IFS and ABB have signed a global agreement to use the latest version of IFS`s engineering tool, elMaster. The agreement positions IFS elMaster as a strategic tool for electrical engineering within the ABB group. Moreover, ABB will offer its customers elMaster, including engineering data, as a part of the industrial IT delivery projects.
elMaster, a CAD/CAE (computer-aided design/-engineering) software for electrical engineering, will be used in ABB`s product manufacturing units and within projects to its customers.
By using elMaster as a standard tool, ABB aims to increase efficiency by streamlining the engineering process and increasing the reuse of data and solutions within the group, in line with industrial IT requirements. For example, business unit Low Voltage Systems in ABB`s Automation Technology Products division plans to use elMaster for engineering and automatic drawing generation for its product-manufacturing units in 25 countries.
Lars Krantz, technology manager for ABB`s Automation Technology Products division and head of the company`s global Control and Force Measurement business area, commented: "elMaster supports ABB`s strategic investment in industrial IT, aimed at total integration of products and business processes. elMaster will be integrated with ABB`s Aspect Objects"a and be industrial IT-enabled."
As part of the agreement, IFS will deliver the add-on module, Automatic Drawing Generator (ADG), to ABB. With ADG, diagrams and object data can be generated from XML format, considerably simplifying collaboration between the various parties in a project.
Michael Hall'en, president of IFS R&D, added: "We see this deeper collaboration with ABB as a further step toward linking together suppliers, manufacturers and customers. By using elMaster, engineering data and documentation can be refined throughout the entire process from equipment design to completed facility and then packaged as part of the delivery to the customer."
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elMaster is a multi-user CAD/CAE object-related tool for electrical engineering and is based on AutoCAD and Oracle. This component in IFS Applications is an important part of the IFS offering to the manufacturing and asset-intensive industries. elMaster represents the fourth generation of engineering tools and enables users to enhance efficiency and quality by supporting object-oriented engineering methodology.
IFS and IFS Applications (www.ifsworld.com)
IFS develops and supplies component-based business applications for medium and large enterprises. IFS Applications, which is based on Web and portal technology, offers 60+ enterprise application components used in manufacturing, supply chain management, customer relationship management, financials, engineering, maintenance and human resource administration. IFS provides customers step-by-step evolution to the extended enterprise with e-business solutions that offer partner, customer, and supplier collaboration. A leading global business applications supplier, IFS has more than 3 200 employees, with sales in 43 countries. The company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange (XSSE:IFS).
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