Discovering Cost Savings in the DoD by Automating the 3D Digital Design Data Delivery Process

Milford, OH, March 1, 2011 – ITI TranscenData, the Product Data Interoperability business within International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), announced today that they are leading The Customer/Supplier Interoperability (CSI) during Collaborative Design project for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Defense Manufacturing Science & Technology Program.

The CSI project will demonstrate automated processes to provide 3D digital data to customers, suppliers, and partners and validate the anticipated cost savings. Along with ITI, the CSI team is comprised of Lockheed Martin, Honeywell Aerospace and Rockwell Collins, end user companies who have real world examples and experience in sharing information during the collaborative design phase. ATI will facilitate CSI as the Prime Contractor for PDES, Inc., the consortium of government, industry and university organizations serving as a Technical Advisory Committee for the project. 

The CSI project will attack the problem of sharing product information during the collaborative phase of design. Some of the challenges include: differing data requirements across contracts, including standards-based and native-based submittals; supporting native-based submittals for specific CAD systems, versions and model manipulation rules; enabling companies to support very complex requirements based on the depth and complexity of the supply chain and the product; minimizing the investment that companies make to manually convert the data or to install, maintain and train engineers on the systems and rules specified in each of the contracts.

The CSI solution will provide automation that eliminates the manual effort required to support variations in data submittal requirements.  The automation will be built as a module of ITI’s DEXcenter^TM solution line.  The environment will provide software (utilities, applications, scripts, etc.) elements that automate each specific item in the contract as well as contract language mapping that provides the ability to map internal model characteristics to the contract specified characteristics without programming. Workflows will be included that execute the software in a specified sequence based on each contract and dynamically change to improve the conversion results. Database capabilities to store and use information about contracts, programs, customers, partners, suppliers, translators, ITAR, PIA’s, etc. that can be reused across a program for consistent data sharing and regulatory compliance are also part of ITI’s DEXcenter^TM solution.

The benefits of the CSI project include cost reduction in the upfront design phases when collaboration requirements drive data sharing on a day-to-day basis and reduced time to market by eliminating delays in manual preparation of product data for sharing and delivery.  The CSI project will tackle the highest cost elements of interoperability in the context of collaborative design, technical data packages, design-to-packages and build-to-packages.

About the CSI Team Members

ATI provides technology solutions for supply chain issues and DoD interoperability by providing eCommerce and Product Data Solutions to improve warfighter readiness. ATI is the prime contractor for PDES, Inc., which is an international industry/government/academia consortium committed to accelerating the development and implementation of standards that enable enterprise integration and Product Lifecycle Management interoperability. Its members represent leading manufacturers, U.S. governmental agencies, software vendors, universities, and research organizations. PDES, Inc. supports the Digital Enterprise through the development and implementation of information standards to support Model-based Engineering, Model-based Manufacturing, and Model-based Sustainment. Testing of implementations and data exchange using standards is an integral part of PDES, Inc.

Honeywell Aerospace is the largest single supplier of components and services to the aerospace industry, and is a diversified technology and manufacturing leader of aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; power generation systems; specialty chemicals; fibers; plastics and advanced materials. Honeywell Aerospace delivers a diverse range of commercial and defense and space products, systems and services across the aerospace industry. From single-engine piston-powered airplanes to commercial applications to military and space vehicles applications, Honeywell Aerospace products and systems can be found on virtually every type of aerospace platform operating around the world today.

Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and electronics solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in avionics, electronics, mission communications, information management, simulation and training is delivered by 20,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production, and support of advanced military aircraft. The company's headquarters, a major manufacturing operation, is located in Fort Worth, Texas. Rapid prototyping, simulation-based virtual design, and supply chain integration are just a few of the many engineering proficiencies that enable Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company to build the finest military aircraft in the world. Lockheed Martin products play an important role in the defense of the United States, ensuring peace and stability around the world. Their most widely known aircraft include F-35 and F-22 Fifth Generation fighters; the most successful international fighter, the F-16; the versatile airlifter, the C-130J; and the first operational stealth fighter, the
F-117.

International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), a small business located in Milford, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, is one of the world’s leading providers of consulting, software products, and related integration services that enable clients to dramatically improve their product and manufacturing process development capabilities. The ITI product data interoperability business (ITI TranscenData) is a leading independent provider of products and services for data interoperability, integration, and collaboration.

For more information visit www.transcendata.com
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