Products

MechWorks PDM is a mature document management application with direct integrations with SolidWorks, Inventor, Solid Edge, AutoCAD, DraftSight, and Microsoft Office, providing a common interface for all environments. MechWorks PDM is focused on security, functionality, adaptability, and automation with the highest level of integration for engineering departments of all sizes. Our customers’ environments range from just a couple individuals to hundreds of individuals sharing files all over the world. MechWorks PDM provides core utilities that promote design reuse, team collaboration, Single Source Of Truth (SSOT), and data sharing between multiple applications.

We provide a centralized database environment that provides common document access for 3D CAD users, 2D CAD users, and Microsoft Office users. Our User Access Rights make it easy to control which users are contributing users as compared to users that can only view, search, and print. The User Access Rights manager also controls which users have visibility to the documents within specified Projects and can even apply granular record specific access controls. MechWorks PDM allows organizations to finally manage their processes with proper Workflows and Notifications.

Core Features of MechWorks PDM:

  • Integrated with SolidWorks, Inventor, Solid Edge, AutoCAD, and Microsoft Office
  • Open published API
  • Security – can even have record specific permissions if needed
  • Project hierarchical structure
  • Search – simple and compound
  • Life Cycle – Check In, Check Out, Approve, Obsolete
  • Revision Control with Revision History
  • Physical file property and attribute management
  • Physical file linking – allowing two or more files to represent a single part number
  • Automatic part numbering and file naming
  • Bill of Material management
  • Batch Registration
  • Batch Plotting
  • Auditing and Reporting
  • Classification for automation and simplifications
  • User Access Rights Manager
  • Conversion Manager
  • Replication – can be FULL or PARTIAL replicated environments
  • Email Notification
  • Workflow Management
  • Web Server/Client Environment
  • Ability to segregate all RELEASED documents for non-engineering department usage
  • Cut-List Management
  • Configuration Management
  • Rename Management
  • Visual Cue Assignment
  • Attachments
  • Briefcase
  • MWERPIntegration – support for advanced ERP/MRP/SAP integrations with connections with both CADLink and CADTalk
  • Automatic Outputs like PDF, DWG, XLS during life-cycle events

For workstations, MechWorks PDM is available as an Integrated application (for 3D CAD users) and as a Standalone application (for 2D CAD and Microsoft Office users). For thin-client usage, MechWorks PDM is available on the Microsoft platform as the Web Client. For vertically integrating MechWorks PDM to ERP/MRP/SAP environments, the MWERPIntegration module provides the core integration features through CADLink or CADTalk partnerships.

MechWorks PDM

MechWorks PDM refers to the entire suite of applications that MechWorks offers and the specific features that make MechWorks PDM a leading vertical solution. These include the specific applications for their associated CAD integrations:

  • DBWorks Bullet SolidWorks
  • DBInventor Bullet Inventor
  • DBSolidEdge Bullet Solid Edge
  • Standalone Bullet AutoCAD/DraftSight/Microsoft Office

It also includes the vertical methods for sharing data across multiple locations (GDE), using a thin-client (web and/or tablet based), advanced integrations with ERP/SAP applications (DBWerp) and more.

Document Management

Document management is the applied practice for controlling how physical files are created, modified, accessed, shared, and versioned within an organization.

Workgroup PDM

Workgroup PDM is not in reference to any particular application and it is not in reference to the size of an organization. It is in reference to an environment that does not mandate a rigid document management need (not many restrictions for its document management control). Large and/or small organizations can take advantage of Workgroup PDM environments. Workgroup PDM environments take advantage of core life-cycle functionality for revision control and ensure that the data is being protected from accidental loss while also automating core tasks.

Enterprise PDM

Enterprise PDM is not in reference to any particular application and it is not in reference to the size of an organization. It is in reference to an environment that mandates a more rigid document management need, often for specific and regulated compliances (restrictions are in place for document management control). Large and/or small organizations can take advantage of Enterprise PDM environments while ensuring that they are able to provide status compliant reports (FAA, FDA, ISO, etc.). Enterprise PDM environments take advantage of the core document management features and extend them into advanced document management features (workflows, record level security, multiple site mirroring, etc.).

DBWorks

DBWorks refers to the initial application that MechWorks developed for environments that primarily focused on using products from SolidWorks. It is the flagship application behind the direct development of both DBInventor (for Inventor) and DBSolidEdge (for Solid Edge).

Replication

Many customers have multiple physical sites in which their design files need to be shared and perhaps modified from multiple sites. MechWorks PDM supports both FULL and PARTIAL replication for this need. User permissions are strictly controlled within the environment to ensure that only the specified data/files are shared with the designated sites. If all data/files can be equally shared with all participating sites, then FULL replication is configured. If some of the participating sites should NOT have visibility to specific design data, then PARTIAL replication is configured. Since the metadata has such a small footprint, it is replicated real-time whereas the physical design files are replicated based on triggered events so they are not taking up valuable bandwidth during peak hours.

ERP Integration

The core installation of MechWorks PDM provides the basic foundation for integrating with ERP/MRP/SAP applications. Each of our core life-cycle commands are specific events that can trigger customer specific actions, allowing metadata to be pushed to (or pulled from) ERP/MRP/SAP applications using a proper workflow. Integrations frequently include the sharing of common Item Master data like Item Numbers, Descriptions, Revisions, Change Descriptions, etc. along with a link to a reflecting PDF file that accurately represents the contents of the CAD Drawing. Also, integrations often consist of a process for sharing BOM data like Parent Item, Child Items, Quantities, Position Number, etc… Through integrations that share data, customers are able to eliminate the process of entering the same exact metadata in disconnected applications (or worse, entering/referencing wrong information from disconnected applications).