Recently Siemens Digital Industries Software announced an expansion of its Xcelerator as a Service portfolio. Siemens’ XaaS is designed to connect all tasks and process into one platform, bringing shareholders together to simultaneously work from anywhere. The new additions are based around product engineering and lifecycle management, cloud-based simulation, and manufacturing operations management and include: NX X, Zel X, Opcenter X, Simcenter X, and Teamcenter X Essentials. All the XaaS solutions are cloud-based, modular, and require less IT attention for users, according to the company.
Helixx, a UK-based e-mobility technology startup, has adopted NX X to help deliver its vision of delivering safe, affordable, zero-emission final mile electric vehicles built virtually anywhere in the world via its licensed Helixx Mobility Hubs. Image source: Helixx.
NX X is the foundation of the Seimens Xcelerator-as-a -Service cloud-based portfolio of industry software and brings engineering capabilities as-a-service to any desktop. Through centralized cloud license management configuration, organizations can install NX X on the desktop or stream the program via AWS cloud services for 3D CAD and engineering. “NX X enables our customers to move to a cloud-based, collaborative engineering environment. Our solution allows them to retain their intellectual property and continue their innovative work, without disruption; no need to reinvent their working practices,” said Bob Haubrock, senior vice president, Product Engineering Software, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Transitioning to the cloud should be a painless process and we’re determined to help our customers to make that shift easily. NX X empowers them to remain focused on exploring the opportunities for collaborative innovation that drive their businesses forward.”
NX X integrates and secures data management tools into every license so that users can manage product data, handle change management, release work flows, plus conduct collaborative reviews in real-time from within the cloud program’s interface.
Zel X, Siemen's browser-based engineering app streamlining from design through manufacturing. Image source: Siemens.
Zel X, Siemens’ browser-based engineering app is designed to help streamline manufacturing and shop-floor operations. Zel X brings tools for manufacturing, operations, collaboration, design, and simulation into a single browser-based solution. John Miller, senior vice president, Mainstream Engineering Software for Siemens, says, “The manufacturing industry is demanding open, flexible toolsets that are not only laser focused on their needs but are instant on and accessible anywhere they need them. . . . Zel X supports their rapidly changing businesses with instant-on toolsets that offer them the whole process coverage they need to innovate and gain competitive advantage.”
Vuhl manufactures high-performance automobiles and is headquartered in Mexico. The company chose Zel X to with its Siemens products. “We serve dozens of different customers, and this has become very complex to manage. We were using spreadsheets, post-it notes on the windows, and all these tools that worked but weren’t streamlined in a way that we could communicate across the company. With Zel X, we can integrate everything into one solution. Now we can share data not only on the engineering side, but also with the shop floor and the people that are creating carbon fiber parts or assembling our sports cars,” said Guillermo Echeverria, Co-founder, Vuhl, “We use NX, but our customers have many different CAD systems. With Zel X, all the client needs is a web browser, and they can open up and view the file that you're working on and mark it up. This has really given us the ability to provide better service to our customers. Speed is the name of the game and we achieve that by using the best solutions and software possible.”
It shares common architecture with NX and is also delivered as part of the Siemens Xcelerator platform. Zel X offers a variety of tools, ready to implement on the shop floor. For operations, the program offers real-time monitoring and tracking of project and job statuses with interactive dashboards, and shop floor specific instructions with notifications available on any device. Included tools help with automated Request-for-Quote (RFQ), both inbound from customers and outbound to suppliers.
For the design team, Zel X offers streamlined 3D CAD (both direct and history-based modeling) for quoting, manufacturing, and fixture designs, according to Siemens. Parasolid-based data exchange tools combined with Siemens’ 3D AI-based predictive modeling capabilities allow designers and sales engineers to open and edit imported design data to create designs and drawings, modify existing models, or make changes to proposals.
Cloud-based simulation capabilities, based on Siemens’ Simcenter solutions, allow users involved in the design process to perform simple analyses to help direct design decisions, regardless of the device’s computing power. Zel X is scalable and compatible with Siemens’ mechanical design and simulation solutions, including NX software, Solid Edge software, and Simcenter solutions.
On the manufacturing floor, Zel X has an integrated, web-based, CAD/CAM toolset. The simplified 3D CAD-based programming makes 2.5 axis CAM accessible for designers and engineering personnel working on simple, prismatic parts, with the flexibility to adjust setups or edit G-code from any device as plans change. This also frees up other existing CAM licenses for more complex tasks and is scalable to Siemens’ manufacturing solution, NX CAM.
Tying it all together, collaboration tools are available at any time, on any device with cloud-based project storage and collaboration, built on the same Teamcenter-based core platform common to the rest of Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio.
Zel X enables customers to unite their supply chain, including internal teams, customers, partners, and suppliers on a single source of truth. It is enhanced with engineering view, and markup of data, augmented reality visualization, task management (including Kanban board capabilities and tracking) — all on top of data and lifecycle management.
Siemens’ Zel X solution will be available with foundational tools for streamlining design and manufacturing at a Standard level and at an Advanced level which adds simulation, more data management capabilities and design tools.
Opcenter X is Siemens’ answer for a manufacturing operations management (MOM) for the SMB market. It delivers Siemens’ manufacturing execution system (MES), scheduling, quality, and analytics capabilities in a modular environment that is scalable to your company size and needs. According to the company, Opcenter X will help small to medium-size businesses reconfigure manufacturing lines more easily and quickly, without costly IT and other overheads.
Simcenter X brings Siemens’ simulation and test solutions to the cloud, and in turn more accessible for all users with pay-as-you-go pricing. The initial release is focused on Simcenter STAR-CCM+ software and is part of the Siemens Xcelerator group of solutions. It is designed to allow engineers access to cloud-based virtual engineering for modelling and post-processing, with scalable high-performance computing (HPC). Existing customers of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can access free trial credits, a new version for all users will be announced in 2024.
Siemen's Teamcenter X Essentials brings product lifecycle management to all users. Image source: Siemens. Click to enlarge image.
Teamcenter X Essentials brings Siemens product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to a cloud-based product that is scalable for all types of users. As a service, Teamcenter X can be scalable for a business’ changing needs. As an XaaS, Teamcenter X Essentials allows users to get started with minimal IT help, and lower implementation and startup costs. Businesses can manage their mechanical CAD data, documents, and processes, and as requirements and needs grow and evolve, businesses can then take advantage of the full breadth of the capabilities of Teamcenter X.
Teamcenter X Essentials users can work within their familiar CAD interface, to create and manage design revisions all while knowing that their data is securely controlled, shared, and backed up in the cloud. Team members without CAD can use Teamcenter X Essentials to collaborate, using 3D visualization and markup tools, be part of discussions, and manage product and service documentation. Siemens plans to release Teamcenter X Essentials later in 2024.
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