“SolidWorks’ support for product manufacturing”
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 5 June 2012—CIMdata, the leading global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) consulting and research firm announces a new paper about providing early support for manufacturing through enhanced product design capabilities.
From a business point of view, organizational divide between product design and manufacturing is a major contributor to late product design change and the overall cost of products. Manufacturing and product engineering are often physically separated, which places barriers to communication; both person-to-person as well as for data flow.
Over the years SolidWorks has developed significant support for transitioning products from design to manufacturing. Today, many new capabilities have been built into SolidWorks to support the creation of information that is necessary when establishing efficient manufacturing processes and assuring that products can be produced profitably. While SolidWorks continues to provide geometric check functionality for plastic parts, cast parts, and sheet metal parts—it now features a new costing tool that provides automated cost estimation capabilities and SolidWorks DFMXpress, a tool that checks designs for manufacturability. In addition, many SolidWorks Gold Partners have embedded their own CAM products directly inside SolidWorks’ 3D CAD environment and SolidWorks’ new SolidWorks Plastics product provides plastic part designers and mold makers with detailed insight into the manufacturability of their plastic designs via plastic injection molding simulations.
This paper describes how SolidWorks has expanded their CAD solution offering to better support design for manufacturing concepts. It provides both CIMdata’s evaluation of SolidWorks solutions such as the SolidWorks Costing and SolidWorks DFMXpress modules, but also valuable insights from companies who have used these products to improve their overall product development and manufacturing process.
“Executing Effectively from Design to Manufacturing” is available to be freely downloaded from CIMdata’s http://www.cimdata.com/publications/reports_complimentary/white_papers.html
Contact
James Watch
Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922
John MacKrell, Vice President
Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922
About CIMdata
CIMdata, a leading independent worldwide firm, provides strategic management consulting to maximize an enterprise’s ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. Since its founding in 1983, CIMdata has delivered world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM solutions. These solutions incorporate both business processes and a wide-ranging set of PLM enabling technologies.
CIMdata works with both industrial organizations and suppliers of technologies and services seeking competitive advantage in the global economy. In addition to consulting, CIMdata conducts research, provides PLM-focused subscription services, and produces several commercial publications. The company also provides industry education through PLM certificate programs, seminars, and conferences worldwide. CIMdata serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more about CIMdata’s services, visit our website at www.CIMdata.com or contact CIMdata at: 3909 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922. Fax: +1 (734) 668-1957; or at Oogststraat 20, 6004 CV Weert, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0) 495 533 666.