Ref: GTMAPR08/120402/April 02
Release: IMMEDIATE

EUREKA PROJECT FOR MOULDMAKING LIFTS OFF

The GTMA has announced the launch of emould@work, a two-year EU-funded project designed to develop innovative new software for online mouldmaking management. The project, part of the pan-European EUREKA initiative for promoting collaborative research in advanced technology, heralds a great opportunity for UK mouldmaking. The EUREKA initiative, which is strongly supported by Government, Academia and Industry alike, has been described by Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister, as the best way to turn bright ideas into new products.

Led by CAD/CAM software developer Delcam, emould@work aims to enable mouldmakers to relieve pressure on time and margins so they are better able to deliver the increases in productivity and speed demanded by their OEM customers. This will be achieved by automating design and manufacture, and project managing mouldmaking online with customers, business partners and suppliers. Other partners in the project include the GTMA, Whitehead Precision, ARRK and Ak-U-Rite Tooling, with similar project input form organisation s in Spain and Portugal.

Project Overview

The global economy means that many European manufacturers are collaborating in the design of a mould over several geographic sites. Cranfield/Microsoft's second Business Barometer Survey found that approximately 50% of supply chains are global, with only 28% regional and 20% confined to just one country. Recent research revealed that only 8% of companies worldwide had implemented some form of CRM software, with mould makers trailing behind this. The project aims to enable Europe's mouldmakers to compete against the rest of the world using the very latest technology. It is expected that 20% of all European companies producing products which contain moulded parts will experience shorter time-to-market, increased quality and reduced costs.

Project scope.

The project will be divided into the following work packages:

• Collaborative mould design: the development of tools to support collaborative mould design. Led by Delcam.
• Mould e-business: the core functionality of an e-marketplace, including the ability to register and undergo the quotation process via the Web. Led by Tracy International
• Improved mould modelling: the development of CAD tools to automate mould design process. Led by Delcam.
• Surface/solid modeller data exchange: the investigation and development of tools to support data exchange. Led by Delcam.
• Electronic sculpting: the development of advanced sculpting tools. Led by Delcam.
• Project direction: end-user testing and evaluation. Led by Delcam.
• Dissemination: Communication of project results via website, seminars and an e-business demo centre. Led by GTMA.

The consortium

The consortium comprises software vendors, trade associations and several mouldmakers from three EU countries: the UK, Spain and Portugal. The Spanish partner is ASCAMM, that country's equivalent of the GTMA. In Portugal, the partners are Tracy International, an IT consultancy and internet collaboration software vendor, and mouldmakers, Moldecar.

The GTMA's Julia Moore says, "This is a revolutionary project, driven by some of the biggest names in the business, which will have a significant impact on all mouldmakers. Harnessing the power of the web to remove barriers emould@work will improve supply-chain communication, speed up projects, reduce mistakes and facilitate decision-making at all levels. Most of all, it will make money for all parties involved."

ENDS

Note to editors:
The GTMA, the UK's leading Trade association representing, tool making, metrology, precision machining, rapid product development and tooling technologies, is a focal point for technology transfer, as well as providing legal and business support to its members. The association has developed a series of World Class engineering standards, in addition to many EU funded projects, technology seminars and training initiatives.

emould@work, is part of the EUREKA pan-European initiative for promoting collaborative research in advanced technology. It is a major new project, with activity also taking place in Spain and Portugal, to research and develop software to provide significant time, cost and quality benefits through on-line mould-making project management, as well as automating mould design and manufacture. The aim of the project is to remove barriers between members of the supply chain and improve communication, speed up projects, reduce mistakes and improve profitability.

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