CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
March 2011
Product News
PROSTEP Packages the Whole World Of Engineering in a 3D PDF Document
PROSTEP AG is setting new standards for the easy and secure communication of engineering data within companies and with partners, suppliers and customers. The basis for this achievement is provided by the recently unveiled PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D. It allows 3D models from all leading CAD systems to be combined with PDM metadata, such as product structures, material data and BOMs from ERP systems, and other engineering information in a 3D PDF document and distributed worldwide. And to do this automatically, e.g. when there is a change in status. All the recipient needs to visualize 3D models and 2D data is the normal Adobe® Reader®, which can be found on almost every computer around the world. At the same time, a multi-level security concept provides maximum protection for the content communicated in the 3D PDF documents.
PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D is the successor to Adobe LiveCycle® PDF Generator 3D ES2. Several months ago, PROSTEP took over responsibility for its further development, support and worldwide sale from Adobe System Inc. The aim of the strategic collaboration between the two companies is to firmly anchor 3D PDF technology in manufacturing industry as the ISO standard for the 3D communication and documentation of product data. An important step in this direction is the integration of the technology in a companies’ PLM and ERP solutions in order to automate the availability of 3D PDF documents. To do this, PROSTEP has developed a special PDF2PLM connector that is based on OpenPDM technology.
PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D allows the server-based extraction of all types of engineering data from the respective CAD, PLM or ERP systems and the embedding of this data in 3D PDF documents. In addition, the container function allows native CAD data, Word documents, pictures and video clips to be added to these documents. Depending on the rights granted by the document owner, the contents can be visualized, copied, printed and/or annotated with Adobe Reader. “Intelligent” templates allow information to be entered into fields on forms or incorporated in dynamic bar codes so that it is automatically evaluated upon return and transferred to the backend systems.
The integration of PROSTEP PDF Generator 3D in PLM and ERP solutions, offers companies in the automotive industry and other branches of manufacturing industry a number of possible applications in various phases of the product lifecycle. PROSTEP has already developed a number of different use cases on the basis of this technology, some of which have already been implemented at customer sites (see http://www.pdfgenerator3d.com/en/use-cases.html). 3D PDF documents are, for example, used to communicate development data together with manufacturing dimensions and other information to the manufacturing department or external manufacturers without any need for drawings. Changes can thus be documented directly in the 3D model and coordinated with the other parties involved in the project, which shortens time-consuming, paper-based change processes. All the documents required for requests for quotes can, as it were, be embedded in “intelligent” 3D PDF documents and sent to suppliers at the push of a button. The suppliers can then enter their quotes directly in the forms thus allowing them to be evaluated automatically. It is also possible to use the 3D models for technical documentation without having to create time-consuming technical illustrations.
The use of 3D PDF technology makes an important contribution to improving and speeding up communication and decision-making processes within a company and in an extended network of companies. At the same time, it ensures tighter control of business-critical information by means of appropriate protection mechanisms. PROSTEP helps customers in every branch of manufacturing industry to identify the business processes that will most benefit from the use of 3D PDF technology.
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