Ford to Release VSA-3D
11 May 1998
VSA-3D to be Released Worldwide on Ford Motor Company's C3P 'Gold Disk'
ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich., May 11 -- Variation Systems
Analysis, Inc. (VSA(TM)) announced today that they have reached an agreement
with Structural Dynamics Research Corporation to provide
3-Dimensional tolerance analysis software (VSA-GDT and VSA-3D) to Ford Motor
Company as a module integrated within SDRC's I-DEAS(TM) Software,
which is an essential element of the company's C3P (CAD/CAM/CAE/PIM) toolset.
The agreement provides worldwide access of VSA-GDT and VSA-3D to all Ford
Motor Company users of the I-DEAS software. The agreement also extends to
Ford's Tier 1 suppliers. The initial release of the integrated software is
available for I-DEAS Master Series(TM) Version 6.
In April 1996, VSA and SDRC entered into an OEM agreement that provided
for the integration of VSA's 3-Dimensional tolerance analysis products with
SDRC's I-DEAS Master Series software. As part of this agreement, SDRC will
distribute the resultant capabilities with the other I-DEAS product offerings.
VSA's software directly integrated with I-DEAS reduces concept-to-market
time, improves quality, and reduces cost by predicting the amounts and causes
of dimensional variation at each critical characteristic in complex mechanical
assemblies. The GD&T schemes, assembly sequence, and assembly methods defined
in I-DEAS automatically create the VSA-3D tolerance model. The assembly
process and results are dynamically animated within I-DEAS, which helps verify
the model and is excellent for communicating with other members of the product
team. I-DEAS users will have the ability to optimize tolerance allocation,
create and evaluate robust assembly and fixturing operations, and verify that
the assembly will meet or exceed quality objectives, all within the I-DEAS
environment.
VSA's GD&T math rules, which vary features in form, orientation, location,
and size, are based on the ANSI/ISO standards and are combined with the Open
I-DEAS Application Interface. This provides the users with the ability to
pass feature names, tolerance controls, and measurement points used in the
VSA-3D analysis to their measurement systems. This capability provides a
direct link between the I-DEAS model, the VSA-3D analysis, and the actual
measurements performed on the shop floor, essentially closing the loop between
design intent and actual production.
VSA President and CEO, Mark Craig, stated, "The agreement to provide our
VSA products as a module on all SDRC software delivered to the Ford C3P team
provides Ford and their Tier 1 suppliers with a tool to simulate their actual
manufacturing and assembly process early in the design phase. This allows the
design team to develop a robust product and process that meets their quality,
time-to-market, and cost objectives. The I-DEAS modeling and open software
architecture result in a very easy to use, yet comprehensive, 3-D assembly
simulation product."
Russell Stay, SDRC's Vice President -- Product Management, said, "The OEM
and Integration Agreement with VSA provides a key ingredient in SDRC's goal to
provide a 'virtual product and process' model. VSA's tolerance analysis
capabilities will help SDRC's customers design and produce higher quality
assembled products at lower costs with greater reliability. This is
consistent with SDRC's strategy of providing state-of-the-art concurrent
engineering tools for product development."
SDRC is a leading international supplier of Mechanical Design Automation
and Testing software, Product Data Management software, and related services.
The company's products and services help manufacturers optimize product
concepts early in the design process, enabling them to significantly improve
product quality while reducing product development time and cost. SDRC
employs more than 2200 people and has 64 offices in 16 countries throughout
North America, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific region.
VSA is a world leader in providing computer software tools and engineering
methodologies in the area of Dimensional Management. Formed in 1981, VSA has
grown to over 200 employees working closely with many of the world's largest
manufacturers to provide the software tools and engineering methodologies
necessary to improve product quality and reduce cost through controlled
variation and robust design.
SDRC is a registered trademark, and I-DEAS and I-DEAS Master Series are
trademarks of Structural Dynamics Research Corporation. VSA is a registered
trademark of Variation Systems Analysis, Inc. All other trademarks or
registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
SOURCE Variation Systems Analysis, Inc.
