Case studies at the Center
Continuing series...
Subject:
Case Study: E2E, the new rage in engineering around the world
Collaboration between engineers working on the same project from different ends of the globe
August 15, 2001
Collaboration between engineers working on the same project from different ends of the continent or of the world is one of the most exciting developments coming through the Internet right now.
From Design News - Collaboration on a project, when all parties are in-house, has been going on for a long while. Now, the Internet makes it possible for engineers to collaborate on a project from separate locations. In fact, completely virtual corporations are starting up all over the world. The only drawback in providing real-time engineer-to-engineer (E2E) collaboration is in present day data transfer speeds. Server-resident CAD programs meet with the greatest challenge where transfer speed is concerned. These systems require that the designer perform all operations online and through the variable speed of the company's particular Internet connection. Transfer speeds must be maintained at a very high rate in order for the collaboration to occur anywhere near real-time.
Through the use of local CAD software, Internet collaboration need only transfer those operations that have been completed, rather than the hand-shaking that goes on to manipulate a server-resident package. In this way, implementation speeds are much faster. Even this method can have its challenges. Often, special software add-ons have been created to facilitate online transfer of data through a variety of different hand-shaking schemes. One company, Alibre, provides a web-based architecture with full 3D parametric, feature-based, associative solid modeling capabilities to the engineer. Consultant of Interactive Computer Engineering Howard Crabb says, "Alibre is one company that has built its software around the Internet from the ground up."
According to Hyrum Anderson, mechanical engineer at Synthesis Engineering Services, "The software is very easy to learn and offers some powerful functionality. The Alibre software particularly handles parts and assembling very well." An Alibre spokesperson points out that key features of the software include the company's Real-Time Team Modeling, load-balanced distributed processing, and secure product data repository, sharing, and management capabilities. Hyrum says that Synthesis Engineering provides design tooling, as well as individual parts for automation equipment.
Centric Software's PIVOTAL product family also provides users with a highly interactive 3D visual behavior synthesis environment through Stream Weaver technology-superimposing multiple data sources with data channels that are streamed-in in real time. Also scalable, PIVOTAL unites its users throughout the product cycle. Henrik Aberg, Systems Administrator, at Volvo Cars, claims that, "We are testing the software in a collaborative situation. We've used PIVOTAL on a few small proprietary projects and find it extremely user-friendly. The software allows us to view different types of data through a standard PC without being CAD experts."
There are other vendors of such software besides those discussed in this short piece. Research the available products, apply them to your company's specific needs, and get started. Internet design collaboration is coming fast.
Source: Manufacturing.net
and Design News
The General Center for Internet Services can carefully design and build flexible and powerful secure E2E engineering applications and tools that will answer your most exacting and critical design needs and in any industry. Upon contact, your GCIS engineering consultant will be more than happy to visit you and propose the best E2E solutions for your engineering department.
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