it takes vision knowing where the pucks
going and getting there fast it takes
future vision to be a winner in the
arena and in the world of manufacturing
today in the blink of an eye information
flies the continents electronic commerce
the information highway the global
marketplace these aren't just buzz words
but realities changing the way we do
business manufacturing now has the
chance to solve the problems of the
similar computer systems problems that
cause errors create waste and slow
product development in today's world
there will be no manufacturers left who
are not agile it's changing so very fast
that you don't want to lock yourself
into any particular system so therefore
you need standards like step which are
focused on interfacing step it's the new
international standard for the exchange
of product model data and it's no longer
somebody's dream we decided to send a
step file just cold no dialogue prior to
that 2hp folks in Germany they read it
in made some revisions to it sent it
back to us and we write it in it as a
salad with no no fix-up needed or
anything I came over he goes you got to
see this come over to jim's cube it was
actually the first day we just started
communications with it with HP with her
solid designer system and here all there
all of a sudden so quickly we're
actually exchanging solid data but could
it work in the real world the first
product data exchange using stem was
made with a connecting rod between Ford
powertrain and do II allied signal mark
topo of Ford powertrain led Ford's
effort I think it hella quently proved
the point that real parts can be made on
the basis of step technologies and I
think the key for us and is if we didn't
go out and buy a million dollars worth
of equipment to translate this
connecting run we used equipment we
already had once we
got that part translated into our system
he was business as usual and our people
said it was just it was fabulous
geometry was it was perfect geometry the
evolution of the the steps on down and
even now throughout the world can
vendors such as unigraphics computer
vision and the soul are working together
to satisfy their customers needs for
step products we have tremendous
pressure from our customers to
accelerate our step activities our
companies cannot achieve their
competitive objectives without the
availability of much more effective data
exchange capability Peter's Inc is one
consortium accelerating the
implementation of step you moving away
from communicating via drawings to
communicating via data they bring
together 24 of the world's leading
technology corporations and the federal
government in an effort to integrate
step into the way real work is done I
think we've got to be very careful in
not implying that step is a miracle cure
all it requires work you have to
understand it you have to format the
data correctly you'll need expertise and
you'll need people that understand how
to use it after you make the changes
there you just say just a notification
came to him and then he actually pulled
the file oh yeah is that what happened
okay so early pressing technology here
at least our luck Andy version was
successful without something like step
this kind of integrated computing in an
organization just couldn't happen
there'd be too many interfaces to write
the other thing that step will do for
you is in the past what Ford and other
companies had to do was buy a catia to
stl translator Ares to stl translator a
CV to stl translator now they could all
they need is a step to stl translator
and no folo systems put out step data
they've saved that many special
processors down the line
another pilot the National Center for
manufacturing science it's a consortium
of 180 small medium and large
manufacturers is spearheading the rapid
response manufacturing program using
step GM saginaw division and four are
working to exchange unigraphics solid
marbles with Ford's PD GS system and MSC
Ares Saginaw's choice is between
proprietary translators or making step
they are neutral format but the direct
translators are difficult to maintain
the number two they're sometimes very
questionable at number three as versions
of software change they have to be
continually rewritten I think step is
probably the only thing on the horizon
it even has the the whole of even
beginning to solve this problem and
saginaw isn't alone most major US and
European automakers have specified step
as the direction for data exchange now
GM's die management group is pushing
step implementation further employing
level 3 integration a database shared
with business as well as with design and
manufacturing I don't believe before
step you could say that whether it's
engineering data or financial data it
can reside in harmony with each other in
the same database now we can that's
where things have to move to level three
because that's what truly supports
concurrent engineering real-time
information access as you needed when
you need what do you mean it's the first
standard that truly recognizes the
information age and the automotive
industry action group also recognizes
its significance they're helping their
800 member companies make step the
capstone of the new global way of
partnering
the first paperless airplane the Boeing
triple7 it's based totally on digital
models boeing has a target to start the
first large-scale version of step mid 95
so if your idea business but boy I would
suggest that you start looking into and
start embracing step concept boeing has
started with their three engine
suppliers GE pratt & whitney and
rolls-royce and their cab members called
arrow step this project requires
delivery of product data in the step
neutral format and they're beginning to
make real breakthroughs recently we've
began to see what we hope to see actual
geometry this looks like what we know
it's supposed to be so we're very
excited it's working we are inches away
from being there we go and what do
Boeing suppliers think about step we'd
like to get out of the translator
business we'd love to get into the step
new profile business so that no matter
what no matter who we're working with we
can send them a step file and they'll be
able to read it into their cad system
use it looking to reduce the waste of
translators pratt & whitney adopted a
single cad system but still we have the
problem where our customers do not have
the same catkin systems like we do and
the biggest problem is that we have
these small cat can companies coming up
with point solutions and these point
solutions are very good say for NC
programming or five axis milling
so it becomes a business sense to get
these points Asians but the bigger
problem that is to actually translate
the geometry to go in and out of these
point solutions and step is the way to
go step is the way to go it's a standard
with dual use commercial and military
consider the lucky Boeing partnership
teamed on the latest fighter jet the
f-22 we can most effectively operate as
a corporation if we have the flexibility
to form these relationships as necessary
for the different product opportunities
at our eyes and step permits us to do
that in a very effective manner and
their strong commitment in the UK
British Aerospace recently stated the
time has come to move forward with step
and step covers more than just
mechanical systems in electronics step
now supports data exchange between
design and manufacturing of printed
circuit assemblies apparel construction
and process industries are also making
headway bringing the advantages of step
2 all once before we seized an
opportunity opening markets never before
imagined competitors cooperate
developing common practices for the
common world it took work it took
commitment and it took a future vision
step is here it's working it's now right
on the brink of exploding into use the
door has been open and we just have to
do the work now that's catching home in
like most things that are the right
answer it will rapidly be adopted
and