Creating a Flexible Data Management Environment in CAD/CAE/CAM for Product Lifecycle Management
Creating a Flexible Data Management Environment in
CAD/CAE/CAM for Product Lifecycle Management
Dr. David E. Culler1* and Noah Anderson, M.S.2
* Corresponding author: Tel.: (541) 885-1420; Fax: (541) 885-1411; E-mail: david.culler@oit.edu
1Associate Professor, Department of Manufacturing and
Mechanical Engineering and Technology (MMET)
Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR, 97601, U.S.A.
2Mechanical Engineer and Software
Applications Development Manager
Advanced Integration Technology
Bothell, WA, 98021, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
Most commercial CAD/CAE/CAM software programs offer Product Data Management and Product Lifecycle
Management functionality that incorporates 3D design/graphics, engineering drawings, digital archiving and
revision control, collaboration tools and centralized databases for managing information and facilitating reduced
times to market. Although these systems are powerful and available for product designers, engineers and
managers, over-stated capability and cumbersome user interfaces often fail to deliver on promises made to
customers. In addition, the resources for implementing these programs and the high cost of software licenses have
forced many companies (especially small-medium sized) to post-pone or reconsider plans to invest in this
promising technology. This paper describes a methodology for streamlining the engineering and development of
new products using computer aided applications and software made using Application Programming Interface
tools. Advances in computing and engineering will bring new ideas and innovation to make the product
development process more agile and customizable to the needs of each company. This paper focuses on combining
the areas of CA’X’ based product development and software engineering to address some of the shortcomings of
“off the shelf” programs and raise awareness of the possibilities that exist when CAD/CAE/CAM is viewed as the
hub of a more integrated and flexible working environment that is rich with accessible information.
1. INTRODUCTION
Making good investment choices in CAD/CAE/CAM software is very important as modern product engineering
and manufacturing and data management occur in an almost completely Computer Assisted environment (CAX). It has
been said that the companies that will thrive in the post-recession decades will be those that have learned to manage and
share data both internally and with customers/suppliers using the tools and concepts of Product Data Management
(PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Many stand-alone software programs are sold as having fully
integrated functionality and partnerships between software vendors are common, often reaching the “Gold Partner”
status (an example of this is Solidworks with MasterCAM). This means that the two programs are operated from the
same user interface but they continue to operate out of separate databases and lack consistency with terminology,
philosophy and operation. The positive result of these efforts is that designs can be passed seamlessly from design to
analysis to NC programming with a single model that will automatically update based on changes at any stage. They
provide interoperability and associativity to connect processes together creating a digital product definition. Software
developers are using Application User Interface (API) tools to link the programs and the transfer of data has become
much better. Although there have been great advances with this technology over the last decade, there is still a lot to be
done before we can openly interrogate model databases and then extract, organize and make information available
across not only product engineering and manufacturing but, in the business cycle and in customer/supplier relationship
management as well.
In the not so far off future, systems and applications including CAD/CAE/CAM, Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Product Data
Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) will be seamless and customizable. Currently in
industry, company philosophies, work standards, levels of process integration, use of technology, sharing of digital