Centric Announces SOLIDWORKS PDM Connect 1.0

Leave a reply

CAMPBELL, CA, May 7, 2024 – Centric Software, the product lifecycle management (PLM) market leader, has announced the launch of SOLIDWORKS PDM Connect 1.0, an enhanced PLM connector for SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS PDM users. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, buy, make, price, allocate, sell and replenish products such as fashion, outdoor, luxury, multi-category retail, grocery, food & beverage, cosmetics & personal care and consumer electronics to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

SOLIDWORKS is one of the 3D CAD design solutions most used and preferred by hard goods engineers, especially among consumer goods brands and manufacturers. More than 3 million product designers and engineers worldwide, representing 240,000+ organizations, use SOLIDWORKS to bring their designs to life.

Centric launched a SOLIDWORKS connector in 2021 as part of their 3D agnostic strategy, extending native, end-to-end 3D product design, development and product review with integration between leading 3D design packages and Centric PLM™. The original connector enables 3D designers and product teams to access Centric PLM from SOLIDWORKS and vice versa in order to integrate CAD functions, automate certain tasks, deploy revisions and improve communication between design, engineering and suppliers.

The new SOLIDWORKS PDM Connect 1.0 connector links files from SOLIDWORKS PDM (Product Data Management) to Centric PLM and automates the export of native 3D (and 2D) files directly to Centric PLM without having to leave the PDM environment. Engineers can also visualize and edit data from Centric PLM in the SOLIDWORKS PDM Windows File Explorer interface.

“In the past, engineers could have set up a macro with hard-coded instructions to export 3D files,” explains Ron Watson, EVP Products and chief security officer at Centric Software. “But then those files still would need to be transferred by those engineers to the correct location. This involved waiting for each file to generate and then make the manual transfer only when the generation is done. With the enhanced connector, a process that would take an entire day can now be completed in minutes utilizing PDM’s own workflows in conjunction with the SOLIDWORKS PDM connector.”

Centric PLM can automatically generate 3D viewables directly from the SOLIDWORKS file, or create a PDF from a 2D drawing associated with the file. These files are viewable directly in PLM by users across departments such as production, sourcing or merchandising, enabling them to review designs in development or build tech packs, for example.

Ron Watson, EVP of products and CSO at Centric Software notes, “The enhanced SOLIDWORKS connector enables a seamless workflow from SOLIDWORKS to Centric PLM, turning manual processes into hands-off automated operations with significant associated time savings. Engineers free up time to focus on creating great designs and other teams gain accurate insights into designs in progress at an earlier stage, driving faster time to market for consumer goods brands and manufacturers.”

“We are delighted to announce that we have enhanced our SOLIDWORKS connector to bring increased efficiencies to our customers in consumer goods,” says Chris Groves, CEO of Centric Software. “As part of Centric’s 3D strategy, we innovate with customers and solicit their feedback to constantly improve integration between Centric solutions and the 3D tools that teams use every day, building a tighter software ecosystem that works seamlessly to deliver benefits such as greater speed, improved collaboration and cost savings.”

About Centric Software

Silicon Valley-based Centric Software provides an innovative product concept-to-customer platform for producers, brands and retailers of all sizes in the food & beverage industry, food service and grocery retail sectors. Centric Software works closely with customers to achieve more efficient project management and safer product development, execute a competitive retail and product strategy, increase agility, speed time to market and get closer to consumers, resulting in maximized revenues and margins.

Centric Software is a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, the world leader in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions.

For more information, visit www.centricsoftware.com.

Peter Ankerstjerne to Succeed Pierre Guelen as CEO of Planon

Leave a reply

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands, May 7, 2024 – Planon Group, the global leader in smart sustainable building management software, announced that Peter Ankerstjerne will become its new chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2024. Ankerstjerne will succeed founder Pierre Guelen, who will step down as CEO after 42 years at the helm of Planon.

Pierre Guelen

Pierre Guelen began his career as a structural engineering consultant, but soon realized the potential of developing his own software package for maintenance planning, which he called ‘Planon’. Under Guelen’s leadership, Planon quickly grew from a small maintenance consultancy to a market leader in Netherlands, with customers such as PTT (KPN), Philips, Heineken, Shell, and many universities and municipalities. Guelen subsequently pursued an ambitious international expansion strategy, opening offices in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Singapore, Sweden, and the United States, and acquiring other software companies along the way. Planon’s software solutions are globally recognized as innovative and customer-oriented, and in the past two decades, the company has been repeatedly acknowledged as a global market leader by independent research and market intelligence firms, such as Verdantix, IDC, Frost & Sullivan, and Gartner. Pierre Guelen is widely acknowledged as a visionary entrepreneur. Planon today operates as a truly international company with offices in 16 countries and more than 1,100 employees.

Peter Ankerstjerne

Peter Ankerstjerne joined Planon in February 2021 as chief strategy officer and has been instrumental in shaping the company’s vision, strategy, and innovation roadmap. He has also strengthened Planon’s position as a thought leader and partner for customers and stakeholders in the smart building market. Prior to Planon, Peter held various senior positions at leading organizations such as ISS and JLL, where he gained extensive knowledge and experience in workplace and facility management. Peter has also served on the IFMA (International Facility Management Association) Board of Directors for a seven-year period, including a two-year term as the Chairman of the Board. In addition to his contributions at IFMA, Peter has served in various committees and councils within the facility management, real estate and outsourcing industries. With a bachelor’s degree in international marketing management and an MBA from Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark, Peter brings a strong academic foundation to his professional endeavors.

“Peter is the ideal leader to take Planon to the next level of success,” said Pierre Guelen. “He has a deep understanding of our market, our customers and our technology, and a clear vision for the future of Planon. I have full confidence in his ability to keep driving Planon’s growth and innovation, while maintaining our core values and customer focus. I am proud of what we have achieved together at Planon, and I am excited to support Peter and the Planon team in this new chapter.”

“I am honored and extremely proud to take on the role of CEO of Planon Group,” commented Peter Ankerstjerne. “Planon has an outstanding reputation, a strong culture and a highly talented team that is dedicated to delivering value and innovation to our customers. I look forward to continuing to work with them and our partners to further grow our business, expand our global footprint and lead the digital transformation of the built environment.”

Ankerstjerne added, “I would also like to express my gratitude to and admiration for Pierre, who has built Planon from the ground up into a global leader in smart building management software. His vision and passion have created lasting value for our customers as well as our employees and have elevated the industry to becoming more digitally oriented. He is a true entrepreneur and an inspiration for us all.”

About Planon

Planon is the leading global provider of smart sustainable building management software that connects buildings, people and processes. By eliminating data silos and aligning solutions into one shared information platform, Planon provides all building stakeholders with actionable and meaningful insights. Independent market research and consulting firms have consistently rated Planon as a global leader in the market. Planon has implemented its comprehensive solutions for more than 3,250 clients, supported by offices and partners around the world

For more information, visit website.

Nemetschek Introduces AI Innovation Hub

Leave a reply

MUNICH, Germany, May 7, 2024 – The Nemetschek Group, a leading software provider for the AEC/O and media industries, announced the introduction of an AI Innovation Hub. The hub aims to bundle the existing AI activities in the Group and accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the AEC/O (architecture, engineering, construction and operations) and media industries. The hub will be led by two top leaders, who are joining the Group from Google this month: Charles Sheridan, chief AI and data officer, and Julian Geiger, vice president AI product and transformation. Internal processes as well as customers and partners will benefit from increased productivity and efficiency.

Ethics, trust, and sustainability are essential dimensions to developing and deploy AI responsibly. The goal of this hub is to ensure that AI technologies benefit individuals, organizations, and society as a whole while minimizing potential risks and negative impacts. This approach goes way back to the principles established by founder Professor Georg Nemetschek and encompasses all Nemetschek brands. The AI Innovation Hub will tailor AI solutions and products for the customer needs along the entire building lifecycle and for the media & entertainment industry.

The main focus of the newly created AI Innovation Hub is driving AI initiatives across the brand portfolio with partners, alliances, and customers. The Nemetschek Group aims to accelerate product development as well as the testing and exploring of deploying AI tools such as AI Visualizer (a new feature in Archicad, Allplan and Vectorworks), 3D Drawings (part of Bluebeam Cloud) and the dTwin platform to help users increase productivity and sustainability in their processes. The goal is to launch ethical and trustworthy AI as a service (AIaaS) for customers and partners. The establishment of this hub will position the Nemetschek Group as an AI-driven, yet human-centric software leader in the AEC/O and media & entertainment industries.

“Our mission has always been to lead the way in innovation, especially in AEC/O and media & entertainment industries, and this AI Innovation Hub will take us a step further”, says Marc Nézet, chief strategy officer and chief division officer operate & manage. “I am very happy that we have two renowned experts join the team. Together we strive for an ethical AI, protecting creativity and intellectual property rights, and designing and building sustainably and responsibly.”

“I’m truly excited to embark on this journey together with the Nemetschek team. The company is not only committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the AEC/O industry but also prioritizes ethics and the responsible integration of AI. The establishment of the AI Innovation Hub reflects our dedication to customer needs and requirements,” says Charles Sheridan, new chief AI and data officer at Nemetschek Group.

Charles will lead the global AI Innovation Hub, driving the seamless integration of AI technologies across the company’s diverse portfolio of software as well as deploying the internal adoption of AI. In more than 25 years of his international industry experience, Charles has focused on addressing critical technology challenges in the cyber-physical world. Before joining Nemetschek, he held key roles at large tech companies including Google, Intel and Huawei, where he spearheaded the development of next-generation cloud, AI, data, and IoT solutions. Having significant experience within the EU commissions and university communities, he bridges the gap between industry and academia, while also advocating for collaboration and open collaborative research ecosystems.

Julian Geiger, vice president AI product and transformation at the Nemetschek Group, will lead the development and adoption of AI capabilities across the Nemetschek Group to drive customer value and increase internal productivity. “This is an inspiring time for the Nemetschek Group and its brands. I am very proud to become a part of it,” adds Julian Geiger. “Our commitment to fostering an ethical AI-first company will fuel business growth while supporting sustainable and trustworthy AI solutions for our customers and the AEC/O industry.”

With over 16 years at the forefront of technology strategy and product management, Julian brings experience from previous roles at Google, Boston Consulting Group, and BMW. In his past roles he was responsible for transformative business strategies, delivering software products, and nurturing transformational partnerships. Julian Geiger has a deep knowledge in applied AI, data foundation design and analytics.

About Nemetschek Group

The Nemetschek Group is a forerunner of digital transformation in the AEC/O industry and covers the entire life cycle of construction and infrastructure projects. With intelligent software solutions, they lead their customers into the future of digitalization.

Doosan Robotics Announces P3020 Cobot

Leave a reply

Doosan Robotics Inc. unveiled its newest and most powerful P-SERIES (PRIME-SERIES) at Automate 2024, bringing to the world of robotics the longest reaching cobot to date.

Doosan Robotics Unveils Max-Powered ‘PRIME-SERIES’ of Collaborative Robots at Automate 2024

P-SERIES announcement by Doosan Robotics was marked by a show floor unveiling of the new P3020 – the world’s most powerful cobot for palletizing in existence. The P3020 offers a payload of 30kg (60lbs) and reach of 2,030mm (80in), bringing the ability to palletize from floor to 2m high (stacking up to 10 layers of boxes approximately 8 inches tall) using its simple fixed base without a lift.

Doosan Robotics has successfully dominated the high-payload cobot market in the 20kg range and above, which includes advanced palletizing solutions. Since launching the H-SERIES in 2022, Doosan Robotics has attracted major global customers such as Schiphol Airport and Wacker Korea, significantly enhancing its global market share by 72%. This year, with the introduction of the P-SERIES, the cobot featuring the highest payload and reach yet, expectations are set to soar beyond previous achievements.

Additional key features of the P-SERIES cobot lineup include lower power consumption compared to similar payload cobots by applying its built-in gravity compensation mechanism, inherent wrist-singularity free, and a 5 degree-of-freedom movement with the 4th axis removed and 6th axis speed increased to 360 degrees/second. Doosan Robotics’ continued priority on optimal safety across its solutions is also fully present in the new P3020. This includes achieving the highest PL (e) and Cat 4 safety ratings to ensure both a max-powered and max-safety experience for users.

Driven by its vision to elevate everyday experiences and redefine labor workflows, Doosan Robotics provides a wide, exceptional range of AI cobots aimed to bring about a paradigm shift across various sectors, such as palletizing, manufacturing, logistics, food & beverage, architecture, and service industries. These cutting-edge solutions transcend the constraints of conventional robotics, adeptly maneuvering through intricate scenarios while infusing tasks with enhanced efficiency, safety, and ingenuity. Moreover, the AI system boasts continuous learning capabilities, effortlessly updating its model by autonomously downloading required modules for smooth integration.

For more details and videos on the new P3020 cobot by Doosan Robotics, please visit the Doosan Robotics YouTube channel here.

About Doosan Robotics

Doosan Robotics is a global leader in collaborative robot solutions, embodying the principle of ‘Innovation in every motion, revolutionizing the way they work.’ Doosan robots, known for world-class safety and precision, enhance task efficiency across various sectors from manufacturing to service, enabling people to focus on more valuable work.

More information about Doosan Robotics is available at www.doosanrobotics.com.

FANUC Unveils CRX-10iA/L Paint Cobot

Leave a reply

FANUC America unveils the new CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot at Automate. As the first explosion-proof collaborative paint robot for use and sale globally, FANUC’s CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot will unlock the benefits of automation for more companies in the painting, powder and/or gel coating with fiberglass reinforcement industries. The new FANUC cobot not only will help boost all types of paint operations including high-mix, low-volume applications, but also is designed to comply with the stringent explosion-proof safety standards required in the United States.

FANUC CRX cobots have helped automate more applications, including pick and place, palletizing, machine tending and welding, for more companies of all sizes and automation experiences. With the addition of the CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot, now even operations with no robotics experience can quickly and effectively deploy cobots to automate their painting and coating processes by using “easy-teach” features, including drag-and-drop programming and “lead through teach.” The benefits of automating include better quality and more consistent finishes as well as cost and waste savings by accurately and efficiently painting.

Collaborative robots offer flexible automation with a small footprint and force-sensing technology that enable them to work safely around people. In addition to the standard safety certifications included with the CRX line of cobots, the CRX-10iA/L Paint is designed to be compliant to global explosion-proof safety certifications, including IECEx, ATEX, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Brazil.

The CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot has a payload of 10 kg as well as the longest reach in its class at 1,418mm, allowing the cobot to access large workpieces in even the most difficult of places that can pose ergonomic challenges for humans to manually reach. Featuring the same smooth and rounded design of the CRX series, the CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot is lightweight at 45 kg and has a small footprint, which can be further enhanced by stacking the control unit onto a light and compact R-30iB Mini Plus controller. Along with the other CRX cobots, the CRX-10iA/L Paint is maintenance-free for 8 years adding to ownership savings and boosting operations.

As with other CRX models, the CRX-10iA/L Paint collaborative robot is easily programmed with the FANUC CRX Tablet Teach Pendant. Via graphical icons, first-time users can create paint path programs using the drag-and-drop interface. Intuitive paint-specific icon commands have also been added for paint applications.

Additionally, the CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot has full optimization capabilities with path editing and ROBOGUIDE software. It can easily be integrated with other equipment used in painting, powder, liquid, coating and fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP CHOP/GEL) applications.

About FANUC America Corp.

FANUC America Corp. is a subsidiary of FANUC CORPORATION in Japan, and provides industry-leading CNC systems, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs. FANUC’s innovative technologies and proven expertise help manufacturers in the Americas maximize productivity, reliability and profitability.

FANUC America is headquartered at 3900 W. Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, MI, and has facilities throughout North and South America.

For more information, please visit www.fanucamerica.com.

Centric Announces AI-Driven Solutions for Product Concept

Leave a reply

CAMPBELL, CA, May 6, 2024 – Centric Software the product lifecycle management (PLM) market leader, is set to showcase its AI-driven solutions to fuel ‘real-time retail’ at NRF Asia 2024, retail’s most important event in the region.

In the face of supply chain disruptions and intense competition, brands and retailers are under immense pressure to maximize profits, respect sustainability & other compliance requirements and make consumers happy. Solutions from Centric Software empower brands and retailers to produce winning product portfolios, gain visibility to make data-driven decisions and execute, replenish and re-price in real-time with its end-to-end AI-powered solutions.

Founded in 2003, Silicon Valley based Centric Software provides an innovative product concept to launch platform for retailers, brands and manufacturers of all sizes and segments of the consumer goods industry including fashion, footwear, luxury, outdoor, consumer electronics, cosmetics & personal care and food & beverage.

Today, Centric is trusted by 18,000 brands, retailers and manufacturers worldwide, such as Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH), Kmart, Sephora, Samsung Fashion C&T, Swarovski, Trent Limited and Lyfen for its commitment to innovation, industry expertise, 100% go-live rates and seamless integration capabilities.

Since 2018, Centric has been incorporating AI tools in its flagship product lifecycle management (PLM) solution and AI/ML are now options in all of its solutions for faster, better decision-making, task automation and the elimination of manual work. Centric’s latest acquisition of aifora (now Centric Pricing & Inventory) further strengthens its AI capabilities, enabling retailers to predict future demand and replenishment needs and optimize pricing, fostering real-time retail capabilities.

Customers of Centric have experienced tangible ROI, including:

  • Improved margins by 4-15%
  • Reduced excess inventory by 60%
  • Reduced discounting up to 60%.
  • Sped up creation of assortment presentations by 99%
  • Reduced time to market by 40 to 60%

Centric will be at NRF Asia 2024 to present its AI-powered solutions for brands and retailers to orchestrate a competitive retail and product strategy, maximize revenues, increase agility, speed time to market, get closer to consumers and enable sustainability and compliance.

About Centric Software

Silicon Valley-based Centric Software provides an innovative product concept-to-customer platform for producers, brands and retailers of all sizes in the food & beverage industry, food service and grocery retail sectors. Centric Software works closely with customers to achieve more efficient project management and safer product development, execute a competitive retail and product strategy, increase agility, speed time to market and get closer to consumers, resulting in maximized revenues and margins.

Centric Software is a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, the world leader in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions.

For more information, visit www.centricsoftware.com.

ECM Wins 2024 Automate Innovation Awards

Leave a reply

NEEDHAM, MA, May 6, 2024 – US Electric motor design and software company, ECM PCB Stator Tech, was announced a winner in the 2024 Automate Innovation Awards.

ECM won the Software category for its PrintStator Motor CAD platform. The Boston-based company’s CEO, Brian Casey, will accept the award at a ceremony in Chicago, May 6.

Automate Innovation Awards and Show

Hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the Automate Innovation Awards celebrate technologies pushing boundaries in the field of industrial automation. An independent judging panel selected winners based on measurable impact in increasing system efficiencies, reducing costs, and improving design quality.

The Automate Innovation Awards coincide with Automate 2024—North America’s largest automation and robotics tradeshow, held this year in Chicago May 6-9.

At Automate 2024, ECM will host an exhibit and ECM CEO Brian Casey will attend the May 6 Automate Innovation Awards ceremony and deliver an Automate Innovation Stage presentation on PrintStator PCB Stator electric motor design May 7.

“ECM is honored to receive this Automate Innovation Awards recognition for our PrintStator Motor CAD platform. Advancing 21st century automation will require a nextgen upgrade to electric motor design and manufacturing. As SaaS, PrintStator puts that at the fingertips of any innovator in robotics, consumer electronics, conveyors – you name it,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.

Motor as Software

As a company, ECM pairs PrintStator Motor CAD to patented PCB Stator innovation to create next generation electric machines that are smaller, quieter, and more energy and space efficient. In January 2024, ECM launched PrintStator as public software-as-a-service (SaaS) product at CES.

As an innovation tool, PrintStator fundamentally transforms the way electric motors are designed and manufactured. From the cloud-based interface, users can dial-in precise performance and dimensional specs to create optimized motor solutions for multiple verticals: Consumer Electronics, HVAC, E-Mobility, Medical, Robotics, Aerospace, and more.

“PrintStator offers innovators unparalleled design optimization. For example, if a global conveyor manufacturer needs a 1.05 kW electric motor that achieves 94% efficiency, conforms to an exact form factor, and complies with regional energy performance requirements PrintStator can design that,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.

ECM’s PrintStator is also an advanced design-to-manufacture tool. As a SaaS offering, the Motor CAD platform allows companies with manufacturing capacity to advance designs immediately to production. PrintStator users without manufacturing capability can leverage the global capacity of the printed-circuit board industry to enable rapid production of optimized electric motors.

“With PrintStator, ECM aims to positively disrupt an electric motor space that hasn’t seen transformative innovation for eons. PrintStator enables any innovator in any sector to become a designer and producer of optimized electric motors for any application,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.

Scalability and Sustainability

In addition to delivering performance and cost advantages to electrically powered industries, PrintStator offers significant benefits to energy sustainability.

Research underscores that conventional electric motor systems account for over 50% of global electricity consumption and require substantial raw materials to produce. The US and EU project that converting to next generation electric motor technology could eliminate over 100 million tons of CO2 emissions and save over $30 billion in energy costs.

PCB Stator motors designed via PrintStator are up to 70% lighter than conventional options, while achieving efficiencies in excess of 90% and requiring 80% less raw materials (namely, copper).

ECM is working with several global manufacturing companies to incorporate PrintStator, PCB Stator solutions into commercial and industrial devices compliant with Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPs).

Award Winning IP

PrintStator and ECM’s integrated PCB Stator technology have earned 12 US patents. This list has grown (and will continue to grow) based on persistent R&D and upgrades shaped by PrintStator user input worldwide.

ECM has structured PrintStator for constant product improvement via a PrintStator user-group program. Member feedback funnels into consistent updates of the Motor CAD platform to propel the global adoption and evolution of PrintStator as a disruptive technology.

ECM’s Automate Innovation Awards distinction adds to a tally of recent technology competition accolades. The company’s PCB Stator electric motor solutions and software have earned 14 award distinctions. ECM was announced a 2024 CES Innovation Awards Honoree and a winner in the 2023 Industrial Design, Engineering & Automation (IDEA) Awards for PrintStator. ECM took top honors in The 2023 SaaS Awards for PrintStator—winning four categories (including Bespoke SaaS Solution of The Year). In October, ECM won the Design World LEAP Awards’ Software category. ECM also earned an Electronic Design Power Best Award for its CAD Customizable, Unum Potentia, Electric Motor Controller that enables IE5 efficiency.

Infinite Use Cases

PrintStator has been leveraged to integrate ECM’s advanced PCB Stator electric motor technology into numerous applications. That includes collaborating with partners to design smaller, lighter, and more efficient electric motors for consumer appliances, robotics, aerospace, e-bicycles, medical tools, and haptic devices.

ECM believes the release of its advanced MotorCAD platform as SaaS will serve accelerating demand for optimized PCB Stator machines.

“The need for specialized electric motors is an overlooked technology trend. The world will require billions of specialized motors annually—in every vertical imaginable—designed to precise performance, efficiency, and size. In ECM’s view, the best way to serve that electric motor future is to offer PrintStator Motor CAD to the public as SaaS,” said ECM CEO Brian Casey.

About ECM

ECM PCB Stator Tech uses advanced Motor CAD and patented PCB Stator—printed circuit board—technology to create next generation electric motors for multiple applications. ECM’s award-winning PrintStator software powers the design, manufacture, and integration of PCB Stator motors that are lighter, quieter, and more energy and space efficient across a broad range of use cases. ECM designed motors achieve efficiencies in excess of 90% while requiring up to 70% less raw materials to produce.

ECM has collaborated with multiple organizations to create optimized motor solutions across a variety of verticals: HVAC, consumer electronics, e-mobility, fitness, medical, robotics, renewable energy, aerospace, defense, and more.

ECM’s design partners include aerospace and defense innovator L3 Harris, global electronics manufacturer Celestica, and consumer electronics startup Nodo Film Systems.

ECM is a 2024 CES Innovation Awards Honoree and winner of four International SaaS Awards—including SaaS Solution of The Year, Best SaaS Product For CSR, Sustainability And ESG, and Best SaaS Product For Engineering Management, PLM Or CAD. ECM’s PrintStator software is also a Machine Design IDEA Awards and Design World LEAP Awards winner.

ECM maintains offices in Boston (MA), Bozeman (MT), and two locations in Europe.

For more information, visit www.pcbstator.com.

QuickLogic Releases Aurora v2.6

Leave a reply

SAN JOSE, CA, May 6, 2024 – QuickLogic Corp. announced the release of Aurora 2.6, the latest iteration of its comprehensive eFPGA development tool suite. Aurora 2.6 introduces significant architectural enhancements, advanced user interface features, and a streamlined Linux installation process, reinforcing QuickLogic’s commitment to innovation and user-centric development.

Aurora v2.6 Highlights

Support Windows and Linux OS Platforms: Aurora is now available on Windows 11/Windows 10 OS platforms and all of the major Linux distributions (including Centos, RedHat, and Ubuntu) via a unified Linux installation package.

eFPGA Architecture Improvement: The Aurora 2.6 suite brings an improved eFPGA architecture, delivering an average timing performance boost of 6% across various designs. In certain cases, the performance increases by as much as 15%, underscoring QuickLogic’s dedication to optimizing performance and efficiency. Detailed comparisons and benchmarks are available for review, showcasing the tangible benefits of the updates implemented in this version.

Interactive Path Analysis (IPA) Feature: A standout addition is the Interactive Path Analysis (IPA) within the new Graphical User Interface (GUI). The IPA capability allows users to analyze their design timing in a more granular way by highlighting the specific routing for critical paths in the design. This enables flexibility in influencing the timing performance of the design. The inclusion of IPA exemplifies Aurora’s evolution toward more intuitive and insightful design analysis, facilitating a faster development process for engineers.

“In launching Aurora 2.6, we are not just releasing an updated tool suite; we are providing a platform that significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of eFPGA development,” said Mao Wang, product marketing director at QuickLogic.

Availability

The Aurora 2.6 Development Tool Suite is available immediately, marking a significant milestone for QuickLogic and the broader eFPGA development community. For more information, please visit QuickLogic’s website https://www.quicklogic.com/products/efpga-user-tools.

About QuickLogic

QuickLogic Corp. is a fabless semiconductor company that develops innovative embedded FPGA (eFPGA) IP, discrete FPGAs, and FPGA SoCs for a variety of industrial, aerospace and defense, edge and endpoint AI, consumer, and computing applications. Their wholly owned subsidiary, SensiML Corp., completes the end-to-end solution portfolio with AI / ML software that accelerates AI at the edge/endpoint.

For more information, visit quicklogic.com.

Magnachip Releases 40V MXT MV MOSFET

Leave a reply

Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. announced the release of its new 40V MXT MV MOSFET1. With this latest addition, the company now offers 13 MOSFET and IGBT products for a wide range of automotive applications (see the tables below).

(Graphic: Business Wire)

As the automotive industry adopts advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and enhanced infotainment systems, the demand for high-efficiency power solutions increases. According to Omdia, a global market research firm, the automotive power discrete market is projected to grow 14% annually from 2024 to 2027.

Magnachip entered the automotive sector in April 2022 with its first 40V MOSFET and has since broadened its product offerings by releasing 30V, -40V (P-channel MOSFET2), 60V, and 250V MOSFETs for vehicles. In September 2023, the Company introduced 650V and 1200V IGBTs for positive temperature coefficient heaters and e-compressors for automotive. In the last two years, Magnachip’s power products have been integrated into vehicles of major automotive manufacturers in the United States, Korea, Japan and China.

Leveraging its technological capabilities, Magnachip now unveils this 40V MXT MV MOSFET (AMDD040N055RH) in the Decawatt Package (DPAK). The new MOSFET offers exceptional versatility for various automotive applications, such as motor control systems or power seat modules and electric stability control systems for reverse battery protection.

Magnachip’s automotive MOSFET product family
Product VDS [V] VGS(th), typ.

[V]

 *RDS(ON) [mΩ]
@ VGS=10V		 Qg, Typ [nC]
@ 10V		 Package AEC-Q101
Max. Typ.
AMDV030N150URH 30 1.9 15.0 11.0 8.3 PDFN33 Qualified
AMDU040N014VRH 40 3.1 1.4 1.1 71.0 PDFN56 Qualified
AMDW040N014VF 40 3.1 1.4 1.1 71.0 Sawn on Foil Qualified
AMDW1723F 40 3.0 2.0 1.6 88.3 Sawn on Foil Qualified
AMDU040N043VRH 40 3.2 4.3 3.5 23.0 PDFN56 Qualified
AMDD040N055RH 40 3.2 5.5 4.3 24.0 DPAK Qualified
AMDUA040N070RH 40 3.2 7.0 6.1 24.0 PDFN56 Dual Qualified
AMDD040P069RH -40 -1.8 6.9 6.2 91.0 DPAK Qualified
AMDW06N021F 60 2.3 2.8 2.1 243.0 Sawn on Foil Qualified
AMDD14N25CRH 250 3.0 280.0 220.0 20.0 DPAK Qualified

*RDS(on)_max: the maximum resistance of MOSFETs during on-state operation

Magnachip’s automotive IGBT product family
Product VCES IC IC, max. Package Option AEC-Q101
AMBQ40T65PHRTH 650V 40A 60A TO247 Diode co-pak Qualified
AMBQ40T120RFRTH 1200V 40A 60A TO247 Diode co-pak Qualified
AMBQ40T120RRTH 1200V 40A 60A TO247 None (Diode) Qualified

About Magnachip Semiconductor

Magnachip is a designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor platform solutions for communication, Internet of Things (IoT), consumer, computing, industrial and automotive applications. The Company provides a broad range of standard products to customers worldwide. Magnachip, with more than 40 years of operating history, owns a portfolio of approximately 1,100 registered patents and pending applications, and has extensive engineering, design and manufacturing process expertise.

For more information, please visit www.magnachip.com.

1 MXT MV MOSFET (Magnachip eXtreme Trench Medium Voltage MOSFET): Magnachip’s cutting-edge product portfolio of 40~200V trench MOSFETs

2 P-channel MOSFET: A P-channel MOSFET requires the gate voltage to be lower than the source to turn on, in contrast to an N-channel MOSFET. Therefore, the drain-source voltage is generally expressed as a negative value (ex. -40V).

Vention Launches Cloud-Robotics, AI Capabilities

Leave a reply

Vention, the cloud robotics company, released a suite of AI-powered capabilities to its Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP). These new capabilities, available immediately to the more than 4,000 manufacturers already using Vention, strengthen the company’s position as the only end-to-end platform to design, automate, order, deploy and operate automated equipment and robot cells in the cloud.

The Cloud Robotics Platform (CNW Group/Vention)

MachineBuilder capabilities enhanced for robot cell design

The latest version of MachineBuilder, Vention’s cloud-based 3D design software, brings forward the most comprehensive suite of enhancements over the past 36 months with more intuitive and smarter design tools.

Specific product capabilities include:

  • Streamlined design flow: Empowers teams to work faster and more confidently with hundreds of machine design templates.
  • Smarter part placement: Minimizes the effort of creating mechanical structures when designing in 3D. Powered by Vention’s AI-driven Geometric Reasoning Engine (GRE), components added to a design automatically snap to the desired orientation with minimal user input.
  • Enhanced part manipulation: Reduces the learning curve of designing in MachineBuilder with new part manipulation tools powered by contextual guidance and a more discoverable 3D manipulator.
  • Real-time design and part specifications: Increases visibility into part and design specifications with real-time updates as components are added to the bill of material. Technical specifications, 2D drawings and more are now directly available in the 3D design environment.

Robotic programming capabilities pave the way for complex cloud applications

The release of Vention’s MachineLogic new code-free programming instructions further simplifies how users program robot arms and all adjacent devices in a robotic cell. Combined with the new scene asset functionality, developers can leverage their digital twin to accelerate the deployment process. Users can now program their robot in the cloud and deploy it directly to the factory floor.

Specific product capabilities include:

  • Point and click robot programming: Inserts waypoints and reference frames easily into a digital twin. Enables developers to visualize the position of reference frames and waypoints in the scene using new scene widgets.
  • Extensible workflows and powerful authoring capabilities: Defines parametric reference frames and waypoints with variables and expressions.
  • Calibration Frame: Defines calibration frames in your digital twin to enable the level of precision required for your robotic application.

Instantly and securely deploy robot cells from the cloud to the factory floor

The inclusion of a new instant deployment functionality empowers robotic developers to transfer programs and machine configurations from a digital twin to a physical machine directly in the web browser. This new feature integrates with Vention’s ISO 27001 and NIST-800-171 certified MachineCloud infrastructure, expediting deployment processes and facilitating a seamless redeployment from the digital twin to the real world without disrupting production.

Enhanced user interface authoring added to the cloud robotics platform

Vention adds web development tools and workflows to its cloud-based robot programming platform, enabling advanced users to create and simulate robot applications that contain feature-rich operator interfaces. This new release confirms Vention’s commitment to providing an extensible platform that strives to meet the robotics industry’s and its practitioners’ evolving needs.

In addition, as a continuation of its commitment to the needs of its industry, Vention will publish the second edition of its State of DIY Industrial Automation Report on May 6. Following its success in 2023, the company has decided to survey their clients again to understand better the trends unveiled last year, such as the emergence of Advanced Manufacturing Teams, the importance of platforming industrial automation and the preference for self-service and self-design.

About Vention

Vention helps some of the most innovative manufacturers automate their production floors in just a few days through a democratized user experience. Vention’s manufacturing automation platform allows clients to design, automate, deploy and operate automated equipment directly from their web browsers. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with one office in Berlin, Vention’s 300 employees serve 4,000+ customers in five continents and across 25 manufacturing industries.

For more information, visit website.