PTC acquires NC Graphics Ltd

PTC has always appreciated the important connection between product design and manufacturing having delivered a broad set of CAM solutions as part of the Pro/ENGINEER® product family.  Subsequently, PTC expanded its manufacturing strategy with its acquisition of Polyplan for manufacturing process management   The acquisition of NC Graphics, best known for its technology distributed under the DEPOCAM name, further enhances PTC’s ability to help customers optimize their manufacturing processes.  Combining NC Graphics’ mastery of high-speed machining with PTC’s Pro/ENGINEER solutions for tool design provides a powerful, end-to-end solution for tool production.

“Today, mold and die design for manufacturing are often outsourced to companies that specialize in developing the fixtures that are used in production processes,” said Arthur Flutter, founder and managing director of NC Graphics.  “The combination of PTC and NC Graphics will enable manufacturers to effectively manage the data and enable collaboration across multiple locations and suppliers in the supply chain to deliver better quality tools resulting in a design that can be easily manufactured.”

NC Graphics customers will be able to continue to use NC Graphics technology stand-alone or as an integral part of PTC’s Product Development System (PDS). PTC will offer the NC Graphics technology under the new product name, Pro/TOOLMAKER™.  Both NC Graphics and PTC are committed to openness and support for heterogeneous environments.  Moving forward, PTC plans to manage tool paths created using Pro/TOOLMAKER in Windchill®, just as it manages Pro/ENGINEER and other CAD data, providing a single source of data that improves secure collaboration among designers, tool makers and manufacturers.

PTC and NC Graphics have many joint customers.  One such customer is Racing Technology Norfolk, a member of the Express Composites Group and a leader in advanced composites design, engineering and rapid prototyping for the Motorsports and racing markets.  “As a customer of PTC and NC Graphics solutions, we are excited about the opportunity that a best of breed integrated CAM technology will offer,” said David Coates, group projects director, Racing Technology Norfolk, Ltd.  “PTC’s continued investment in manufacturing solutions will enable our Group to achieve business benefits such as improved time-to-market, improved quality and improved customer satisfaction.”

Sourced From: Corporate Voice|Weber Shandwick