A New Era of Engineering Data Management
In a world where products span mechanical, electrical, and digital domains, the need for unified product data is stronger than ever. For companies like MTorres, managing design data across multiple PLM and CAD systems had become complex — slowing down collaboration, introducing data silos, and complicating manufacturing integration.
To overcome these challenges, MTorres embarked on a multi-year transformation journey to migrate its legacy PLM systems to Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform with Unified Product Structure (UPS) — partnering with SteepGraph Systems, a global PLM services expert with deep migration experience.
About MTorres: Engineering Innovation at Scale
Founded over 50 years ago in Spain, MTorres specializes in providing customized engineering and automation solutions for the aerospace, paper converting, and industrial sectors. With operations across Europe, the U.S., Brazil, and China, MTorres combines innovation with digital manufacturing excellence.
However, this scale also brought complexity. Different divisions used different tools — from CATIA V5 integrated with SmarTeam, to NX with Teamcenter, and even file server-based storage for tooling projects.
This fragmented environment made it difficult to achieve data consistency, traceability, and cross-domain collaboration — the exact challenges the 3DEXPERIENCE UPS model is designed to solve.
The Case for Change: From PDM to Full PLM
Before the migration, MTorres relied on basic PDM functionalities rather than a full PLM lifecycle approach. As a company dealing with high-value aerospace customers, MTorres needed:
- Digital continuity between design, engineering, and manufacturing
- Standardized CAD management processes across divisions
- Secure and collaborative platform access
- Industry-proven PLM best practices with minimal customization
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform met all these needs — but the road to implementation required careful planning, strong partnerships, and advanced data migration strategies.
Challenges in the Migration Journey
MTorres’ data landscape was both vast and varied. Migrating millions of records from multiple systems (SmarTeam, Teamcenter, and file servers) posed several challenges:
- Complex data mapping across different schemas
- Data integrity risks and duplicate records
- User adaptation to a new PLM interface and process model
- Continuous operations during migration — no downtime allowed
Moreover, the move from Designer Central to UPS wasn’t just a version upgrade — it was a complete data model transformation requiring robust tools and methodologies
Strategic Approach: Partnering for Success
Recognizing the project’s complexity, MTorres selected SteepGraph Systems as its strategic PLM migration partner. SteepGraph’s global presence, proven methodology, and proprietary ETL PLM Migration Platform became instrumental in ensuring a seamless transition.
The project followed a phased migration strategy:
- Upgrade from 3DEXPERIENCE R2017x to R2021x
- Migrate from Designer Central to Unified Product Structure (UPS)
- Integrate NX data from Teamcenter into the 3DEXPERIENCE environment
- Connect the platform with SAP for end-to-end digital continuity
Each stage required close collaboration between MTorres’ IT and engineering teams, SteepGraph experts, and Dassault Systèmes support.
Technical Insights: Inside the Migration Process
The cornerstone of the project was SteepGraph’s ETL PLM Migration Platform, built specifically for complex PLM data migrations.
The tool’s architecture — Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) — enabled:
- Automated data extraction from SmarTeam, Teamcenter, and file repositories
- Custom mapping to the UPS schema
- Error validation and cleansing before loading
- Incremental and on-demand data loading to support continuous business operations
It also allowed MTorres to choose between bottom-up or top-down migration approaches, optimizing time and ensuring consistency across assemblies.
In total, the project successfully migrated:
- 800,000+ documents
- 135,000+ CATIA components and drawings
- 234,000+ NX parts and assemblies
This migration not only unified the data but also improved performance, scalability, and design reuse across global teams.
Integrating PLM with ERP
Following the successful UPS migration, MTorres synchronized its PLM and ERP environments by integrating 3DEXPERIENCE with SAP S/4HANA.
This step enabled:
- Automated BOM creation and revision control
- Material master synchronization between PLM and ERP
- Seamless manufacturing launch without manual intervention
To achieve this, SteepGraph developed a custom integration connector, as commercial tools lacked the flexibility to handle MTorres’ specific processes.
This integration ensured data integrity across systems and reduced manual work for engineers — a critical success factor in digital manufacturing workflows.
Key Success Factors
The MTorres project demonstrates that PLM transformation success lies in strategy, collaboration, and technology alignment.
Here are five key factors behind their achievement:
- Progressive Implementation:
Dividing the migration into smaller, manageable phases reduced risk and ensured user confidence. - Strong Governance and Stakeholder Support:
Executive sponsorship and cross-functional alignment were essential to maintain momentum. - Dedicated Key Users:
Involving end users throughout ensured smooth adoption and feedback-driven improvements. - Powerful Migration Tools:
SteepGraph’s ETL PLM Migration Platform provided reliability, automation, and transparency at every stage. - Continuous Review and Collaboration:
Weekly follow-up sessions among MTorres, SteepGraph, and Dassault ensured proactive issue resolution and consistent progress.
The Outcome: A Unified, Agile PLM Ecosystem
MTorres operates a fully integrated 3DEXPERIENCE environment (R2021x) connected with SAP S/4HANA.
Its engineering divisions now collaborate on a single digital thread — from CAD design to manufacturing execution — achieving:
- Accelerated product development cycles
- Reduced design rework and data duplication
- Improved traceability and compliance
- Higher user efficiency and satisfaction
The success story has positioned MTorres as a benchmark in digital transformation within the aerospace sector, proving that a well-planned UPS migration can yield measurable business impact.
SteepGraph’s Role: Enabling Digital Continuity
With over 15 years of PLM experience and 250+ global projects, SteepGraph Systems continues to help enterprises modernize legacy systems, integrate CAD-PLM-ERP environments, and enable future-ready 3DEXPERIENCE adoption.
Their ETL PLM Migration Platform and expert consulting services ensure customers can confidently move from legacy PLM tools to modern, unified platforms — achieving both technical excellence and business agility.
Conclusion
The MTorres journey proves that digital transformation isn’t a destination — it’s a continuous evolution powered by vision, collaboration, and the right technology partners. By migrating to 3DEXPERIENCE UPS, MTorres not only unified its engineering data but also unlocked a new era of agility, innovation, and operational excellence.
SteepGraph’s role as a trusted transformation partner was pivotal — combining deep PLM expertise, a proven ETL migration framework, and an unwavering focus on digital continuity. This collaboration exemplifies how organizations can move beyond legacy boundaries to build a connected, intelligent enterprise.
As industries worldwide embrace the future of product development, SteepGraph continues to lead this transformation — enabling companies to engineer smarter, collaborate seamlessly, and innovate without limits.
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