By Charles Clarke
Product design and development software leads from the front with a sometimes unbelievable rate of development. The last few months have seen some significant updates to PTC’s offerings across design, development and PLM. Charles Clarke takes a look for TCT.
Well here we are at the first release of Creo, the new design and development platform from PTC. If you’re a parent, it’s also appropriate at this time of year as June/July is ‘School Report’ time. So how did they do?
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lunes, 31 de octubre de 2011
In one minute or so: How does Creo change my work? (part 6)
Q. Will Creo be available on Apple platforms?
“Over time, some apps will support Mac.”
Q. Can I work in one mode (like direct modeling) and switch easily to another (like parametric)?
“Yes.”
Q. Will the Creo suite of design apps have a single file type, a single extension?
“No. The common model is NOT a common file format.”
Q. Can I easily switch from app to app? What about data between apps?
“Yes. This is an important part of our strategy.”
viernes, 28 de octubre de 2011
Designing a Pimped Up Ride
August 18th, 2011 by David Heller
Allison and Vince talk about many ways to improve the performance of your car.
In one minute or so: What does Creo mean to my business? (part 5)
Q. Can PTC software partners easily update their solutions to work with Creo 1.0?
“The effort should be comparable to supporting a new release.”
Q. How does Creo help the whole company contribute to product development?
“By providing simple apps for each role.”
Q. Why does PTC think it’s a good idea to give everyone the tools to be a product developer?
“For the same reason it was a good idea to give everyone a word processor—not just writers and secretaries.”
jueves, 27 de octubre de 2011
The big grunt
Process types: Design and Manufacture. 27 July 2011
With a bellowing, gravel-spitting fury a rally car immediately sucks in anyone with a hint of petrol in their blood. Stephen Holmes travels to Prodrive’s Oxfordshire facility to see how the MINI has been transformed into the ultimate rallying machine.
Read the full article
With a bellowing, gravel-spitting fury a rally car immediately sucks in anyone with a hint of petrol in their blood. Stephen Holmes travels to Prodrive’s Oxfordshire facility to see how the MINI has been transformed into the ultimate rallying machine.
Read the full article
In one minute or so: What happens to my other PTC products? (part 4)
In this group of videos, Mike Campbell, Divisional Vice President of Creo Product Development, answers questions related to what happens to existing PTC technology and extensions. We’ve summarized his answers in just a few words (for you skimmers), but you’ll want to view the complete videos for details.
Q. Will Creo work with Windchill ProductPoint?
“Yes.”
Q. What does the future hold for Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager?
“The Model Manager roadmap goes out for two more releases, at least.”
Q. Will the text table and variant functionality be available in Creo or AnyBOM with Windchill?
“Yes. Creo won’t bring any regression in capabilities.”
Q. Will Creo include extensions like Reverse Engineering Extension?
“Yes. All existing technologies will be included in Creo.”
Q. Will Creo work with Windchill PDMLink?
“Yes.”
miércoles, 26 de octubre de 2011
In one minute or less: Mike Campbell answers Creo product questions (part 3)
Q. Will the Creo Common Data Format be Open?
“By and large, yes.”
Q. Will there be a Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 6.0 release?
”No. Wildfire support customers will be upgraded to Creo 1.0”
Q. What are the key technology breakthroughs in Creo?
“AnyRole apps, AnyMode modeling, AnyData adoption, AnyBOM assemblies.”
Q. Will there be Creo apps for manufacturing engineers?
“Yes, several of them.”
Q. Will my Creo Elements data be fully usable in Creo?
“Yes. Some sooner than others.”
Q. How will the Creo apps evolve over time? And how do you protect my investment?
“It’s complicated, but we have a plan.”
Sistemas informáticos para joyería
Tradicionalmente, el diseño de piezas de joyería requería del trabajo de modelistas cualificados que mediante herramientas artesanales y muchas horas de trabajo, materializaban sus ideas en cera, metal u otro material. Actualmente la dinámica de la industria (y de la joyería en particular) requiere una respuesta más rápida, mayor variedad, calidad superior y unos costes más ajustados.
El diseño y la fabricación asistida por ordenador (sistemas CAD/CAM) es una solución a esta cuestión. La aplicación de este procedimiento al desarrollo de modelos, prototipos y piezas únicas, es ideal en relación con los sistemas tradicionales, por la facilidad de realizar ejemplares complejos, correcciones, familias y variaciones, e inclusive rediseñar una pieza partiendo de un modelo anterior.
martes, 25 de octubre de 2011
In one minute or less: PTC CEO Jim Heppelmann answers your Creo questions (part 2)
Q. How does Creo change the ease-of-use paradigm with today’s CAD?
“Creo supports a natural learning curve, from easiest (2D) to most powerful (parametric).”
Q. Why is PTC best positioned to address today’s CAD challenges?
“We’ve been in the business a long time and we’re a key innovator.”
Q. How will Creo address the challenge of today’s complex assembly management?
“By driving CAD configurations from PLM, rather than vice versa.”
Q. How does Creo fit into PTC’s enterprise PLM solution Windchill?
“Windchill provides the PLM capabilities to drive complex assemblies and configurations.”
Q. What is Creo AnyData Adoption?
“Creo can take any data and adopt it as if it were its own”
Q. How will Creo address the challenge of CAD interoperability?
“Creo can work on geometry whether it has feature definition or not.”
Hormigón flexible para resistir terremotos
Cuando se produce un terremoto, ingenieros y arquitectos investigan las causas para saber por qué ciertas estructuras han fallado. Como el hormigón es un material frágil ante las fuertes sacudidas de un terremoto, la Universidad de Segovia ha desarrollado un nuevo compuesto que puede ser útil para subsanar el problema. El profesor Gonzalo Melián, de la IE University (Madrid), ha presentado un hormigón autocompactable con pequeñas fracciones de fibras cortas de polipropileno que lo hacen más flexible. Su trabajo ha sido presentado en la revista Materiales de Construcción, del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), y plantea el uso de pequeñas porciones de polipropileno (un polímero), como complemento al acero que se introduce en el hormigón para hacerlo más dúctil.
lunes, 24 de octubre de 2011
In one minute or less: Answers to your Creo questions (part 1)
ver the past few months, we’ve collected many of the questions you’re asking most about Creo. We then asked our executives for straightforward answers, giving them just a minute to reply. Here, we’ve summarized the answers in just a few words (for you skimmers), but you’ll want to view the complete (but still brief) videos for details. In part 1 of this series, we start with some softball questions:
Q. How would PTC describe the past 20 years of CAD?
“The 1990s were innovative; the 2000s, not so much.”
Q. What customer problems does PTC address with Creo?
“Ease of use, interoperability, technology lock in, configuration management.”
Q. What are customers telling you about Creo?
“They were skeptical.”
Q. Can Creo apps really make CAD tools easier-to-use?
“That’s our philosophy!”
Q. Will Creo apps deliver better performance and quality compared to today’s CAD systems?
“Yes. Megamode uniapps compromise performance and quality.”
Q. Is Creo just for large enterprise companies?
“No. It’s also a great solution for small- and medium-sized businesses.”
Un súperbus ecológico a 250 km/h para revolucionar el transporte público
Su cabecera/parte delantera tiene el diseño aerodinámico de un deportivo, con las puertas abiertas parece un coche volador y, a vista de pájaro, su diseño parece el de una limusina del siglo XXI. No tiene la apariencia de un autobús, pero ya lo han bautizado como el “bus del futuro”. El superbús, presentado el pasado mes de abril en la 59 edición de la Feria Mundial de Transporte Público de Dubái, en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, es un vehículo ecológico capaz, sin embargo, de alcanzar los 250 kilómetros por hora, más de dos veces el límite de velocidad actual en las carreteras españolas (110km/h). Aunque sus diseñadores se apresuran en señalar que su consumo al alcanzar su máxima velocidad equivale a lo que gasta un autobús normal a 100 kilómetros por hora.
viernes, 21 de octubre de 2011
Introducing Creo’s Breakthrough Technologies
On October 28, 2010, PTC® launched Creo,TM a new family of design software, built to solve chronic problems that have long plagued companies that use CAD software. Creo will deliver four breakthrough technologies that address the challenges long associated with usability, interoperability, technology lock-in, and assembly management in CAD environments. These breakthroughs include:
• AnyRole AppsTM – the right tool, for the right person at the right time
• AnyMode ModelingTM – Design and use data in any modeling mode- 2D, 3D direct, or 3D parametric- without losing intelligence or design intent
• AnyData AdoptionTM -Incorporate data from any CAD system
• AnyBOM AssemblyTM- Connect to PLM to create and validate serial number-specific product configurations
Find out more about these breakthrough technologies in the following articles.
Borrar las huellas
Hay conceptos con los que siempre hemos convivido. Se suele decir “deseo que esto dure para toda la vida”, o por qué no, “para la eternidad”. Pero estos deseos llevaban a evocar sentimientos con respecto personas o cosas. Lo sorprendente es que ahora este lenguaje se aplica a la información que circula por la Red. Asusta saber que pueden ser espiadas nuestras comunicaciones, pero de tan conocido que es el fenómeno lo pasamos por alto. Pero eso de que “para toda la vida o para la eternidad” se aplique a aquella foto o aquel comentario vertido en la red, por uno mismo o por otros, en un determinado momento, y del que podemos arrepentirnos, comienza a inquietar a más de uno. Y asusta tanto como antes angustiaba lo de caer en el olvido.
jueves, 20 de octubre de 2011
New Creo e-book tells all. Or does it?
The Creo vision, announced last October, introduced a good deal of change for PTC products. Along with that change came some confusion and a number of questions. People wanted to know, for example, what all this “vision” would mean to the software they rely on each day.
That’s why we’ve published Exploring the Evolution of Creo. This brief e-book spells out exactly what you can expect for 2011. Want to know what apps we plan to release? How Creo Elements/View (formerly ProductView) will evolve? How data migration from Creo Elements/Direct (formerly CoCreate Modeling) will play out? It’s all there. Bookmark and share the e-book for a quick overview of our 2011 plans.
Still have questions?
We’ve used the pages of this blog to try to answer your questions, and we’ll continue to do that here. But at the same time, we don’t expect we’ve divined all your concerns. So, talk to us. Does the Creo vision make sense? Got a burning question? Want to make a point?
Let us know. We welcome your comments below.
Cerámicas para construir el futuro
La construcción sostenible quiere velar por el equilibrio entre la edificación y su entorno, minimizando su impacto ambiental. Además del ahorro energético en los edificios construidos es importante el de la fabricación de materiales. Bajo el título Ceramic Tile Futures, la Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Azulejos y Pavimentos Cerámicos (Ascer) ha impulsado una exhibición, en colaboración con la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Harvard en la que se han presentado varios proyectos pilotos que se encuentran en fase de experimentación. Los prototipos a escala real han servido para ilustrar los desafíos a los que se enfrenta la producción de cerámica y su objetivo de conseguir edificios cada vez más sostenibles.
miércoles, 19 de octubre de 2011
Product Lifecycle Management: A New Path To Shareholder Value?
Modern manufacturing has succeeded in delivering levels of quality, safety and sheer variety that would have been inconceivable to the enterprise owner of even 20 years ago. The “flattening” of the manufacturing world, to borrow a phrase from Thomas Friedman, has availed today’s manufacturer of versatile new labor pools, expanded sources of raw materials, flexible and competitive capital reservoirs – and of course emerging markets of unprecedented scale.
Read the full article
Read the full article
Un tanque de agua para investigar el mar
Recientemente se ha inaugurado el Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB) del Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria. Investigará sobre áreas científico-técnicas de ingeniería oceanográfica, offshore, marítima, civil, mecánica, ingeniería de materiales, energías renovables e ingeniería electrónica. Tiene unas dimensiones de 44 metros de anchura y 30 metros de longitud. Puede albergar 5,5 millones de litros de agua y simular olas de hasta 20 metros y vientos de 150 kilómetros por hora.
martes, 18 de octubre de 2011
Mathcad: What’s in It for You?
When he’s not racing triathlons and cycling for cancer treatment and awareness, he’s strategizing creative solutions for engineers and developing Mathcad into the dynamic platform it is today. I recently spoke with Brent Edmonds, Mathcad’s Director of Operations at PTC, about what new advancements are in store. So If you’ve yet to delve into Mathcad, see what might be in it for you–straight from the source.
Read the full article
Read the full article
El derroche de reinventar la rueda
Puede que nada ejemplifique mejor la ineptitud humana que reinventar la rueda. Sin embargo, es algo que ocurre con cierta frecuencia, más a menudo de lo que cualquier gestor de innovación estaría dispuesto a reconocer. Momentos eureka seguidos de un gran ¡ups! al descubrir, tras años de trabajo en el laboratorio, que la oficina de patentes no puede otorgarle un título por su nueva invención porque, simplemente, alguien la había inventado antes. Por colocarle una etiqueta más elegante, se le podría denominar investigación duplicativa o redundante, en la que nuevos proyectos de I+D dan como fruto soluciones técnicas ya existentes. Reinventar lo ya inventado, sin más, una actividad fútil y costosa, que resulta tan difícil de explicar como de cuantificar.
lunes, 17 de octubre de 2011
The big grunt
With a bellowing, gravel-spitting fury a rally car immediately sucks in anyone with a hint of petrol in their blood. Stephen Holmes travels to Prodrive’s Oxfordshire facility to see how the MINI has been transformed into the ultimate rallying machine.
Read the full article
Read the full article
El gigante azul cumple 100 años
IBM cumple un siglo este año 2011. La compañía vio la luz el 16 de junio de 1911 en Nueva York bajo el nombre de Computing Tabulating Recording Co. A IBM se deben las primeras tarjetas perforadas de comienzos del siglo XX, las cintas magnéticas de datos, el primer gran ordenador empresarial y el primer ordenador personal (PC). El Apolo XI alcanzó la Luna gracias a los sistemas de cálculo del gigante azul. También el estándar universal del código de barras o las bandas magnéticas de las tarjetas de crédito, creada en 1969 por Forrest Perry.
viernes, 14 de octubre de 2011
Valencia acoge proyectos europeos punteros y dinamizadores de la industria
Reducir la contaminación acústica en zonas industriales cercanas a zonas urbanas a través de tejidos fabricados a partir de materiales textiles reciclados es el objetivo de Noisefreetex, un proyecto europeo coordinado por el Instituto Tecnológico Textil (Aitex) y en el que participan también investigadores del Campus de Gandía de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, además de Ateval, la empresa Piel y el Centro de investigación italiano Next Technology Tecnotessile Società di Ricerca Tecnológica.
jueves, 13 de octubre de 2011
La tabla periódica de las formas geométricas
En el siglo XIX, un brillante científico pensó que se podían organizar y detallar los elementos químicos. El creador de la tabla periódica de los elementos fue Dmitri Ivánovich Mendeléiev. En ella están representados todos los elementos descubiertos en 18 grupos cuyos elementos tienen muchas propiedades similares entre sí. Los dos primeros grupos pertenecen a los metales; del grupo 3 al 12 están los metales de transición, los metales nobles y los metales mansos, y después vienen los elementos no metálicos. La tabla periódica también permite conocer la configuración electrónica de cualquier elemento.
miércoles, 12 de octubre de 2011
Creo Customers: Riding the Crest of a Wave with Creo
As a reader of this blog, however, you’re probably more interested in how it works exactly —and how entrepreneur Bruce McFarland thought of the idea of producing an indoor wave that never closes out. The answer involves fluid dynamics, foils, and Creo.
McFarland, an avid surfer, uses Creo’s direct modeling approach and advanced surfacing extensions to create the structures that determine the shape and direction of the waves. Water circulates over the structures to create a hydraulic jump, which looks and acts just like a standing wave.
SurfStreams are engineered to order. Waves can cut left, cut right, challenge seasoned surfers, or produce bubblers suitable for beginners. Just as importantly, the machines are built to fit the space and scope of a customer’s park.
All these custom specifications make Creo’s direct modeling approach a good choice for American Wave Machines (AWM)—Creo provides flexibility when it comes to changing designs. It also allows AWM to show customers 3D prototypes and visualizations—to make sure the customer knows just what to expect. Plus, Creo makes last-minute changes easy in case the customer changes its mind!
El resurgir de la marca ‘made in Sheffield’
La ciudad inglesa de Sheffield, situada en el centro del norte de Inglaterra, puede presumir de tener el club de fútbol más antiguo del mundo, el Sheffield Football Club, tal y como reconoce la FIFA. Pero la ciudad, con poco más de medio millón de habitantes, es conocida sobre todo por su impresionante pasado manufacturero e industrial. Desde el siglo XIV es famosa por la producción de cuchillos y cubiertos de calidad made in Sheffield. Y desde la Revolución Industrial ha sido uno de los enclaves de referencia de la metalurgia, con numerosas plantas de producción de acero y manufacturas diversas.
martes, 11 de octubre de 2011
Jeff Rowe, Creo Questions, and MCADcafe.com
‘What about the level of Creo integration with industrial design and CAM? Especially CAM, because it is so closely related to the Creo CAD apps.’
PTC continues to develop and deliver CAM solutions that span a broad set of needs and are integrated with our design solutions. The Creo CAM strategy is mainly focused on improving the usability of our products, developing functionality to serve the production machining market, and expanding the user base mid-market, by serving the mold & die segments. Creo Parametric has CAM extensions to serve those areas.
We also offer our PTC partner program, which provides access to a range of third party applications in the manufacturing domain, including: NCG CAM Solutions, Gibbs and Associates, and Austin N.C., Inc.
‘How will Windchill integrate and interact with Creo? Admittedly, Windchill is a totally different ballgame. Will it ever have a Creo-like moniker and branding?’
Windchill 9.1 and higher integrates with Creo 1.0, and is the PLM platform of choice. Windchill 10.0, our latest release, introduces a new user experience that has been well received by users. Users will continue to see improvements in the user experience across all PTC products with each release, including consistency.
‘To what degree does Creo Parametric (formerly Pro/ENGINEER) possess direct modeling capabilities and to what degree does Creo Direct (formerly CoCreate) possess parametric capabilities?’
There’s an extension for Creo Parametric, called Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX) that offers ‘direct modeling like’ capabilities. This is ideal for users of Creo Parametric who want to stay in that same environment and edit their model in ways similar to direct modeling. It enables users to directly edit parametric models, but with the simplicity and flexibility found in Creo Direct.
Creo Elements/Direct is a comprehensive direct modeling solution. It serves as the core product development tool, supporting engineering teams in developing complete products from art-to-part using the direct modeling approach. There’s an extension called Advanced Design, that enables users to add relations and constraints to models.
Note: Creo Direct and Creo Elements/Direct are two distinct products.
‘Ultimately, will Creo Parametric and Creo Direct become one app? I know that gets back to the monolithic thing, but having direct and parametric modeling capabilities in one package can be a good thing.’
No, there are no plans for Creo Parametric and Creo Direct to become one app, they will continue to be developed as seperate apps, focused on different user roles, and modeling approaches, leveraging a common data model. In Creo 1.0, there are two 3D modes people can work in, direct modeling and parametric modeling. For parametric modeling, Creo Parametric is the app for that.
As direct modeling addresses a number of different needs, it’s available in a number of ways. As mentioned earlier, there’s an extension for Creo Parametric, called Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX). This is ideal for users of Creo Parametric who want to stay in that same environment and edit their model in ways similar to direct modeling. It enables users to directly edit parametric models, but with the simplicity and flexibility found in Creo Direct.
‘What is the upgrade path and associated cost for current PTC customers?’
Customers who have existing products can take a no-cost upgrade to the corresponding Creo app, extension, or package – there is no loss in capabilities. We’ve posted a product mapper to help explain the transition.
‘How long will current pre-Creo PTC products be supported?’
As we have tens of thousands of customers using pre-Creo PTC products, we expect that there will be a long period of time where pre-Creo products will continue to be supported. The PTC Product Calendar describes our current plans for the end date for standard support.
‘How consistent is the UI across the various Creo apps with regard to look, feel, and behavior?’
The Creo apps are standalone programs, but have a common UI paradigm and experience, including the use of the Ribbon, common icons and common tools (such as the 3D Dragger) that are all consistent across the various Creo apps. Key areas, like saving, opening, dynamically viewing, and other functional capabilities and default settings behave consistently.
So for example, a Simulation Analyst working with Creo Direct to defeature and prepare a model for simulation will find that Creo Simulate has the same look and feel and UI experience for core areas, including were part files are stored by default, view set ups, etc.
‘How does Creo fit with its acquired publishing arm, Arbortext?’
One of the nine apps introduced with Creo 1.0 is Creo Illustrate. Creo Illustrate repurposes CAD data to generate rich, interactive 3D animations and illustrations. This app is fully integrated with Windchill, Creo and Arbortext products to deliver fast, up-to-date 3D technical information for the support of products throughout their lifecycle.
Profundidad
En la antología realizada por John Brockman "Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think? (¿Está cambiando Internet nuestra forma de pensar?)", muchas voces expusieron sus preocupaciones o no, sobre si la Red está cambiando nuestras capacidades cognitivas y si esto es para bien o para mal. Esta antología no está traducida al español. Sin embargo, otros autores, que analizan la situación, aunque con cierto retraso, están apareciendo en el panorama editorial español. El debate está servido, ya que cada tecnología genera sus referencias y autoreferencias. Quién no recuerda los rifirrafes acerca de la maldad de la televisión frente a las bondades del libro; pero es que la escritura también fue tachada de “maldita”; se creía que nos limitaría nuestra memoria oral y, posiblemente, otras capacidades, Sócrates y Platón ya discutieron por ello. Ahora, por qué no, le toca a Internet.
lunes, 10 de octubre de 2011
Creo Customers: Military Helicopters Stay Airborne
In real life, military helicopters ferry troops, project power, drop off supplies, carry out medical evacuations, and serve numerous other purposes. And, in real life, they can take on some damage. When that happens, teams come in to repair and modify the helicopters in the field—since it’s impractical to send aircraft back to the manufacturer.
Troy Moser is a project engineer on one such action field team. For him, fixing military helicopters means working with the original design data, documenting and driving ECOs, and capturing revised design data in field. That’s where the laptop—and Creo—come in.
While you’re not likely to see the field repair team in the final scenes of your favourite summer blockbuster, their work is in many ways far more fascinating—especially if you’re interested in manufacturing and engineering. Find out more about Moser, his role, and how Creo running on his laptop is helping him repair and upgrade aircraft in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Image courtesy of U.S. Air Force, Lance Cheung
El barco más grande del mundo
No sólo el barco más grande del mundo, sino también el más eficiente. Así es como se presenta el Triple E, un buque que rompe los esquemas y establece nuevas dimensiones límite para los navíos: 400 metros de largo, 59 de ancho y 73 de alto son las medidas gigantescas de este nuevo animal de agua.
Para que se hagan una idea: sería como un bloque de 20 pisos de 400 metros de largo capaz de almacenar 18.000 contenedores y transportar en el mismo viaje 860 millones de plátanos. Si todavía les cuesta, una imagen más: el emblemático Empire State Building de largo ocupando una carretera de ocho carriles de ancho.
viernes, 7 de octubre de 2011
Engineering Brain Drain: Dealing with Retirement of Boomer Generation
The economy might likely delay some of those retirements. An US News article citing a PEW research report indicates that 60% of employed adults 50-61 years old may have to delay retirement because of economic hardships brought on by the recession. Additionally, 35% percent of those age 62 and older say they have already pushed back retirement plans.
Despite this possible respite, manufacturing organizations must devise a plan to deal with the “brain drain” or knowledge loss that will most likely accompany this eventual exodus of experienced engineers. This group makes up a large proportion of senior engineers and engineering managers, since later generations were much smaller in number. The number of baby boomers (the generation born after World War II) is double that of the Generation X that follows them.
Unlike their younger counterparts—who experts estimate will hold five to seven different jobs before retirement—most boomers have spent most of their careers in one company, building up years of company-specific technical experience and knowledge. So what happens to an organization when all that knowledge walks out the door?
Many companies are dealing with it by luring them back from retirement. According to a study conducted by AARP, more than 60% of U.S. companies are currently bringing back retirees as contractors or consultants. In lieu of that, companies must utilize tools and put standardized processes in place that enable them to retain or transfer knowledge from their engineers to younger engineers, well before they retire. Organizations must be proactive about encouraging experienced engineers to share and capture their experience and knowledge long before they retire.
Some organizations use knowledge retention tools and methodologies—deployed internally or through specialized consultants—to facilitate their ability to retain knowledge. This engineering know-how can be divided into two components: explicit and tacit. Explicit refers to the information that can be easily explained and, therefore, stored in databases, repositories and manuals. Knowledge management systems can help put databases in place to track this type of knowledge. To encourage experienced engineers to capture such information and add to databases or repositories, companies should measure such efforts on performance reviews.
Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, is much harder to capture because it is more intangible. These might include on-the-job experience, stories, impressions, and creative solutions, things that are obtained as a result of years of experience. Dorothy Leonard, professor emeritus of business administration at Harvard Business School and coauthor of “Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom,” argues that companies should concentrate on re-creating tacit knowledge, rather than focusing only on transferring it. For example, an experienced engineer planning to retire within the next year should have a younger engineer assigned to shadow him, working side by side. It is only through such daily interactions and observations that tactic knowledge can be passed to younger protégés.
Establishing a formal mentoring program can also facilitate knowledge transfer. The benefits can be two-fold. Protégés benefit from observing first-hand the “lessons learned” by seasoned and experienced engineers, which are often things that are not taught in traditional engineering programs. Mentoring programs make both mentor and protégé feel invested and engaged, a key component of retaining employees. It is critical, however, to choose a mentor not solely on their technical skills, but also for their ability to communicate effectively.
Many companies are turning to software and other technology tools to help predict future departures and determine crucial knowledge that could be lost. Succession planning or talent management software helps companies get a feel for who is working for them, how they are performing and how long they before they retire. Intranets, videoconferencing, peer-to-peer technology and podcasts can connect workers over distance and varying time zones so they can develop virtual relationships to share ideas, solve problems, and transfer knowledge.
Whenever possible, companies should also integrate engineers of all age groups on teams and projects—thus ensuring knowledge and skill transfer. Organizations must work on balancing the more gradual transfer of knowledge from older to younger engineers with the need to capture some crucial expertise quickly before it’s too late. Mentoring, training and passing on knowledge are all important things that can’t be rushed so organizations must plan ahead to stay ahead of the rising tide of retirements.
Despite this possible respite, manufacturing organizations must devise a plan to deal with the “brain drain” or knowledge loss that will most likely accompany this eventual exodus of experienced engineers. This group makes up a large proportion of senior engineers and engineering managers, since later generations were much smaller in number. The number of baby boomers (the generation born after World War II) is double that of the Generation X that follows them.
Unlike their younger counterparts—who experts estimate will hold five to seven different jobs before retirement—most boomers have spent most of their careers in one company, building up years of company-specific technical experience and knowledge. So what happens to an organization when all that knowledge walks out the door?
Many companies are dealing with it by luring them back from retirement. According to a study conducted by AARP, more than 60% of U.S. companies are currently bringing back retirees as contractors or consultants. In lieu of that, companies must utilize tools and put standardized processes in place that enable them to retain or transfer knowledge from their engineers to younger engineers, well before they retire. Organizations must be proactive about encouraging experienced engineers to share and capture their experience and knowledge long before they retire.
Some organizations use knowledge retention tools and methodologies—deployed internally or through specialized consultants—to facilitate their ability to retain knowledge. This engineering know-how can be divided into two components: explicit and tacit. Explicit refers to the information that can be easily explained and, therefore, stored in databases, repositories and manuals. Knowledge management systems can help put databases in place to track this type of knowledge. To encourage experienced engineers to capture such information and add to databases or repositories, companies should measure such efforts on performance reviews.
Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, is much harder to capture because it is more intangible. These might include on-the-job experience, stories, impressions, and creative solutions, things that are obtained as a result of years of experience. Dorothy Leonard, professor emeritus of business administration at Harvard Business School and coauthor of “Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom,” argues that companies should concentrate on re-creating tacit knowledge, rather than focusing only on transferring it. For example, an experienced engineer planning to retire within the next year should have a younger engineer assigned to shadow him, working side by side. It is only through such daily interactions and observations that tactic knowledge can be passed to younger protégés.
Establishing a formal mentoring program can also facilitate knowledge transfer. The benefits can be two-fold. Protégés benefit from observing first-hand the “lessons learned” by seasoned and experienced engineers, which are often things that are not taught in traditional engineering programs. Mentoring programs make both mentor and protégé feel invested and engaged, a key component of retaining employees. It is critical, however, to choose a mentor not solely on their technical skills, but also for their ability to communicate effectively.
Many companies are turning to software and other technology tools to help predict future departures and determine crucial knowledge that could be lost. Succession planning or talent management software helps companies get a feel for who is working for them, how they are performing and how long they before they retire. Intranets, videoconferencing, peer-to-peer technology and podcasts can connect workers over distance and varying time zones so they can develop virtual relationships to share ideas, solve problems, and transfer knowledge.
Whenever possible, companies should also integrate engineers of all age groups on teams and projects—thus ensuring knowledge and skill transfer. Organizations must work on balancing the more gradual transfer of knowledge from older to younger engineers with the need to capture some crucial expertise quickly before it’s too late. Mentoring, training and passing on knowledge are all important things that can’t be rushed so organizations must plan ahead to stay ahead of the rising tide of retirements.
Súper microscopio electrónico para nanotecnología
Un grupo de científicos del Instituto de Física de la Academia Polaca de Ciencias ha completado las pruebas de Titan Cubed 80-300, un microscopio electrónico de transmisión de alta resolución. Esta herramienta permite realizar caracterizaciones rápidas y precisas de estructuras semiconductoras utilizadas en la producción de láseres y diodos, y pruebas más minuciosas en materiales con aplicaciones en espintrónica y nanotecnología. Su trabajo regular se iniciará en este año.
jueves, 6 de octubre de 2011
Creo 1.0: Just the apps ma’am: Creo Sketch Demonstration
But napkins have their drawbacks. They tear, they fade, they don’t really help you draw curves.
Those drawbacks are especially obvious when you see what Creo Sketch can do: It’s made for the moments when you’re more of a visionary than a technician. It costs less than most napkins [Ed- it's FREE], includes freehand drawing tools, and doesn’t require any special CAD expertise to use.
In this quick demo, Paul Sagar shows how to:
- Sketch a freehand object in pencil.
- Overlay rough curves with smooth, adjustable curves.
- Use curves for masks, as he airbrushes color onto his object.
- Add highlights and strategic erasing.
El Gobierno, mediante ley, da luz verde al almacén geológico de CO2
El Pleno del Congreso de los Diputados aprobó el pasado mes de diciembre la Ley de Almacenamiento Geológico de Dióxido de Carbono, que tiene por objeto incorporar al ordenamiento jurídico español las disposiciones contenidas en la directiva europea que regula esta tecnología, adaptándolas a la realidad industrial, geológica y energética de España y estableciendo una base jurídica para que se realice en condiciones seguras para el medio ambiente.
Este almacenamiento consiste en captar el CO2 emitido por las instalaciones industriales, transportarlo a un emplazamiento subterráneo y confinarlo de forma permanente.
miércoles, 5 de octubre de 2011
Creo 1.0: Just the apps ma’am: Creo Parametric
When PTC introduced Pro/ENGINEER in the late 1980s, it was revolutionary. It was the first system on the market with parametric, associative, feature-based solid modeling. In the years since, Pro/ENGINEER has built on that reputation and momentum, adding richer capabilities, extensions, and increasingly powerful parametric modeling with each release.
So why the history lesson?
This week, in conjunction with PlanetPTC Live in Las Vegas, PTC releases Creo 1.0 and with it, Creo Parametric will replace Pro/ENGINEER. Creo Parametric is the 3D parametric modeling app for the Creo 1.0 family of design software. The capabilities, extensions, and power are the same as those in Pro/ENGINEER, but Creo Parametric includes more—including a new state-of-the-art user experience.
GH: Who uses Creo Parametric?
Buchowski: Normally, Creo Parametric is used by the CAD expert who needs to understand and capture a lot of design intent during the design process, for example to help drive downstream processes more efficiently, increase design optimization and automation, etc. The profile would be very much the same person served today by Pro/ENGINEER.
GH: Does Creo Parametric leverage Pro/ENGINEER technology?
Buchowski: Yes, we’ve leveraged the strongest elements of Pro/ENGINEER’s technology—its robustness, breadth, and power. Then we’ve coupled it with the Creo breakthrough technologies like AnyRole Apps, AnyMode Modeling, and AnyData Adoption. And like all the apps in the Creo family, Creo Parametric uses the common data model for optimal interoperability.
GH: How have you delivered a state-of-the-art user experience?
Buchowski: We’ve adopted a ribbon UI approach across all the Creo apps, much like the standard approaches found in Microsoft applications. In Microsoft Office 2007, the ribbon interface was added to major applications like Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Then with Microsoft Office 2010, the ribbon appeared across ALL Office applications. Microsoft now uses the ribbon UI in its other software too, like Windows, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. The Windows 7 applications, Paint and WordPad, use a ribbon-based UI, as well. Although we can’t speak for Microsoft directly, I think we can safely presume no plans exist to retract the UI.
We believe it’s a state-of-the art user experience. The enormous benefit in adopting an industry standard UI is that so many people can use their familiarity with other Fluent-based products – commonly the Microsoft Office products themselves – and will hit the ground running with Creo apps. Novice users can immediately focus on the particular nature and capabilities of our applications without distraction from unfamiliar UI presentation or navigation. At the other end of the scale, power users should need fewer home-brewed short cuts, programs, and workarounds to carry out everyday tasks.
GH: Apart from a state-of-the-art user experience, what else is new in Creo 1.0?
Buchowski: For those familiar with Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0, we’ve added a new set of major capabilities like the FreeStyle sub-divisional modeling capabilities, hundreds of user-requested enhancements, and new extensions, like the Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX). All in all, Creo Parametric delivers a dramatically improved user experience and desktop productivity.
So why the history lesson?
This week, in conjunction with PlanetPTC Live in Las Vegas, PTC releases Creo 1.0 and with it, Creo Parametric will replace Pro/ENGINEER. Creo Parametric is the 3D parametric modeling app for the Creo 1.0 family of design software. The capabilities, extensions, and power are the same as those in Pro/ENGINEER, but Creo Parametric includes more—including a new state-of-the-art user experience.
John Buchowski, VP of product management for Creo, tells us more:
GH: Who uses Creo Parametric?
Buchowski: Normally, Creo Parametric is used by the CAD expert who needs to understand and capture a lot of design intent during the design process, for example to help drive downstream processes more efficiently, increase design optimization and automation, etc. The profile would be very much the same person served today by Pro/ENGINEER.
GH: Does Creo Parametric leverage Pro/ENGINEER technology?
Buchowski: Yes, we’ve leveraged the strongest elements of Pro/ENGINEER’s technology—its robustness, breadth, and power. Then we’ve coupled it with the Creo breakthrough technologies like AnyRole Apps, AnyMode Modeling, and AnyData Adoption. And like all the apps in the Creo family, Creo Parametric uses the common data model for optimal interoperability.
GH: How have you delivered a state-of-the-art user experience?
Buchowski: We’ve adopted a ribbon UI approach across all the Creo apps, much like the standard approaches found in Microsoft applications. In Microsoft Office 2007, the ribbon interface was added to major applications like Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Then with Microsoft Office 2010, the ribbon appeared across ALL Office applications. Microsoft now uses the ribbon UI in its other software too, like Windows, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. The Windows 7 applications, Paint and WordPad, use a ribbon-based UI, as well. Although we can’t speak for Microsoft directly, I think we can safely presume no plans exist to retract the UI.
We believe it’s a state-of-the art user experience. The enormous benefit in adopting an industry standard UI is that so many people can use their familiarity with other Fluent-based products – commonly the Microsoft Office products themselves – and will hit the ground running with Creo apps. Novice users can immediately focus on the particular nature and capabilities of our applications without distraction from unfamiliar UI presentation or navigation. At the other end of the scale, power users should need fewer home-brewed short cuts, programs, and workarounds to carry out everyday tasks.
GH: Apart from a state-of-the-art user experience, what else is new in Creo 1.0?
Buchowski: For those familiar with Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0, we’ve added a new set of major capabilities like the FreeStyle sub-divisional modeling capabilities, hundreds of user-requested enhancements, and new extensions, like the Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX). All in all, Creo Parametric delivers a dramatically improved user experience and desktop productivity.
La robótica impulsa los autómatas asistenciales y para trabajos cotidianos
La robótica sigue siendo una de las disciplinas que más novedades traerá en el futuro. Múltiples desarrollos se están experimentando en todo el mundo. La Comunidad de Madrid quiere impulsar mediante el proyecto Robocity2030 el uso de robots asistenciales. El programa agrupa a más de 60 médicos y 100 investigadores.
Un consorcio coordinará los proyectos y al frente de él está Carlos Balaguer, director del Robotics Lab, de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). También participan la Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) y el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Uno de los proyectos más importantes del programa Robocity2030 es el entorno inteligente doméstico que se ha creado en la UC3M y que representa una cocina en la que podría desenvolverse un robot de asistencia como Asibot.
martes, 4 de octubre de 2011
PTC Appoints Thomas Bogan to Its Board Of Directors
NEEDHAM, Mass. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 1, 2011 — PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company®, today announced the appointment of Thomas Bogan to its Board of Directors. The appointment of Bogan as an independent director expands PTC’s Board to eight members.
“Tom Bogan is a seasoned executive with strong knowledge of the enterprise software industry that will make him an asset to our board of directors,” said Jim Heppelmann, president and CEO, PTC. “From his executive leadership at Rational Software and later as a venture capital investor, Tom has significant strategic and operational experience that makes him uniquely qualified to help guide PTC’s growth strategy in the years ahead. We welcome him and look forward to his contributions as a member of PTC’s board.”
Bogan currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors at Citrix Systems (Nasdaq: CTXS), a leading enterprise software infrastructure company and as a venture partner with Greylock Partners. At Greylock, Bogan focused on enterprise software, while leading the firm’s investments in startups such as Apptio, iConclude, Mazu, and Rally Software.
Before Greylock, Bogan was President of Rational Software, an S&P 500 enterprise software company from 2000 until its sale to IBM in 2003. He previously had served as COO and General Manager of Rational’s testing business from 1996 to 2000. Prior to Rational, Bogan was President and CEO of two early stage technology companies that focused on networking and peripheral products. He earlier served as a financial officer in public and private companies and additionally held positions in public accounting.
“PTC is a great company with a proud history of technology innovation,” offered Bogan. “The company’s solutions help manufacturers claim true competitive advantage and I welcome the opportunity to help guide the company’s strategic growth and business initiatives.”
“Tom Bogan is a seasoned executive with strong knowledge of the enterprise software industry that will make him an asset to our board of directors,” said Jim Heppelmann, president and CEO, PTC. “From his executive leadership at Rational Software and later as a venture capital investor, Tom has significant strategic and operational experience that makes him uniquely qualified to help guide PTC’s growth strategy in the years ahead. We welcome him and look forward to his contributions as a member of PTC’s board.”
Bogan currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors at Citrix Systems (Nasdaq: CTXS), a leading enterprise software infrastructure company and as a venture partner with Greylock Partners. At Greylock, Bogan focused on enterprise software, while leading the firm’s investments in startups such as Apptio, iConclude, Mazu, and Rally Software.
Before Greylock, Bogan was President of Rational Software, an S&P 500 enterprise software company from 2000 until its sale to IBM in 2003. He previously had served as COO and General Manager of Rational’s testing business from 1996 to 2000. Prior to Rational, Bogan was President and CEO of two early stage technology companies that focused on networking and peripheral products. He earlier served as a financial officer in public and private companies and additionally held positions in public accounting.
“PTC is a great company with a proud history of technology innovation,” offered Bogan. “The company’s solutions help manufacturers claim true competitive advantage and I welcome the opportunity to help guide the company’s strategic growth and business initiatives.”
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