Enterprise systems: GM and Whirlpool executives to keynote PLM Road Map conference

Collaborative Product Development Associates (CPDA) announced that Detlef Bielohlawek, global director of CAD and visualization for General Motors, and Dr. Thomas Gielda,

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Collaborative Product Development Associates (CPDA) announced that Detlef Bielohlawek, global director of CAD and visualization for General Motors, and Dr. Thomas Gielda, director of global mechanical structures and systems for Whirlpool Corp., will give keynote presentations at its annual PLM Road Map conference, to be held at The Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Mich., on Sept. 19 and 20. Other keynote presenters will be Dr. Durward K. Sobek , associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Montana State University, and Michael Kennedy, co-founder and CEO of Targeted Convergence Corporation.
Bielohlawek will discuss how GM transformed product development from a group of regional engineering centers into one global development organization in his presentation entitled, “Globalization challenges: Supporting the transformation to global engineering with global information technology.” To facilitate this transformation at GM, IT initiated a worldwide effort structured to enable global virtual engineering. Bielohlawek will describe the path taken, from the communications and technical challenges experienced to the benefits that ensued.
In “Driving simulation-based design in the home appliance industry,” Dr. Gielda will show how simulation has become integral to the design process for the reduction of physical prototypes, the evaluation of design functional objectives, and the shaping of design decisions up front at Whirlpool. He will share lessons learned in driving a major paradigm shift, and will update the audience on progress achieved to date following Whirlpool’s recent implementation of MSC SimEnterprise.
PLM Road Map 2007 is a strategic conference focused on the critical tradeoffs that shape product development. Presentations will cover eBOM/mBOM synchronization from the U.S. and Japan to drive modularity, reuse, and product platform strategies; a scorecard and benchmark for simulation driven design; the challenge and potential for integrating mechanical, electrical/electronics and software; requirements management to optimize critical parameters; and knowledge engineering.
To find out more about PLM Road Map 2007 or to register for the event visit the CPDA website .
—Edited by Lisa Sutor , Control Engineering news desk