From: kim@snowbird.b30.ingr.com (Kim Corbridge)
Subject: Re: concurrent engineerin
Organization: Intergraph
Distribution: alt
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 12:45:26 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.3933.779@dosgate>, "joe labonte" <joe.labonte@canrem.com> writes:
|> 
|> ME>I am looking for software which will facilitate computer-aided concurrent
|> ME>engineering.  I am looking for software which will support knowledge
|> ME>sharing and distributed design among various subprocesses.  Has anyone come
|> ME>across such software?
|> 
|> Hi Matt,
|> 
|> Autocad R11 & R12 have started to implement concurrent engineering though
|> locked externally reference blocks.  The concurrent engineering need to be
|> of distinguishable difference that tow or more stations would not be
|> fighting for that same entity. The changes from one station are not update
|> on all other stations until requested or until starting a new sessions.
|> 
|> Good luck , I hope that this helps.  I too an interested in this.
|> 
|> 

Gentlemen,

Concurrent Engineering is not a subject to ba taken lightly.  It is a serious
undertaking that goes far beyond the something locked reference files.  
IMHO, if you are looking for a system to really implement CE, you should look 
for most (if not all) of the following:

Data Management.  The locked reference files are a start in this direction.  
However, this should also include work flow management, revision control and 
provide informaiton to the remaining portions of the business such as providing
Bill of Material information to MRP systems, etc.  This is a critial piece as it
controls who is working on what, when and what type of changes they can make.

Modeling: Ideally, you want everyone working on the same set of data, whether you 
have a vault full of paper drawings that you need to work from, are taking 
product styling information from an Industrial Designer or starting a new design
concept.  It should be a critical requirement to work with all these types of
data.  The latest generation of associative modelers will support access to these
types of data while  allowing the entire design process to be captured in a
common or "Mater Model".  If this model is completely associative, changes
made by anyone in the design team are reflected in the model, eliminating the
need to have the model manually updated to match ECOs generated by 
engineering analysis, manufacturing planning, etc.  

Adaptive Analysis: As noted above, if you are doing mechanical analysis, this
should also be tied into to the Master Model, allowing analysis to be performed
in the early stages of design and required changes made to the model
automatically.  With todays optimization tools, the analysis software if coupled
to the associative model, can optimize the design to reduce material usage,
improve vibration characteristics, ect.  

Detail Drawing production should also be tied to this model as does creating
manufacturing information such as NC tool paths.  Again, if the tool paths are
created within the same model environment, creating this data can be done
concurrently with the design process knowing that changes in the model will be
automatically reflected in the manufacturing process information.  

This is a pretty significant undertaking for any enterprise, but the paybacks are
significant and may mean the difference between being in business and closing
shop in a couple of years.  There have been several published references to
companies using CE to successfully reach their objectives of reducing time to
market, improving product quality and reducing costs.

Sorry, this is a longer reply than I intended.  If you would like to open up more
of a discussion, please contact me via e-mail at kim@snowbird.b30.ingr.com and I
will try to provide you additional information on the subject.


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