UGS Corp. says its Tecnomatix Production Management portfolio, a family of manufacturing shop-floor applications, is the first software to integrate production management with overall product lifecycle management (PLM) process. UGS says the software effectively expands the value of PLM by bridging the gap between product design and production processes, enabling manufacturers to accelerate product launches, streamline regulatory compliance, facilitate lean manufacturing, and implement continuous process improvement. (www.sensorsmag.com/1206/SCmfg1)
Also working to leverage manufacturing data for business benefit, Rockwell Automation has added two new tools to its FactoryTalk software suite. The new FactoryTalk Integrator allows manufacturers to more easily connect their plant-floor applications with higher-level business systems for more responsive and informed decision-making. And FactoryTalk Portal helps manufacturers increase productivity by allowing them to consolidate their Web-based interfaces into one manageable and configurable launch point. Both products incorporate IBM's WebSphere middleware for increased application-to-application connectivity with performance and scalability. (www.sensorsmag.com/1206/SCmfg2)