Customer References - Bosch ANT Telecom'HP PE/ME10, Making It Possible'Eight years using ME10 at ANT Bosch Telecom, and experience with the Beta Version of Release 6.0 by Michael Weick*) Eight years ago South German based ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH were looking for a new design and drafting tool for their engineering design department. The major criteria were reliability, innovation and functional design. Hewlett-Packard's ME10 fulfilled these requirements from the beginning, and the latest version, Release 6.0, provides even more intelligent features. ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH - a Bosch Telecom company...Robert Bosch GmbH is the majority shareholder in ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH, Germany (ANT Bosch Telecom). Within the group, ANT are responsible for telecommunications technology. ANT Bosch Telecom develop and build systems for message transmission via telephone lines as well as radio and satellite relay systems. ANT Bosch Telecom also set up mobile radio networks together with the associated infrastructure and traffic control systems. Major clients include both the public sector, such as the Post Office, German Telekom, the Bundesbahn (railways), space agencies, and public authorities, as well as the private sector. Together with Bosch Telecom, ANT are able to offer a comprehensive range of technologies for public networks. With around 6,300 employees and turnover of DM 1.5 billion, ANT Bosch Telecom already operate in numerous different sectors, which cover multiplex technology, traffic and network technology, radio relays, space, Bosch Telecom …ffentliche Vermittlungstechnik GmbH, Teldix GmbH and the satellite network division. A company offering such an extensive and specialized product range depends on the consistent application of information technology throughout the company. ME10 assisted engineering design since 1986 ...Since 1981 computer-aided technology has been used in the field of electronics development. The accelerated rate of progress and the resulting frequent system changes have led to a plethora of information processing (IP) products. Since 1986 the systematic use of the HP PE/ME10 has enabled the mechanical engineering division to develop an organic, uniform information processing structure. One of the core activities of ANT Bosch Telecom is the design of equipment, such as housings for electronic assemblies. Much of this equipment is subject to critical external factors. A device for air and space travel, for example, has to be compact and lightweight, and only a small quantity of the device will be required. Sometimes only two sets of satellite equipment will be built, of which the twin device remains on the ground. To a lesser extent we also use ME10 to design tools. We chose the Hewlett-Packard ME10 CAD system in 1985 from a range of 20 possible software systems. To make our selection we drew up a series of individually weighted criteria. Our computer system should be readily accessible to any user and not just IT graduates. Our design engineers come from different professional backgrounds ranging from technical draughtsmen to mechanical engineers. Since its selection, ME10 has proved itself to be an intelligent tool equally suitable for all the designers. The software authors share the same way of thinking as our designers and consequently ME10 works 'with' the designers and the procedures written into the software are logical for our design team. This means that the operator is truly using the program and not vice versa. Another advantage is the fact that standards and regulations have been taken into account. The functionality of ME10 is also suited to our requirements and follows our style of mechanical engineering design better than its counterparts. The applied functionality of ME10 avoids the need for secondary IT work in the development departments, and users can proceed with the job in hand rather than spend time on writing auxiliary programs for their software. Our design engineers themselves determine the hardware which supports ME10 to suit the particular product sector. The 'Technical IP Systems' department provides the tools, but does not prescribe their use. Any auxiliary tools needed, for data security or conversions for example, are developed by 'Technical IP Systems' as required and are incorporated in ME10 such that they are available to users via a single user interface. This feature of ME10 confirms the economy of our investment as there is no need for designers to spend extra time on system maintenance. What convinced us ...In the light of the trend towards more software based solutions in information processing, and fewer hardware based solutions, our choice of ME10 8 years ago was - and still is - the right one. Within ANT Bosch Telecom, Hewlett-Packard already enjoyed a reputation as the leading supplier for measuring and test technology. Bosch Telecom Group has used HP products in this sector for many years now. Hence the step to HP workstations was a small one, based on positive experience. Initially we found the solid corporate structure of HP rather rigid, even bureaucratic. However, we soon discovered that this reticence is a fundamental corporate principle and a strength. We were never made any promises the company was unable to keep. Our eight years using HP products have shown that information provided by HP employees is accurate and reliable. Comprehensive use of CAD up to production stage resulted initially in shorter manufacturing times and then later to an acceleration in the design process. The benefits in terms of cost and time were primarily felt in the factories and then in the labs. Our small production runs require a degree of flexibility not achievable using traditional methods. Although Robert Bosch GmbH companies are using 'Medusa' in the main, we at ANT are happy with ME10. Since 1986 other divisions within the Bosch Group have come round to the same way of thinking, and some departments are already looking at the possibility of switching to ME10. Our experience with ME10 means that we are often asked for advice during the decision-making process. ME10 product maintenance for 120 users and 82 workstations...ME10 maintenance is extraordinarily easy. For 82 workstations we have found that we only need one system manager and three CAD consultants for the software and operating system environment. When you consider that the average system requires one system manager to around 30 workstations or users, it is evident that our combination of hard and software is extremely easy to maintain. The three CAD consultants from the 'Technical IP Systems' department are also responsible for advising and training users as well as other services such as maintaining the library, system programming and provision of software tools. As we have been using the product for a long period of time the hardware we use ranges from the HP 9000 series 300 up to the HP PA-RISC workstations. A total of 120 engineers and designers use the 82 workstations without the necessity for shifts. Up to now no overloading of the hardware has been evident, even if some of the older computers are sometimes operating at the limit of their capacity. The Network Information Service (NIS) and Virtual Home Environment (VHE) gives the designer access to any workstation in the working group. This enables the designer to process his own workstation data anywhere, choosing a faster machine if necessary. First impressions of the ME10 version Release 6.0 from the results of the Beta test... One of the new features of which we are so proud are the various drawing scales in one drawing, which make it possible to produce designs of complex devices. This is a particular advantage in the design of a range of equipment for air and space agencies. The enhanced parametrics features are also impressive. Release 5.0, used with the parametrics module, already had the capability to change dimensions by modifying the geometry of the design. But Release 6.0 has the facility to reverse this process, i.e. to change geometry simply by altering the dimensions! In general, up to today the parametrics module seemed to us too complicated to use and would have required a very profound knowledge of the software. We are therefore are particularly pleased with the enhanced parametrics features in ME10 6.0 which make this module much more intuitive and natural to use. ME10 making inroads into other corporate divisions...It is not necessarily the most but the best which we are hoping to achieve, and with this in mind, we are now using ME10 for applications other than design. In the meantime we have also been using ME10 for space planning and building management. Although we needed to add certain features and make some modifications to the system environment, the open architecture of ME10 meant that this presented no technical problems to the system administrators. *) Author: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Michael Weick, 42, graduated in General Precision Engineering at the technical university of Furtwangen. In 1975 he started at AEG Telefunken in Backnang, South West Germany, as a designer and since 1990 he has been head of 'Technical IP Systems' at ANT Nachrichtentechnik GmbH, a Bosch Telecom company. |