RAF SELECTS UNIGRAPHICS' SOLID EDGE FOR MECHANICAL CAD.

Unigraphics Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UGS), St. Louis, has announced that the British Royal Air Force (RAF) has selected its Solid Edge mechanical computer-aided design software package to design the avionics systems for the Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft. The RAF Waddington air base is using 25 licenses of Solid Edge to design electronics enclosures, racks and other support structures for the 13-crewmember aircraft. The Nimrod's avionics systems include a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of systems used for electronic reconnaissance.

Solid Edge is also being used by the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Detachment (EWAD), at the RAF Waddington base, to maintain key radio and avionics equipment on vintage WWII era Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster planes, which are being used in various events such as the current 60th anniversary of the famous Battle of Britain. In addition, EWAD is designing several helicopter avionics systems with Solid Edge.

Many of EWAD's designers had regressed back to paper drawings because its previous CAD system was too difficult to use and learn. EWAD then decided to purchase a Windows-native package and subsequently selected Solid Edge from among the two finalists, following a thorough evaluation.

"Solid Edge had the best sheet metal design capabilities and our designers ranked it as the easiest to use and learn between the two final candidates," says Terry Smith, Information Technology Manager, Electronic Warfare and Avionics Detachment (EWAD) at RAF Waddington. "That ease of use in Solid Edge's STREAM technology reduced the amount of internal CAD support we have had to staff by at least 80 percent."

EWAD also uses EMbassy, an integrated 3D wire harness design software package from Solid Edge Voyager Program member, Linius Technologies Inc. (Westborough, MA).

Productivity: The Solid Edge Advantage

Solid Edge is the proven design engineering solution that will reduce time to market by an achievable 50 percent using STREAM, an exclusive technology that accelerates the engineering process. Solid Edge provides advanced 3-D part modeling, large assembly design and powerful drafting, as well as process-specific features for sheet metal, plastics and tubing design.

Solid Edge is the ideal CAD solution for design engineers moving from 2-D drafting to 3-D solids-based design. With fully integrated 2-D and 3-D design functions, Solid Edge provides a risk-free path to solid modeling design techniques, while getting the most from existing 2-D CAD.

The Solid Edge Voyager Program includes more than 150 downstream engineering software applications in such disciplines as finite element analysis, manufacturing, kinematics and dynamics, electro-mechanical, rapid prototyping, standard parts, product data management, translation, view/redline/animation and hardware solutions.

Solid Edge is written for Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 operating systems, and is distributed in eight languages to customers around the world, including Boeing, Kaiser Optical, Alcoa, Volvo, L-3 Communications, Ohio State University, Yale University, University of Edinburgh, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, NASA, Royal Air Force, S&C Electric, Lincoln Electric, WMF, Electromagnetic Sciences, Liebert Corp., Kaeser Kompressoren, Prodrive, USSC Group, Seiko, Hyundai, Daikin and NEC.

About RAF Waddington

Initially a flying training base of the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, the Station closed in 1920, re-opening in 1926 as a bomber base, a role that continued until 1984 with the withdrawal from service of the last Vulcan aircraft. Waddington now fulfills two main roles in the RAF, that of electronic reconnaissance, carried out by the 3 Nimrod R1s of 51 Squadron, and Airborne Early Warning, provided by the 6 Sentry AEW1s of Nos 8 Squadron and 23 Squadrons.

About Unigraphics Solutions

Unigraphics Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UGS) is focused on improving the entire product life cycle for design and manufacturing companies through the delivery of software and consulting service solutions that address process and productivity enhancements. Its open solutions for product design, manufacturing, visualization, data management and e-Business are designed to promote interoperability and collaborative product commerce (CPC) through incorporation of today's most advanced technology, emerging industry standards and intelligent use of the Internet. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, UGS has been providing software solutions to some of the world's most successful organizations for over 25 years and is the first company in its industry to earn the ISO 9001/TickIT certification.

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