Join our MCAD Central community forums, the largest resource for MCAD (Mechanical Computer-Aided Design) professionals, including files, forums, jobs, articles, calendar, and more.
Windchill is a higher level package - catering for more functions (purchasing, MRP, manufacturing, etc...) as well as engineering. It carries a range of interlinked information - parts, BOMs, documents, etc
Windchill runs on a web server - the clients run on browsers. It can take CAD data from Intralink (via a gateway).
Also - DesignDataManager is a Pro/E management package for smaller groups of Pro/E users. There are quite a few different PDM systems available...
Pro/INTRALINK is Pro/ENGINEER file management. It is a workgroup oriented system designed to manage the complex relationships between Pro/ENGINEER files. It has some higher-level capabilities like e-mail notifications and electronic sign-off, but it mostly resides in the engineering relm.
Windchill has been broken into Link solutions. Each link solves a specific enterprise wide problem. PDMLink is a web-based PDM system. It manages the products you design throughout their entire lifecycle. It overlaps Pro/INTRALINK with notification and sign-off. Then it goes way beyond with enterprise wide capabilites. You interface with it through your web browser, so anyone with web access and a login can use it. It includes ProductView for visualization. It can integrate with your MRP/ERP systems. Its functionality includes the ability to create and manage multiple BOMs for the various departments in a company. It even includes effectivity and document management.
PDMLink can handle Pro/ENGINEER files directly, but the current recommedation is to use Pro/INTRALINK and tie PDMLink into it. If simple vaulting is all you need, maybe PDMLink is the option for you. If you really need to manage your Pro/ENGINEER data, then use Pro/INTRALINK. If you need to manage your data and the rest of the enterprise needs to use it too, then both packages are the answer.
I can't speak to the other data management options available. The only thing I know about them is they cannot handle Pro/ENGINEER data as effectively or efficiently as Pro/INTRALINK. It has something to do with the APIs available to third party software development companies.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.