In the era of rapidly evolving IT technologies and digital transformation, digital systems and tools are in nearly all industries, supporting all the tasks involved in the lifecycle of a product. One such system is CAD PLM integration, which is getting popular among different industries.
A Computer-Aided Design system or CAD is basically digital geometric modeling. The system aims to determine the structural form of a product. A CAD PLM integration system allows designers to create a detailed and complete three-dimensional virtual representation of a product.
On the other hand, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) coordinates the data, processes, and information associated with the development of a product throughout its whole life cycle.
CAD-PLM Integration
Collaboration in the product development process is a challenge as different CAD file formats exist in the market. CAD PLM integration allows designers and their extended supply chain to collaborate and manage the design process from one central app, independent of the CAD tools they are using. It ensures that changes are up to date in both systems, as they ultimately improve efficiency, reduce rework, and improve collaboration.
The more you integrate PLM and CAD software. The easier it becomes to take control without redundancy of data within the company.
Let’s further explore some of the competitive advantages of this integration.
Improved Collaboration
Every pattern of a product includes a significant amount of technical information. This information must be shared with manufacturers. So that they can create samples, generate accurate costing scenarios, and ultimately manufacture the product.
Products are sourced from diverse suppliers to different locations around the world. To ensure a consistent and accurate fit, the designer needs to deliver one set of precisely engineered patterns during this process. Different parties are involved in the manufacturing of a product. It enables them to have visibility into pattern data during the process of development and sourcing. By this, they can better maximize fabric utilization and minimize waste.
Quality Sustainability
Usually, technical designers or patternmakers produce measurements of finished garment using some powerful measurement tools in the CAD system. During the development process, if they are able to take graded specifications from the CAD system of the company. And use these specifications in the PLM system, it will lead to truer fit garments and will save a lot of time as well.
Minimize Errors
Manufacturers, brand owners, and designers work in highly dynamic environments on a daily basis. There can be some significant changes in designs, marketing plans, and forecasts of products during the development process. If you don’t do CAD PLM integration in systems, you’ll have to update these changes manually within each system. The process not only consumes a lot of time but is also error-prone.
Within a CAD system, a relational database stores patterns and markers to facilitate and ease native integration. With the integration of CAD and PLM systems, when someone edits or saves patterns and markers in the CAD software, the data automatically refreshes and updates in the PLM system. Moreover, non-CAD operators can also have access to the data, images, and cost information that is traditionally only accessible by workers in the CAD domain.
Accurate Costing Estimate
CAD PLM integration enables data such as material yield, which is present in the patterns design and marking CAD system, directly populate the bill of material fields in the PLM system. By this, designers can eliminate redundant work, generate more accurate cost estimates, and minimize errors.
Speed Time to Market
By automating the collaborative design process with supply chain partners, CAD PLM integration allows businesses to improve their engagement with customers, suppliers, and other supply chains. This speeds up the time to market, lowers costs, and offers you a competitive edge.
Conclusion
In order to maintain a “Single Version of the Truth,” accurate and precise information exchange is crucial during the product manufacturing and development process. Real-time and precise information flow between PLM and CAD systems accelerates the development processes. It avoids costly errors during production, reduces costs, and sustains product quality and fit consistency.
By integrating CAD tools with Agile PLM, you can achieve higher efficiency and innovation. Xavor’s xEngine add-on has integrated these systems for a number of Fortune 500 Companies. Reach out to us to experience a smooth integration of CAD PLM integration in systems and leverage maximum value out of your enterprise systems.
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