PTC Resources for Small & Medium Businesses

The Expansion of 3D into the Small to Midsize Market

Indeed, the move from 2D to 3D offers a wide range of benefits to organizations of any size. No wonder, more and more SMB companies are planning their transition, too. But there are best practices and recommendations that SMBs should follow to ensure optimum benefits from the move to 3D. The Aberdeen Group has done extensive research in this field and summarized their findings in a compact Sector Insight Report.

Five Things You Should Know About 3D CAD Software

If you’re a design engineer working in a “typical” manufacturing company, you may be spending 60 to 80 percent of your time not creating new designs, but fixing old ones – updating, optimizing, making changes for ECOs, and so on. There are ways to make design changes less disruptive and less time-consuming, however. In all, PTC has identified five major issues that design engineers face, and offers insight into how 3D CAD software can help mediate or resolve these issues. This item is available as PDF and mp3 audio file.

SMB Roundtable: Straight Talk from CAD Designers

Straight talk from 3D CAD designers – there is nothing more valuable than first hand information from your peers. We have asked representatives from SMB companies in various countries why they have made the decision for Pro/ENGINEER and why they are happy with their decision. Share their experience and advice for successful state-of-the-art engineering!

Ivan Robinson, Commercial Engineer at Thermex Ltd., one of the UK’s leading global heat exchanger manufacturers, has moved from 2D to 3D design several years ago. It has been a long time since Mr.. Robinson even used a 2D solution, so quantifying how much time the 3D capabilities save his team is less of a concern than it used to be. "I’m of the view that there are other things that have a greater impact on the day-to-day working life of engineers,” he explains and in this article, shares insight into five ways how 3D design with Pro/ENGINEER makes his job easier. Join Ivan for a real-life report about his day-to-day job tasks in the 3D world!

Are You a [Pro] ENGINEER?
View this short movie to learn why users from various countries and industries enjoy working with Pro/ENGINEER.
Get first hand insight from your peers and read these short case studies — from users for users!
View movie (1:12)

Kim Sook Goo of R&D Plus Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of small appliances in Korea, has been working with Pro/ENGINEER for more than decade, and strongly favors the software over other CAD systems he has tried, such as AutoCAD® or I-deas®. Mr. Kim says that Pro/ENGINEER contains so much powerful functionality that it provides a clear competitive advantage for his company, but at the same time, from a user perspective, it is so surprisingly easy to use – especially for 'freshmen' who have never worked with a 3D CAD system before.

George Donagher of Bord Na Móna PLC–the leading Irish producer of peat processing equipment, has more than 10 years of engineering experience. Having worked with other 3D CAD tools such as Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop earlier in his career, he turned to Pro/ENGINEER and has continued using it ever since. “I guess I am spoiled for any other 3D CAD products for the rest of my life", he says...

"Moving from 2D design with AutoCAD® to 3D design with Pro/ENGINEER sped up our development times by 80%,”reports David Barbour, Technical Manager of Re-Process Technologies, a leading South African manufacturer of mining equipment. In his story, Mr. Barbour describes why he has chosen Pro/ENGINEER and how the software helped his company to successfully migrate to 3D design in 2008.

Thomas Bichler works as a CAD administrator at FRONIUS International GmbH, a leading manufacturer of welding technology, solar electronics, and battery charging technology. He has many years of experience working with various 2D and 3D systems, including AutoCAD® and Mechanical Desktop®, and has been using Pro/ENGINEER for over six years. "The introduction and adaptation of Pro/ENGINEER went very smoothly; after only one or two months, our environment was optimized and the employees were familiar enough with the software so that we were able to complete our projects at the desired level of productivity," he reports.

Benoît Grelier works as an R&D Engineer for SCOTT Sports SA, a leading European manufacturer of sports equipment and accessories used by bikers, skiers and other sports enthusiasts across the globe. Mr. Grelier had his first contact with 3D CAD software when he attended engineering school. There, he was mainly educated in Pro/ENGINEER, but was also taught SolidWorks® 3D CAD as well. This exposure allowed him to directly compare the two products and to experience their differences first-hand, so understands the many benefits that Pro/ENGINEER delivers.

Dr. Prümper has worked with Pro/ENGINEER for more than 10 years. Throughout his lengthy professional career, he has used various CAD systems, but for the challenges he has to face on a daily basis in his engineering office, Pro/ENGINEER has proven to be the most powerful and most efficient solution.

Fabrizio Calandro is a Mechanical Draftsman working for CROWN Closures Italy S.r.l. He has been working with Pro/ENGINEER for eight years. Prior to Pro/ENGINEER, he was able to experience other 3D packages, such as Mastercam and SolidEdge, but he says that “Pro/ENGINEER has proved to be more powerful and stable than its competitors.”

Paul Heatherington is Lead Designer at Burnside Autocyl, a manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders in Tullow, Co. Carlow / Ireland. The company has implemented Pro/ENGINEER when making the move from 2D CAD to 3D CAD in 2005.

Thomas Alder works as mechanical engineer for nowak engineering GmbH in Spreitenbach, Switzerland. Having graduated from engineering school in 2005, he belongs to the younger generation of Pro/ENGINEER users. When he started working for nowak engineering, Mr. Alder attended a one-week training class conducted by the local PTC Reseller. “The training week was very effective, and I found the learning curve very low,” he reports. “Although I was totally new to the 3D world, I was able to do productive work right after my training week."

"It doesn’t take long to become familiar with the software. Within a day or two you can begin to understand the process and build some models", reports James Lynch of Design Partners in Bray, Ireland. “But, of course, it’s not until you begin to explore Pro/ENGINEER in your day-to-day work that you realise you were only scratching the surface of what’s possible, and begin to exploit the full potential of the software. And, working in a design consultancy where everybody wants everything yesterday, you have to learn quickly – and Pro/ENGINEER allowed me to hit my deadlines right the first time.”

Tuomas Pöysti works as CAD System Specialist at Planmeca Oy, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-tech dental equipment, where he administrates and supports other users of Pro/ENGINEER. He says: "I am privileged to support a very talented group of about 30 mechanical and industrial designers. They rarely need help with basic modeling in Pro/ENGINEER – they all got up to speed quickly and find it generally easy to use." Read on to learn more about Tuomas' day-to-day experiences with the software.

Yasuhiro Murakami works as R&D Manager at THERMOS® K.K., the Japanese branch of the THERMOS Group, the internationally renowned manufacturer of insulated products. Mr. Murakami has been using Pro/ENGINEER for many years now, designing most of the THERMOS products, including sports bottles, portable mugs, and the thermal cooker. "The software’s usability has been developed further constantly, and evolved in such an impressive way that, today, I find it even much easier to use than any other 3D CAD package on the market.”

"In our business, speed is a decisive factor for success. Modeling in Pro/ENGINEER is very quick. For example, I have just completed a design for a new battery, and the entire design has taken me only three days!" Read on to learn how Allan Turtle benefits from using Pro/ENGINEER.

View this two minute video and learn how you can harness product development activities, activities performed every day, to grow profits and reduce cost. See for yourself how to strengthen your business and plan your company's path to business fitness.

Selecting a PLM system for any business, especially a small to mid-size business, is a challenge. A structured, well thought out process is critical to success.

Download the white paper developed by industry experts, and learn about 10 steps to follow when selecting software solutions.

“Today’s small and medium-size businesses are facing more challenges than ever before. A global economy poses new and difficult problems including ever increasing complexities in product design and stringent time, cost and quality requirements. But this economy also provides opportunities to find new markets and more customers. So what approach should a small discrete manufacturer take to prosper in these risky economic times?”

Download the Machine Design e-Book, SMBs: A Blueprint for Success, and learn how you can drive up the value and economic worth of your products and services.

“Process change is hard, especially for something as complex and dynamic as a company’s product development process. This benchmark study found that Best-in class companies report that as result of process improvement: 1) their ability to achieve success in the marketplace with new products and/or services was improved or significantly improved by 80%; and 2) their ability to deliver more new and innovative products was improved or significantly improved by 70%.”

Download the white paper, What does “Getting the Process Right” Mean for the SMB Enterprise to how to distinguish your company from your peers in the area of product development.

No doubt you have evaluated different ways for your organization to save money. But, have you taken a serious look at how you can harness product development activities- tasks that you do every day- to make more money? Learn how you can plan your company's path to business fitness.

Now is the time to make product development work for you so that you can spend more time doing what you do best.. design winning products. Join PTC for an exclusive webcast and learn about 6 ways in which Product Development can help your company make more money. This webcast will feature examples from leading companies about how they've boosted the bottom line by examining and improving their own Product Development practices.

Learn, how SPP leverage the PTC products to successfully advance their design of critical pumps through virtual prototypes and intercontinental collaboration

Now that all-digital product development is a reality and information collaboration is a fact of business life, reusing product design information is becoming a necessity. However, Aberdeen Research found that performance gaps between many manufacturers can be tied directly to the effectiveness of how companies approach design reuse.

Design reuse has come a long way from the days of searching for part numbers and recording data in paper notebooks. Today's methods are far easier and much more efficient- adding needed speed to the entire product development process. Learn how you can save as much as 75% of a design engineers modeling time, improve quality and time to market.

Join PTC for this webcast and learn the best practice strategies for design reuse. Discover how design reuse promotes efficiency in product development, resulting in reduced design cycle times and accelerated time-to-market.

“In today’s competitive market, companies need to look for ways to reduce excess costs and preserve valuable time. To identify successful practices for reducing scrap and rework, Aberdeen examined two areas that are a source of scrap: the design process and manufacturing planning.”

Learn how companies looking to reduce costs and save time by reducing their scrap rates and required rework can look to those who are most satisfied with their scrap and rework rates for best practices to improve.

Production scrap and design rework are two inefficiencies that can quickly put you at a competitive disadvantage if you aren’t working continuously to reduce them.

Learn how you can save time and money by following four steps to reduce production scrap and rework.

Join PTC for this webcast and learn how successful companies are implementing new initiatives in change management, production machining and product validation to significantly reduce production scrap and design rework, and their associated costs.

Small and Medium businesses are facing pressures to meet the changing needs of their customers. “Aberdeen research suggests that a collaborative design effort that engages ‘outsiders’ as well as ‘insiders’ in the product development process can have a powerful impact on an organization’s ability to develop and deliver successful products.”

Download this report and learn how top Small and Medium businesses are benefiting from adopting a cross-departmental collaboration strategy that improves product definition and supports design for manufacturability initiatives.

Not only has product development become fully globalized, but the pressures to deliver products on time and within budget have mounted.

Reviewing the state of your company’s collaborative framework in terms of speed, accuracy and completeness will help you set a collaboration-building strategy that works for your company.

The pressures of globally distributed design teams and more stringent time, cost, regulatory and quality requirements continue to complicate the product development process. In order to succeed, SMB organizations need to collaborate across project teams more efficiently to bring the right products to the marketplace at the right time.

View this on-demand webcast and learn how leading companies have built an engineering collaboration framework that's best suited for their business.

Physical prototypes and testing add additional cost and consume valuable time during the design cycle. Often times, designs are too constrained late in the process to property address problems identified during testing. In today’s uncertain economic environment, you can’t afford to add additional time and cost to your development cycles.

This Aberdeen Report will provide you with best practices on how other Small and Medium Business are leveraging virtual prototypes to identify and troubleshoot performance issues early in the design cycles.

Virtual prototyping can save time, cut costs and deliver fresh insight into CAD models, but only if it’s applied correctly. Do you have the correct measures in place to employ virtual prototyping with confidence?

This feature article will help you define best practiced for implementing virtual prototypes that produce credible results, and products that perform as well in the real world as they do on the workstation.