China university helps UGS improve manufacturing

Staff -- Control Engineering, 9/1/2006

UGS, product lifecycle management ( PLM) software and services provider, and China's Jilin University (JLU) have signed an original equipment manufacturer agreement to integrate JLU's one-step formability analysis technology into NX, UGS' digital product development software. The technology, developed by the school's Institute of Auto-body and Die Engineering (IADE) under a UGS GO PLM initiative grant, aims to improve design and manufacturing processes. It is expected to be available in NX by third-quarter 2006.

In November 2005, UGS gave NX and NX Nastran software with a retail value of $169 million and technical support to Jilin University and set up Jilin University/ UGS digital manufacturing education centers to help develop certified NX specialists for China's growing economy. Jilin University is a leading national university under the jurisdiction of China's Ministry of Education. It has the highest enrollment in China with 63,000 full-time students.

UGS' GO PLM Initiative makes grants of more than $4 billion annually. Earlier in 2006, UGS gave institutions in China awards worth more than $1.1 billion. GO PLM brings together five programs.

NX is a suite of integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE (computer-aided design, -manufacturing, -electrical) applications intended to improve overall process efficiency and each step in a process. www.ugs.com, http://en.jlu.edu.cn/