How ECAD and PLM Integration with Zuken DS-CR and Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE Enhances Collaboration

With the rapid advancement of electronics and software in modern, connected products, the integration of mechanical, electronics, and software engineering processes is no longer optional – it is essential. To keep pace with growing complexity, companies must extend their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems beyond traditional mechanical product structures to support cross-disciplinary collaboration, version control, and data management to ensure streamlined development, minimize design conflicts, and drive innovation.

The Challenge: Disconnected Engineering Disciplines

Despite the clear need for integration of ECAD and PLM, mechanical, electronic, and software engineering have traditionally functioned in isolation, each dependent on specialized tools, terminology, and methodologies that often fail to integrate. Mechanical engineers primarily work within CAD and PLM environments, which emphasize geometric modeling, assembly structures, and Bill of Materials (BOM) management. Meanwhile, electronics engineers depend on ECAD tools, which focus on schematic design, connectivity, and signal integrity, while software teams manage their development using version control systems and agile frameworks.

The separation of these disciplines often results in misalignment, redundant efforts, and costly late-stage design conflicts. A mechanical team might finalize an enclosure design, only to later realize that the electronics team requires additional space for components. Similarly, software teams may develop firmware without having access to the latest hardware updates, leading to integration issues that require significant rework.

The Reality: Existing Tools Cannot Simply Be Replaced

Fixing these problems is not an easy task, as companies have heavily invested in customizing their CAD, ECAD, PLM, and software development environments to fit their specific needs. Frequently, these well-established systems are deeply embedded in engineering workflows, supplier relationships, and regulatory compliance frameworks, making a complete transition to a new system impractical.

Replacing these tools would require the migration of extensive legacy data, in addition to retraining engineers and redefining workflows. Such efforts could significantly impact productivity and introduce unnecessary risks. Given these challenges, a pragmatic integration strategy is necessary—one that enhances interoperability across existing tools rather than attempting to replace them entirely.

A Practical Solution: Integrating Zuken DS-CR with Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE

A solution that effectively connects previously separate engineering environments is the integration between Zuken’s DS-CR and Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. By linking these two systems, companies can establish seamless data exchange, improve change management, and foster real-time collaboration between disciplines.

ECAD and PLM Integration for Seamless Development

Zuken’s DS-CR specializes in electronic design data management, while Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform provides a comprehensive PLM ecosystem that integrates mechanical, electronics, and software development. By establishing a direct connection between these systems, companies can synchronize product structures, component details, and engineering changes across disciplines, ensuring consistency throughout the product lifecycle.

A crucial benefit of this integration is the seamless management of component requests. Electronics engineers work with component libraries that must align with BOM structures within PLM. Through DS-CR, engineers can classify and enrich component metadata, which is automatically synchronized with 3DEXPERIENCE. This guarantees that all teams work with accurate, up-to-date data, minimizing discrepancies and avoiding costly design revisions.

Bridging ECAD-MCAD Collaboration to Eliminate Design Conflicts

One of the most persistent challenges in interdisciplinary product development is the lack of synchronization between ECAD and MCAD workflows. Traditionally, design conflicts arise when PCB layouts and mechanical enclosures are developed independently, leading to late-stage integration issues. By connecting Zuken’s CR-8000 ECAD suite with 3DEXPERIENCE, companies can facilitate bidirectional exchange of component layouts, footprints, and 3D models, ensuring that both mechanical and electronic constraints are considered early in the process.

For example, mechanical engineers can define keep-out zones, placement constraints, or heat dissipation areas, which are then automatically reflected in the ECAD environment. This allows PCB designers to adjust their layouts in real time, reducing the likelihood of misalignment. By eliminating the need for back-and-forth design iterations, this integration significantly reduces rework, accelerates development timelines, and enhances overall design quality.

Leveraging Virtual Twin Technology for Predictive Design Optimization

An advanced feature of this integration is the virtual twin, which provides a real-time digital representation of a product, allowing engineers to simulate and validate design changes before physical prototyping. Through the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, teams can visualize electronic components within mechanical assemblies and run simulations to detect issues such as signal integrity problems, thermal challenges, and mechanical fit constraints.

With virtual twin technology, engineers can explore multiple design configurations, optimize component placement, and evaluate performance characteristics before finalizing designs. This simulation-driven approach not only reduces development risks but also ensures that products meet performance, durability, and manufacturability requirements before production begins.

Optimizing the Transition from Design to Manufacturing

Beyond facilitating design collaboration, the integration between DS-CR and 3DEXPERIENCE also streamlines the transition from engineering to manufacturing. By ensuring that Gerber and STEP files are consistently managed, and manufacturing documents are automatically generated and synchronized, production teams receive the latest design specifications with full traceability.

This integration also enhances BOM management, enabling organizations to efficiently handle variant designs and supplier collaboration within a unified system. By ensuring that all stakeholders—from design and procurement to manufacturing—are working with the most accurate, up-to-date product data, companies can reduce errors, minimize production delays, and accelerate time-to-market.

Conclusion: A Scalable, Future-Proof Solution for Engineering Integration

The integration of Zuken DS-CR with Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE Platform provides a scalable, future-proof solution for companies looking to bridge the gap between mechanical, electronics, and software engineering. By enabling real-time collaboration, synchronized data exchange, and seamless interoperability, organizations can effectively manage the increasing complexity of modern connected products without disrupting existing workflows.

For companies aiming to optimize PLM strategies while preserving current engineering investments, this integration offers a pragmatic approach to achieving a fully connected, digital product development environment. By reducing inefficiencies, eliminating late-stage design conflicts, and ensuring a smooth transition from design to manufacturing, this solution enables businesses to stay competitive in an era of increasingly sophisticated product development.

Watch our on-demand webinar to discover how integrating Zuken’s DS-CR with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE enhances ECAD collaboration, streamlines data management, and improves interdisciplinary teamwork.

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