Question 1

Why is PLM important?

Accepted Answer

PLM (product lifecycle management) is important because it helps organizations manage the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to retirement, in a centralized and organized manner. The following are some PLM benefits:

Improved product quality: PLM helps organizations ensure that products are designed and developed to meet quality and safety standards.
Increased efficiency: PLM streamlines processes, reducing development time and increasing efficiency.
Better collaboration: PLM enables organizations to collaborate effectively between different departments and stakeholders, such as engineering, manufacturing and marketing.
Better decision-making: PLM provides access to centralized product information, allowing organizations to make informed decisions based on up-to-date and accurate data.
Reduced costs: PLM helps organizations reduce costs by reducing waste and rework, improving supply chain management and reducing product recalls. PLM functions could be performed separate from software, but PLM software facilitates PLM functions and eases integration across systems, helping information advance with the product lifecycle.

Question 2

Why is control design important?

Accepted Answer

Control design is important because it determines the performance and stability of a control system. A well-designed control system can improve the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of a process or system. The following are some reasons why control design is important:

Improved process performance: Control design can improve the performance of a process by reducing variability and ensuring that the process operates within desired limits.
Increased system stability: Control design helps ensure that the system is stable, preventing process upsets and shutdowns.
Better product quality: Control design can improve product quality by reducing variability and ensuring that the process operates within desired limits.
Improved safety: Control design can improve the safety of a system by detecting and helping to prevent unsafe conditions or process upsets.
Increased efficiency: Control design can improve efficiency by reducing waste and ensuring that the process operates within desired limits.

Question 3

How is PLM different than control design?

Accepted Answer

PLM is a comprehensive approach to managing the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to retirement. PLM involves managing data, processes and people across multiple departments and functions, including product design, development, manufacturing and support.

Control design is the process of designing control systems that monitor and control processes, machines and other systems. Control design involves choosing and implementing appropriate control algorithms and hardware components to ensure that the process operates within desired limits. Control design can be integrated into a PLM process.

Question 4

How does a PLM system work?

Accepted Answer

A PLM (product lifecycle management) system works by centralizing and automating the management of product-related information throughout the product lifecycle. The PLM system provides a centralized repository for all product information, including design specifications, bill of materials, engineering change orders, and test data.

A PLM system can integrate with or interchange information with other systems, such as controls, CAD (computer-aided design), ERP (enterprise resource planning), and MES (manufacturing execution systems), to provide a comprehensive view of the product lifecycle.

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