DesignHub solves a persistent problem for manufacturers, getting accurate design data from computer aided design (CAD) systems to PLM. Design data often sits in shared drives with unclear naming conventions, leading to version conflicts, costly rework, and delayed handoffs. DesignHub drastically improves the connection between engineering teams and the rest of the enterprise, making design data a strategic asset accessible across procurement, product management, marketing, sales, and service.

“Our research reveals multiple CAD applications and complexity hampers new product development, with nearly three-quarters of companies facing inefficiency and delays due to multi-CAD challenges. The result is design errors, extra overhead costs, and suboptimal design decisions,” said Jim Brown, president and founder, Tech-Clarity. “The solution is integrating CAD data from across systems into a unified product data platform. This makes design information accessible to the entire organization from the earliest stages, boosting collaboration, enhancing decision making, and enabling on-time delivery.”

What DesignHub Does: Multi-CAD Integration

DesignHub centralizes design data from mechanical and electrical CAD tools with Propel’s unified platform, eliminating version control issues and enabling engineering data sharing across the enterprise.

Propel DesignHub capabilities include:

• Multi-CAD connectivity: Connects 15+ mechanical and electrical CAD and PDM systems to Propel PLM
• Automated synchronization: Automatically generates part numbers, syncs BOMs, and maps attributes eliminating manual data entry
• Change management: Captures design changes and routes them into change order workflows with full traceability
• Enterprise access: Makes design information such as part and assembly drawings, thumbnails, neutral CAD formats, and interactive viewables available to procurement, production, marketing, sales, and service
• Version control: Tracks data flow across the product lifecycle, reducing errors

By breaking design information out of silos, DesignHub accelerates new product development, reduces costs, and improves time to market.

“Most manufacturers use multiple CAD solutions, and their engineering data needs to be accessible throughout the whole product lifecycle,” said Eric Schrader, chief product officer, Propel. “DesignHub connects these systems without the cost and complexity of traditional CAD-PLM integrations. It breaks down silos between engineering and other departments, empowering every team to make faster, better informed decisions.”

Propel One AI Automates Workflows Using Connected Data

The Winter 2026 release significantly expands Propel One AI, embedding agentic intelligence directly into the Propel platform. Built on Salesforce Agentforce, Propel One operates as a growing library of AI skills that work across item management, BOM, change management, quality, and training, using trusted product data from DesignHub and other connected sources.

Rather than providing simple attachment summaries, or navigating help documentation, Propel One draws from the full system of record including BOMs, change records, quality events, training assets, and technical documentation to automate and orchestrate work that spans teams and processes. Early adopters are using Propel One to:

• Accelerate change order efficiency: Users ask change order questions and receive context-specific answers drawn from the complete change record, including BOMs, documents, and affected items. AI generates summaries of complex changes, helping approvers quickly understand modifications without reading multiple documents.
• Turn complex documents into actionable content: Teams can ask questions about technical documents, specifications, and procedures in plain language. Instead of searching PDFs or navigating folders, they ask specific questions and receive relevant answers. The system generates document summaries based on actual content, reducing time spent on administrative tasks.
• Enhance training compliance by automating quiz generation: AI creates assessment quizzes from documents such as training materials, instructions for use, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). In this way, quality and regulatory teams can quickly and confidently ensure compliance and comprehension across manufacturing teams, field technicians, and service providers without need to manually author quizzes.
• Expedite bulk item creation: Reduces repetitive data entry for product introduction and change management. Users describe the parts needed, and the system generates multiple part numbers with appropriate attributes based on existing naming conventions and product structures.

Propel One automation works by connecting BOMs, changes, quality records, and commercial information on a single platform. This unified approach means AI has access to complete, accurate product data, not siloed information.

The Winter release is available now for existing customers and new implementations.

About Propel Software

Propel helps product companies grow revenue and increase business value. Our product value management platform connects commercial and product teams to optimize decision making, drive process efficiencies, and engage customers with compelling products and experiences. Propel has a proven track record of improving product quality, speeding time to revenue and profit, and improving customer satisfaction. Recognized as one of America’s fastest growing private companies on the Inc. 5000, Propel is a 4x Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, and one of Fortune America’s Most Innovative Companies. Built on Salesforce, Propel drives product success for hyper growth startups, corporate pioneers, and Fortune 500 leaders in the high tech, medtech and consumer goods industries.

Helical lines in Design: clearer control and geometry

The Helix tool in the Design module has been updated to make setup more flexible and easier to read on screen.

• You can now use either a surface or an axis as the Base element. When an axis is selected, an on-screen arrow lets you flip the helix direction, and radial dimensions have been replaced with diameter dimensions that are shown directly in the graphics window.
• When you select a surface as the Base element, diameter parameters are hidden and only Twist By Pitch and Twist by Angle remain, reducing visual noise. You can also specify how far the helix start and end offsets are shifted from the start and end of the selected surface. The base element can be cleared at any time using the dedicated “X” button.

Extrude and Sweep Along the Trajectory: more robust surfaces out of the box

We have also improved the behavior of Extrude and Sweep Along the Trajectory in the Design module to reduce geometry issues and speed up downstream operations.

• In Extrude, large twist angle values can lead to problematic surfaces. ENCY now automatically splits such surfaces into smaller segments, helping to avoid geometry errors and making the model more reliable for toolpath generation.
• In Sweep Along the Trajectory, ENCY analyses the resulting geometry and replaces complex freeform faces with simple analytic surfaces (planes, cylinders, and rotation surfaces) wherever possible. This makes models open and process faster. When a profile is swept along a closed 3D spline, it is now automatically “twisted” to close smoothly without gaps at the seam.

Everyday workflow improvements

Several quality-of-life changes make common operations a bit more forgiving and easier to understand:

• Added a Check Holder parameter to the Chamfering operation, giving you finer control over holder behavior near part geometry.
• Refreshed hints for turning operations and the Swarf operation to better explain key parameters in context.
• Updated the documentation for ENCY Tuner 2.
• Reorganised the parameter structure on the Setup panel for clearer navigation.
• Refreshed icons in the interactive editing panel for 5D Curve to make actions more distinguishable at a glance.

Stability, simulation, and quality fixes

ENCY 2.6 also includes a wide range of stability improvements across machining, simulation, UI, licensing, and automation.

We have made turning and milling simulation, background machining result calculation, FBM (Feature based machining) operations and scripted workflows more predictable by reducing false collisions, unexpected errors and occasional freezes in complex projects. Performance is more consistent when working with large fixture models, Voxel 5D modeling and projects that use detailed 3D holders, and memory usage has been optimized for demanding jobs.

We also addressed issues in several key operations—including turning, contouring, EDM, welding, 5D surface and mesh strategies and postprocessor-driven workflows—to improve toolpath robustness, parameter handling and consistency between graphics, simulation and NC output.

User interaction and system tooling have also become more robust. We resolved issues affecting project saving and closing, STEP import, 3D mouse support, intellectual object selection from 3D models and visualization in Sketch, as well as several edge cases in the license manager (including offline protection), the installer, the Postprocessors Generator and the AI assistant — so ENCY behaves more consistently from installation through everyday programming.

Note: The 2.6 update is available to all users with an active software maintenance contract (SMC).

About ENCY

We leverage over 30 years of experience in developing CAD/CAM solutions, combining deep industry knowledge with an innovative approach. The new ENCY brand represents a breakthrough in technology and a fresh perspective on traditional processes, merging time-tested methods with modern tools for CNC and robotic programming. The ENCY X ecosystem embodies this approach, delivering cutting-edge design and manufacturing capabilities supported by cloud technology and AI for fast and efficient operations.

The service life of the hobbing cutter is derived from the calculated usable tooth length and the tool life in meters. In conjunction with the costs for the hob and the resharpening, the costs per gear are determined. The cutting time and total duration are calculated using the process kinematics.

With the new Rollout calculation and corresponding graphics, KISSsoft provides a precise analysis of cylindrical gear geometry when pre- and final machining are combined. It allows users to check tip and root form diameters, including tolerance evaluation. Tolerances for both workpiece tooth thickness and machining stock can be defined according to industry standards or customized to exact project requirements.

Thanks to the evaluation for minimal, maximal, and user-defined stock, you can assess how cutter tolerances influence the final tooth form. Key parameters such as dFa, dFf, and maximum undercut are calculated to ensure proper meshing.

KISSsoft also offers flexible data input options:

• Define hobs in the “Reference Profile“ tab.
• Check tolerances (mean, min, max) in the “Rollout“ tab using predefined standards or custom values.
• Adjust gear tolerances as needed.

Built on extensive customer feedback and industry research, Mastercam 2026 focuses on eliminating bottlenecks in the programming workflow while providing more precise control over complex machining operations.

Increased Productivity Through Workflow Efficiency

A key feature in Mastercam 2026 is its redesigned Solid Hole Functionality, which provides manufacturers with improved control over hole creation in solid models. The new three-panel interface—geometry selection, hole style, and advanced options—enables programmers to design complex hole features with precision and ease, reducing programming time for parts with multiple hole types and configurations.

“Our customers have been asking for more intuitive and powerful hole creation tools for years,” said Nand Shivkumar, Chief Innovation Officer at Mastercam. “The new Solid Hole Functionality doesn’t just save time—it gives programmers the precision and flexibility they need to handle the most complex geometries with confidence.”

Recognizing that tool management often creates programming bottlenecks, Mastercam 2026 introduces comprehensive improvements to tool handling and organization:

The redesigned Mill Tool Holder Designer provides panel-based, intuitive visual feedback and streamlined tool assembly workflows, while Lathe Generic Tool Catalog Support enables rapid tool creation and standardization across multiple machines.

New Planes Manager: Features a powerful tree structure with drag-and-drop organization, group creation capabilities, and advanced search and filtering functions, enabling programmers to manage complex part setups more efficiently.

Enhanced Levels Manager: The new tree-structured interface provides improved customization options and workflow efficiency, allowing users to organize and manage part modeling, work holding, and toolpath creation entities with greater flexibility.

Safety Zone Motion Priority: Intelligent path optimization can now be accomplished through three new prioritization options which reduce air cutting time and improve overall machining efficiency.

Higher Precision and Control in Complex Machining

Mastercam 2026 includes several machining enhancements that enable complex machining with a high degree of precision and control, delivering advanced geometries and challenging part features with ease and confidence.

OptiRough Critical Depths: This new feature enables efficient machining of flat areas within complex geometries, reducing cycle times while maintaining surface finish quality. Manufacturers can now optimize roughing operations with intelligent depth control that adapts to part geometry.

Tapered Helix Entry: Addressing common challenges in deep pocket machining, this enhancement improves chip evacuation, provides better coolant and air access, and significantly extends tool life through optimized entry strategies.

Enhanced Loft Surface Creation: New blending algorithms and dynamic sync options enable smoother surface transitions and more predictable results when working with complex sculptured surfaces.

Expanded Mill-Turn and Integration Capabilities

Mastercam 2026 significantly expands mill-turn functionality with Classic Mill Toolpath Support, enabling manufacturers to leverage existing Surface Rough, Surface Finish, and Wireframe legacy toolpaths previously only found in Mill environments.

PrimeTurning updates now include enhanced angled cuts, pinch turning capabilities, and improved finishing options, providing manufacturers with more flexibility in complex turning operations.

AI-Enabled CAM Intelligence

For customers interested in exploring next-generation manufacturing technology, Mastercam 2026 includes access to an early adopter program featuring the Mastercam Copilot, an AI-powered programming assistant enabling the next wave of CAM intelligence.

The initial release of the Mastercam Copilot offers two primary functions: a Help system that provides natural-language guidance for programming questions, and a Command function that helps users by guiding them through the programming process through user interface automation. While still in Beta, early feedback indicates significant potential for reducing learning curves and accelerating programming workflows.

“We’re excited to give our most innovative customers early access to AI capabilities that could reshape how we approach CAM programming,” Shivkumar noted. “This early adopter program allows us to refine these features based on real-world feedback before full commercial release.”

Mastercam 2026 is available through Mastercam’s global network of authorized Channel Partners as well as directly from Mastercam. The U.S. release is available immediately while additional languages will be released in the following weeks and months.

Siemens’ PAVE360 development and validation environment for system-of-systems requires powerful graphics acceleration for accurate simulation of scenario realization, as well as accelerated execution of AI perception, recognition, inference models, and infotainment visualization. The combination of high-performance AMD processors and GPUs and Azure offers impressive performance for these critical tasks.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Microsoft and AMD. We recognize that our customers have a preference in cloud platforms and associated hardware resources when deploying development platforms for SDV,” said David Fritz, vice president, Hybrid and Virtual Systems, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “With PAVE360 recognized as key enabler for SDV development, extending our support to Microsoft Azure and AMD hardware gives our customers greater flexibility.”

For automotive manufacturers to make the leap to true SDV development, a step change is needed in development methodology. PAVE360 running on Azure offers users the sophisticated cloud development features necessary for scalable SDV development while providing a system-aware view of behavior and the capability of identifying complex fault mechanisms.

In many instances software, hardware and system defects are not found until late in the design cycle or, worse still, when the fleet is deployed resulting in costly recalls and potentially significant brand damage. A system-aware approach to SDV validation helps to uncover these defects early in the modelling and simulation phase at which point many thousands of virtual scenarios can be run to isolate corner cases that otherwise would be missed. With the support of industry leaders such as Microsoft and AMD, Siemens brings system-aware SDV validation to the forefront with PAVE360.

“Our collaboration with Siemens and Microsoft allows automotive developers to leverage our leading AMD Radeon PRO GPUs and EPYC processors to power next generation ADAS and autonomous vehicle technologies,” said Salil Raje, senior vice president and general manager, Adaptive and Embedded Computing, AMD. “We are excited to support Siemens’ PAVE360 on AMD systems to enable developers with advanced automotive digital twin environments and help accelerate SDV.”

“By leveraging Azure’s robust infrastructure and AMD’s GPUs, PAVE360 now offers exceptional performance and scalability for Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) development,” said Dayan Rodriguez, corporate vice president, Manufacturing and Mobility, Microsoft. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to driving innovation in the automotive industry, enabling manufacturers to achieve a system-aware approach to SDV validation and ensuring the highest standards of safety and reliability.”

A PAVE360 demonstrator, leveraging Siemens’ Innexis Virtual System Interconnect (VSI) software and featuring AMD Radeon GPUs running on Microsoft Azure in the PAVE360 environment, will be shown at Embedded World March 11th-14th in Hall 4 / Booth Number 4-530.

About Siemens Digital Industries Software

Siemens Digital Industries Software helps organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware and services from the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. Siemens’ software and the comprehensive digital twin enable companies to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes to turn today’s ideas into the sustainable products of the future. From chips to entire systems, from product to process, across all industries. Siemens Digital Industries Software – Accelerating transformation.

Attendees will learn how the innovative 5-axis automatic tool orientation mode in hyperMILL® 2025 ensures optimized machining, guaranteeing efficient and reliable tool paths on the most complex components. The 5-axis automatic tool orientation mode algorithm uses a pre-analysis of the entire tool path to calculate machining sequences of simultaneous and indexed tool movements, reducing the number of inputs required for 5-axis machining and saving time when programming challenging parts.

A new, fast, easy, and safe 5-axis hole deburring strategy excels at deburring sharp edges on holes and intersecting holes. By using CAM Plan programming assistance and analysis technology to automatically recognize all the holes, the sharp edges in the model are marked for selecting the desired edges. The hole deburring technology automatically calculates toolpaths, and supports 3-axis and 5-axis modes. Also, hyperMILL® now offers a 5-axis deburring strategy for fast and efficient deburring of component edges. Users may choose between 3-axis machining and a 5-axis option which enables greater reach to more component edges, automatically generating the required inclinations as well as collision avoidance.

The pocket milling algorithm for high feed cutters in hyperMILL® 2025 has been redeveloped for 3D-optimized roughing, achieving greater efficiency during roughing as well as better machining control, especially helpful when machining large lateral in-feeds and remaining material. Contour and path radii can also be defined, resulting in improved toolpath rounding.

Linking movements via hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining Optimizer have been further optimized for actual stock conditions with new Dynamic Stock technology. Using Dynamic Stock, an updated stock is automatically generated for all machining jobs and accounted for when calculating linking movements.

About OPEN MIND Technologies AG

OPEN MIND Technologies AG is one of the world’s leading developers of powerful CAD/CAM software solutions for machine and controller-independent programming. OPEN MIND develops optimized CAD/CAM solutions that include innovative and unique features that can deliver significantly higher performance in both programming and machining. hyperMILL® is a completely modular CAD/CAM solution that provides state-of-the-art CAM technologies on its own CAD platform: from 2.5D, 3D and 5-axis machining as well as turning strategies and solutions for additive manufacturing, HSC and HPC machining. Whether automation, simulation or virtual machine – trendsetting technologies expand the product range and enable continuous digital process chains. Special applications, seamless interaction with all popular CAD solutions and exceptional customer service rounds out the company’s products and capabilities.

According to the “NC Market Analysis Report 2024” compiled by CIMdata, hyperMILL® is a leading, worldwide CAD/CAM solution. Innovative CAD/CAM technologies fulfill the highest demands in the automotive, tool and mold manufacturing, production machining, medical, job shops, energy, semiconductor and aerospace industries. OPEN MIND is a Mensch und Maschine company and has subsidiaries and qualified sales partners on all continents.

Adopting new fuel types or energy-saving devices can significantly enhance emissions reduction and fuel efficiency. However, existing ships were not originally designed to accommodate such technologies or fuels, limiting the potential for maximum savings. To fully leverage these advances, new ships must be purpose-built to integrate these technologies from the outset.

“Our collaboration with Compute Maritime represents a paradigm shift in maritime design,” said Dmitry Ponkratov, marine director, Simulation and Test Solutions, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “The combination of NeuralShipper and Simcenter STAR-CCM+ aims to redefine how multidisciplinary design optimization is performed. It enables the creation of novel vessel types and demonstrates how designers can automate simulation processes and predict real-world performance, even for the most unconventional designs.”

“Collaborating with Siemens is a game-changer for us. Many modern maritime design firms depend on Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for their CFD simulations, so working with Siemens brings tremendous value,” said Junaid Awan, CTO, Compute Maritime. “NeuralShipper and Simcenter STAR-CCM+ address this need by enabling rapid concept generation and robust design validation, making this collaboration both timely and essential.”

Optimizing innovative ship design with simulation

Optimizing vessel performance during the design stage is critical. Compute Maritime’s NeuralShipper serves as a digital naval architect, empowering human naval architects in the preliminary design phase. It rapidly generates hundreds of design options within minutes, enabling teams to significantly expedite concept development and quickly proceed to the detailed design phase. Siemens’ CFD software, Simcenter STAR-CCM+, then enables designers to automate simulation processes and accurately model the complexities of ship behaviors.

About Siemens Digital Industries Software

Siemens Digital Industries Software helps organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware and services from the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. Siemens’ software and the comprehensive digital twin enable companies to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes to turn today’s ideas into the sustainable products of the future. From chips to entire systems, from product to process, across all industries. Siemens Digital Industries Software – Accelerating transformation.

This acquisition marks an important milestone in Mastercam’s mission to shape the future of manufacturing. For over 30 years, FASTech has been a trusted partner in delivering best-in-class solutions and supporting manufacturers. By integrating FASTech’s expertise and regional insights, Mastercam strengthens its ability to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service to customers in the region.

“Integrating FASTech into Mastercam reinforces our commitment to providing manufacturers with unmatched support and industry-leading CAD/CAM solutions,” said Russ Bukowski, Interim President of Mastercam. “This acquisition allows us to build even closer relationships with customers in the Midwest region of the United States, ensuring their success in an evolving manufacturing landscape.”

Driving Innovation Through Growth

Mastercam’s growth strategy combines organic advancements with targeted acquisitions to expand our capabilities and provide industry-leading solutions. As part of Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions’ portfolio, Mastercam continues to empower manufacturers globally with advanced solutions, connected processes, and unparalleled support.

About Mastercam

Shaping the Future of Manufacturing®, Mastercam is the world’s leading provider of CAD/CAM solutions. As part of Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions, we empower manufacturers to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation. With a global network of channel partners and an extensive developer community, Mastercam continues to set industry standards by delivering comprehensive, connected solutions across the manufacturing enterprise. We lead the way with cutting-edge technology and unparalleled expertise.

About Sandvik Group

Sandvik is a global, high-tech engineering group providing solutions that enhance productivity, profitability and sustainability for the manufacturing, mining and infrastructure industries. We are at the forefront of digitalization and focus on optimizing our customers’ processes. Our world-leading offering includes equipment, tools, services and digital solutions for machining, mining, rock excavation and rock processing. In 2023 the Group had approximately 41,000 employees and revenues of about SEK 127 billion in about 170 countries within continuing operations.

Parasolid can also now add more value to design and engineering workflows in many different applications by allowing users to intersect meshes with all classic B-rep surface types and perform more sophisticated configurations of fillets and chamfers on mixed models. In addition, there are new tools for direct editing of faces and for rendering and repairing mixed models. Extensive classic B-rep enhancements have also been made in areas such as blending, sweeping, non-uniform scaling and rendering, bringing users gains in modeling flexibility and performance.

The Parasolid geometric modeling kernel is used in Siemens’ own Solid Edge^® software and NX software and is at the core of the Xcelerator portfolio’s open and flexible ecosystem. Parasolid is also used in over 350 other applications from industry-leading CAD/CAM/CAE/AEC software vendors.

About Parasolid

3D geometric modeling is a key requirement for applications in product design, simulation, and manufacturing. With 900+ functions, Parasolid supports a range of modeling techniques, including solid modeling, direct editing, and free-form surface/sheet modeling. Parasolid also delivers Convergent Modeling technology, which extends its robust B-rep modeling functions to models based on facet representations. Parasolid provides wide-ranging graphical and rendering support, including precise hidden line and wireframe, as well as versatile tessellation functionality and a full suite of model data inquiries.

Parasolid is integrated by more than 130 software vendors, giving end-users 100 percent 3D model compatibility between 350+ applications based on the Parasolid XT data format. Parasolid is complemented by Data access and translation solutions that enable the import and export of 3D models in alternative formats.

About Siemens Digital Industries Software

Formerly Siemens PLM Software, our new name reflects the depth of our software offerings across a broad spectrum of industry domains.

Amid unprecedented change and the rapid pace of innovation, digitalization is no longer tomorrow’s idea. We take what the future promises tomorrow and make it real for our customers today. Welcome to… Where today meets tomorrow.

The promise of tomorrow for our customers

By blurring the boundaries between industry domains – across both physical and digital worlds – we bring the technologies of tomorrow to our customers today. These are their stories.