Intelligent Manufacturing € September € 1995 € Vol. 1 € No. 9

News in Brief

Parametric Receives $1.9M Order From McDonnell Douglas

Parametric Technology Corp. (Waltham, Mass.), a developer of mechanical design automation software, has received a $1.9 million order for its Mechanica software and services from aerospace giant McDonnell Douglas Corp. (St. Louis, Mo.). Now a company standard, Mechanica will play an integral role in helping McDonnell Douglas achieve its goal of reducing time-to-market and the cost of producing its aircraft by 50%.

McDonnell Douglas first became a user of Mechanica design analysis and optimization software in 1992, when the company was developing the F18 Navy fighter. The software saved the airplane manufacturer millions of dollars by detecting potential mechanical failures before the final components were assembled.

The Mechanica product line is based on technology that optimizes the shape and movement of mechanical designs by synthesizing the user's engineering requirements with their existing CAD model. This technology is used with existing CAD systems to help design engineers remove cost from their product designs by systematically reducing weight, increasing performance, and improving quality during the detailed design phase of product development.

EMS Signs Software Deal with Chatwins Group

Effective Management Systems (EMS) Inc. (Milwaukee, Wis.), a supplier of manufacturing management software, has signed a multi-plant software agreement with Chatwins Group Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.), a manufacturer of complex fabricated metal and plastic products, to provide complete software support for 10 of the company's manufacturing facilities nationwide. The agreement calls for installation of EMS's Time Critical Manufacturing (TCM) suite of software applications. TCM includes a manufacturing execution system for real-time shop floor control of manufacturing operations and a database with links to planning, engineering and the front office.

Each Chatwins plant will operate independently, though all may share financial data via the EMS software. Currently 10 of the Chatwins plants are either online or in the process of implementing. While the plants will operate independently and not be networked, the company has said it may eventually unify all plant financial reports with the corporate financial database.

Sony Opens Factory in San Diego

Japanese electronics giant Sony Electronics Inc. has opened a $50 million computer picture tube (CRT) factory in San Diego, Calif., believed to be the only facility to produce computer CRTs in the U.S. The CRT is the central - and most complex - element in computer monitor manufacturing.

The new operation brings Sony's CRT manufacturing closer to the large - and growing - North and South American market for computer peripherals. It also results in the creation of some 300 jobs for the San Diego area.

Baan Inks Deals with Manufacturers

Baan Co. (Menlo Park, Calif.), a supplier of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions, has signed new agreements with several global corporations which have adopted Baan's Triton software to fulfill their business process reengineering needs. Some of the manufacturers involved include:

• Mercedes-Benz, an automotive manufacturer, has selected Triton as the backbone for its first U.S. passenger vehicle manufacturing plant currently under construction in Alabama.
  
  
• American Steel & Wire, a manufacturer of coil and wire, is using Triton to satisfy its order fulfillment requirements with special emphasis on product configurator capabilities.
  
  
• Progressive Tool & Industries (PICO), a manufacturer of assembly lines, welding stations and testing stations for the automotive industry, will implement Triton's project control system throughout its 21 facilities in the greater Detroit area.
  
  
• Weyerhauser Fine Paper Business, a manufacturer of paper stock, will utilize Triton's sales order entry and distribution requirements planning capabilities to better facilitate customer demand.
  
  
• Carrier Transicold, a manufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration systems for truck, bus and shipping lines, has selected Triton to provide a fully integrated ERP solution across all areas of its business.
  
  
• Tetra Laval Food, a manufacturer of food processing and packaging systems, will use Triton for product centers located throughout the U.S., central Europe and Scandinavia.
  
  
• Hitachi, an electronics and electrical equipment manufacturer, will integrate Triton with its Unix systems for initial distribution in Southeast Asia.

Structural Research Signs Agreement with Case

Structural Research & Analysis Corp. (Los Angeles, Calif.), a supplier of software for the mechanical computer-aided engineering market, has signed an agreement with Case Corp. (Burr Ridge, Ill.), a manufacturer of agricultural and construction vehicles, to supply Case with its design analysis technology. Structural Research's Cosmos/M Engineer with FFE (Fast Finite Element) is a productivity tool that Case will use to reduce analysis turnaround time and help reduce the product development cycle time. Case plans to provide this tool to its design engineers to enable them to evaluate designs earlier in the design process.

Essef Merges with Advanced Structures

Essef Corp. (Chardon, Ohio) and Advanced Structures Inc. (Escondido, Calif.) have completed a merger of the two companies for 325,000 shares of Essef stock. Essef Corp. designs and manufactures products for selected markets through the application of high performance polymeric materials and process technologies. Advanced Structures is a $12 million manufacturer of composite non-metallic pressure vessel housings for industrial and municipal reverse osmosis membrane systems. The company's products are sold under the Code Line brand name.

Advanced Structures will become part of the Structural North America division of Essef Corp. Structural manufactures high-performance composite pressure vessels used in filter and ion exchange applications for the water treatment industry. The combined companies will blend complementary product lines and technologies to deliver higher performing products to a much broader customer base.

ATMI Stays Put in Connecticut

Advanced Technology Materials Inc. (Danbury, Conn.), a manufacturer of semiconductor materials, devices and equipment, has received funding in excess of $2 million from several State of Connecticut agencies to help promote the company's growth within the state. There had been some speculation that, without the loans, ATMI might have relocated to another state. The loans will be used primarily for upgrading and expanding the Danbury facility, which includes a significant expansion of manufacturing capacity. ATMI, which currently employs 140, plans to add over 200 employees within the next few years.

The funding will also allow ATMI to develop high-performance semiconducting devices based on diamond and diamond-like materials. The company believes these materials will eventually make possible applications ranging from automotive engine electronics to ultra-thin, high-performance flat panel displays.