Announcing Upgrades to Galorath’s Manufacturing Project Estimation Software, SEER® for Manufacturing

- November 10, 2009 -

El Segundo, Calif. - Galorath Incorporated, a California-based software firm whose customers include Airbus; ATK; BAE Systems; Boeing; Lockheed Martin; Northrop Grumman; Phillips Medical; Raytheon and the U.S. Department of Defense has released major upgrades to SEER for Manufacturing (SEER-MFG™, formerly SEER-DFM™), a project estimation and management solution for virtually any manufacturing operation. The new releases, SEER-MFG 6.1 and its optional component, Aerostructures 3.1, are available immediately.

SEER-MFG performs manufacturing process level estimates for part and assembly operations, enabling the use of the most cost-effective designs to reduce product costs and improve time to market. By providing insight into the cost and producibility ramifications of design decisions, SEER-MFG bridges the gap between design and manufacturing.

"Our software is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our customers," said Dan Galorath, president and CEO of Galorath Incorporated. "Manufacturing processes and technologies are continuously changing-and SEER project estimating and management applications are systematically upgraded to address these new developments."

Galorath has added numerous features and updates to the manufacturing processes contained in SEER-MFG 6.1. The software includes major updates to the primary machining models. These updates compute machine times based on feeds and speeds models. The new algorithms have been updated to be more sensitive to machining small parts as well as lightweight but difficult to machine materials, such as titanium, specifically for Radial Mill, End Mill, Turn, Bore, Shape, High Speed, Surface Grind, Chemical Mill, Centerless Grind, Cylindrical Grind, and Screw Machine processes.

The 6.1 update now produces production lots for sub assemblies and entire projects; this is extremely useful for estimating costs for delivering products over an extended period of time. With each successive lot, you can see exactly how unit and total costs reduce based on the lot quantities entered.

The Detailed Composites model has been updated with new shapes and a new parameter has been implemented, enabling users to add up to 50 additional plies per work element.

The Aerostructures 3.1 plug-in for SEER-MFG has been updated to include two new fit-up models; Cable/Harness and Tube Assembly installation. Also, the Aerostructures plug-in, whose availability was previously limited to companies inside the USA and U.S. State Department-approved firms overseas, is now widely available outside the U.S. The Aerostructures plug-in for SEER-MFG provides a direct cost model, which includes numerous composite fabrication and assembly processes for placement (Braiding, Hand Layup, P4A, Tow Placement, 3-D Weaving, Filament Winding); curing (Autoclave, E-Beam Fabrication, Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding(VARTM)); trim; paste-bond; E-Beam Assembly; 3-D Reinforcement (including Z-Pinning and Stitching); as well as some state-of-the-art metal processes such as Super Plastic Forming with Diffusion Bonding (SPFDB) and over 50 processes related to sheet metal fabrication pre-form, form, after-form and finishing operations.

"One of SEER-MFG's strengths is its ability to influence design decisions, pointing the way to the simplest and most cost-effective solution," said G. Pruijsen MSC, Manager of Value Engineering at Phillips Healthcare, headquartered in Eindhoven. "In one case a supplier offered a quote of 1,000 Euros for a part but our cost engineer, using SEER-MFG, calculated that it should be 200 Euros," said Pruijsen. "They eventually settled on a final price of 350 Euros." Pruijsen believes that over the past 12 months his cost engineers, working with SEER-MFG, have saved the division about one million Euros.
The new release of SEER-MFG includes additional improvements and new features.

About Galorath Incorporated
Galorath Incorporated has invested more than two decades developing solutions to help government and commercial organizations plan and manage complex software, hardware, electronics, manufacturing and IT projects. Their suite of SEER productivity development applications is the most comprehensive estimation and management solution in the industry. Visit http://www.galorath.com for additional information.