Traditionally, the usage of CAD/ CAM/ PLM software has been
prevalent in the manufacturing industry. However, with growing
competition, this trend has been changing gradually. This has meant
that sectors which used software sparingly are now using or are
keen to use software to drive product differentiation. Companies in
sectors such as machine tools, medical devices (orthodontics,
orthopedics), metrology, apparel and ship building are facing huge
challenges as there has been a paradigm shift in the design,
engineering and manufacturing process. This has led to erosion of
product differentiation as emerging competition is equipped with
better equipment and technology.
PLM specialist, Geometric is eyeing a huge opportunity in this
space by providing its expertise to companies in these sectors
through its offering called NextGEN CAx.
“Earlier, software was created as an afterthought for
these industries. Today, as the 
hardware capability
of modern machines is increasing, the existing generation of
software is not keeping pace. This has created opportunities for
players like us, as we can leverage our CAD/CAM/PLM expertise to
develop and customize solutions for companies in non-engineering
sectors,” says Prashant Anaskure, Practice Head –
Software Engineering and CAx, Geometric Limited. Anaskure is
specifically bullish on sectors such as apparel, ship building and
medical devices, as he expects companies in these sectors to deploy
software aggressively to improve their competitiveness.
A case in point is a leading US provider of custom orthodontic
appliances, which has used Geometric’s expertise to design
high quality custom braces. Today, the firm has not only managed to
reduce treatment time by 30 percent, but has also improved its
capability to better predict the stages of treatment due to better
matching of tooth geometry. Similarly, an apparel processing
machines firm had an outdated architecture, and hence was unable to
support contemporary user expectations. Geometric created a NextGEN
CAD application to support 3D visualization, which enabled the firm
to significantly reduce the design cycle time by reducing the need
for physical prototypes and fitting sessions.
Geometric has already signed 10 customers using this strategy, and
believes that the NextGEN CAx will deliver a distinctly higher CAGR
of around 15-20 percent – much more than the traditional PLM
market which is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 10 percent
over the next 5 years
About Author
An award-winning journalist with more than 14 years of experience, Srikanth RP is Senior Associate Editor with InformationWeek India. Srikanth is passionate about writing on topics which clearly show the business impact of technology.
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