9.2 PDM systems

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Four of the larger PDM systems are presented here in more detail, in order to give an overview of the functionality such systems offer. Besides those presented (MatrixOne, TeamCenter, Windchill, and ENOVIA), SAP R/3 (which is classified as a typical ERP system) is also among the larger players on the PDM system market.

9.2.1 MatrixOne

MatrixOne [7] is a set of tools supporting collaborative product development. It is also known under the name eMatrix. eMatrix began as a simple and easy-to-customize PDM toolbox, but has grown considerably. The eMatrix system consists of a common platform and a set of application modules: a system administration tool, a data modeling tool, Web collaboration servers, and interfaces. The data model can easily be redefined with a menu based tool supplied with the product. This feature makes it possible to adapt the product to a company’s needs, and the customers can do part of this job themselves. However, the system configuration and adaptation process can consume time and effort, as it often takes more time to determine what the needs are than it takes to configure and customize the system. Therefore, eMatrix offers the value chain portfolio, which includes several businessoriented applications ready for use together with the system.

The following products are included in the value chain portfolio:

  • Configurator Central is a product configurator that manages product engineering data and processes throughout the PLC. During the concept phase of development, integrations with CAD tools permit the automation of the capture of the mechanical and electronic product structure. During the production phase of product development, integrations with ERP systems facilitate the seamless transfer of product engineering information.

  • Engineering Central includes support for managing a collaborative digital workplace of global team members, designated a WorkSpace. Geographically distributed team members can use a WorkSpace. Within the WorkSpace, members can create folders, organize views, reviews, mark ups, and approve different type of information.

  • Request Central is a customer-oriented application. It enables customers to send in requests for quotations, checks if requests are valid, and then tracks them all the way through design and manufacturing.

  • Software Central coordinates hardware and software development. It contains software-oriented features for requirements management, project management, and change management. Integration with ClearCase provides a connection to the software development environment (see Section 6.3.1).

  • Supplier Central is used for collaboration with suppliers within a virtual team. The suppliers are given access to their customers’ product data, they can exchange information with the customer, and they can view change requests. The customer is provided with a single point of supplier information.

  • Team Central enables the members of a project to work in a virtual team. In this virtual team, the members can share data, take part in discussion groups, and receive notification of project events.

By using a standard component-based technology, Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE), MatrixOne enables easy integration with applications that use the same technology. J2EE is a general-purpose component based technology, which can be used in any type of Web-based and Internet-based application. For example, it provides support for the development of server-based applications (servlets) with thin clients or the programs running on the client side (applets) with thick clients. The difference between J2EE technology and a standard client-server technology lies in the additional services provided, such as a component-specification standard, components deployment into the system, communication between components, security issues, and similar. Thus, by using J2EE, eMetrix ensures a broad base for integration with applications from different domains. For developing user-specific applications and for customizing standard eMatrix applications, eMatrix provides additional services included in the Application Development Kit (ADK).

In addition to the general development tool ADK, eMatrix is delivered with the eMatrix Adaplet Development Toolkit, which is used for communication with the databases of systems integrated with eMatrix. Finally, for direct management of data in databases, eMatrix uses a superset of standard query language (SQL), designated Matrix Query Language (MQL), and, as a part of ADK, the EmbeddedMQL package. Figure 9.2 shows two different solutions for application integration using MQL. The basic architecture is client-server based. The first type of integration is implemented by using an MQL application interface package designated MQLIO, and the second type, by using eMatrixMQL. The solutions are similar, but in the latter case the communication can be achieved over the Internet using standard HTTP, which gives increased flexibility and more security. In addition, the use of XML enables easier and more efficient specification of different data formats. The entire data model can be specified and processed by means of XML (for more information about XML, see Chapter 12). The eMatrixMQL technology is used for the integration of many other applications.

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Figure 9.2: eMatrix integration solutions.

Integration of eMatrix and ClearCase, described in Section 6.3.1, is one example of use of this technology.

9.2.2 TeamCenter

EDS [8] offers a product designated TeamCenter, a PDM tool developed from the Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) product portfolio. SDRC has its roots in computer tools for mechanical engineering, such as the CAD tool IDEAS. SDRC entered the PDM market with Metaphase, which is incorporated in TeamCenter.

The standard edition of TeamCenter consists of several modules.

  • TeamCenter Collaboration Foundation provides the traditional core functionality that manages product information throughout a virtual enterprise. This foundation allows globally dispersed teams to author, share, and access product information. It also includes capabilities for product definition, life cycle states, release management, and event notification.

  • TeamCenter Product Collaboration includes part and document management, change management, and advanced product configuration. It has a Web-based user interface.

  • TeamCenter Design Collaboration is a CAD-neutral collaboration environment. It allows users to create, share, and manage virtual prototypes, independent of where they are located (in-house or supplier) and the CAD tool used.

  • TeamCenter Project Collaboration is used for project management and collaboration. Projects can be scheduled; documents can be shared among team members; and tasks can be specified, sent, and followed up.

  • TeamCenter Requirements Collaboration is a systems engineering tool for requirements management.

  • TeamCenter Enterprise Collaboration draws information from dissimilar information systems and integrates it in different user views. It supports integration with ERP systems and enables supplier integration with the local tools.

TeamCenter applications are integrated in a common framework, and they are adjusted to a commonly used PLC model. Figure 9.3 shows the model and TeamCenter tools supporting it.

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Figure 9.3: TeamCenter applications in the PLC.

TeamCenter offers ready-to-use integrations with several mechanical and electrical CAD tools and ERP systems, as well as integration with Clear-Case. Communication with other tools and systems is obtained by using the STEP standard (for STEP, see Chapter 12). A module in TeamCenter maps information from an internal data model to a STEP protocol. The STEP data can then be used in another application.

TeamCenter Integrator solutions are built on top of commercially available enterprise application servers that are J2EE compliant. This includes a set of foundation services, such as XML information mapping between different structures, security services, event-driven messaging over the Internet, and similar. These foundation services also include ready-to-use components for thin-client information access and support functions for building a Web portal that can be used as an information server accessible via standard Web browsers.

9.2.3 Windchill

Among the larger PDM systems, Windchill [9] has been most recently introduced on the market. Windchill was developed by PTC, which, as a former SDRC company, is a well-established provider of CAD systems. Windchill has had a Web-centric approach since it was introduced and is based on standard technology. It is Java based and uses a Web browser as client.

Windchill has an architecture, similar to the other two tools described, consisting of a product platform, the Windchill foundation, and components to support collaboration in various parts of the PLC. The Windchill foundation contains the basic PDM functionalities.

  • Document management includes standard functionalities, such as data vaulting, check in and check out, and version control, and, additionally, full text search of documents.

  • Structure management creates hierarchical relationships between parts and associates documents with parts. The structure can be viewed from various perspectives, depending on the role of the user.

  • Life cycle management controls the maturity of product information. A life cycle consists of a sequence of phases and gates that identify the state of an object and the conditions to be satisfied before the object enters the next phase.

  • Workflow management can be used to support processes within and between life cycle phases. Workflows can be defined, executed, and monitored.

Additional Windchill components include:

  • Windchill PDM, which provides extended functionality for product structure management and change management.

  • Windchill ProductView, which enables users to view graphical information (three-dimensional models and two-dimensional drawings), product structures, and other information through a Web-based interface.

Windchill foundation is used together with the other components to support the PLC. A number of different applications are offered. Some of them are:

  • Windchill ProjectLink for manufacturers/public business-to-business exchange is used to share information in project teams. It enables project members to store and view product information and to attend collaborative meetings.

  • Windchill customer collaboration makes it possible for a company’s customers to configure their own products and to submit product information queries. From a manufacturer’s perspective, its products are presented in a searchable on-line catalog.

  • Windchill manufacturing collaboration is intended to be an interface between design and manufacture. It can be used to increase knowledge capture and reuse, optimizing manufacturing processes and sharing knowledge across the enterprise.

  • Windchill product development collaboration supports the development process, both within a company and between partners.

  • Windchill supplier collaboration enables a company to make its procurement process more effective. Suppliers publish their product information in a standardized way, which makes it easier to select between parts available and to reuse parts.

In the same way as the PDM tools, Windchill uses a component-based and Internet-based technology. In addition to full Web-services support provided through the Windchill Info*Engine technology, PTC also provides support for traditional enterprise application integration. The Windchill runtime architecture is divided into multiple tiers: client, application and data, and integration. On the client tier, users access Windchill solutions with a Web browser. The application and data tier consists of the Windchill java application server, which handles business logic and processing along with the necessary security services, database communication, and system administration tools. The data portion includes the data model, which provides a product structure and its associated digital product content. The integration tier consists of messaging services that integrate enterprise systems and other systems via XML, SOAP, WSDL, JMI, JNDI, 3270/5250 mainframes, and other native APIs. Figure 9.4 illustrates the Windchill architecture.

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Figure 9.4: Windchill runtime architecture.

9.2.4 ENOVIA

ENOVIA Solutions [10] provides e-business support across the development life cycle for enterprise intellectual property as it relates to product, process, and resource data. ENOVIA PLC applications ensure collaboration between multiple engineering groups. Pervasive use of graphical product, process, and resource representations throughout the development process ensures that product development participation can extend beyond the engineering teams to sales, service, procurement, and other enterprise functions.

The life cycle application foundation covers application requirements for PLC management in both the virtual product data management (VPDM) and PDM domains. An end-to-end solution builds on total use of and deployment of the three-dimensional digital mock up throughout product development, including product design, process definition, change management, and three-dimensional document control.

ENOVIA PLC application consists of three different suits:

  1. ENOVIAVPM is a set of powerful role-based applications very closely integrated to the CATIA and DELMIA authoring tools. The highlights in the product are event notification and propagation, private or local vaulting for documents and product information, definition of engineering actions, configuration definition, configuration definition at the part feature level, maturity promotion and demotion, storage and management of technological links, authoring and visualization tools plug-ins, generative document management, and ENOVIAPM interoperability.

  2. ENOVIAPM is a PDM solution for managing and enforcing structured business processes. The suit consists of functions for definition, storage, and management of all product- and process-related data for a PLC in a complex environment. This is achieved by improving processes used to introduce new parts, build structures, attach context to them in terms of effectivity, and change levels, versions, and feature variants. It provides also built-in functions for change management, release control (e.g., request for engineering action and engineering change specification), document management, and integration with external applications. Highlights in the product are common PDM functions (see Chapter 2 for description), such as PLC configuration, life cycle management, document management, location of control, ERP integration, supply chain, workflow, and project management.

  3. ENOVIALCA is comprised of several families of interoperable product lines. In the VPDM domain, they include ENOVIAVPM, and in the PDM domain, ENOVIAPM. Covering both domains simultaneously, ENOVIALCA ensures deployment of digital mock up and three-dimensional product knowledge throughout the enterprise, based on a unique product-process-resource (PPR) foundation.

ENOVIALCA provides functions for customers with extensive integration requirements.



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Implementing and Integraing Product Data Management and Software Configuration[... ]ement
Implementing and Integrating Product Data Management and Software Configuration Management (Artech House Computing Library)
ISBN: 1580534988
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 122

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