (cloud) design services.

History of design tools and data management

In the old days of CAD systems, all the information produced by MCAD, ECAD and PCB tools was saved in files. When the first PDM and PLM systems were introduced, they integrated with multiple CAD tools to manage files and retrieve the information within to create bills of materials (BOMs), derivative files, drawings and more. In most situations, engineering and manufacturing organizations were able to integrate multiple CAD systems within a single PDM/PLM software to manage an entire information set and act as a single source of truth. So-called multi-CARD support in PDM/PLM systems was the answer to how to combine data together before the release or engineering change order (ECO) processes.

Challenges and benefits of cloud CAD systems

The introduction of cloud PLM technologies in the CAD space changed the “file management” status quo. PLM and CAD systems are no longer managing files; instead, they are storing this information in the cloud databases or design storages. Some companies allow files to be downloaded for offline use (e.g. Autodesk Fusion360) and some other CAD services are only available via the browser (e.g. PTC Onshape) and don’t use files at all. The reality is that now each design system has its own database or data management system where all design information is stored, including revisions and related metadata.

There are many challenges that companies experience when switching to cloud-enabled systems through the lens of MCAD and ECAD systems.

  • Data Isolation: MCAD and ECAD data often exist in separate databases, making it difficult to access and share data seamlessly between the two disciplines. This isolation hinders cross-functional collaboration.
  • Version Control Complexity: With MCAD and ECAD teams managing their own PDM solutions, version control can become a nightmare. Conflicting versions of design files may lead to errors and rework.
  • Collaboration Bottlenecks: Engineers need to collaborate effectively, but when each discipline has its own PDM tools and workflows, coordinating efforts becomes complex and time-consuming.
  • Data Security Concerns: Cloud-based data storage raises concerns about data security, especially when sensitive engineering designs are involved. Managing permissions and access control is critical.

Despite these challenges, moving to the cloud brings new opportunities and possibilities that traditional PLM and CAD environments didn’t have before. For instance, since design data is now stored in data management systems, it provides better and easier access using REST APIs to connect to other systems. Let’s talk about the opportunity to organize data in a design digital thread using modern integration capabilities.

Modern SaaS PLM and digital thread platforms

Though old-fashioned PLM systems managed data by collecting metadata and storing files, their modern successors, cloud PLM platforms, are using new infrastructure and modern data management and integration capabilities including REST APIs, cloud integrations and embeddable browser–based components.

In addition to that, modern PLM systems provide robust data management capabilities to support product model information distributed across multiple systems in a digital thread. In other words, these modern SaaS PLM tools are capable of integrating information coming from multiple SaaS CAD and Design systems via REST APIs.

For example, here is a futuristic cloud CAD and SaaS PLM scenario for a company using disparate MCAD and ECAD PDM systems/services:

  • SaaS PLM provides a centralized cloud database and repository for product information. By product information this really translates to an engineering BOM integrated with design information from one or multiple cloud CAD services. It ensures everyone in the company can access the data they need, improving collaboration and data visibility.
  • Unified Items and BOM revision control is integrated with individual CAD data management services. Each CAD uses its own data management (PDM) platforms. However, SaaS PLM or digital thread platforms are capable of retrieving the data from each separate CAD PDM and organizing the information together using EBOM (and xBOM) paradigms.
  • Unified Item/BOM revisions managed by SaaS PLM are interlinked with revisions of CAD data. In such a way an overarching EBOM, with all connected data, can be released and referenced by CAD revisions of the design. This allows companies to manage a completely connected BOM ECO  process by linking to specific CAD revisions of design files.

In summary, this hypothetical SaaS PLM scenario helps the company:

  • Streamline Workflows: With PLM, engineers can establish standardized workflows that streamline the product development process. This consistency reduces errors, accelerates product development and minimizes rework.
  • Enhanced Security: PLM solutions typically have robust security features, allowing organizations to manage data access and permissions more effectively. This helps protect sensitive design information in the cloud.
  • Scalability and Integration: PLM systems can be scaled to meet the needs of growing engineering teams. They also offer integration capabilities, allowing seamless connections with various MCAD and ECAD tools and other enterprise systems.