Aras scores its best partnership yet by linking up with this cutting-edge 3D tool.
Aras has landed another technology partnership to expand the capabilities of its open source PLM system, this one bringing 3D geometric search to Aras Innovator. We think this is the most powerful addition to the Aras suite yet.
The new deal is a three-way between Aras, ShapeSpace, and AESSiS. ShapeSpace provides a adaptive browser, geometric indexing, and retrieval algorithms; AESSiS links the ShapeSpace technology to Aras Innovator, allowing users to locate, navigate and filter product shapes and manage part libraries from within the Aras PLM environment.
When combined with company methods and best practices, 3D geometric search can improve part reuse, reduce part number counts, optimize external part purchasing, and reduce part inventories.
ShapeSpace CEO Andy Sherlock explains, “3D geometric search goes far beyond traditional metadata and key word searching, creating a unique geometric signature for every CAD model, comparing that signature across tens of thousands of models and delivering instant results displayed in an intuitive and visual manner.”
AESSiS CTO James Byrne comments, “Until now, only the human eye has been able to determine if two part designs were the same. As new products are designed, the problem continues to build on itself resulting in the creation of massive part inventories for what is often the very same part. 3D geometric search embedded in the PLM system changes all that by automatically classifying part items and integrating duplicate analysis into the change and release workflows so every part is analyzed for reuse before it is released,”
What we think
I saw an early version of ShapeSpace technology at COFES 2009 and was impressed by its speed, intuitive interface, and thorough capabilities. Sherlock is a brilliant computer scientist who has a passion for improving manufacturing with his technology. His company’s innovations in combining information retrieval, geometric reasoning, and visualization are on the cutting edge. Making a version of ShapeSpace available to Aras users is a smart business move for ShapeSpace, and a great competitive “check list” item for Aras.
More information: http://www.aessis.com/Services/Aras3DSearch
