Tag Archives: PLM

Vestas Use of Enterprise PLM from PTC

PLM mindshare leader PTC has published a new profile on how the European wind energy giant Vestas employs enterprise PLM to manage the digital thread across the product lifecycle.

PTC writes “To meet the unique needs of each customer and accelerate deployment, Vestas embraced digital transformation as they design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe….Vestas has taken a digital-first approach to manufacturing that encompasses all activities from defining products to planning for how parts will be produced (at their own factories with OEM manufacturing partners or on-site).”

The customer example profiles 11 critical use cases in engineering, manufacturing, and service that include:

Engineering:

  • Requirements Management
  • Sustainability Integrations
  • Model-Based Enterprise
  • Configuration Management
  • Product Architecture

Manufacturing:

  • Quality Validation
  • AI-Enabled Inspection
  • Digital Assembly
  • Manufacturing Engineering

Service:

  • Service Info Delivery

To learn more about Vestas digital thread journey visit PTC’s Innovator Customer Spotlight HERE.

(Header image copyright and courtesy of Vestas.)

Makersite and Siemens to Deliver Integrated Sustainability Intelligence in PLM

Stuttgart, Germany –15th July 2025 – Makersite, a cloud-based platform for product lifecycle intelligence, today announced a cooperation with Siemens Digital Industries Software to integrate Makersite’s environmental, cost, and supply chain risk data directly into Siemens’ Teamcenter® software for product lifecycle management (PLM).

This collaboration aims to enable design, compliance, and engineering teams to access actionable sustainability insights throughout the product lifecycle, directly from Teamcenter. By leveraging Makersite’s advanced AI engine and comprehensive supply chain and environmental databases, Teamcenter customers will be able to analyze their entire product portfolio at scale.

The collaboration further solidifies Siemens’ Sustainable Industries initiatives, which empowers customers to embed sustainability across the entire product lifecycle. Siemens Digital Industries Software plays a leading role in this effort, providing tools that support design, simulation, and lifecycle management across mechanical, electrical, electronics and software domains.

“This collaboration continues Makersite’s mission to help manufacturers create better, safer, greener products—faster,” said Neil D’Souza, CEO of Makersite. “By embedding our data into Teamcenter, we will enable smarter decision-making where and when it matters most, with product teams and engineers.”

Sonya Sauvé, Director Sustainability Solutions, Siemens Digital Industries, said:
“Our collaboration with Makersite marks a significant step forward in how industries approach sustainability. This solution will embed environmental intelligence directly into Teamcenter product lifecycle management, enabling manufacturers to make informed design decisions that benefit both their bottom line and the planet. It’s about making sustainability actionable at every step of product development.”

With mounting regulatory pressures and growing market demand for robust sustainability data, the Makersite-Siemens collaboration will equip manufacturers to stay ahead – ensuring compliance, accelerating innovation, and enabling verifiable environmental performance.

(The above news release is courtesy of Makersite, first published on 15 July 2025  HERE..)

PTC and Makersite to Accelerate Sustainable Product Development

PTC has announced its latest step in the journey toward enabling smarter, more sustainable product development: the integration between PTC’s enterprise PLM product, Windchill, and Makersite, the leading AI-powered platform for product lifecycle intelligence.

Dave Duncan, VP of Sustainability at PTC, comments: “This integration helps manufacturers who are looking to balance product performance, environmental impact, and compliance demands. By bringing together fragmented supplier data and allowing teams to analyze product footprints for parts and bill of materials (BOMs) directly within Windchill, this integration empowers product development teams to make informed decisions faster and more efficiently than ever before.”

Learn why this is important and what makes it now possible by reading the full announcement HERE.

Sustainability in PLM – A Path Forward

In a recent episode of the podcast Stay Sharp in Digital Engineering from Razorleaf, hosts Juliann Grant and Jonathan Scott are joined by renowned PLM thought leader and sustainability advocate, Jos Voskuil, co-founder of the PLM Green Global Alliance.

Together, they unpack the evolving role of sustainability within the world of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and digital engineering. From the European Green Deal to the growing importance of lifecycle assessment (LCA), this episode explores how environmental impact is shaping how products are designed, manufactured, and maintained.”

Topics Covered:

  • What sustainability really means in the context of PLM
  • Regulatory drivers like RoHS, REACH, and the EU Digital Product Passport
  • The shift from hazardous material tracking to full carbon reporting
  • Why “right to repair” and circular economy models are gaining traction
  • How the product-as-a-service model transforms business sustainability
  • Practical steps for manufacturers to begin measuring environmental impact
  • Real-world examples of data-driven PLM and the use of digital twins
  • Tools and databases supporting sustainability analysis (e.g., EcoInvent, LCA, AI-driven platforms)
  • The importance of model-based systems engineering and connected data

Learn more about why sustainability is becoming a central factor in product innovation and compliance by listening to the podcast now HERE.

The above announcement and images were provided courtesy and copyright of Razorleaf, a global, vendor-agnostic consulting and systems integration firm specializing in digital transformation for forward-thinking manufacturers worldwide.

Embedding Product Sustainability within PLM from CIMdata

PLM Green contributor Mark Reisig from CIMdata has authored a new commentary on “Embedding Product Sustainability within PLM.”

In the paper Mark features the work of CONTACT Software to aggregate and manage product data across the lifecycle to provide a complete Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) solution. Key takeaways include:

  • Embedding sustainability in PLM enables the integration of environmental factors into lifecycle activities, including Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), along with sustainability-related material and supplier data, supporting informed decision-making and ensuring regulatory compliance.
  • CONTACT Software enables the aggregation of CO₂-equivalent (CO₂eq) emissions using PLM data across development phases while supporting variant management and PCF calculations. It integrates sustainability-related materials data to provide a transparent view of cost and environmental impact.
  • CONTACT Software enables strategic procurement, resulting in better decision-making by seamlessly integrating supplier data with environmental declarations via PCF data.
  • CONTACT Software provides a comprehensive energy management solution that helps reduce environmental impact and improve efficiency by monitoring and optimizing energy consumption throughout production processes.

Learn more by reading on at https://www.cimdata.com/en/resources/complimentary-reports-research/commentaries/item/27677-embedding-product-sustainability-within-plm-commentary.

(Image and some text copyright and courtesy of CIMdata.)

Sustainability Trends Within PLM from CIMdata

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PLM Green Global Alliance contributor Mark Reisig recently led a CIMdata webinar on “Sustainability Trends Within PLM” on April 10, 2025.

Key topics of the agenda that Mark covered include:

  • Status of Sustainability
  • Sustainability Trends
  • Embedding Sustainability into PLM Strategies
    • Circular Economy and the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
    • Reducing Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)
    • Enhancing Supply Chain Visibility
    • Design for Sustainability (DfS)
    • Lifecycle Assessments (LCA)
    • Digital Threads and Digital Twins
  • Why Companies Should Care
  • Concluding Remarks

Continue reading →

PLM Helps Global Battery Companies

A new article from PTC Arena Solutions profiles an example of how PLM software helps global battery companies navigate growth and challenges. The author Joseph Prock writes:

“Product lifecycle management is playing a pivotal role in supporting the battery industry. PLM systems provide a centralized location to manage all product-related information, ensuring that information is consistent, current, and accessible to all stakeholders. This centralized product record facilitates better collaboration among teams, from research and development to manufacturing and quality assurance, leading to more efficient and streamlined processes.

PLM is significantly transforming the battery industry by helping streamline product development processes, enhance innovation, sustain compliance with industry regulations, and helping the industry to meet the growing demand for efficient, high-quality, and sustainable battery solutions.”

Learn more about the the importance of PLM in battery development by reading the entire article HERE.

(Feature image courtesy of and credit of PTC Arena Solutions.)

A Practical Guide to the Digital Product Passport from PTC Arena

The new whitepaper “A Practical Guide to the Digital Product Passport” from PTC Arena Solutions is one of the most comprehensive introductions to the Digital Product Passport (DPP) for PLM professionals.

The paper covers the following topics:

  • The Concept Behind the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
  • Understanding DPP Laws, Regulations, and Business Requirements
  • Industries Affected by the DPP Mandate
  • What Type of Information Is Stored Inside a DPP?
  • Blockchain Technology: The Foundation for Building a DPP
  • Getting Started With DPP
  • Companies Are Using PLM to Manage DPP Information
  • PLM Capabilities Used to Manage DPP Compliance
  • PLM Helps Companies Meet DPP Regulations, Design for Sustainability, and Strategically Transition to a Circular Economy

From the paper we learn about the importance of DPP:

“Within the EU, passport technology is becoming mandatory across a diverse range of product categories, starting with batteries, chemicals, construction, electronics, furniture, luxury goods, plastics, textiles, and toys.”

“Full DPP implementation is currently expected by 2030. This mandate requires companies to digitally document detailed product information across their entire lifecycle. The goal is to promote sustainability and transparency for consumers, businesses, and governments.”

Read the complete paper by downloading it now from PTC HERE.

(Header image courtesy of PTC.)

Tokamak Energy Selects Aras Innovator to Accelerate Fusion Energy Development

(The following is extracted from an Aras press release on Feb. 11, 2025.)

“Aras, a leader in product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital thread solutions, announced today that Tokamak Energy, a pioneering fusion energy company, has chosen Aras Innovator® SaaS as its enterprise PLM solution. Following an extensive evaluation, the company selected Aras for its flexible architecture, cost-effective licensing model, and comprehensive functionality available from day one.

The selection marks Tokamak Energy’s first enterprise-wide PLM implementation beyond computer-aided design (CAD) data management and will be delivered under a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) agreement. “We are proud to partner with Tokamak Energy in their groundbreaking work,” said Roque Martin, CEO of Aras. “Our flexible platform and unique business model eliminate the traditional barriers to PLM adoption, empowering innovative companies like Tokamak Energy to focus on their core mission – developing commercial fusion energy solutions.”

Learn why Aras was selected and what PLM functions will be implemented by reading the full press release from Aras HERE.

Learn more about the development of green fusion energy at Tokamak Energy HERE.

How to Become a Leader in Sustainability from PLM Group

The E.U.-based PLM Group has published a new e-book on “How to Become a Leader in Sustainability.”

The authors write that their e-report will guide readers through six steps towards a greener future and how they can implement digital technology into sustainable design and manufacturing practices.

The publication is available for download from the PLM Group HERE.

According to the PLM Group’s website, their mission is to empower people and manufacturing companies to innovate. They do that by digitally transforming your entire value chain, integrating every stage of the product lifecycle from design to aftermarket. Additional information on the PLM Group can be found HERE.

Talking with CIMPA about PLM & Sustainability

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The following post first appeared in PLM Green cofounder Jos Voskuil’s European weblog “PLM and Sustainability: talking with CIMPA” on 6 January 2025.

Most times in this PLM and Sustainability series, Klaus Brettschneider and Jos Voskuil from the PLM Green Global Alliance core team speak with PLM related vendors or service partners.

Continue reading →

Leaders in PLM and Sustainability – September 2024

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It has been very encouraging over the past few years to witness so many Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) professionals become active in the sustainability transition as it becomes increasingly important to our global economy.

In this our next series of posts from the PLM Green Global Alliance we will feature and interview those PLM professionals from around the world whom we consider leaders in driving our profession to create a more sustainable, low carbon, circular economy. There is much innovation in R&D and NPD to be led by these professionals as time is running out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade, which climate scientists warn us is critical.

Our first recognized “Leader in PLM and Sustainability” is Mark Reisig who is an Executive Consultant and the Sustainability & Green Energy Practice Director at the global PLM market consultancy CIMdata. Mark also volunteers his time and expertise to PLM Green as a moderator of the Sustainability and Green Energy topical research themes.

Continue reading →

Sustainability & PLM: An Industrial Perspective

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Recently, I (Mark Reisig) delivered a CIMdata webinar titled, “Sustainability & PLM: An Industrial Perspective.”  For those of you who were unable to attend I am excited to share the following summary of key points that I made. You can also view the recorded webinar here at your leisure.

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Who is the PLM Green Global Alliance?

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The PLM Green Global Alliance (PGGA) is much more than a growing LinkedIn Group! We are an international community of professionals who work with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) enabling technologies and are collaborating, educating, and advocating for a more sustainable decarbonized circular economy.

Continue reading →

PLM and Circular Economy: a framework for sustainable product development

This article from PTC Arena Solutions discusses the growing role of PLM in sustainable product development and the circular economy. Here are the key points:

  • PLM has become increasingly important for manufacturers in new product development and introduction, especially in markets with complex products where quality management and compliance regulations are stringent.
  • The Circular Economy is based on three principles driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.
  • PLM is starting to play a critical role in manufacturing companies’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies.
  • A survey found that many companies are using more sustainable materials, increasing the efficiency of energy use, and using energy-efficient or climate-friendly machinery.

Image Courtesy of Arena Solutions

Learn more by reading PLM and Circular Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Product Development | Arena (arenasolutions.com).

Leveraging PLM and Circularity for Product Development

An article in the publication Sustainability on “Leveraging PLM and Circularity for Product Development” describes the transition from a linear to a circular economy.

The author, Joseph Prock, writing for PTC Arena, remarks that the linear model is largely unsustainable. The circular economy, on the other hand, aims to minimize environmental impact by regenerating or reusing materials.

To achieve this, PLM systems can facilitate the transition to the circular economy from the earliest stages of product design.

Read the complete article HERE.

PLM Vision for Circular Economy

The conference paper “A PLM Vision for Circular Economy” written by Sofia Freitas de Oliveira & António Lucas Soares redefines PLM due to the shift from the mass production model to a new paradigm of personalized, on-demand, customer-centric, and knowledge-based production.

In doing so, the authors highlight the growing concerns around sustainability and circular economy, which require improved products that can be used for longer, with multiple life cycles.

 

The paper was published in “Collaboration in a Data-Rich World” the proceedings from the18th IFIP WG 5.5 Working Conference on Virtual Enterprises. It may be downloaded HERE.

PLM & Sustainability News March 2024

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The PLM Green Global Alliance (PGGA) mission is to educate, advocate, and collaborate across the boundaries of technical disciplines, industries, and international borders to advance the use of Product Lifecycle Management strategies and technologies in the transition to a more sustainable decarbonized circular economy.

In our latest quarterly PLM & Sustainability News Digest we hope to provide not only timely information but also inspiration to the thousands of professionals around the world who work in PLM-related fields and care not only about delivering products and profits but also protecting people and the planet. We believe these objectives do not have to be in conflict, but in fact are absolutely synergistic when it comes to sustaining the long-term wealth of our economies and health of our communities and ecosystems.

Our recap of news and resources from a busy 1Q2024 is easy to scan for what interests you or might have been missed in your own feeds about the following topics: Continue reading →

PLM Green Celebrates 1,000 Group Members

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The PLM Green Global Alliance LinkedIn Group recently added our 1,000th member: Nelson Pinto who is a Product Development Engineering Manager at Simoldes Plastics, an automotive industry supplier based in Portugal with plants across Europe.

Nelson represents the ideal profile of a member that PLM Green seeks to serve as a non-commercial source of information and inspiration on the role of PLM in Sustainability. Welcome Nelson!

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The Grid is the Green Energy Transition’s Weakest Link

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By PLM Green Global Alliance contributor and green energy moderator Mark Reisig, Executive Consultant and Sustainability Practice Director from CIMdata.

Decarbonization, the use of renewable energy, electric mobility, heating solutions, and the energy transition will only occur if a smart, secure, distributed grid is completed in time. A simple analogy would be building a house without a foundation. Now, let’s project out to 2030. Suppose you recharge your electric vehicle (EV) with electricity from the existing grid. In that case, the energy could still originate from fossil fuels because an intended renewable energy project was not completed or could not connect to the existing grid. In this scenario, the EV helps our decarbonization efforts, but the energy used to make the electricity doesn’t. Ideally, we would recharge EVs with electricity over a smart grid from renewable sources with zero emissions.

Continue reading →