STEP Tools Awarded Phase One $70,000 SBIR Grant from the U.S. Naval
Sea Systems Command
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Belinda Jones, 860-767-9506
HiTech Marketing LLC
belinda.jones@hitechmarketing.com
Manufacturing Operations and Standards in Shipbuilding Analyzed for
STEP-NC Applications
Troy, New York - March 25, 2002 - STEP
Tools, Inc., the forerunner in developing STEP and STEP-NC software
solutions for the global marketplace, announced today it has been awarded
a $70,000 DoD SBIR (Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research)
Grant from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command. The STEP Tools' "Technology
for Shipbuilding Affordability" project provides the research and
testing groundwork to examine the technical merits of utilizing STEP-NC
(the manufacturing extension of the international STEP product data standard)
for manufacturing operations in the shipbuilding industry. STEP Tools
will ascertain how the ship building industry can best leverage STEP-NC
technology to control pipe bending and cutting, and estimate the economic
benefits. The research will also outline how to take advantage of the
existing STEP standards for piping systems and ship steel structures.
"STEP Tools is very proud to receive this SBIR Award from U.S. Naval
Sea Systems Command," states Dr. Martin Hardwick, president and CEO
of STEP Tools. "In the past decade, we have been involved in many
development initiatives, such as Harvest and WSME, to improve the manufacturing
efficiency of shipyards in the United States. This particular project
provides the framework to research the viability of STEP-NC technology
delivered from our Super Model project, as it applies to the complex architecture
of ship design and manufacturing. We are ready for the challenge."
The DoD SBIR effort is lead by STEP Tools along with subcontractor General
Dynamics Electric Boat (Groton, CT). The Department of Defense SBIR program
is the largest source of early stage "research and development"
funding available in the United States for small, high tech companies.
All projects serve a Department of Defense need, and have commercialization
potential in both military and commercial markets. STEP Tools retains
the intellectual property rights for their innovations, which hold commercialization
potential in both military and commercial markets.
About STEP Tools, Inc.
STEP Tools, Inc. is a leading international supplier of professional STEP
software toolsets (based on ISO standards) for application software developers,
design firms and manufacturing companies in diverse industries. The STEP
Tools product line is used by the world's foremost firms to leverage STEP
and STEP-NC technology to facilitate the sharing of engineering product
information. Over one million end users utilize product data applications
built with ST-Developer, the company's flagship product. The company offers
ten software solutions in several languages that provide four key benefits:
- the flexibility of EXPRESS information modeling language,
- integration with existing tools and database systems,
- cross-platform portability, and
- ease-of-use for streamlined development.
For late-breaking information, contact STEP Tools, Inc. by calling (518)
687-2848, email: info@steptools.com
or visit http://www.steptools.com.
ST-NC, ST-Repository, ST-Plan and ST-Machine
are trademarks or registered trademarks of STEP Tools, Inc. All other
brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
|
