Purdue University and CADENAS PARTsolutions Partner to Enhance Student Learning of Parts Management Technology with CAD and PLM Systems
By connecting industry, CAD suppliers and student learning through PARTsolutions, Purdue students are more prepared for careers in design and manufacturing.
September 6, 2018 – The Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University has partnered with CADENAS PARTsolutions to implement their Strategic Parts Management (SPM) software to expose students to industry-leading technology and real-world applications for careers in design engineering.
The PARTsolutions SPM platform is a parts management system that promotes part reuse and design efficiency. The platform enables students to search for parts data and CAD models for internal standard parts, industry standard parts and commercial parts from over 800 manufacturer catalogs.
Engineer Smarter: Learn the basics of a parts management strategy for free today.
With this technology in the classroom, students can easily find and reuse the components they need for their designs and take a hands-on approach to learning how to maximize product lifecycle management (PLM) systems.
“The goal of the partnership is fairly simple – expose students to the concept of CAD model libraries by providing them exposure to a best-in-class solution,” said Nathan Hartman, Professor and Department Head of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University.
The partnership began ten years ago when Hartman met Tim Thomas, CEO at CADENAS PARTsolutions, at a conference at Michigan Technological University. After several like-minded discussions, they were able to put CADENAS’ SPM platform in place at Purdue.
“We’re trying to make students aware of new technologies that will help them advance their careers when they enter the workforce,” said Tim Thomas, CEO at CADENAS PARTsolutions. “Companies are looking to the future generation of engineers to bring knowledge and experience with new and innovative tools and systems. By equipping them with these skills, they will be able have a positive impact on engineering efficiency and design processes across the enterprise.”
In the classroom, students use PLM integrations to CAD tools to leverage the SPM platform to quickly find parts based on geometry or part number, then instantly spec and insert parts into their native CAD designs.
“Practicing with this application gives students real-world experience and makes classes more engaging,” according to Amy Mueller, Assistant Professor at Purdue University who uses PARTsolutions in her classes and has included Thomas as a guest speaker.
“Tim makes students aware of the concept of our parts, their parts and standard parts, and PARTsolutions gets them to think about the kind of data products need to be useful in PLM,” said Mueller.
With access to tools industries will someday adopt, students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Virtual Product Integration or PLM certification are more prepared for future careers.
“What I see with this partnership is that we are aligning industry, CAD/PLM suppliers and universities. In doing so, we’re training young engineers to join the industry with more knowledge and tools to propel the industry forward,” said Thomas.
To learn more about the Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University and the PARTsolutions SPM platform, contact Purdue University or CADENAS PARTsolutions.
About the Purdue Polytechnic Institute
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute is one of 10 academic colleges at Purdue University, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines: aviation, computing, construction management, engineering technology, technology leadership and technology education. In addition to Purdue University’s main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue Polytechnic offers select degree programs in nine Indiana communities. The academic programs combine theory-based applied learning, team-based projects, integrated humanities studies, competency-based credentialing and a series of experiential components, such as industry-sponsored senior capstone projects, internships, global immersions and certification-earning activities.
For more information, visit Purdue Polytechnic and the Department of Computer Graphics Technology.
About CADENAS PARTsolutions
CADENAS PARTsolutions is a leading provider of next generation 3D part catalog management and sales configuration solutions. For large manufacturers, CADENAS PARTsolutions provides centralized 3D parts libraries making it easy for global design teams to find, reuse, and control standard and proprietary parts. For component manufacturers, CADENAS PARTsolutions provides 3D product catalogs with digital CAD download technology, helping businesses increase sales lead generation and to ensure that components get “designed in” to OEM products. For more information visit PARTsolutions.com
Learn More: Get These Free eBooks
How to Reuse Digital Parts
An Introduction to Digital Part Reuse and Standardization for Engineers
Parts Mgmt. 101
The Basics of SPM
Parts Mgmt. 201
SPM vs. Classification
Parts Mgmt. 301
MBE / MBD for Mfgs
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