Appliance Design - September 2007 - (Page 68) SOFTWARE Easier Exchange of Ideas Engineers can convert virtually any CAD file to a 3D PDF file containing precise 3D geometry (and PMI data including GD&T and annotations and) quickly export it to a neutral format such as STEP or IGES. New tools simplify the collaborative design process. D by rak bhalla Rak Bhalla is senior marketing manager at Adobe Systems, San Jose, Calif. 68 applianceDESIGN September 2007 esign engineers constantly juggle multiple, competing demands. Add more functionality to a product, but make it smaller. Improve the appearance, but reduce production costs. Enhance safety and meet regulatory requirements without slowing design. These are only some of the challenges that design engineers face as they work on appliances, from large cooling systems to compact consumer electronics devices. The reality is that design today is more complicated than ever. In addition to the above demands, project teams now regularly span continents as companies increasingly utilize outsourced suppliers and manufacturers. Equally challenging is responding to a multitude of design and manufacturing regulations that can change from one country to the next. As a result, design development review and approval cycles that previously involved only small, regional project teams can now require ongoing input from dozens of engineers, suppliers, customers, partners, government regulators, and others — all with varying levels of comfort with technology and access to computing applications. “Clear communication and collaboration are vital to everything we do, whether it is early in a design cycle or reviewing final materials with customers,” says Ari Kahrola, product manager at Porkka, an international manufacturer of commercial refrigeration systems. “Sharing accurate digital models with staff and customers is now standard for us because everyone can instantly see how designs will look and function.” In design, where form, fit and function are intricately linked, this insight can mean the difference between completing products on time and on budget or dealing with delayed rollouts and increased costs. The good news is that technology advances are improving how project teams engage with each other and collaborate inside and outside their organizations. By using proven applications to overcome traditional colwww.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com
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