Lattice Technology's XVL put to the test at TARDEC
Leading CAD compression format takes hold in Detroit

San Francisco, CA, October 16, 2006. Lattice Technology, Inc., developers of the XVL ultra-compressed 3D data format, announced today the deployment of its technology throughout the TARDEC, the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.

The Detroit area is known for the 'big three' American automakers: GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Detroit is also home to a more heavy-duty American motor giant: the government. The Tank Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) is headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal, the original tank production site for the US Army.

The Arsenal was built prior to World War II with the help of Chrysler. After the war, Ford executives help organize TACOM's research-and-development lab, TARDEC. Today, TARDEC applies the most advanced technologies to vehicles, ground systems, and support equipment. TARDEC's 1,100 associates develop and maintain vehicles for all U.S. Armed Forces, many federal agencies and more than 60 foreign countries.

As with its inception, TARDEC still works closely with the private sector. Besides collaboration with top corporate engineers, the lab relies on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to supply many of the basic components and subassemblies.

Dr. Raj Iyer, Team Leader and Program Manager of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for TARDEC, is responsible for integrating innovative technologies in support of lifecycle data management of TACOM's tactical and combat vehicles. One of TARDEC's latest technological additions has been XVL from Lattice Technology, a lightweight 3D file format used to communicate and display CAD information, without the need of a CAD system.

"As the Army moves towards model-based definitions of new weapon systems, we are frequently faced with large complex CAD assemblies of entire vehicle systems. It is becoming increasingly difficult to use these complex assemblies for modeling and simulation, concepts, and other logistics or non-engineering applications," says Dr. Iyer.

Lattice Technology solutions based on XVL are deployed at many automotive, aerospace and manufacturing companies worldwide, where the ability to compress CAD files to less than 2% of the original size while keeping accurate measurement and assembly structure data has enabled companies to use XVL-based applications for mock-up, simulation, and parts catalog applications. Both the simulation process and 3D publishing aspects of XVL have a role in the new adoption at TARDEC.

"The Lattice3D XVL format was selected because of its ability to compress large-scale assemblies without loss of accuracy," reports Dr. Iyer. "This would now enable a multitude of users to use these models without the need to directly use detailed CAD models for applications such as requests for proposals (RFPs) for spare parts, Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs), cataloging and provisioning, assembly instructions for the depots, and so forth."

"TARDEC purchased a full suite of Lattice3D products -- Converter, Studio Pro, Player Pro, Signer, Filer, Reducer, Notebook and Web Master," says Iyer. "Additionally for these products to be leveraged it was important to embed this functionality within the current business processes. The XVL files and associated derived information will be automatically generated and managed within TARDEC's Windchill PDMLink product lifecycle management system."

While the integration of XVL tools into the Army's Product Data Management (PDM) network increase the access to 3D data to dispersed department functions, the XVL format provides a lightweight, email-able, and quickly loadable conveyance of part information to and from private-sector vendors -- which has unique advantages over CAD formats. "We hope to use this format to request visualization data from our OEMs. This is critical for many programs where the Army do not own rights to detailed CAD models, however -- form, fit, and function data could be requested in XVL file formats," explains Dr. Iyer.

"XVL has phenomenal compression rates that could not be realized with other competing formats based on an internal market research study that TARDEC performed," Dr. Iyer continues. "Furthermore, the accuracy of the models was sufficient for many of the applications of this format within TARDEC. The Web Master output generated by the software was a unique template that allowed users to visualize in a single screen the 3D assembly, 2D break out views, parts list and products structure."

About Lattice Technology, Inc.

Founded in 1997 with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan and San Francisco, USA, Lattice Technology provides global companies with proven solutions for the propagation of 2D/3D design data across the enterprise. Lattice's standards based XVL® (eXtensible Virtual world description Language) technology enables companies to securely provide highly accurate and compressed 3D files to partners, suppliers, and internal departments in a lightweight browser-based solution. XVL® is unmatched in performance, compression and accuracy. XVL is widely introduced in more than 2000 companies, mainly in the automotive and electronics industries. For more information, visit www.lattice3d.com.

*XVL is the registered trademark of LATTICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

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Rachael Dalton-Taggart
Strategic Reach PR
303-487-7406
rachael@strategicreachpr.com