RAPID PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CRITICAL TO U.S. COMPETITIVENESS, TOP CONSULTANT
WILL DETAIL TECHNIQUES AT MECHANCAD

Innovative Tools, Techniques, And Management Strategies Will Be Focus Of
Keynote Address And Technical Sessions At Annual Conference For Mechanical
Designers Using AutoCAD

San Francisco -- March 26, 1996 -- Rapid product development is essential
to the success of any company involved in manufacturing, but
implementation means dramatic changes in the way that people work,
according to Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates. Wohlers will
deliver the keynote speech at MechanCAD, the AutoCAD Mechanical Design
Conference, running from April 29 - May 1, 1996 at the Fairmont Hotel in
Dallas, Texas. In his speech, Wohlers will give specifics on the new
technologies and strategies that progressive companies are using to
shorten development cycles. 

To kick off the keynote speech -- on Monday, April 29 at 5:00 p.m. --
Dominic Gallelo, vice president of the Autodesk Mechanical Market Group,
will discuss Autodesk's plans for an integrated mechanical desktop
product. He'll give a preview of the new products that are evolving from
Autodesk's MAI (Mechanical Applications Initiative), a cooperative effort
with key developers in mechanical engineering and manufacturing, and he
will introduce Terry Wohlers. 

Wohlers, a consultant to many major U.S. corporations, believes that
American industry must redesign itself in order to excel. In his talk, he
will discuss rapid prototyping and other innovative tools, techniques, and
management strategies that make companies more competitive by shaving
weeks, or even months, from product development cycles. He also will
evaluate and demystify the countless products available for reverse
engineering, 3D digitizing, and CAD/CAM/CAE systems. 

"If companies in the U.S. hope to remain competitive in the world market,
they have no choice but to consider new approaches to design, modeling,
prototyping, and tooling," says Wohlers. "MechanCAD offers engineers and
designers the opportunity to update and enhance their skills, and to share
questions and ideas with industry innovators." 

According to Wohlers, mastery of CAD/CAM/CAE, including the use of 3D
design tools, is critical to rapid product development. To further this
kind of expertise, the second annual MechanCAD conference presents a
comprehensive program of 53 different technical courses for mechanical
engineers and designers to keep pace with technical advances. Classes
cover subjects such as increasing AutoCAD productivity, setting standards
for a mechanical design department, and finite element analysis. A special
certificate program in 3D computer-aided design skills is also offered. 

Wohlers, founder of the Rapid Prototyping Association (RPA) of the Society
of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), will teach a class on rapid prototyping
as part of the 3D program. Wohlers reports that an estimated 1,500 rapid
prototyping systems are in operation worldwide. He will discuss these new
processes and the materials that have developed out of this technology. 

For attendees interested in more detail on the latest products and services
for the mechanical design market, a select group of hardware and software
vendors will display their products following the Monday evening keynote
speech and again on Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, throughout the
conference, attendees can experiment with the Intergraph-sponsored
test-drive center, equipped with Intergraph TDZ workstations running
Autodesk Mechanical software products. 

MechanCAD is designed specifically for AutoCAD users, to address the
important changes occurring in the mechanical design industry. The
conference is produced by Miller Freeman, Inc., one of the nation's
largest trade show producers, and publisher of CADENCE, AUTOCAD TECH
JOURNAL, and 3D DESIGN magazines. Other shows presented by Miller Freeman
include: Autodesk University, the 3D Design Conference, the Embedded
System Conferences, Surface Mount International: Advanced Electronics
Manufacturing Technologies, Software Development, Communication Design
Engineering Conference, and the PCB Design Conferences. 

Exhibitor Contact: 
Debra Gilbert
Miller Freeman, Inc.
415/905-2476 

Attendee Contact: 
Yolanda White-King
Miller Freeman, Inc.
415/905-4994 

Press Registration:
FS Communications
415-691-1488

Miller Freeman, Inc.
600 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-905-2354,  fax 415-905-2220
 
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