A Summary of TechniCom's Guide to Selecting a Mechanical CAD System for Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
05/01/2010

This paper is a follow on and update of a previous paper published in February 2005. In that paper we discussed Selecting a CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM system and noted that selecting such a system is no easy task. Today, five years later it is still no easy task to select a comprehensive engineering and product development system, yet it is crucial to the success of ANY business, be it small or large. Our goal with this paper is to help people make better decisions when selecting software solutions to improve product development and engineering performance. This paper can provide you with a logical and orderly approach, which, if followed, will allow you to select the proper 3D mechanical Computer Aided Design (CAD) system for your company. In this paper, different than many others we have seen, we provide guidance for mid-sized businesses rather than large-scale enterprises.

Exploring Windchill ProductPoint in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
07/01/2009

ProductPoint is easy to get started with, is easy to maintain administratively, and extends the power of SharePoint while inheriting all its excellent characteristics for storing, sharing, and retrieving data. In addition, it is low cost, capitalizes on the extensive sharing and web oriented capabilities of SharePoint, and integrates well into existing Pro/ENGINEER installations. We highly recommend this product!

When a consultant can help in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
10/26/2008

I was recently musing about an assignment I conducted several years ago. Enough time and changes have gone by so that I can now share this story with you. At the conclusion of this assignment, I proposed that this company entirely rethink their process, only stocking raw materials and investing in an automated manufacturing processes to greatly reduce their order to delivery cycle and reduce their WIP inventory. My recommendations were not accepted. Less than two years later, no longer able to be competitive, the company closed its doors. Click on the link to read the full story.

SolidWorks 2009 Released in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
10/26/2008

Recently we attended a review of SolidWorks 2009 in Barcelona Spain for industry analysts. SolidWorks 2009 focuses primarily on improvements to the product rather than dramatic new tools. But this focus really pays off, resulting in a faster, easier to use product. SolidWorks seems to be avoiding function creep, where function is added but usability suffers. A very impressive release! Click the title above to read our high level review.

Selecting a PLM System to Improve Product Development Performance for Small and Medium Sized Manufacturing Businesses in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
09/27/2008

This paper is a follow on and update of TechniCom's previous paper published in February 2005. In that paper we discussed "Selecting a CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM (CCCP) system" and noted that selecting such a system is no easy task. Today, almost three and one half years later it is still no easy task to select a comprehensive engineering and product development system, yet it is crucial to the success of ANY business, be it small or large.

TechniCom reviews ENOVIA SmarTeam Engineering Express in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
06/19/2008

Until recently, implementing a product management system meant a costly, long-term project. Prospective buyers usually engaged in an elaborate rethinking of how they designed and delivered products, their existing data structures, and how to integrate multiple CAD, ERP and legacy data systems. ENOVIA SmarTeam’s Express solutions offer out-of-the-box solutions for CAD data management (Design Express) and Item/BOM management and engineering change management (Engineering Express).

A review of Solid Edge with synchronous technology in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
06/01/2008

Siemens PLM Software has been working on direct face modeling in Solid Edge for several years. The culmination of some of that experience has resulted in this dramatic new paradigm called Synchronous Technology. They have taken direct modeling many steps further and are able to operate directly on the 3D model. While other CAD software perform direct editing, Solid Edge’s unique implementation combines the speed and flexibility of direct modeling, yet it adds the modification control aspects of constraint based modeling; users can add and lock constraints when needed to precisely control how the model changes.

PTC’s Wildfire 4 delivers key technologies in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
05/01/2008

Recently we had the opportunity to spend some time reviewing the major enhancements to Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4. This release of the Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4 has some 300 enhancements and required the services of more than 250 developers. It encompasses 500 requirements documents that were filed by customers and PTC personnel since Wildfire 3, which was originally released in March 2006. There are four new modules.

Synchronous Technology unveiled by Siemens PLM Software in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
04/23/2008

I have not seen anything as exciting and innovative as Siemens’ synchronous technology since the introduction of parametric modeling in the late 80's.

Siemens PLM Software begins 45,000 seat Teamcenter deployment at Volkswagen in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
02/27/2008

Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) defined in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
10/14/2007

Today's PLM vendors all seem to be defining their new architecture as SOA, but never take the time to describe exactly what that means or entails. We decided to find out and thought you might appreciate what we came up with. As either a user or a vendor you should be able to clearly understand and articulate the benefits of SOA and its implications to your corporate and IT environment. This paper should help.

TechniCom reviews Solid Edge V20 in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
05/08/2007

Solid Edge Version 20 focuses on massive assembly modeling, managed collaboration, and engineering productivity. Overall this is a very impressive release. Many of the major modeling functions added to V20 focus on improving the ability to work with massive assemblies. This is a tough problem to solve, often taxing the resources of even the fastest desktop processors. Solid Edge V20, in our opinion, has made substantial progress in this area and now has leading edge capabilities.

TechniCom reviews Autodesk Product Data Management From a CAD Perspective in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
12/18/2006

TechniCom reviews Autodesk Product Data Management solutions and finds them to be easy and straightforward to use. They also promise to considerably increase user productivity during product development.

TechniCom reviews SolidWorks 2007 in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
12/06/2006

This paper focuses on certain advanced capabilities of SolidWorks 2007, particularly the new SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT™). We also reviewed and discuss the new search capability, a design checker that fixes problems, COSMOSXpress optimization, rapid beam analysis, and an improved kinematics sketch block capability.

Complementing the review are detailed images on our website at http://www.technicom.com/SW_WebGall1.

See Microsoft and CSC predictions of technology changes in Press Releases in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
09/26/2006

Solid Edge Version 19: a TechniCom Review in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
09/15/2006

Six Sigma and the Well-Behaved Design in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Jim Buchanan
09/07/2006

Make sure you see the Commentary in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
08/10/2006

Make sure you see the Commentary articles being posted regularly!

Autodesk Inventor gains maturity in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
04/13/2006

TechniCom reviews SolidWorks Office Premium in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
01/23/2006

UGS wins Nissan in Interviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
12/23/2005

Solid Edge Version 18: Reviewing the latest release. in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
11/10/2005

Now part of the UGS Velocity Series, Solid Edge V18 adds tightly integrated cPDM withTeamcenter Express, Femap Express for analysis, Wire Harness Design, Electrode Design, plus more.

Is the USA 2005 Technology Environment Headed in the Wrong Direction? Part 4 in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Russ Henke
06/28/2005

The fourth in a series of articles, this article focuses on the ballooning real and psychic costs of the Iraqi war and reduced US and worldwide admiration for US leadership. The out-of-pocket tab for US taxpayers for the war in IRAQ is now over $200 billion and headed for $300 billion by the end of 2005; this on top of the ballooning federal deficit that is driven by the deliberate reduction in federal taxes and thus government revenue over the last five years. US military deaths in IRAQ since the ill-advised war began in March 2003 are now over 1700 and counting. The Iraqi insurgency is stronger than ever. A New York Time/CBS News poll in June 2005 showed that President Bush's approval ratings reached a new low with only 42% replying that Bush was doing a good job, compared with 52% earlier this year.

Russ Henke updates his technology economic climate review in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Russ Henke
06/08/2005

Just three weeks have passed since the posting of the second article in this series on CAD-Portal.com (May 17, 2005). But the reports of events moving in the wrong direction appear to be accelerating, and thus this “instant update”.

Is the USA 2005 Technology Environment Headed in the Wrong Direction? Part 2 in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Russ Henke
05/17/2005

Russ Henke, in this second article explores other aspects of why the technology environment in the last five years have moved us in the wrong direction. This second article in the series explores business, economic and geopolitical indicators that have been causing high-anxiety in the world of high technology in the United States and elsewhere. The first article in this series, posted on CAD-Portal.com on April 15, 2005, primarily covered the sluggish net job growth and a deteriorating domestic stock markt. This article mainly deals with the unremitting extravagance in the face of the shift from US federal budget surplus to deficit, the long-term trend of a rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer US income distribution, the weaker US dollar, rising energy, oil & gas prices, ongoing corporate fraud, and record trade deficits. Future articles in this series will focus on the remaining aspects of the "Dirty Dozen” factors mentioned in the article. Selected tech-industry success stories in coping with this overall negative atmosphere will also be provided in subsequent articles.

Checking Drawings in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Gary Whitmire
04/26/2005

If there are changes to be made after the drawings have been released and sent to manufacturing or vendors. The whole checking process starts over. This is why checking is so important. I cannot stress enough the need to avoid the related cost and time lost due to revisions.

Is the USA 2005 Technology Environment Headed in the Wrong Direction? Part 1 in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Russ Henke
04/15/2005

Russ Henke, a widely respected industry pundit, explores why, after eight years of an improving technology environment, the last five years have moved us in the wrong direction. This is the first in a series of articles that will explore business, economic and geopolitical indicators that have been causing high-anxiety in the world of high technology in the United States and elsewhere.

The last five years have resulted in at least a dozen enervating factors: (1) relentless profligacy in the face of the unprecedented swing from U.S. federal budget surplus to deficit, (2) the unmistakable long-term trend of a rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer U.S. income distribution, (3) sluggish net job growth well below the requirements of U.S. population increases, (4) a net U.S. disadvantage in globalization, (6) weakened U.S. environmental stewardship, (6) the ballooning real and psychic costs of war, (7) reduced worldwide admiration for U.S. leadership, (8) the weaker dollar, (9) rising oil & gas prices, (10) a deteriorating domestic stock market, (11) rising corporate fraud, and (12) record deficits in trade and investment - which now require the U.S. to borrow $2.1 billion a day from abroad.

In future articles, Henke will cover some tech-industry success stories in coping with this negative atmosphere.

Product Lifecycle Management: How it can drive your business in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Dr. Kais Al-Tinimi
04/03/2005

A paper by Datamation Ltd., January 2005, seeks to clear up what Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) actually means and how it differs from Product Data Management (PDM). The paper proposes the idea of Corporate Intellectual Capital (CIC) and suggests that CIC management is critical.

Horizontal Modeling and Digital Process Design in Lean Design
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
03/11/2005

A whitepaper from Delphi Technologies - Horizontal Modeling and Digital Process Design are patented Delphi Technologies CAD/CAM methodologies that significantly lower product and process design costs throughout the design-to-manufacturing cycle. These forward-thinking design techniques are industry-tested and proven to shorten design cycles and lead times, reduce waste, and dramatically accelerate time to market. In short, Delphi has invented new ways to innovate, faster and at lower cost!

Selecting a Mechanical CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM System for SMBs in Interesting Papers
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
03/11/2005

For prospective buyers of mid-range Mechanical CAD (MCAD) systems, this Executive Summary of a TechniCom whitepaper proposes a logical, methodical approach for successfully selecting a new product development system.

TechniCom reviews Solid Edge Version 17 in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
03/09/2005

Solid Edge Version 17 advances hybrid design, further improves working with large assemblies, adds direct editing, and adds to its already impressive ease of use. This 10 page paper reviews many of the new aspects of Solid edge V17, introduces the reader to the new functionality of V17, and provides our impression of these functions.

Search Powered PLM in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
05/01/2004

Search Powered PLM offers a clear technology difference enabling companies to achieve greater business value in record time by using and managing their product data better. It offers clear advantages in terms of ease of use, finding all the data, and speed of implementation.

NX Systems Engineering Powers the Product Lifecycle in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
12/01/2003

Certain CAD systems enable a substantial subset of the components necessary to provide systems engineering tools. Leading among them is NX from UGS PLM Solutions.

think3's Product Configurator Powers Mass Customization in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
06/01/2003

A whitepaper about think3 discussing the aspects of their software that allows development of product customization without programming.

A Review of the Concurrent Product Modeling Capabilities of ImpactXoft’s IX SPeeD in Software Reviews
Contributed by: Ray Kurland
05/01/2002

This review appeared Issue 8, where we reviewed the latest version of ImpactXoft's, as yet, unreleased version of IX Design. Ray Kurland, our intrepid traveling editor, wrote that "Seldom have I ever felt that I was awed by a new product -- this is one of the exceptions!"