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Scania CV AB Adds IntraVISION as Integral Component of its Matrix PDM System

The migration to a paperless manufacturing environment reduces design cycle time

Swedish-based Scania CV AB designs, builds, and sells the highest quality, best-priced heavy-duty vehicles in the world. The company caters to the world's most demanding customers in 100 countries, making Scania one of the leading manufacturers of heavy trucks, buses, and engines. Since its founding over one century ago, Scania has delivered nearly one million trucks and buses for heavy-duty transport work. The company manufactures approximately 50,000 vehicles per year, including 45,000 truck chassis and 5000 buses & coaches.

Design Challenges

Scania chassis must be attractive while meeting structural and performance requirements for life cycle durability and low fuel consumption. According to Magnus Lidstrom, Scania’s manager of engineering data interchange, "Our customers want powerful vehicles that are cost-effective to operate and maintain. These days, customers want to be able to transport bigger loads, and drive longer distances without stopping ? at lower costs. There are many issues that we must address when designing Scania vehicles in order to maintain our competitive edge.”

Cab and chassis design by Scania.

Scania meets those design challenges by ensuring that assembly components fit together prior to production, using high-grade materials, and the best suppliers. These measures, as well as their internal processes, help keep costs down so they can pass the savings along to their customers. Scania’s 350 designers use CATIA and CimCAD as their primary CAD/CAM/CAE applications. Matrix software is Scania’s product data management (PDM) system for its global CAD-archive system. IntraVISION^® visualization solution, from Spatial Inc., is integrated into the PDM system, which provides users with 2D and 3D viewing, redlining, measurement, and conversion capabilities.

IntraVISION Visualization Solution

In April 1999, Scania installed the IntraVISION-embedded Matrix PDM system. "For our PDM implementation to be successful," Lidstrom explains, "we needed a visualization solution that supported all of our requirements and would be easy for a large group of users to learn quickly." In addition to the CATIA format, Scania uses a variety of different formats for exchanging CAD files to suppliers and for viewing and plotting purposes. The most common formats used are STEP, IGES, VD-AFS, DXF, HPGL1, HPGL2, TIFF, PDF and Microsoft^® Office formats. For reviewers, redline and markup functions in 3D formats are desired for CATIA, and/or STL and VRML.

Lidstrom continues, "We evaluated several competitive viewer products prior to selecting IntraVISION, including Object Logic from Parametric Technology Corporation, AutoVue from Cimmetry Solutions, and Myriad from Informative Graphics. After looking closely at these solutions, we came to an eye-opening realization. IntraVISION was the only solution that supported the diverse set of file formats that we required, supported all the operating systems we have in our engineering environment, and provided the most flexible licensing. Plus, Spatial Inc. provided us with a list of references of other large manufacturing companies who also selected IntraVISION."

"Therefore, we quit looking and focused on IntraVISION because it cost-effectively provides the functionality we needed and enabled a seamless integration with our Matrix PDM system. IntraVISION works like a clock, making it possible for us to use redline and markup tools very efficiently." added Lidstrom.

Workflow and CAD Access

At Scania, when a designer determines that his or her design is ready for review by a manager or reviewer, the design is archived and sent into a workflow approval process. Using this process, each person can directly assess the electronic design directly using IntraVISION. Reviewers can view the design and make remarks via the redlining function. The marked-up design is then sent downstream or back to the original designer for additional work. The electronic design is sent back and forth until a final design is approved. Matrix manages the process, while IntraVISION provides access for the wide group of people within Scania without requiring the actual CAD system used to design the product.

In addition to providing enterprise-wide CAD and document access, IntraVISION is also used to communicate with Scania’s suppliers. Lidstrom says, "Scania sends and receives design models to and from other companies. Drawings may need to be converted to other file formats which are used by outside business partners, so we use IntraVISION not only to view and redline, but to convert these files to the required file type. By viewing and converting a STL, IGES, and STEP file received via email or other methods, we have one tool that quickly facilitates communication with our suppliers."

Lidstrom notes, "IntraVISION is considered a valuable communications tool at Scania. The technology facilitates a smoother, more streamlined approval process by eliminating paper and saving time. Since we are still fairly new users, we are just beginning to realize the benefits of using digital drawings as opposed to generating 2D paper plots. The traditional methodology can tack on as much as two to three working days to the design cycle."

A Critical Tool for Everyday Use

Lidstrom reports that IntraVISION is used as an integral tool everyday. "Usually we have four to five major design projects being worked on simultaneously. Hence, it is essential that our workflow process is as smooth as possible."

Lidstrom continues. "As a classic "line" organization, Scania has a hierarchical approval system. Typically, it can take up to several weeks for parts/designs to obtain approvals. The combined Matrix-IntraVISION technology is the key to our workflow process."

Easy Learning Curve

Not everyone at Scania is using IntraVISION, yet. Lidstrom notes, "We are migrating slowly due to the nature of our culture. However, those who have migrated to using the IntraVISION software have found that it took just five to ten minutes to learn, which helps significantly in the deployment."

"For instance, in our PDM system, users find the drawing they need. They right click on the object and choose "open view." Then, IntraVISION is automatically started without the user needing to know how to access the software on our network or launch the software. Similarly, if users want to make a remark, all they have to do is click on one of the redlining tools and they can immediately start commenting on the file. All user information is automatically saved and stored with the file making it seamless to the user," said Lidstrom.

IntraVISION enables users to view., markup, measure and convert raster files, documents, drawings, 3D models, configuration data, assemblies and part files.

He added, "IntraVISION provides a pop-up window when you click on one of the tools. When redlining tasks are complete, users choose "exit" and IntraVISION asks if redlining activities are to be saved and the user clicks "yes." The IntraVISION software integration automatically saves the work, making the effort fast and easy."

Benefits to the Workflow Process

There’s no doubt that using IntraVISION saves time. Designers and managers who are still using paper drawings in the workflow are beginning to realize the benefits of using IntraVISION. "If a designer is used to generating paper plots, he or she might have to wait 10-15 minutes because the plotter may not be ready or working. It can take up to one-half day to output plots, and longer to actually deliver the plot to the appropriate reviewer. By using IntraVISION to eliminate the paper process, we are saving up to two days in the design cycle," reports Lidstrom.

Scania is aggressively taking on new technologies to help improve productivity, while remaining globally competitive. "At the same time that we launched IntraVISION and Matrix, we introduced geometry assurance tools that will help all of our designers create 3D geometry of Scania parts for our vehicles," says Lidstrom. "We are also implementing systems that will allow us to work with digital mock-ups for our truck development process. Our designers are getting used to working in a 3D design environment, using IntraVISION integrated in a PDM system, and moving toward a paperless factory."

Scania is a global corporation, operating in about 100 countries, with approximately 95 percent of unit sales outside Sweden. Scania has a total of 23,500 employees, over 700 external suppliers, and 2,000 customers for its Intranet viewer products.

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