Press Release

New HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner Combines Industry-Leading Sheet-Metal Design and Solid-Modeling Capabilities

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 12, 1995 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced HP Precision Engineering (HP PE)/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner, a comprehensive productivity package for companies that design and manufacture sheet-metal parts. It is based on HP's Advisor Technology, which provides designers with the ability to achieve manufacturable designs in real-life situations.

Sheet-metal-parts designers now will be able to leverage HP PE/SolidDesigner's acclaimed dynamic-modeling technology, which frees the designer from the constraints imposed on them by history-based systems. The product makes it easy to evaluate sheet-metal parts for fit and function within assemblies.

"HP PE/SheetAdvisor and HP PE/SolidDesigner are acknowledged respectively as the most innovative sheet-metal design tool and the most innovative solid-modeling solution on the market," said Heinz Diebel, 3-D-business manager of HP's Mechanical Design Division (MDD). "We have now ensured that the merits of both these packages can be enjoyed as a single integrated solution. HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner stands out from competitive products: It ensures that all relevant information is available right at the start of the design process, providing true design-for-manufacturability."

Advisor Technology

Advisor Technology ensures manufacturable designs by putting manufacturing expertise about downstream processes at the designer's fingertips. From the initial design stage, the designer can access information about topics such as available and preferred tools, materials and suppliers.

On-line checks for design-for-manufacturability at the design stage increase confidence that the first prototype will be manufacturable.

The key features of HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner are dedicated sheet-metal commands, design-for-manufacturability checks, a technology database, on-line cost estimation and rapid generation of accurate 2-D flat banks.

Dedicated Sheet-Metal Commands and Design-For-Manufacturing Checks

HP PE/SheetAdvisor provides many dedicated sheet-metal design commands, such as punch, stamp, hems, lips and offsets for rapid creation of metal parts. The automatic creation of bend and corner relief helps avoid errors and saves time.

By supplying design guidance and checks at the initial design stage, design-for-manufacturability allows users to quickly and accurately design sheet-metal parts that are ready for manufacturing. Designers are warned of manufacturing-rule violations in a design, for example, punch holes that will be deformed during the bending process because they are too close to an edge. These checks significantly increase the number of ready-to-manufacture designs and reduce design-correction cycles and associated costs.

Technology Database and On-line Cost Estimation

HP PE/SheetAdvisor incorporates a technology database, which is a store for all relevant, company-specific information related to the design and manufacture of sheet-metal parts. Stored information can include data on preferred tools, preferred materials, costs, default manufacturing processes and suppliers. This improves communication between design and production, and ensures that designs can be manufactured. HP PE/SheetAdvisor also comes with a comprehensive tooling library tailored to designing sheet-metal housings for electronic devices.

On-line cost estimation, which provides instant comparative costs, enables designers to make cost-conscious decisions about design variations right from the outset. HP PE/SheetAdvisor's on-line cost estimation considers material type and setup and run times, together with the number of tool changes, bends and punch/stamp operations.

Flat-bank Generation

HP PE/SheetAdvisor generates a flat bank with all relevant manufacturing information attached in seconds. Production engineers can then work directly from the flat.

HP divisions and customers already using the HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/ME30 product have reported a reduction of 80 percent in non-manufacturable prototypes and productivity gains of up to 70 percent.

"If a customer says they want a new product and needs it in two weeks -- from concept to design -- we can assemble it on the computer and check it out," said Jim Keenan, president, Hendry Telephone Products. "Usually, the first article is the start of the actual production run."

"We're turning around prototypes so fast, it's making our customers' heads spin," said Nathan Cline, engineering and MIS manager, TRI-M-CO. "They can't understand how we're doing it."

"There is nothing more frustrating for us than to build a customer's assembly exactly as it was drawn and not have the parts fit," said David McLaughlin, marketing and engineering manager, C3. "That's one reason why C3 became such a strong advocate of HP PE/SheetAdvisor."

HP PE/SolidDesigner

HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner is based on HP PE/SolidDesigner's dynamic-modeling technology. This technology offers designers the freedom to create designs -- and the flexibility to modify them easily -- without being forced into a rigid process by the underlying constraints of the design system. HP PE/SolidDesigner overcomes the drawbacks of history-based methods that require a designer to have an intimate knowledge of the history of a design. HP PE/SolidDesigner models can be shared easily and communicated throughout the design process.

HP PE/SolidDesigner is an open solution, allowing reuse and modification of designs from other systems, independently of design history. Support of standards such as IGES, STEP and ACIS SAT allows coexistence with other solutions.

U.S. Prices and Delivery

HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner runs on HP 9000 Series 700 and Silicon Graphics' Indy and Indigo2 workstations. It is designed to be used in conjunction with HP PE/SolidDesigner and will be available with HP PE/SolidDesigner Release 3.5, which is expected to ship in October.

HP's Mechanical Design Division (MDD) develops 2-D and 3-D mechanical computer-aided design software, the Precision Engineering Systems, known for quality, ease of use,customization capability and support of industry standards. These products are installed on more than 57,000 systems in design, engineering and manufacturing organizations worldwide and are localized in 10 languages. The software includes HP PE/SolidDesigner for product-modeling design; HP PE/ME10 for 2-D design, drafting and documentation; HP PE/ME30 for 3-D modeling, design and drafting; HP PE/SheetAdvisor for sheet- metal design; HP PE/DDS-C for electromechanical design and HP/PE WorkManager for product-data and workflow management.

HP is the second-largest computer supplier in the UnitedStates, with computer-related revenue of $19.6 billion in ist 1994 fiscal year.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 99,900 employees and had revenue of $25 billion in its 1994 fiscal year.

Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the United States. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets.

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