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CALS report issue summaries 5
CALS REPORT ISSUE SUMMARIES
Vol. 3 No. 1, January 1989 through no 6, June 1990
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================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 1, January 1990
Victory over Paper: CALS EXPO '89 Explodes with Products
In a stunning turnout, CALS EXPO '89 doubled its technical attendees while its
exposition bristled with solid products for technical publishers and other
applications. Bucking the growing gloom in the defense community over budget
cuts, contractors were in a buying frame of mind and packed the show floor
from opening to closing. Although the technical sessions, particularly those
from armed service representatives, were usually packed, this EXPO will be
known for marking the transition of CALS from an issue-driven focus to a
product-driven focus.
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MIL-HDBK-59A Coordination Draft is Out for Comment
MIL-HDBK-59A, a "for coordination draft," is being circulated for comment in
ASCII text format. The formal coordination of proposed Revision A to MIL-HDBK-
59, DOD Computer-aided Acquisition and Logistic Support (CALS) program
Implementation Guide (Project No.: ILSS-00l3) is considered a major milestone
in CALS. The draft is being distributed in digital form as a part of the CALS
initiative to introduce the use of digital technology to the process of
reviewing and coordinating standards. Comments on the draft will be collected
in digital form to more effectively and efficiently accomplish the
coordination process and to facilitate the return of comments.
------
Air Force Evaluating Use of Digital Product Models for Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Air Force Digital Product Models project is using the Advanced Tactical
Fighter (ATF) as initial implementation to evaluate PDES use in aircraft
design and production. The Air Force hopes to make the ATF the first major
application of the technology established by the Product Definition Data
Interface (PDDI) project and the national standard that is evolving from the
Product Data Exchange Specification (PDES) Committee efforts. The intent of
the project is to demonstrate the potential for the use of digital product
models in place of paper engineering drawings that are currently required for
delivery of systems product data. The Air Force has requested that the prime
contractors of the ATF define their approach to the application of digital
product data for product definition and determine their applicability as a
replacement for level 3 drawings.
-----
Data General Teams with Cincinnati Bell Info. Systems to Offer CALS Systems
Data General announced an agreement with Cincinnati Bell Information Systems
(CBIS) to market computer systems for CALS. The agreement was announced at the
CALS Expo '89, where Data General was exhibiting. The agreement calls for
Cincinnati Bell Information Systems to integrate its software, Data General
AViiON(tm) systems and other third-party software products into a CALS turnkey
information solution. Under the agreement, CBIS will provide the technical
sales support, planning, installation and custom engineering for CALS
customers. The products will be deployed on Data General's new AViiON(tm)
family of UNIX computer systems, servers, and workstations based on Motorola's
88000 RISC microprocessor, as well as on personal computers.
--------------------------------------
Sikorsky Aircraft Selects Xyvision to Provide Database Tech Publishing System
Xyvision, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a multi-million-dollar
contract to supply the Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Technologies
Corporation with a comprehensive database publishing system. Implementation
of the new system, which will be used by Sikorsky Aircraft's Technical
Publications and Training departments in Stratford, Conn., will occur in phases
beginning in December 1989. The Sikorsky acquisition was reputed to be a
coveted, state-of-the-art application, combining database management and
publishing. Xyvision, Inc. develops and manufactures professional systems for
commercial and corporate publishing as well as design-through-production
applications.
-----------------------
Intergraph Teams with Martin Marietta for NAVSEA CAD II Procurement
Intergraph Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation has announced a teaming
agreement to pursue the NAVSEA portion of the Navy's CAD-II procurement.
Valued at approximately $500 million, NAVSEA seeks off-the shelf, commercial
CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) systems to
support the design, construction, maintenance, overhaul, alteration, and
repair of Navy ships and ship support systems. Together, Intergraph and
Martin Marietta have agreed to provide system hardware and software, training,
networking, and integration services to the Navy. Intergraph is the world's
largest company dedicated to designing and manufacturing interactive computer
graphics systems. Martin Marietta is a leading aerospace and information
technology company.
---------------------
Survey: New Products Move CALS Compliant Tech Pubs to Personal Computers
A series of new products demonstrate the feasibility of Authoring and
Publishing CALS-compliant documents on Macintosh and IBM personal computers.
The personal computer-based technology lowers the entry cost for CALS
compliance and moves compliance closer to the point-of-creation.
----------------
Datalogics FOSI Testing Identifies Recommended Changes
Datalogics' testing of the new Formatting Output Specification Instances
(FOSI) has identified several changes needed to MIL-M-28001. The changes will
be communicated to DoD through the CALS Industry Steering Group. The suggested
FOSI changes to both parameters and methods will affect the formatted style of
the output. Datalogics appears to be the only vendor, so far, to have
implemented any part of the new FOSI requirement.
------------
IBM Announces CALS Publishing System Products
IBM has announced a suite of software products which support CALS-compliant
technical publications. The move is significant, since the secretive and
conservative IBM corporation's entry into a market often legitimizes it for
the industry at large.
---------
EDMICS First Site Concentrates on Raster Storage, Deferring IGES
The upcoming Electronic Data Management Information and Control System
(EDMICS) installations by the Navy represent a significant step in
implementing CALS on a broad scale. As the digital repository of nearly 200
million engineering drawings and half a billion technical publications, EDMICS
is information exchange and integration. The EDMICS ability to acquire and
manage raster, vector, CAD/CAM and other types of data provides the basis for
the Navy's efforts to move to an all-digital environment. According to Advanced
Technology Inc. (ATI), the prime contractor, EDMICS' first site calls only
for raster storage, even though ATI has qualified its vector support
capabilities. ATI, based in Reston, Virginia, provides computer, systems
integration, engineering and management services to government and industry.
------------
Army CALS Uses ASYST For CALS CASE
The U.S. Army CALS program is a multiple phase acquisition. Phase 1, Concept
Design, will involve four contractors in a competitive design process. In
anticipation of CALS Phase 1, the U.S. Army built a functional analysis of
CALS using THE DEVELOPER (CASE Workbench) from ASYST Technologies. A
contractor (CACI, Inc.-Federal) successfully delivered a comprehensive
functional analysis document, but perhaps most significant to the CALS design
process, the functional analysis was delivered also as a CASE repository
containing a database of CALS requirements, drawings, and their
interrelationships.
-----
Wizdom System announces IDEF Products and Services
Wizdom Systems, Inc. has announced the lastest release of IDEFine-0, Version
1.17D allows you to build IDEF0 models on the screen with key board and mouse.
IDEF0 is a methodology which models functions acting on data. IDEF1 and
IDEF1x, in common use by the CALS community, models the data structure which
is the target of that action. Wizdom Systems, Inc./Engineering Tools provides
products that help manufacturing companies define the most effective Computer-
Integrated Enterprise (CIE) and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)
strategies for their operations, and to establish and implement realistic
short and log-range plans.
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 2, February 1990
LEPISTO: It's Time to Decide About IGES Subsets Now or PDES Later
In reaction to declining industry interest in bringing CALS IGES subsets to
production readiness, Bruce Lepisto, CALS Policy Deputy Director, cautioned
that the move on the part of industry may be short sighted and called on
industry to make a proper decision of where to put their resources. Bad
experiences with IGES in the past have persuaded some that IGES is not usable
and it is better to wait for PDES/STEP. Lepisto made his comments in a
interview by the CALS Report. IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification)
is a drawing-oriented format for exchanging CAD data. CALS is refining the
standard through subsets and application protocols. PDES (Product Data
Exchange Specification) is a features-oriented standard with simplified
subsets and application protocols. STEP, the international PDES standard, is
not expected to be ready for production for years.
----
ISG Appoints Handbook & Data Dictionary Project Directors
Harold (Stormy) Stormfeltz, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, CALS
Industry Steering Group (ISG) has appointed project directors as follows:
o MIL-HDBK-59A Update - Pearly Eaton, Project Director
George Jenkins, Deputy Project Director
o Data Dictionary Task - Robert Kidwell, Project Director
All task groups will identify representatives to these projects.
----
CALS ISG Software Products Committee (SPC) Drafts Position Paper
The CALS ISG Software Products Committee (SPC) has drafted a position paper on
insuring CALS compatibility of software information products. The SPC will
address the impact of including software information products in the CALS
Technical Data standards (MIL-STD-1840 A and MIL-28000 series specifications)
and the impact of CALS on the software functional standards (DoD-STD-2167A and
DoD-STD-7935A).
---
ISG to review AECMA 2000M Specification
The CALS industry steering group has been requested by DoD to review the AECMA
Specification 2000M, defining the Materiel Management Processes and procedures
to be used in support of aircraft and other aerospace airborne and ground
equipment supplied to military customers. AECMA (Association Europeenne des
Constructeurs de Material Aerospatial) states that the standard is equivalent
to the Air Transport Association (ATA) documents Specification 2000
(Specification Integrated Data Processing-Supply) and parts of Specification
100 (Specification for Manufacturers Technical Data). The CALS ISG is now
studying which task groups should be assigned which sections for review and
comment. The standard is beginning to dominate European aerospace production
and producers there demand that the North American defense industry consider
harmonizing CALS standards with theirs.
----
CALS ISG Small Business Task Group Planning Outreach Program in 1990
The CALS Industry Steering Group (ISG)/Small Business Task Group (SBTG) is
planning a major outreach program in 1990, targeting defense-oriented small
business. DoD and the larger defense prime and sub-contractors are concerned
that small business will lack the capital to supply data in CALS-compliant
formats or required levels of integration. The CALS ISG/SBTG has been
preparing and testing pamphlets and presentations which might inform and
prepare small businesses for CALS at low cost. These outreach concepts will
now be put to use this year.
----
CALS Configuration Management Group works with EIA CALS Panel
The CALS Configuration Management Working Group has extended a Configuration
Management (CM) report from an Electronic Industries Association (EIA)
workshop for their contribution to the CALS handbook MIL-HDBK-59A update. The
results of the joint work were given to NIST at the CALS EXPO in Orlando, FL.
Dave Bettwy rushed the copy to printing in order to include it in the formal
handbook update review. The CM committee had been working and meeting jointly
with EIA for many months developing the report.
----
AIA CALS Phase II Survey Shows Low Level of Understanding, High Level of Concern
A survey conducted by the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) on the
information processing impact of CALS Phase II survey shows a low-to-moderate
level of understanding and a high level of concern among their member
companies. CALS Phase II will provide government delivery of and access to
contractor product data bases, an area of AIA member concern. The survey was
conducted by the CALS/PDES Working Panel out of concern that member companies
might not be fully participating in CALS Industry Group Activities out of lack
of understanding of Phase II impacts. The survey was sponsored by Harris
Corporation.
----
CALS EDI Transaction Set held up by Technical Questions and Procedural Debate
The new CALS EDI transaction set 841, Specification/Technical Information, is
mired in a procedural debate in the X12 committee, arising out of technical
questions. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is a standard set of trade data
transactions defined in ANSI X12. The 841 transaction set is expected to be
the main EDI envelop for CALS data. The 841 went out a X12 ballot last Summer
and was approved. There was some discussion in October, 1989 while reviewing
the ballots, indicating the way the BIN Segment was placed within the 841 was
not optimum. The problems are expected to be resolved by June, 1990.
-----
Analysis: EDI Could Eclipse CALS 1840A Mag Tape Format
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) could soon eclipse the MIL-STD-1840A
magnetic tape format for use in most data transfers. EDI, sounds entirely
general, although its primary applications are for trade transactions and
usually by telecommunication. As the volume and speed of commerce and
associated transactions increased, the Transportation Data Coordinating
Committee (TDCC) developed EDI to be for trade transactions what electronic
funds transfer was to banks. Because of the cost of telecommunications, most
early, successful applications were for standard items or commodities, where a
simple number or code defined the item and the rest of the transaction was
standard. The advent of new, inexpensive, mass storage media, e.g., Optical
storage, makes possible EDI transactions with large volumes of internal
product data, and opens up a direction for CALS that could free it from media
considerations altogether. The EDI CALS transaction sets, beginning with 841,
may be one of the true turning points in CALS migration to the commercial
industrial base.
-----
New Video Describes Cals Program
NIST, in cooperation with the Department of Defense (DoD), has produced a new
video tape describing the CALS program. The 19-minute videotape "A Strategy
for Change: CALS" describes the nature, methods, and goals of the CALS
program, emphasizing the need for close cooperation and coordination between
government and industry.
---
Federal CASE Conference 1989 Highlights Integrated Data Management, Standards
FedCASE '89 emphasis on integrated data management made clearer it's
relationship to CALS issues. CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) is a
family of methodologies for specifying, designing, and detailing software.
CALS interest in design knowledge capture and delivery is drawing attention to
CASE methods and tools emphasizing Conceptual Information Modeling. FedCASE
'89 provided reports from CASE users, identify characteristics of full-
function CASE tools, discuss standards applicable to CASE, and provide
demonstrations of CASE products. The conference addressed three key areas: 1)
case-related standards and industry trends; 2) data-management research for
software engineering; and 3) data-oriented CASE applications and
methodologies. Many of the talks reported CALS-related research. The
conference was sponsored by National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), in cooperation with IEEE and ACM. It was co-chaired by Dr. Margaret H.
Law and Wilma M. Osborne, of NIST.
----
Air Force Readies Life Cycle Software Tool
The Air Force has been developing a life cycle software tool, called Software
Life Cycle Support Environment (SLCSE, pronounced "slice") which is expected
to evolve into a full CASE and development environment. SLCSE is a computer-
based environment of integrated software tools which support the mission
critical computer system (MCCS) software life cycle. SLCSE support the various
phases and inter-phase activities, including requirements, specification and
analysis, design, coding, unit/integration testing, quality assurance (QA),
verification and validation (V&V), project management, and configuration
management.Details on the package and some of the lessons learned while
developing it, were given at the FedCASE 89 Conference in Gaithersburg, MD.
---
XEROX Announces First in a Series of CALS Compliance Solutions
Xerox Corporation has announced the Xerox CALS Compliance Service, the first
in a series of Xerox CALS solutions. It is intended for users seeking to
implement the CALS standard for electronic documentation. The service offers a
complete solution, from electronic input to hardcopy or tape output, supplied
and supported by Xerox. By adding software to existing Xerox equipment, the
Xerox CALS Compliance Service will allow Xerox customers to produce CALS
compliant documentation.
-----
Mentor Graphics to share architecture with CAD Framework Initiative
Mentor Graphics has announced that it will share the architecture of its next
generation environment with members of the CAD Framework Initiative (CFI). In
addition, the firm will participate in the development of CFI's demonstration
for the 1990 Design Automation Conference (DAC) and will provide the services
of its OpenDoor Integration Laboratory to help create the DAC Demonstration.
The CFI demonstration at DAC will provide designers with the first view of
CFI's proposed standard data model and procedural interface that will allow
tools from multiple Electronic Design Automation (EDA) vendors to be
integrated together. CFI is a non-profit corporation composed of companies
dedicated to establishing guidelines and standards for CAD application
interfaces to their underlying software support structures.
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 3, March 1990
CALS Framework Working Group Trying to Link Architectures
A CALS Framework Working Group has been meeting to find ways of linking data
bases with architectural dependencies. The group's efforts underscore the
growing awareness in the CALS community that highly integrated databases,
particularly in applications lacking established data standards, will have to
utilize proprietary vendor architectural facilities and capabilities. These
architectural characteristics must be accounted for if online data access or
exchange between two systems is to be accomplished.
----
Navy ALPS System Documents Huge Savings
Efforts of a Navy publishing and printing operation in Washington state to
comply with DoD's CALS requirements, have saved $1,600,000 in just one year
with a $400,000 investment, according to its director, Doug Gamble. Gamble
built a system to automate the creation and revision of technical manuals and
other documentation key to Naval operations. The system, calls ALPS (Automated
Logistics Publishing System), is developing an electronic publishing system
integrate into a logistical database operation. The system also cut costs by
70% and reduced worktime by 80% in less than six months. In one case, a job
expected to take six months, took six days. At the recommendation of his boss,
Mr. James L. Cherny of the Navy Publishing and Printing Service in Washington,
D.C., Gamble was given the Meritorious Civil Service Award. Savings were
calculated based on historical billings by outside contractors.
----
Navy Considering Ways to Encourage Broader PDES Support
The Navy is considering ways to encourage PDES support by broader, non-defense
elements of US industry. PDES (Product Data Exchange Specification) is a
features-oriented (as opposed to drawings-oriented) data exchange format.
RAdm. Guy M. Curtis III, Navy CALS Advocate, has said that the Navy is
considering ways to facilitate PDES development by non-government and
government groups. It is not entirely clear how this strategy would be
implemented or what funds would be available. The Navy has linked PDES to
their strategy for Total Quality Management (TQM).
----
Analysis: DICE Project Struggles to Orient Research Toward Contractor Needs
The DARPA Initiative in Concurrent Engineering (DICE) is trying to re-orient
its work to appeal to contractors who have immediate needs. Dice envisions a
Concurrent Engineering Environment that enables all disciplines important in
the life cycle of a product or system to cooperate interactively in its
definition, planning design, manufacture, maintenance, refinement and
retirement from service. Early results, however, have been criticized as too
theoretical and out of touch with existing commercial products and other DoD
initiatives. DICE is moving to remedy the discord, and preserve its planned
$89 Million program of research.
----
IEEE Compiling Database on CASE Software Tools
The IEEE-CS Task Force on Professional Computing Tools has, for some time,
been developing plans for a publicly-accessible software tools database. The
two primary objectives for this effort are:
1. to improve the state-of-practice of software engineering;
and,
2. to increase user awareness of software-related standards, as they apply to
computing tools.
The scope of professional computing tools includes any special purpose
software package designed for use in creating computing systems or software.
General purpose tools, such as spreadsheets, word processing systems, and
graphical drawing packages would be excluded.
---
The Importance of Application Architectures: One Vendor's Perspective
by Malcolm Spence, Aerospace Marketing Group, Digital Equipment Corporation
edited by William G. Beazley
The DoD has four key initiatives with significant computer involvement, which
will set the tone for the business environment of the 90's:
1) Computer-aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS),
2) Concurrent Engineering,
3) Total Quality Management,
4) Advanced Cost Management,
These issues are not unique to Aerospace, Government or Defense. They are
common to all industries that create complex products, possibly team with
other firms to engineer them, manufacture globally at multiple sites, leverage
the information content to provide differentiation, and realize that paper as
a media of information exchange is no longer adequate. The criteria of the
90's for trading partnerships, suppliers and as customers etc., in value
chains will be based on how easy it is to extract value from the data already
created and how much useful information can be derived from that data.
----
ERC Announces CALS RFP Preparation Service
Evaluation Research Corporation (ERC) has announced a CALS Request for
Proposals (RFP) requirement preparation service. The new service included both
indoctrination and actual generation of CALS RFP materials. Subjects covered
include RFP strategies and tailoring; example SOW/CDRL/DID language; source
selection criteria, instructions to offerers, and award criteria; and possible
CALS related contract incentives. The service is designed for both government
and prime contractor support.
---
Daisy/Cadnetix Announces CALS Products/Plans for 1990
Daisy/Cadnetix (DAZIX) has announced its CALS Products/Plans for 1990. DAZIX
has a history of commitment to open systems and complete solutions to
customers' needs. DAZIX move toward CALS compliance is motivated by the long
term "trend toward concurrent engineering and digital transfer of data in
industry in general, regardless of the CALS initiative," said Steve Abbott of
DAZIX. "This trend will continue, both in and out of the DoD environment, as
more and more companies incorporate concurrent engineering methodologies into
their development and manufacturing schemes." DAZIX intends to be Phase I
compliant by the end of 1990.
----
Interleaf Announces Active Document Product
Interleaf, Inc. has announced a new technology, called Active documents, that
can access, evaluate, and act on information presented in it. Users of Active
documents can program all the text and graphic capabilities of Interleaf's
electronic publishing system and interact with other software applications,
all based on document, user and other information. The result is a kind of
dynamically programmable hypertext document. Active documents was introduced
at the Seybold Seminars in March, 1990.
---
New Automotive Electronic Reliability Software Available from SAE
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has announced a new design analysis
tool, called PRELTM which more accurately determines the reliability of
automobile electronic components. PRELTM is derived from the statistical
analysis of empirical failure rate experience collected from manufacturers and
module types. Through easy-to-use menus, PRELTM enables the user to build
electronic modules by selecting components and operating parameters; the
software then calculates prediction results.
---
NCGA to Release Graphics Display Performance Software
A software package that provides a standard method of measuring graphics
display performance will be released to the public at NCGA '90, the National
Computer Graphics Association's (NCGA's) annual conference and exposition,
March 19-22 in Anaheim, CA. The Software, called the Picture-Level
Benchmark (PLB) gives users a consistent way to measure how fast graphics
derived from their application software can be displayed on different hardware
platforms. Development of the software is funded by the 12 vendors sponsoring
the Graphics Performance Characterization (GPC) project. NCGA is the
administrator for the project. At NCGA '90 the PLB will be officially placed
in the public domain. The package will be available through NCGA for $300.
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 4, April 1990
Honeywell, ITI Announce MIL-D-28000 Class III Electrical IGES Pilot Implementation
Honeywell Inc. and International TechneGroup Inc. (ITI) have developed a pilot
methodology based on MIL-D-28000 Class III Electrical IGES, but requiring many
extensions. The methodology was developed to facilitate the communication of
information functions within Honeywell, specifically, between the engineering
and manufacturing functions for printed wire assembly (PWA) products. The
implementation experience gained has already led to many request for changes
(RFC's) now being balloted for IGES version 5.0. To further disseminate this
experience with IGES, Honeywell, ITI and Mentor Graphics are presenting a
symposium concerning the utilization of MIL-D-28000 Class III Electrical IGES
in support of the manufacture and assembly of Printed Wire Assemblies. One
goal of the symposium is to develop Class III into a full application protocol
(AP) suitable for inclusion in the MIL-D-28000 specification.
------
Don Hall Tells New CALS/IGES Interest Group that DoD wants to make IGES work
Don Hall of the CALS Policy Office told the new CALS/IGES interest group in
January that DoD wants to make IGES work. The CALS Test Network (CTN) has
been supporting the new interest group which meets at the quarterly IGES/PDES
sessions, chaired by Jill Farrel of LLNL. As of the last meeting in New
Orleans, in January 1990, the CALS/IGES Interest Group had attracted over 75
people hoping to keep up to date and to learn more about IGES's role in CALS.
The interest group was formed to address concerns about CALS use of subsets
and protocols for IGES in government contracts.
------
AFTOMS to Become Tri-Service JUSTIS Program
The highly regarded Air Force Technical Order Management System (AFTOMS) has
been forced by DoD information management reforms to compete for funding as a
tri-service program, now renamed Joint Uniform Services' Technical Information
Systems (JUSTIS). The AFTOMS program was one of many targeted for mandatory
review as possible tri-service programs, in order to simplify and standardize
DoD procurement in the information management area. Currently, all three
services have signed up to the new program, but it must still seek funding
from DoD. JUSTIS is expected to be a showplace application of CALS Phase I
technology to receiving, storing and distributing technical information for
maintenance throughout the services.
----
PDES, Inc. Complete Phase I and Approves Restructuring Plan
Phase I of the PDES, Inc. Program was successfully completed in February
1990. Significant events occurred as a result of PDES, Inc's efforts to
accelerate the development, validation and implementation of PDES. Several of
the major Phase I deliverables were:
- Context-driven Integrated Model (CDIM) Al (3-D product design data in a
configuration controlled environment) and CDIM B3 (3-D product design data to
NC programming systems)
- Five topical models were updated, completed, and documented - Topology,
Tolerances, Geometry, PSCM (product structure configuration management), and
PSIM (product shape integrated model),
- Two prototype software releases - a level 1 and 2 implementation
(file exchange and working form exchange) and level 3
implementation (shared database).
Preliminary releases of the Presentation Model and Form Features Model were
also delivered. Activities for Phase II include: continued emphasis on CDIMs
(which are precursor to application protocols), the development of an
application interface and investigation of implementation strategies for a
shared database.
The PDES, Inc Executive Board has approved a restructuring plan for the
organization that will attract new companies and projects. Projects
already identified are electrical/electronics, structures and sheet metal.
-----
CALS, Integration with LSAR Part of New MIL-STD-379D, Military Training Programs
The Naval Sea Systems Command has prepared a proposed revision to MIL-STD-
1379 (revision D) which contains language calling for integrations of training
data with Logistic Support Analysis Record (LSAR) data and delivery of
electronic materials in CALS formats. MIL-STD-1379 provides the general
requirements and specific task descriptions governing the acquisition of data
and services related to a military training program. This standard is
applicable to military departments, defense agencies, and to industry, and
should be applied in all military training program acquisitions and major
modification programs. Tasks described would be selectively applied to DoD
contract-definitized acquisitions, solicitation documents (Statement of Work
(SOW)), and in-house Government developments requiring military training
programs.
-----
The Ten+One Commandments of Concurrent Engineering
Source: CALS/CE Industry Steering Group
1. CREATE MULTIFUNCTION DESIGN TEAMS.
2. IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE CUSTOMER/USER.
3. DESIGN THE MANUFACTURING AND SUPPORT PROCESSES CONCURRENTLY WITH THE
DESIGN OF THE PRODUCT.
4. INVOLVE SUBCONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS EARLY.
5. SIMULATE PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.
6. SIMULATE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.
7. INTEGRATE TECHNICAL REVIEWS.
8. INCORPORATE LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS PRODUCTS IN A NEW DESIGN.
9. CREATE A DIGITAL PRODUCT MODEL.
10. INTEGRATE CAE TOOLS WITH THE PRODUCT MODEL.
11. CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THE DESIGN PROCESS.
---
IDA Paper Recommends Better Supportability Specs to Drive Early Design Phases
The recently released Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Paper P-2150,
"Product Supportability Issues in the Early Design Phases," has recommended
several improvements to supportability specs to drive their consideration
earlier in design. The report, authored by Siegfried Goldstein, David Owen,
and Karen J. Richter, was prepared for the Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition (Research and Advanced Technology) and supported by
the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory Wright Patterson AFB, OH as part of
the Unified Life Cycle Engineering (ULCE) program. The term supportability
implies supportability design features that include the attributes for
reliability, maintainability, testability, manpower, and skill considerations.
Better supportability specs and specs would be more usable by the enhanced
design environments being developed to support CALS, Concurrent Engineering
and other initiatives.
----
Letters Received
----
D Appleton Releases CALS/LSA Data Model Poster and ModelPro 1388-2B Views
D Appleton Company, Inc. (DACOM), has released a color coded wall size poster
of the CAL/LSA Data Model developed as the foundation for the draft MIL-STD-
1388-2B standards and a computer-based version for their data modeling
product. In 1989, D Appleton supported significant data modeling efforts in
the PDES and LSAR standardization programs which led to the development of the
CALS/LSA Data Model, now considered the starting point for CALS Phase II.
DACOM completed this project as part of a task awarded to the Battelle/DACOM
team under a task order contract managed by NIST for the OSD CALS Office. Data
models are essential tools providing the government certain Contractor
Integrated Technical Information Services (CITIS), including creation and
maintenance of an Integrated Weapon System Database (IWSDB).
----
D Appleton Co Announces MODELPRO, a New Data Modeling Tool for PC
D Appleton Co. has announced a new Microsoft Windows-based modeling tool,
running on IBM PC's and compatibles. Data modeling tools let analysts
visualize and present data models more clearly and help generate and maintain
data base dictionaries.
----
ArborText Announces CALS Plan At TechDoc Winter'90
ArborText, Inc. of Ann Arbor, Michigan disclosed its plans at the Winter 1990
TechDoc Conference in Santa Monica, CA, for delivering a complete Phase I CALS
solution in 1990. Based on the company's advanced electronic publishing
system, THE PUBLISHER, the ArborText CALS solution will build on its existing
SGML foundation with support for IGES, CGM and CCITT Group 4.
------
XGML Announces New Pricing and Another New SGML Product
Software Exoterica Corporation has announced a major new pricing strategy for
their end-user SGML applications and a new product. The pricing strategy is
intended to align better with other PC-based SGML tools. The new product is
XGML ValidatorTM, an entry level validation tool, parses a document on a
single pass with a complete list of all errors. Parser/Validators check that
documents are tagged correctly and in accordance with their Document Type
Definition (DTD). Software Exoterica Corporation is a widely respected firm in
developing sophisticated SGML technology.
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 5, May 1990
McGrath Predicts CALS to be Normal Business Practice for DoD by 1995
Michael F. McGrath, Director of the DoD CALS Policy, has announced a timetable
that shows requiring compliance with CALS to be "the normal way DoD does
business" with the defense contracting community by 1995. The timetable
indicates a gradual development and testing phase lasting through 1995,
involving standards, Contractor Integrated Technical Information Services
(CITIS) Requirements and infrastructure development. McGrath made his comments
at the Asociation for Information and Image Management (AIIM) show in Chicago.
-----
CTN Plans Aggressive Testing but Formal Compliance Tests Still a Long Way Off
A formal suite of test files and protocols for confirming "CALS Compliance" of
a vendor's product still seems a long way off, according to a panel at the
Association of Information and Image Management (AIIM) show. The panel
consisted of Dave Bettwy, NIST; Pam Genusa, Datalogics; and Mel Lammers, AF
CALS Test Network (CTN) and was moderated by Phyllis H. Bruce, Babcock &
Wilcox Nuclear Service Co. The panel was addressing CALS Electronic Delivery
and in particular, the cals compliance testing question.
---
MMAS Requirement Creates Big Demand for Product Data
The DoD requirement for a Materials Management and Accounting System (MMAS)
is creating a growing demand for product data, including indentured Bills of
Material (BOM's), Master Production Schedule (MPS) and related data. MMAS is a
set of ten requirements on contractors to document and control their
acquisition and billing of materials. The requirements have accelerated the
use of commercial Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software in contractor
facilities. Some contractors have already developed systems to maintain the
required data in a product database to meet CALS requirements for input,
output and integration. The requirements and their impact on contractors was
the subject of the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS),
Aerospace & Defense Symposium, in Washington DC.
---------
The Oak Ridge Prototype CALS System
by Al J. Klien, Technical Project Officer, Data Systems Research and Development
Program Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc, P.O.Box 2009, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
On November 15, an Oak Ridge team consisting of Martin Marietta Energy Systems
(Energy Systems) Data System Research and Development Program (DSRD),
Administrative Services, and Energy Systems subcontractors, successfully
demonstrated a prototype micro-based CALS system for the conversion and
automated tagging of Department of Energy (DOE) and military documents per
MIL-STD 1840A standards. Energy Systems is an operating contractor to DOE.
----
CEN/CENELEC IT Steering Committee Sets European strategy
A new report, "Directory of European Standardization Requirements for Advanced
Manufacturing Technology", has now been formally accepted by the CEN/CENELEC
IT Steering Committee as the European strategy in this area. The requirements
document emphasizes the adoption of international standards as mandatory
requirements in Europe, wherever possible. Separate European initiatives are
only launched to meet specific regional requirements, and the results will be
released into the international community. CEN is the European Committee for
Standardization, CENELEC is the European Committee for Electrotechnical
Standardization, and ETSI is the European Telecommunications Standards
Institute. The document, ITSTC N 1129, is copyrighted by CEN/CENELEC and
ETSI.
---
NIST Hypertext Competency Project Seeks Hypertext Standards
The Hypertext Competency Project at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), National Computer Systems Laboratory (NCSL) is a joint
effort between personnel from two Divisions -- the Information Systems
Engineering Division, and the Systems and Software Technology Division. The
general objectives of the project are:
* Develop NIST/NCSL competence in the areas of hypertext hypermedia, and all
related informational and computational structures;
* Determine the importance and priority of hypertext technology before it
diverges from existing information technology standards;and
* Prepare to lead efforts toward the development of voluntary industry
standards for hypertext systems.
The proposed 5-year project, now into the second year, is staffed by four to
six people. Much of the effort in the first year of the project was toward
"undirected learning" in multiple directions. The staff developed several
applications showing the integration of hypertext technology with expert
systems, database, graphics, and publishing.
---
Advanced Technology Competes EDMICS Testing, Installs First System
Advanced Technology, Inc. has successfully completed first article testing of
the U.S. Navy's Engineering Data Management Information and Control System
(EDMICS) in March, 1990. The system is now installed at the Naval Ordnance
Station in Louisville, KY. Louisville is the first site to receive EDMICS,
which will replace manual repository systems at 47 Navy, Marine and Defense
Logistics Agency sites. The optical-disk-based system acquires, edits, stores,
retrieves, reproduces and distributes engineering data and drawings. EDMICS
will use CALS standards for input, output and storage formats.
-----
Information Dimensions Inc. Announces CALS Repository Plans
Information Dimensions, Inc. (IDI) has announced that BASISplus, its Text
Information Management Systems (TIMS), will support a CALS-compliant
electronic repository for technical documentation on Department of Defense-
contracted weapons and support systems. IDI made the announcement at the
Federal Office Systems Exposition (FOSE'90). Along with the CALS Phase I
interchange standards implementation currently underway, BASISplus supports
the CALS specification for SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language).
------
SEA Announces New Predictive Analysis Tools to Support Concurrent Engineering
To help electronics engineers simultaneously consider both thermal and
reliability issues early in the design process, Systems Effectiveness
Associates, Inc (SEA) has integrated comprehensive reliability and thermal
analysis modules with its RAMCAD programmable CAE/CAD/CAM systems interface.
Called PREVIEW, the new software can accept input data directly from computer-
aided engineering (CAE) systems and perform reliability and thermal analyses
on sub-assemblies and complete systems. PREVIEW is said by SEA to be the first
commercially-available predictive analysis software package which embraces
concurrent engineering principles.
------
C-TAD Demos 3-D Interface Between AUTOCAD and Big 3 US Automotive CAD Systems
C-TAD Systems has announced the first ever translation of complete car body
data from Ford, GM and Chrysler's CAD/CAM systems into Auto CAD Release 10.
The results accurately define the sculptured surfaces which make up the car's
body panels and may be displayed with the AutoSHADE rendering package from
Autodesk. The translated data was displayed at the Spring National Design
Engineering Show in Chicago. C-TAD Systems, Inc. is a consulting and software
development firm specializing in accurately translating complex 3-D data
between dissimilar CAD systems.
----
Powertronic Systems Announces Release of Reliability Program revisions
Powertronic Systems, Inc. announces the release of two revisions of its
popular Reliability Prediction Program (RPP), Version 3.2 for MIL-HDBK-217E and
Version 4.0, the first program to implement MIL-HDBK-217E Notice 1. RPP builds
systems structures, computes part reliability, and generates reports
containing systems and part failure rates. Support is provided for optional
part data libraries, global editing of system data, part stress derating
analysis, and CAE/CAD data importing. These CAE tools are used to
substantially reduce the time required for reliability analysis in accordance
with the part stress method of MIL-HDBK-217E and MIL-HDBK-217E Notice 1. RPP-
4.0 is the first program of its kind to implement MIL-HDBK-217E Notice 1,
which was officially released in January 1990.
-----
Andersen Consulting Unveils New Software for Automated Quality Assurance
Anderson Consulting has announced its new NONCONFORMANCE tracking application
software module, an on-line automated set of quality assurance tools. The
product runs on IBM mainframe computers and is the latest addition to the MAC-
PAC/D family of products, Andersen's integrated engineering, manufacturing and
financial systems for the aerospace and defense industry. NONCONFORMANCE
tracking is an automated corrective action and dispositioning system for
nonconforming material. The software produces on-line nonconformance records
that are integrated with existing shop orders, inventory records and supplier
information, eliminating manual documenting, reviewing and reconciling
discrepancies.
----
Point Control Says IGES Popular Translator for Its Numerical Control Software
Point Control told the CALS Report that Initial Graphics Exchange
Specification (IGES) is the second most popular CAD translator for its
SmartCAM Integrated CAM system. SmartCAM translators are part of the CAD
Connections translators used to import CAD data for Computer Numerical Control
(CNC) tool path planning. SmartCAM produces machine ready CNC code. CALS has
defined an IGES subset for Manufacturing and N/C (MIL-D-28000 Class IV), which
is almost fully supported by SmartCAM on input.
================================================================================
CALS Report Vol. 3 No. 6, June 1990
Navy Projects $2 Billion Savings From $200 Million CALS Investment
The Navy has projected a $2 Billion savings from CALS investments totaling
$200 Million. The savings have been incorporated into the budgets submitted to
Congress during the latest round of negotiations. This disclosure silenced an
audience of several hundred CALS Industry Steering Group members at their
recent Task Group Meeting in Gaithersburg, who contemplated both the magnitude
and the leverage of the Navy's commitment. The announcement was made by Judy
Rumsey, who reports to RAdm. Guy H. Curtis, III, USN, Assistant Deputy Chief of
Naval Operations (Logistics) and the Navy's CALS Advocate.
-----
RAMCAD Interest Group Continues On Demand for Software Tools, Framework
Although the original charter of the RAMCAD (Reliability and Maintainability
in Computer-Aided Design) has been fulfilled and formal oversite by the Joint
Logistics Commanders' Joint Policy Coordinating Group has been terminated,
interest in the area continues on demand for new RAMCAD targeted Concurrent
Engineering software tools and application frameworks. The RAMCAD project was
a tri-service initiative to develop, among other things, a software
environment integrating R&M and CAD. The dissemination of this work, which now
nears completion, has attracted presentation on similar work, leading to a
continuing forum for RAMCAD technology. The RAMCAD meetings have been
organized by the Society of Logistics Engineers (SOLE).
----
French Ministry of Defense Establishes CALS Center of Interest
The French Ministry of Defense has established CALS Center of Interest to
monitor CALS developments and provide direct liaison with the DoD activity.
The center is headed by Engineer General Raymond and is located in Paris. The
US contact for the activity is Patrick Fermier of the French Embassy in
Washington DC.
-----
DICE CERCnet Concurrent Engineering Network Debut Scheduled for June
The Concurrent Engineering Research Center (CERC) Information Exchange System
Network (CERCnet) is scheduled to go on-line date on 1 June 1990. When
CERCnet is available on-line the subscriber will then have access to a
powerful text retrieval system which includes full conferencing/Email,
bulletin board features in addition to CE abstracts/bibliographical
information. CERCnet will serve as the single abstract and bibliographic
resource for the Concurrent Engineering sub-task groups of the CALS/CE
Industry Steering Group. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
is funding the CERC and related programs under the DARPA Initiative in
Concurrent Engineering (DICE) program. CERCnet has already prepared and
distributed a diskette of Concurrent Engineering References collected and
abstracted to date.
------
Biedenbender Says Contractor Financing of CALS Investments Already Available
As CALS moves to full scale implementation on defense contracts, many
contractors face front end investments in some areas to be CALS compliant.
Dick Biedenbender, who heads ERC's CALS RFP and Proposal Preparation service,
points out that one way to reduce this potential burden is through the use of
contract incentives. Biedenbender advises, "While OSD and the ISG have been
studying the issue of CALS related contract incentives generally and various
proposals have been or are in the process of development, current Value
Engineering (VE) clauses and the Industrial Modernization Incentive Program
(IMIP) are available now for possible use." IMIP incentives normally only
apply to changes within the scope of the contract while VE incentives normally
apply if a change to the contract is required.
-----
Analysis: Atwood Memo on Corporate Info Mgt May Affect More CALS Programs
A review and restructuring ordered by Donald J. Atwood, Deputy Secretary of
Defense, may continue to affect the CALS infrastructure initiatives. The
action was outlined in a memorandum issued, October 4, 1989, and sent to the
Secretaries of the Military Departments, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff and other DoD officials. DoD Corporate Information Management (CIM) is a
rallying cry for the need to improve the standardization, quality and
consistency of data from DoD's multiple management information systems. AFTOMS
(Air Force Technical Order Management System) has already been placed into
review service interests in line with this initiative (see CALS Report, April,
1990). DoD spends about $9 billion annually on information technology and
additional sums in the DoD business areas these systems support.
-----
PDES Product Life Cycle Support Committee Nears Release of Information Model
The PDES Product Life Cycle Support Committee is close to releasing their
PDES information model. The model should capture life cycle support
information in the same product databases used by CAD, CAM and CAE. Product
Definition Data refers to features needed to completely determine the function
and configuration of a product. Product support data determines the
infrastructure needed for the product to function throughout its life cycle.
The PDES Product Life Cycle Support Committee information model will cap a
multi-year effort to incorporate MIL-STD-1388 2B and other support data into
the broadly commercial PDES standard effort.
------
Ten Vendors Tell CALS/IGES Interest Group about CALS IGES Products
The CALS/IGES Interest Group, meeting at the recent IGES/PDES Organization
(IPO) session, heard about CALS MIL-D-28000 IGES subset products from ten
vendors. The vendors, ranging from CAD/CAM vendors to specialized tool
developers and consultants, described products designed to address several
aspects of CALS compliant file production. The CALS/IGES Interest Group, now
Chaired by Lisa Deeds of the Navy's David Taylor Research Center (DTRC), is
serving as a liaison to the CALS program to organize reviews of CALS
standards, specifications and methodologies. Minutes of the meeting were
prepared by the former chairperson, Jill Farrell, of Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratories.
----
Lepisto Receives Award for Outstanding Contribution to SCAE
The Society for Computer Aided Engineering (SCAE) has conferred its 1990 Award
for Outstanding Contribution to SCAE to Bruce Lepisto of the DoD CALS Policy
Office. Bruce was recognized for his many agenda reviews, presentations and
other efforts which helped SCAE hold many successful educational programs on
CALS and Concurrent Engineering. SCAE is an affiliate of the Fabricators and
Manufacturers Association (FMA) and the honor was part of their annual awards
banquet in Detroit.
----
IGESPEEK Source Code Library, CALS IGES Class I Utility Now Available
IGESPEEK, the shareware utility for examining IGES files, has had a source code
update to include routines to write IGES files. All entities in IGES Version
4.0 (including the CSG entities) are supported. A sample driver, IGESCOPY.C,
can be linked to the library to produce a program which will read an IGES
file and write a copy of it. This source code can be used to create filter or
reflavoring tools for IGES files, such as modifying line-weights, layers,
status fields, etc. This code can also be used as the nucleus of an IGES pre-
or post-processor, or it can be used to build an interactive IGES file editor.
-----
HP Offers CALS Special Promotional Pricing
Hewlett-Packard is offering promotional discounts on products from selected
members of the their CALS Solution Group. The 10% discounts last 10% though September
30th, 1990. HP has also extended an additional 10% discount to buyers who stop
by their booths at AFCEA in Washington, DC or AIA in Danvers, MA, both June 5-
7, 1990 and place their orders within 30 days. None of the discounts can be
combined with any other discounts or offers.
------
ANVIL-5000 CADD/CAM/CAE Software Now Available on DECStation 5000 Workstation
The ANVIL-5000 CADD/CAM/CAE software system from Manufacturing and Consulting
Services Inc. (MCS) of Irvine, Calf., is now available on Digital Equipment
Corporation's DECstation 5000 workstations. ANVIL-5000 is a modular, 3-D
CADD/CAM/CAE software system for mechanical engineering. It integrates
wireframe, surface and solids modeling; drafting; geometry analysis; pre-and
postprocessing of finite-element analysis; and numerical control machining in
a single database.
----
IDI announces document handler interface for BASICplus text system
Information Dimensions, Inc. (IDI) has announced the release of the Document
Handler Interface (DHI) module for BASICplus, its text information management
system (TIMS). IDI's new DHI is a toolkit that enables BASICplus users in
Digital environments to transparently access, interchange and display
documents created using Digital word and document processing systems. DHI
effectively handles documents of all sizes ranging from alphanumeric records
to long documents containing images or binary large objects (BLOBs).
-----
Institute of Business Technology Announces TQM Software
The Institute of Business Technology (IBT) announces TQM Focustm, Total
Quality Management modeling software. TQM Focus software focuses the
continuous improvement efforts in your TQM activities on the constraint or
bottleneck workstation in your factory or business process. Manufacturing
companies model factories and other processes with TQM Focus to evaluate the
results of improvements and to find "how much" improvement is needed to
alleviate the constraint. By identifying the highest priority constraint
workstation in you factory, TQM Focus guides the company in reducing their
manufacturing cycle time.
------
Unisys to Offer Intercim's Factory Data Manager Software
Unisys and Intercim Corporation has announced that Intercim's Factory Data
Manager software will be made available to users of Unisys U Series UNIX OS-
based computers. FACTORYnet FDM (Factory Data Manager) is a key element of a
total manufacturing information management system. Scanned images, CAD
drawings, NC programs and process instructions are collected to form complete
shop packets. FACTORYnet FDM transfers the packets to hardened shop-floor
workstations, facilitating information flow from design concept to the point
of production. Shop packets, which frequently are voluminous, inaccurate and
out-of-date when delivered, can now be transmitted electronically. With
Factory Data Manager, timeliness and accuracy is assured and the packet
information is always legible and easily accessible.
-----
CIMCORP Announces CIMCENTER Shop Floor Management System
CIMCORP Factory Controls Inc. has recently introduced a state-of-the-
art shop floor control system called CIMCENTER Shop Floor Management.
CIMCENTER Shop Floor Management is a modular system which controls, monitors
and tracks production personnel, equipment, materials, documentation, and
related production resources.
