1. PLM for the US Army Dr. Raj Iyer Team Lead, PLM Technologies
US Army Tank Automotive RDE Center, Warren, MI
Presented at the 7th NASA-ESA Workshop on Product Data Exchange (PDE 2005)
April 22, 2005

2. Systems Supporting Army Readiness
PRODUCT LINES
SUPPORT
MAGNITUDE
Combat Vehicles • Tactical Vehicles
Trailers • Construction Equipment
Materiel Handling Equipment • Tactical Bridges
Fuel & Water Dist Equipment • Sets, Kits & Outfits
Chemical Defense Equipment • Shop Equipment
Howitzers • Large Caliber Guns
Mortars • Rifles
Machine Guns • Ammunition
Aircraft Armaments • Demolitions & Explosives
Rail • Watercraft
Fuel & Lubricant Products • Non-Tactical Vehicles
Capital Value of
TACOM Equipment
$81.7B
141 Allied
Countries own TACOM
Equipment
2993 Fielded
Systems Supported
All Army
Parent UICs Contain
TACOM Supported
Equip
> 26,000
Components
This chart helps illustrate the magnitude of TACOM’s mission.
The middle column shows the product lines that TACOM supports. We support these product lines throughout their life cycles, from the development of new technology for tomorrow’s Army to the final disposal of obsolete equipment.
The left column highlights a number of our activities. The Total Capital Value of TACOM equipment is approximately $82B, and we currently have approximately 3000 systems being sustained in the field.
The right column serves to demonstrate the impact TACOM has on defense of this country. There are 141 allied counties who own TACOM equipment and we continue to provide support for that equipment.
Plus Technology Development for the Objective Force
The Army’s Lead Systems Integrator
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

3. Driving Factors
Product data is distributed among RDECs, PMs, LCMCs and OEMs
Product data formats and systems to manage product data are not standardized – CAD and PDM interoperability issues
Data exchange and collaboration among organizations is inefficient and time consuming
Fundamental requirement towards a true Army Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategy (SALE)
Need for integrated product data throughout the product’s lifecycle spanning both engineering and logistics
Conceptual models, 2D drawings, 3D solid models, modeling & simulation data, analysis models, test data, repair & maintenance history, IETMs, assembly instructions
Need for a single set of logically unified product data
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

4. Challenges Heterogeneous systems and formats for product data
Extended lifecycle
Legacy data
Systems of systems integration
Spiral development
Performance Based Logistics (PBL)
Contractor Logistics Support (CLS)
Parts obsolescence
Disposal issues
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

5. Standards vs. Point-to-point Solutions
SAP
Teamcenter
MatrixOne
CMStat
Enovia
Windchill
STEP Standards  
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

6. The Need for Standards
No guarantee that any of these commercial systems will last as long as the Army’s product lines
Version independence and upward compatibility
Variety of commercial middleware solutions are available
Point to point solutions
Expensive to maintain and upgrade
DoD mandate for open architecture standards-based systems leveraging best commercial practices
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

7. The Solution
Use of international standards ISO – also known as STEP PDM Schema
STEP is a neutral format not just for 2D/3D product data but also for PDM interoperability
Specific STEP Application Protocols are already widely used in private industry
STEP is well supported by most of the major PDM/ CAD vendors – PTC, SAP, UGS, MatrixOne, Dassault
STEP is starting to be standardized for 3D solid models at the DoD (Navy and Air Force have mandated it already)
Enormous potential for long term retention and archival of product data
STEP has the potential to save $928 million (2001$) per year by reducing interoperability
problems in the automotive, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries alone
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

8. Architecture for the TACOM Lifecycle Management Command
Soldier & Ground Systems
Collaborative
Gateway
(ACMS + ACE)
STEP Standards
Program Executive Offices
OEMs
TACOM
GSIE
DLA (BSM)
PLM+
TARDEC
FCS - ACE
Interface to
SALE
STEP – STandard for Exchange of Product data
ACMS – Automated Configuration Management System
ACE – Advanced Collaborative Environment
PLM+ - Product Lifecycle Management Plus
SALE – Single Army Logistics Enterprise
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

9. Vision Federated system of systems approach to product data management
Web-based access
Product data on demand
Product-centric data management
Single access and control point
Improved real-time data collaboration
Implement open data standards and best practices
Manage heterogeneous data formats
Automate CM/DM functions with workflows
Manage product structures/ BOMs
Maintain “as-designed”, “as-built”, “as-maintained” BOMs
Manage serialized parts
Access OEM controlled product data
Integration to ERP and logistics systems
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

10. Data Exchange Workflow
STEP
Part 21/28 File
STEP AP214
Translator
for Teamcenter
EPM
Windchill
Connector
Automatically poll source for changes to master data
Updated product data available
Automatically update product data at target or provide notification to approved users
Automatic
Import
Export
User searches for part using ACMS
Federation Windchill
Adapter
Federation Teamcenter
Search for part inside Teamcenter
Data Exchange Workflow
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

11. STEP for the DoD Acquisition Cycle
AP 233 – Systems Engineering Data Representation
AP 201 – Explicit drafting
AP 202 – Associative drafting
AP 203 – Configuration controlled design
AP 207 – Sheet metal die planning & design
AP 214 – Automotive mechanical design processes
Design
Analysis
AP 209 – Composite & metal structural analysis
AP 237 – Computational Fluid Dynamics
Manufacturing
AP 223 – Design & manufacturing of cast parts
AP 224 – Machining features for process planning
AP 238 – Computer numerical controllers
AP 240 – Process plans for machined parts
AP 219 – Dimensional inspection for parts
Data Management
AP 214 cc6 – PDM Schema
AP 232 – Technical data packaging
AP 239 – Product lifecycle support
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

12. STEP Data Management APs
STEP AP 214 CC6 – PDM Schema
STEP AP 232 – Technical Data Packaging
STEP AP 239 – Product Lifecycle Support (PLCS)
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

13. PDM Schema April 22, 2005 PDE2005 Systems Engineering (AP233) Design
Life-cycle
Support
(AP239)
Analysis
(AP209)
STEP-PDM
SCHEMA
Supply chain
(AP232)
Life-cycle
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

14. April 22, 2005
PDE2005

15. EXPRESS Data Manager Software
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

16. Implementation Methodology
Import PDM Object Model into EPM Model Migrator software
Map objects and attributes between PDM and STEP
Where one-one mapping is not possible, write code in EXPRESS-X
Package software as a translator
Web enabled links inside PDM callable by user screen or callable as batch process
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

17. EPM Model Migrator Mapping Software
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

18. Federation-based Product Data Synchronization
Fxml
Federation
Server 1
Server 2
ADAPTER
(TEAMCENTER)
GROUP
(WHAT)
SCHEDULER
(WHEN)
MAPPER
(CONVERSION)
TRANSPORT
(SECURE)
ADMIN
(DASHBOARD)
DELTA
ANALYZER
(CHANGES)
(WINDCHILL)
April 22, 2005
PDE2005

19. For more details Dr. Raj G. Iyer Team Lead, PLM Technologies
Engineering Business Group
TARDEC
COM: (586)
April 22, 2005
PDE2005