Application of PDM Technologies for Enterprise

Integration

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By -

Vathsala Arabaghatta Shivarudrappa

Overview

• Introduction• PDM Technologies in Enterprise• Trend of PDM Development• PDM and the STEP Standard• PDM and Knowledge tools• Methodologies• The PDM-based Conceptual Design Environment• 3 research projects• Conclusion• References

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Introduction

• Product Data Management systems have been widely used in industry.

• Number of shortcomings in the commercially available systems.

• Methodologies being implemented are discussed.• A PDM system is used to manage all the information and

knowledge.• STEP is being implemented.• 3 research ongoing projects carried out at Cranfield

University, UK.

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PDM Technologies in Enterprise

• There is a wide variation in the functionalities offered by PDM systems.

• At the basic level ,PDM system provides no direct interface to ERP, CRM or manufacturing planning systems ,no direct interface to CAD systems.

• High end systems are used : PTC WINDCHILL. Drawback: uses single repository

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PDM Technologies in Enterprise cont..

• Supply specific plug-in’s for different ERP systems : provides interoperability.

Drawback: Separation between core logic and Data level.

• Highly customizable solutions >Enovia from IBM Dassault [see website www.enovia.com]

>Metaphase from SDRC [see website www.sdrc.com] have been used for the integration.

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Trend of PDM Development

• The extended PDM is referred to as Collaborative Product Development or PLM system.

• CPD systems have shortcomings: software is only a portal.• Concurrent and collaborative design of products online.• Alibre, 3G Corporation and ImpactXoft [Greco 2001] have

solutions that enable online collaborative design using solid modelling tools.

• No provision to enable collaborative working in real-time, or to generate STEP compatible outputs.

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PDM and the STEP Standard

• Output the XML format data : Increases the cost of customization.

• The STEP PDM schema (ISO 1999) is a subset of a number of STEP Application Protocols.

• The STEP PDM schemas offer vendors the ability to standardize the functionality, using common nomenclature, to extend the functionality using EXPRESS schemas.

• Applied to Electro/Mechanical Applications and uses B-rep models.

• Apply STEP technologies for production applications and to drive collaborative and concurrent engineering design.

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PDM and Knowledge Tools

• Research prototype tools which aim to integrate Artificial Intelligence into PDM systems such as the Distributed Open Intelligent PDM System [Kim 2001].

• The use of intelligent agents to perform many of the PDM tasks and Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language for queries.

• The PDM software consists of a dynamic and flexible workflow model.

• STEP based model files and STEP Data Access Interface are used.

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Methodologies

• Integration of PDM and Expert System.• Integration of PDM with Manufacturing Planning.• Integration of PDM with ERP.• The PDM-based Conceptual Design Environment

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Integration of PDM and Expert System

• First, a generic expert system development tool based on the RETE algorithm - Protégé-2000 is included.

• Includes automatically generated forms based user interface.• Has ability to store the knowledge base in many different

formats, such as XML, RDF and through a JDBC to a database.• It can be packaged into a single Java Archive and distributed

as an applet to Windchill clients during runtime.• The project data is stored in standard Windchill cabinets and,

uses Windchill’s data manager.

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Integration of PDM with Manufacturing Planning

• CAPABLE ,process planning system , developed by Durham University and used as a process and resource planning tool for conceptual design.

• The STEP AP-224 machining features definition for process planning application protocol is used.

• Commercial process planning tool LOCAM provided by LSC Group is used.

• This program is packaged as an ActiveX Dynamically Loaded Libraries and will be integrated with the AP-224 modeller in a unified user interface

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Integration of PDM with ERP

• Integration with ERP systems, with the supply chain in cases of companies.

• Integration will primarily between CAPABLE and Windchill with the ERP System SAP R/3 through Windchill’s Info*Engine access layer.

• In order to access the information , team has to construct program.

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The PDM-based Conceptual Design Environment

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Related Projects in the Application of PDM in Enterprise Integration

• Teaching Company Scheme with Design Rule.

• EPSRC Project in PDM Based Assembly Planning.

• STEP Based Process Planning .

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Conclusion

• Various shortcomings and solutions are discussed.

• Methodologies, software architecture have been described.

• The unique integration of STEP AP-224 for the generation of conceptual designs and analysis of the design with both ERP and manufacturing planning systems.

• Three research ongoing projects have been discussed.

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References

• https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/1826/1046/4/Application_of_Product_Data_management-2003.pdf.

• IBM/Dassault PDM solutions: www.enovia.com• EDS SDRC Metaphase: www.sdrc.com/metaphase/ • Greco J., 2001, Collaboration Tools for Engineering, Computer

Graphics World• ISO, 1999, STEP PDM: www.iso.ch• Kim, Y., Kang, S., Lee, S. and Yoo, S., 2001, A distributed, open,

intelligent product data management system, International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing

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Questions??

THANK YOU