Rand Worldwide announced that its courseware division, ASCENT – Center for Technical Knowledge, will now offer its latest Autodesk Official Training Guides (AOTG), Creo courseware, and CATIA courseware in an online, self-paced eLearning format in addition to their traditional guides and eBooks. This new self-serve, online training platform includes learning elements such as step-by-step procedures, hands-on exercises, and review questions that reinforce understanding to appeal to multiple learning styles. “Our new eLearning Bundles put our industry-leading courseware into a rich interactive, online environment,” says Paul Burden, director of product development, ASCENT. “Our customers want to be able to learn when and where they want, so the addition of our online learning option enables us to offer them greater choice in how they access our content. We provide detailed instructional content, easy access to relevant practice exercises, plus instantaneous feedback on review quizzes so users will always know where they stand. There is also

aPriori today announced the latest release of its software platform. aPriori 2014r1 delivers new enterprise capabilities that enable users to better predict product costs in complex global manufacturing environments and supply chains; cost more different types of products and parts; and continue to expand usage across the enterprise so more resources can identify and act on product cost reduction opportunities. The release is generally available immediately. “Global manufacturers face increasing complexity as competitive pressures require multiple product variants tailored to local market preferences,” said Julie Driscoll, aPriori’s vice president of strategic marketing and product management. “Sharp fluctuations in commodity pricing and availability, the increasing cost of outsourcing and related quality concerns, and sourcing decisions that can make or a break a product’s profitability; all these dynamics make it more difficult to accurately predict product costs. To manage effectively in these fluid environments, manufacturers need to be able to evaluate multiple cost

LORD MicroStrain Sensing Systems is a division of LORD Corporation. LORD MicroStrain makes mini sensors and systems that are used in a wide range of sensing solutions including inertial measurement systems, micro-displacement transducers, wireless sensor networks and energy harvesting technologies. Their sensors have won numerous awards by being both innovative and responsive to their customer's unique requirements. Manual Quality Processes Lack Visibility into Issues LORD MicroStrain has been using the Empower PLM system to manage their parts, bill of materials (BOMs) and engineering change/ECO information since 2007. The company realized positive business benefits managing their design processes with Empower PLM and saw an opportunity to expand that success by leveraging the quality management capabilities of the system. The company did not previously have automated quality management in place. Without formal documentation of specific problems, it was difficult to identify and effectively resolve issues. The company was also setting out to achieve ISO 9001

Siemens via its Venture Capital unit (SFS VC), has made a strategic corporate investment of $10 million (series A funding) in Polarion Software. The investment will allow Polarion to expand its product development initiatives and better support its rapidly growing community of worldwide users. This investment marks the first outside funding that Polarion has received.  Polarion is the creator of the world’s fastest enterprise scale browser-based ALM solution.  Using the latest technology and unified by design, Polarion ALM solutions provide traceability and transparency, supporting all essential software and product development process activities in one easy to use solution.  According to a recent report by Ovum, Polarion drives ALM with a workflow engine that underpins the whole lifecycle on one platform. The company’s technology stands out as a truly integrated ALM solution. “We are pleased to welcome Siemens Venture Capital into the Polarion family,” said Frank Schroeder, CEO of Polarion Software.  “Siemens investment in Polarion

Lectra is pleased to announce the appointment of Céline Choussy Bedouet as Marketing Director for Automotive, Furniture, Technical Textiles and Composite Materials. Based in Bordeaux-Cestas (France), she reports directly to Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “In five years, Lectra’s market share has risen from 15% to 60% in the automatic fabrics cutting for automobile interiors. Céline has two priorities: the first is to promote the automatic cutting of leather interiors to strengthen our leading position in the automotive market, the second is to increase Lectra’s presence in the furniture, technical textiles and composite materials markets where we now have an enhanced offer," said Daniel Harari. “Céline’s experience, her marketing skills and her knowledge of our markets will enable her to provide support to our teams throughout the world.” “Lectra today has many assets: consulting expertise based on lean manufacturing fundamentals, intelligent industrial equipment, integrated software suites covering the entire chain, from design to

Datakit is actively participating in the Standards & Interoperability PLM project organized as part of the IRT SystemX, launched in late 2013.  This project focuses on the harmonization of PLM solutions and processes in the manufacturing industry. Notably, this involves the interoperability of PLM applications and support for standards in use in the PLM world, especially STEP. These are strategic aspects for an industry experiencing fast evolutions. SIP is intended to provide a framework for interoperability, PLM tests for certification of exchange processors, and for preliminary works about development of exchange standards. It brings together expertise from various backgrounds for a more comprehensive approach to the subject. Datakit provides its expertise in interoperability focused on CAD data, high skills in data exchange standards (especially STEP definition and use), and active participation in forums working on these standards providing frameworks for their development and deployment. Click here for more information about the SIP project.

Siemens PLM Software has released version 26.1 of Parasolid software. Parasolid version 26.1 includes enhancements to a wide variety of areas with a special focus on providing high level functionality to support the productivity of sophisticated end-users who encounter complex geometric configurations in their daily work. Building on foundations of industry-hardened technology; these new capabilities allow application developers to deliver productivity boosting solutions to overcome problems that would otherwise require considerable end-user skill and time. Areas enhanced in v26.1 include Hole Filling and Sweeping, Blending and Model Editing. Hole Filling and Sweeping V26.1 adds to extensive surfacing functionality with new creation and editing capabilities that are of particular interest to end-users who import data, which may require repair, from other systems. These include: Filling holes in a model, guided by reference points to influence the surface shape. Generating the swept volume of a spun tool body swept along a path with an arbitrary lock direction. Using non-G1

Vero Software is unveiling a number of ground-breaking innovations, along with launching a new module, at the MACH 2014 Exhibition. Four Vero Software brands, Alphacam, Edgecam, Radan and VISI, will be showcasing new and updated functionality on stand 4426 at the NEC in Birmingham on April 7 – 11. They include unique technologies introduced into VISI’s CAD/CAM applications for the mould and die market; and Radan officially launches a new quoting module which fits seamlessly into its manufacturing solutions. VISI: The show is the first opportunity for manufacturers to see a preview of the forthcoming VISI 21. This new release focuses on advanced technologies both in its design and manufacturing aspects, featuring innovative, unique technologies included for the first time.  General Manager Richard Youhill says VISI has always maintained a leading position in managing large amounts of CAD data, and ease of use for definition of mould tools and assemblies. “Visitors to MACH

Delcam Italia will demonstrate Delcam’s completely integrated solution for the design, machining and inspection of moulds, dies and other tooling at the EuroStampi exhibition to be held in Parma from 27th to 29th March as part of the MECSPE group of exhibitions.  The complete solution combines Delcam’s PowerSHAPE CAD software, PowerMILL CAM system and PowerINSPECT inspection software and enables toolmakers to work more efficiently and to higher levels of accuracy. By offering a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, PowerSHAPE provides the most comprehensive range of design techniques available in a single CAD program.  Having all the different technologies in the same package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines the whole product development process.  At the same time, the combination of quick and easy direct modelling options, together with powerful and flexible surface modelling, makes PowerSHAPE the perfect choice for design for manufacture. The direct

Bridging the Requirements Gap with Model-Based Systems Engineering A CIMdata Systems Engineering Knowledge Council Workshop June 24, 2014 | GE Aviation Brian H. Rowe Learning Center - Cincinnati, Ohio   Who Should Attend? Why Attend? View Agenda Cost & Venue Are you involved in Systems Engineering at your company? If so, plan to join your peers to discuss all the key topics and more at our upcoming Systems Engineering Knowledge Council workshop. CIMdata’s North American Systems Engineering Workshop is the must-attend event for systems engineering practitioners globally — providing independent experiences from industrial companies and a collaborative networking environment where ideas, trends, experiences, and relationships critical to the industry germinate and take root. This one-day workshop will focus on the critical areas of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Linking Requirements to Product Design: Learn About: How systems engineering can dramatically improve upfront capability to define product requirements and design architecture Using systems engineering as a strategy to deal with increasing product complexity How