PTC Acquires Leading CAM Software Provider NC Graphics Ltd.Acquisition Strengthens PTC's Manufacturing Strategy Through Integrated Design The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. and Machining Solution NEEDHAM, Mass. -- PTC (PTC, Needham, MA, www.ptc.com) Long a world leader in mechanical computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering software, PTC, through acquisitions and reorganization, has transformed itself into a leading provider of Internet-based B2B solutions for discrete manufacturers. (Nasdaq: PMTC PMTC Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (of HIV/AIDS) PMTC Pacific Missile Test Center PMTC Professional Multimedia Test Center ), the Product Development Company[R], today announced it has acquired NC Graphics Ltd., headquartered in Cambridge, England. The acquisition of NC Graphics is in direct response to customer demand for specialized CAM capabilities required for molds, dies and prototypes. With its Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) technology, NC Graphics delivers best-of-breed software for optimizing tool making and high-speed precision machining processes. NC Graphics has more than 1,500 customers in multiple discrete manufacturing Fabricating products by assembling components and subsystems into larger systems. The automated assembly line is the prime example of discrete manufacturing such as in the making of automobiles, household appliances and computer systems. vertical markets such as aerospace, automotive, medical equipment and motorsports. With this acquisition, PTC strengthens the link between product design and manufacturing, offering its customers faster production of molds and dies. As a result, parts will be available sooner and at a higher quality level than other non-integrated solutions. Mold and die shops serve customers using a wide variety of CAD systems to model their products. The ability to create molds and dies quickly and accurately is important to the manufacturing process and overall product development cycle and vital for their business. Additionally, the quality of an end product depends directly on the quality of the tooling. With this acquisition, PTC now offers an open solution to any toolmaker or company requiring high-speed precision machining CAM software, regardless of the source of CAD data. These companies will be able to optimize their mold and die making processes to deliver more complex products faster and with less cost. NC Graphics has revolutionized the process of producing NC machining toolpaths for molds, dies, and other high-speed precision applications from 3D CAD models. Mold and die makers need this capability to help them optimize their processes to deliver more complex products with less manufacturing lead time and at lower cost. The companies that rely on these outsourced mold and die makers are able to decrease overall product development time, better enabling their response to market demands. "The global economy is intensely competitive, and the design and manufacturing of mold and die tools is typically on the critical path of a new product introduction cycle," said James Heppelmann, executive vice president software products and chief product officer, PTC. "This acquisition allows customers to work more effectively with their outsourced toolmaker partners by connecting customer CAD data with the toolmaker's CAM system." PTC has always appreciated the important connection between product design and manufacturing having delivered a broad set of CAM solutions as part of the Pro/ENGINEER[R] product family. Subsequently, PTC expanded its manufacturing strategy with its acquisition of Polyplan for manufacturing process management Manufacturing Process Management (MPM) is a collection of technology and methods used in the manufacture of products. It incorporates such technologies as computer-aided production engineering (CAPE), Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) , computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), . The acquisition of NC Graphics, best known for its technology distributed under the DEPOCAM name, further enhances PTC's ability to help customers optimize their manufacturing processes. Combining NC Graphics' mastery of high-speed machining with PTC's Pro/ENGINEER solutions for tool design provides a powerful, end-to-end solution (jargon) end-to-end solution - (E2ES) A term that suggests that the supplier of an application program or system will provide all the hardware and/or software components and resouces to meet the customer's requirement and no other supplier need be involved. Compare: turn-key solution. for tool production. "Today, mold and die design for manufacturing are often outsourced to companies that specialize spe·cial·ize v. 1. To limit one's profession to a particular specialty or subject area for study, research, or treatment. 2. To adapt to a particular function or environment. in developing the fixtures that are used in production processes," said Arthur Flutter Flutter (aeronautics) An aeroelastic self-excited vibration with a sustained or divergent amplitude, which occurs when a structure is placed in a flow of sufficiently high velocity. Flutter is an instability that can be extremely violent. , founder and managing director of NC Graphics. "The combination of PTC and NC Graphics will enable manufacturers to effectively manage the data and enable collaboration across multiple locations and suppliers in the supply chain to deliver better quality tools resulting in a design that can be easily manufactured." NC Graphics customers will be able to continue to use NC Graphics technology stand-alone or as an integral part of PTC's Product Development System (PDS (1) (Processor Direct Slot) A single expansion slot on certain, early Macintosh models that was used to connect high-speed peripherals as well as additional CPUs. Providing a channel directly to the CPU, the PDS coexisted with NuBus slots on some models. ). PTC will offer the NC Graphics technology under the new product name, Pro/TOOLMAKER[TM]. Both NC Graphics and PTC are committed to openness and support for heterogeneous environments Using hardware and system software from different vendors. Organizations often use computers, operating systems and databases from a variety of vendors. Contrast with homogeneous environment. . Moving forward, PTC plans to manage tool paths created using Pro/TOOLMAKER in Windchill[R], just as it manages Pro/ENGINEER and other CAD data, providing a single source of data that improves secure collaboration among designers, tool makers and manufacturers. PTC and NC Graphics have many joint customers. One such customer is Racing Technology Norfolk, a member of the Express Composites Group and a leader in advanced composites design, engineering and rapid prototyping Building a part one layer at a time using a method of additive fabrication such as 3D printing. Such parts are used for concept modeling to determine if the product design meets the customer's expectations. for the Motorsports and racing markets. "As a customer of PTC and NC Graphics solutions, we are excited about the opportunity that a best of breed integrated CAM technology will offer," said David Coates, group projects director, Racing Technology Norfolk, Ltd. "PTC's continued investment in manufacturing solutions will enable our Group to achieve business benefits such as improved time-to-market, improved quality and improved customer satisfaction." The timing of any product release or integration, including any features or functionality, is subject to change at PTC's discretion. About NC Graphics Ltd NC Graphics offers leading high-speed machining CAM solutions optimized for tool making and high-speed, precision machining processes. Best known for their market-leading technology distributed under the DEPOCAM name, NC Graphics has revolutionized the process of producing NC machining toolpaths for molds and dies. The privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. was founded in 1977 by Dr. Arthur Flutter. Today, NC Graphics has 15 employees located in Cambridge, England. For more information on NC Graphics, please visit http://www.ncgraphics.net. About PTC PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC) provides leading product lifecycle Product lifecycle or product life cycle is the course of a product's sales and profits over time. The five stages of each product lifecycle are product development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline. management (PLM (Product Life cycle Management) A comprehensive information system that coordinates all aspects of a product from initial concept to its eventual retirement. Sometimes called the "digital backbone" of a product, it includes the requirements phase, analysis and design ), content management and dynamic publishing solutions to more than 40,000 companies worldwide. PTC customers include the world's most innovative companies in manufacturing, publishing, services, government and life sciences industries. PTC is included in the S&P Midcap mid·cap adj. 1. Or or relating to corporations whose retained earnings and outstanding shares of common stock have a value between those of small cap companies and large cap corporations. 2. 400 and Russell 2000 indices. For more information on PTC, please visit http://www.ptc.com. Statements in this press release that are not historic facts, including statements about expanding PTC's addressable Reachable. When something is addressable, it can be identified and manipulated independently of its surroundings. For example, screen pixels and RAM memory are addressable. Each of the screen's picture elements can be individually turned on and off, and each of the memory's bytes can be markets through the acquisition of N.C. Graphics, the future integration and support of PTC and NC. Graphics products and growth in the CAM market, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Those risks and uncertainties include the following: We may be unable to successfully develop the technology necessary to provide a best-in-breed integrated CAM solution via N.C. Graphic's technology and PTC products; the market for, and customer adoption of, integrated CAM solutions may not grow as quickly as we expect; we may be unable to retain and maintain relationships with key employees, distributors, customers and other strategic partners of N.C.. Graphics, including those within markets and vertical industries with which PTC has little experience; we may be unable to adequately support multiple solutions on a stand-alone and/or integrated basis that have been acquired through strategic business development initiatives as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by PTC with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including PTC's most recent reports on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and 10-Q. PTC and its logo, The Product Development Company, Pro/ENGINEER, Windchill, Pro/TOOLMAKER, and all PTC product names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Parametric Technology Corporation |Parametric Technology Corporation]] Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC)(NASDAQ: PMTC) provides Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) engineering CAD/CAM software and content management and dynamic publishing solutions to more than 40,000 companies worldwide. or its subsidiaries in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and in other countries. |
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