PLM aids lean at Deutsch connectors

Connectors manufacturer Deutsch says it’s reducing costs, design time and production errors on the back of its SolidWorks and PDMWorks CAD and PLM (product lifecycle management) implementations. Part of its lean manufacturing initiative, Deutsch’s CAD solution was implemented in 2001 to move it from 2D AutoCAD drawings to 3D modelling, but the PLM system is now building on that. It means all engineering data, including original customer draft designs and updated military standards, are now stored. Gary Bannister, Deutsch chief design engineer, says that it’s saving considerable time: production engineers can now access latest revision documents and 3D model views via web portal. “As we add more data to PDMWorks, engineers will be able to access all of the design information they’ll need to quickly complete projects, greatly increasing productivity and meeting deadlines,” he adds.