UGS Launches Open Manufacturing Backbone

By DE Editors

UGS (Plano, TX), has launched Open Manufacturing Backbone(OMB), a globally-scalable technology backbone designed to transformthe process of digital manufacturing through an open environment inwhich third-party software applications can interoperate.

The technology foundation for OMB is UGS' Teamcenter Manufacturing, a"robust enterprise platform" used to help companies digitize and manage theirmanufacturing processes. According to UGS, process, resource, plant, and productdata allreside in a single integrated data manager within TeamcenterManufacturing, enabling the full and highly-functional relationshipsand semantics necessary for different applications to work with oneanother in an open environment.As a result, third-party digital manufacturing applications are said tobe able to interoperate seamlessly within OMB.

The company isworking with several application providers like Tecnomatix on implementations of OMB, and expects toannounce additional application provider agreements in the comingweeks. UGS also expects to develop additionalapplications of its own to work interoperably within OMB.

UGS says that OMB addresses the growing demand for open digital manufacturingsolutions. Digital manufacturing is a PLM strategy that focuseson improving every aspect of how a company builds its products.Many manufacturers are embracing DM technology and are reporting benefits suchasbetter asset utilization, reduced launch times, more predictableprocesses and improved profitability.

In a recent survey by Cimdata, a leading PLM consulting and researchfirm, it was noted that "openness and interoperability" was the numberone factor in deciding on a digital manufacturing solution. Inthe survey, openness was identified as the key differentiator for UGSin this space. UGS has reporteda nearly 100 percent increase in digital manufacturing-related revenueover the last four quarters.

Separately, Visiprise, which helps manufacturersmanage and control global operations - has announced its adoption of OMB. Thetwo companies are currently working together ondeveloping a fully-integrated, global digital manufacturing platformfor a major aerospace industry company for manufacturing, assembly andtesting of its products.

"The implementation of an integrated Teamcenter/Visiprise Manufacturingsolution with our aerospace industry customer is designed to deliver aplatform that will provide the customer with the benefit of completevisibility of data from design all the way through to production," saidSean McCloskey, president and CEO of Visiprise. "What enables ourdrive to deliver these benefits on our customer's behalf is OMB'sability to manage different applications, including ours, in an openenvironment."

In addition to their current engagement, UGS and Visiprise arecurrently pursuing joint OMB contracts with more than a dozen Fortune100 manufacturers.

Visit the website of UGS for more information about OMB and other company news.