think3 Integrates Autodesk Inventor Series to thinkteam PDM Tool, Enhancing Vendor-Neutral Capability

CINCINNATI, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- think3, a leading supplier of product development solutions and industrial design, today announced added functionality to thinkteam, the product data management (PDM) component of its thinkPLM(R) suite.

thinkteam now complements Autodesk's Inventor(R) with a module that helps designers manage product information, specifically 3D models, and integrate existing functions without changing operating methods. think3 already offers vendor-neutral capability for CAD/CAM systems Pro/ENGINEER, AutoDesk's AutoCAD, and SolidWorks(R) 3D Modeling enabling designers to manage multiple versions of technical drawings from these incompatible systems. The new version of thinkteam for Inventor is now available.

thinkteam for Inventor introduces a single access point for all product data, including model and 2D drawing archives. The powerful, easy-to-use search functions enable information to be found quickly and reliably. Errors caused by using incorrect or outdated information are virtually eliminated. Also eliminated are errors caused by concurrent modifications to the same drawings by different designers. thinkteam for Inventor enables designers to assess the impact of modifications by automatically managing links between drawings and the product's Bill of Materials (BOM). All these advantages help to improve design automation, reduce time-to-market, increase efficiency and control, and improve design quality, achieving the goal of "do it right the first time."

"Designers often must manage multiple versions of technical drawings as a result of using various CAD programs simultaneously," said Eugenio Vacca, thinkPLM product marketing manager, think3. "Further, data used during the product development process can come from many disparate sources. These challenges are solved with thinkteam, which allows all product information to be managed in a single, integrated environment. And now customers who use Inventor are able to benefit from thinkteam's value in the product development process."

thinkteam includes additional unique functionalities that greatly improve data management and product development processes:

-- Research and Import: thinkteam Search functions are available to designers using the thinkteam toolbar. Designers can select and directly import information stored in the archive into the current session of an Inventor document. The Project Browser ensures easy and rapid access to data by grouping together standard data, e.g., the data for a specific product, company department and supplier. 

-- Archive Management: With the Import into Project function, an assembly stored on the file systems can be opened and imported into thinkteam, as well as all sub-assemblies and components, recovering information used by other data management systems such as Autodesk Vault. 

-- Component-Document Link: Component information can be defined and the 3D model information for the component can then be drafted automatically, while the link is automatically maintained. 

-- Engineering BOM: thinkteam for Inventor defines and updates the Engineering BOM, according to the geometric information from the 3D model, by automatically compiling BOM information such as quantity. -- Document BOM: thinkteam for Inventor automatically creates and updates the Document BOM, using existing references between the 3D models defined in Inventor. 

-- Modification Impact Analysis: Standard thinkteam functions can assess the impact of modifications by displaying an assembly, including components not yet issued. This permits geometric review of assembly form, fit and function when the component is modified. 

-- Display and Markup: With optional thinkview functions, all Inventor drawings can be distributed and displayed without installing Inventor on each workstation. Using the markup functions, notes and comments can be added to Inventor drawings to evaluate a modification before implementation. 

-- Printing: thinkprint functions allow Inventor drawings to be printed on company output peripheral units, without having to configure printers and plotters on each individual workstation.

think3's thinkteam PDM functionality supports Inventor 9 or later.

About think3, Inc.

think3 is a leading supplier of product development solutions to mid-sized manufacturers worldwide and provides innovative, next generation industrial design solutions for the industrial design industry. Customers include BMW, Audi, Maytag, Alessi and GE Medical Devices. Overall, the company enables more than 5,000 manufacturers to achieve dramatic gains in competitiveness and profitability by optimizing their product development process. think3's best- of-class products, services and unique business delivery model lower manufacturers' risks and remove barriers to successful implementation. With headquarters in Cincinnati and offices throughout Europe, Asia and North America, the privately held company has been leading innovation for more than 20 years. 

www.think3.com

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