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SolidWorks

Build simulation apps that integrate with CAD

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COMSOL, Inc., announced an update to its LiveLink for SOLIDWORKS product. As an add-on to the COMSOL Multiphysics software, LiveLink for SOLIDWORKS allows a CAD model to be synchronized between the two software packages.

The latest version of LiveLink for SOLIDWORKS easily launches and runs simulation apps that can be used synchronously with SOLIDWORKS software. Simulation specialists and analysts can build apps with the Application Builder to let users, such as design engineers, to analyze and modify a geometry from SOLIDWORKS software right from the tailor-made interface of the app. Users can browse and run apps from within the SOLIDWORKS interface, including those that use a geometry that is synchronized with SOLIDWORKS software.

The COMSOL Multiphysics® ribbon tab and embedded COMSOL Server™ interface in the SOLIDWORKS® user interface.

New App: Bike Frame Analyzer

With this update of LiveLink for SOLIDWORKS a new Bike Frame Analyzer app was added to the Application Libraries to show the new capabilities. This app leverages LiveLink for SOLIDWORKS to interactively update the geometry while computing the stress distribution in the frame that is subject to various loads and constraints.

The user interface of the Bike Frame Analyzer app showing the effective stress on the frame with a 180-degree crank angle.

Using this app, you can easily test different configurations of a bike frame for different parameters such as dimensions, materials, and loads. The app computes the stress distribution and the deformation of the frame, based on the structural dimensions, materials, and loads/constraints of the bike frame.

COMSOL
comsol.com

Learning about the IoT at SOLIDWORKS World 2017

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SOLIDWORKS World always has technical session for attendees.  At this year’s conference, there will be a specific learning path for the Internet of Things.

Seven sessions are available to help users accelerate their IoT product development process. If you attend at least four of the IoT sessions, you can earn a SOLIDWORKS IoT Certificate.  Attending three of the sessions, including the IoT Technology Review and Demo, will enable you to receive an IoT development Kit and Xively User account.

The IoT sessions include: IoT Industry Trends, IoT Technology review and demonstration, Business Transformation through IoT, Developing a Connected Product, Customer IoT Journey, and a Panel Discussion on IoT. You can get more details here.

MecSoft Releases VisualCAM 2017 for SOLIDWORKS

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MecSoft Corporation, a developer of CAD/CAM software solutions, announced the availability of VisualCAM 2017 for SOLIDWORKS, the latest version of MecSoft’s integrated Gold Certified CAM solution for SOLIDWORKS.

VisualCAM 2017 for SOLIDWORKS now includes Feature Detection and Feature Based Milling. Machining features such as 3 Axis Pockets, Prismatic Pockets, Slots, Planar Faces, and Bosses can now be detected in Solid models and toolpath methods applied to these features. New machining methods such as 4 Axis Drive Surface Operation for true 4 Axis Milling and Slot Milling Operation for single line and trochoidal machining of slots have also been introduced. Other implementations include feed rate slowdown in corners, tooltip help and algebraic operations in all dialogs and more.

MecSoft Corporation
mecsoft.com

SolidWorks World 2017 Keynote speakers

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Industry visionaries, engineers and designers will provide new perspectives that will inspire you to reinvent how you approach design. Get inspired by speakers who broke the bounds of the “possible” to do something that has never been done before.

Anousheh Ansari is Co-Founder, Chairwoman, & CEO of Prodea Systems. She is the first female private space explorer, spending eight days aboard the International Space Station. She is also the co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a platform for the Internet of Things.

Jason Silva is host of National Geographic’s “Brain Games.” He is He is also the creator of Shots of Awe, a short film series that explores innovation, technology creativity, futurism and the metaphysics of the imagination.

For the Customer Mashup portion of the presentations, Paul Reed Smith and Jon Wasserman from PRS Guitars join Mark Tremonti, guitarist of Alter Bridge and Creed, to share the story of their collaboration for the design and development of the Mark Tremonti Signature guitar.

Also, sustainability expert and social visionary, Duane Elgin, talks to Jon Friedman, President and co-founder of Freight Farms, a company that provides physical and digital solutions for creating local produce ecosystems on a global scale. Together they will look ahead at the untapped potential for using 3-D printing for building a sustainable future at a local scale. This will be both practical and inspiring as they explore how to use these technologies to live more sustainably in emerging new communities and local living economies.

SolidWorks
www.solidworks.com

Mobile Apps for Designers and Engineers on the Go

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Mobile apps for consumers have proliferated over the past several years, becoming somewhat of an ubiquitous part of our everyday lives. We think nothing of checking weather updates, movie schedules, and bank balances while we’re on the move, so why has it taken so long for mobile apps to hit big when it comes to engineering and manufacturing?

Certainly there’s an opportunity for vendors to offer apps for engineers that improve their mobility and offer access to at least some of the same tools they would have in the office. I wrote a blog post, Is CAD Becoming More Portable? in late 2013. Since then, however, it doesn’t seem like a lot of progress has been made on the CAD mobility front.

While this might be true, there are still many handy mobile tools and apps that engineers can use on a daily basis to capture ideas and concepts, view drawings and models, and collaborate with other stakeholders.

In a blog on the topic of mobile apps for engineers, written by David Chadwick of Siemens, he discusses how maintenance engineers would find it useful to have spare parts catalogs available on mobile devices. They could find the correct spare part, check if it was in their stores, and if not order the part immediately, all while working in a remote part of the factory.

Fortunately such technology now exists. CADENAS’ PARTsolutions software offers direct mobile access to more than 600 certified standard parts catalogs from international manufacturers on both iOS and Android mobile devices.

Chadwick believes that the increasing availability of mobile apps for designers and engineers will have a big impact on their productivity and effectiveness. For manufacturing organizations, this could include the product designer being able to rapidly retrieve 3D models and drawings of products when on the shop floor to help solve a problem that has been encountered in the manufacturing process.

For field engineers being able to quickly access specifications and drawings for a machine that they are installing at a remote site. When traveling designers can have access to their design information and can answer questions and progress their projects when they are waiting at an airport or riding on a train. When meeting with suppliers and customers, the immediate availability of design data can help them to resolve issues immediately instead of having to first return to the office to find the information they need.

Mobile apps for engineers

While this is not a comprehensive list, here are a few mobile apps that are worth checking out for engineers on the go.

* Sketchbook Mobile. This affordable professional drawing and painting tool is a good starting point when ideas arise while you’re in the field. Available on Android and iOS.

* Autodesk AutoCAD 360. This DWG file viewer allows users to view, edit, and share their 3D models with others using the iPhone or iPad. This app is probably the most downloaded of the CAD viewer apps with more than 5 million installs on the Android platform alone. It’s available on Android and iOS.

* ForceEffect. Also from Autodesk, this app allows users to simulate design concepts on the spot. It does all the heavy lifting (simulation and calculations) on the mobile device. This makes it easy to simulate design options during the concept phase for easy validation.

Autodesk's ForceEffect allows you to create a design, give it a set of supports, introduce forces upon it, see how other forces come into play and how changing that design changes those forces.
Autodesk’s ForceEffect allows you to create a design, give it a set of supports, introduce forces upon it, see how other forces come into play and how changing that design changes those forces.

* GrabCAD. For anybody using GrabCAD Workbench, this mobile app provides access to both the GrabCAD public library and your private projects stored on the GrabCAD Workbench. View models, comment, create projects, and get update notifications–all from your Android or iPhone/iPad.

* Engineering Unit Converter is popular, with more than 100,000 installs and many happy customer reviews. The best part? The app uses less than 1 MB of space on your system. The downside? It’s only available for Android.

* Solid Edge Mobile Viewer. Download this new Windows 8.1 app for free from the Windows Store to view 3D part and assembly models, and 2D drawings that were created using Solid Edge. Available for iOS and Android as well.

* eDrawings Pro. This app works with SolidWorks, DWG and DWF (DraftSight) files. Users can view different model configurations, drawings and exploded views for different representations. Images can be rotated, zoomed, and minimized to measure distances in relation to the model. Users can make connotations, markups, and cross-section views while taking photos and snapshots, which can then be emailed for others to view.

The newest version of eDrawings Pro lets users see their 3D models in a real-world setting through augmented reality. The app takes the 3D model and places it in position anywhere the user wants simply by turning on a mobile device camera.
The newest version of eDrawings Pro lets users see their 3D models in a real-world setting through augmented reality. The app takes the 3D model and places it in position anywhere the user wants simply by turning on a mobile device camera.

* Engineering Cookbook. Provides access to frequently needed information, including HVAC load estimates, design formulas, conversion factors, and sound and system design guidelines. Available on Android and iOS.

* Engineering Handbook Lite. Similar to the Engineering Cookbook but also offers materials classifications and engineering components, which allow users to calculate maximum/minimum values from things such as a hole to a shaft and back again. A mechanics feature allows users to view the formulas for gear drives and their dimensions, which is especially convenient when using a 3D printer to fabricate parts.

Are there any mobile apps for engineers that I didn’t list that you are using and loving? If so, please share them in the comment section below.

Barb Schmitz

Autodesk Releases HSMWorks 2015 CAM Software for SolidWorks Users

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Autodesk today announced the release of HSMWorks 2015, a fully integrated CAM solution for users of SolidWorks software. Yes, that’s right. It’s for SolidWorks users. The company was bought two years ago by Autodesk with a promise to its dedicated flock of users that it would continue to both support and sell the product to users of its competitor, SolidWorks, and the company has stood by its promise.

In fact, this release of HSMWorks 2015 marks the third major release of the HSMWorks product line since Autodesk acquired HSMWorks. In that time, the company has also released twelve updates with hundreds of new features and enhancements, which enable users to turn their models and assemblies into machined parts, all within a fully integrated design to manufacturing workflow.

“This new release is a great example of our ongoing commitment to our customers, regardless of which CAD system they use,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president at Autodesk. “The feedback from users tells us HSMWorks is valued for its integration, ease-of-use and performance. This release takes the software even further with innovative new updates and features.”

Autodesk releases HSMWorks 2015 CAM software for SolidWorks users.
Autodesk releases HSMWorks 2015 CAM software for SolidWorks users.

What’s New

HSMWorks 2015, with support for SolidWorks 2015, includes many new enhancements, including a significant update to Adaptive Clearing, the product’s high-efficiency roughing technology. It reduces valuable cycle time from machining jobs by taking advantage of highly efficient toolpath motion that maintains constant cutter engagement during material removal.

The updated Adaptive Roughing feature also now includes taper support for helical ramps, enhanced stay-down linking and optimized z-level transitioning, which directly contributes to reduced cycle times and more efficient operation on the machine.

Stock simulation has been updated with improved performance in 3D mode, important for customers in the mold/die industry and those who frequently work with large models with 3D and sculpted surfaces.

Free version also updated

HSMXpress 2015, a free version of HSMWorks offering professional CAM capabilities exclusively for 2-1/2 axis milling machining projects, has also been released as part of this update. HSMXpress includes all the same 2D Milling and Drilling capabilities as HSMWorks, along with solid part simulation and post processing system.

HSMWorks 2015 also supports the latest Intel Xeon Processors and high-end workstations, like the HP Z840 Workstation, configurable up to 36 total processor cores in one system. This allows HSMWorks 2015 to take advantage of the latest in computing power to speed toolpath calculation and post-processing times; making it easier to accommodate last minute engineering changes and get CNC programs to the shop floor faster.

HSMWorks 2015 is available today in English, German and Japanese languages. For more information on HSMWorks 2015 or to download a free trial please visit the Autodesk web site.

Barb Schmitz

Delcam Releases SolidWorks-Integrated CAM Version

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CAD-integrated CAM software greatly facilitates the communication between design and manufacturing by removing the error-prone process of having to translate data between two systems. It also helps decrease the traditional disconnect that exists between the two groups of users, enabling both teams to do the work concurrently.

Delcam recently launched Delcam for SolidWorks integrated CAD system, which includes a range of new features for three-axis milling, drilling, turning and wire EDM.

Programming of three-axis toolpaths for complex parts has been made easier and more reliable in Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015 with the addition of automatic collision checking of the tool shank and holder, as well as the cutter, for both roughing and finishing operations. If a gouge is detected the toolpath can be recalculated with any segments that will cause a gouge clipped away.

Programming of three-axis toolpaths for complex parts has been made easier and more reliable in Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015 with the addition of automatic collision checking of the tool shank and holder, as well as the cutter, for both roughing and finishing operations.
Programming of three-axis toolpaths for complex parts has been made easier and more reliable in Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015 with the addition of automatic collision checking of the tool shank and holder, as well as the cutter, for both roughing and finishing operations.

Removing these segments of the toolpath leaves an area of unmachined stock that will need to be removed with a longer tool. This extra toolpath is able to be calculated using a stock model of material remaining after the shorter tool has been used to ensure there is no re-machining of stock that has already been removed.

As part of this development, an additional function, called ‘maximum machine stock’, has been added that removes direct moves where clipping has occurred. These direct moves can leave witness marks on the part so their removal should improve surface finish.

Another improvement in three-axis machining with Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015 allows stock models to be used in conjunction with other geometry, such as the part surface dimensions, solid models, the stock dimensions and boundary curves. This addition gives better control over the area to be machined by each toolpath and so gives more efficient machining by allowing the user to confine toolpaths to specific regions and to eliminate air-cutting by referencing the stock model.

Three-axis flowline and isoline machining is now more flexible, with users able to choose to move the tool in an in-to-out direction or an out-to-in direction.

Drilling with Delcam for SOLIDWORKS has been made easier in the new release with the introduction of a new hole type, ‘Thread Mill Hole’, which eliminates the need to create holes, pockets or sides, and thread features as separate items. It can be used either with holes created with the ‘Hole’ feature or those that have been identified with ‘Feature Recognition’.

Another improvement to drilling is the new ‘Find Feature’ command that gives the ability to combine similar holes into groups on indexed parts. With previous releases, users had to have a separate feature for each hole but, in Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015, holes that are similar can be recognized and then grouped together. This makes them much easier to manage and edit.
A series of improvements have been introduced to make turning with Delcam for SOLIDWORKS more efficient. The software is now able to produce toolpaths that rapid up and over previously machined diameters, rather than feeding along them. This reduces the overall cycle time and avoids dragging of the tool.

For users of wire EDM, Delcam for SOLIDWORKS 2015 provides an expanded wire-cut database to support multiple machines having varying formats and methods of operation, with the ability to specify nozzle type and fluid type as well as material type and thickness, wire type and diameter, and EDM machine. This gives more flexibility by providing the option to store and apply a greater variety of different parameters.

Wire EDM assemblies with multiple setups are now able to be output in a single program separated by Program Stops, with NC code required for a safe Program Stop formatted in a special section of the post processor. This increases programming flexibility greatly for Wire EDM users, allowing them to manage their parts on the machine more safely.

A key benefit of Delcam for SOLIDWORKS has always been the availability of a wide range of post-processors, together with the ability for users to customize their posts. In the 2015 version, post variables are able to be assigned user-defined names. This allows users to see quickly exactly which post variables are configured for use with a particular post-processor and to understand their intended use. This change is particularly valuable when programmers need to understand customizations in posts that have been made by other users.

Delcam for SOLIDWORKS combines the benefits associated with Delcam’s PowerMILL and FeatureCAM CAM systems. It is based on Delcam’s proven machining algorithms that are already used by more than 45,000 customers around the world. The software offers PowerMILL’s exceptional speed of toolpath calculation, plus the advanced strategies for high-speed and five-axis machining, to ensure increased productivity, maximum tool life and immaculate surface finish, even when cutting the hardest, most challenging materials. At the same time, Delcam for SOLIDWORKS has the same strong focus on ease of use as FeatureCAM, including all of the knowledge-based automation that makes that system so consistent and reliable.

Delcam for SOLIDWORKS is fully integrated into the SOLIDWORKS environment so that the program looks and behaves like SOLIDWORKS. It offers full associativity so that any changes in the CAD model are reflected automatically in the toolpaths. However, this associativity is more intelligent than that offered in many other integrated CAM systems. Delcam for SOLIDWORKS doesn’t simply modify the existing toolpaths but also reviews the choice of cutting tools and machining strategies, and changes them if necessary.

Looking Under the Hood of SolidWorks 2015

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A large group of editors, bloggers, users and analysts from across the country converged in Boston last week to hear all the details of the highly anticipated release of SolidWorks 2015. With SolidWorks 2015, the company focused on providing its users with a wider range of choices for improving everyday productivity, optimizing work processes, reducing operating costs, and solving an expanded set of design challenges.

SolidWorks seems to have the most ardent users in the industry, over 2 million of them, and the company seems to go a good job of listening to them. SolidWorks developers worked closely with users, as evidenced by the fact that 90% of the new functionality included in this release was user-requested.

SolidWorks has broadened its approach to design, and its portfolio has expanded significantly over the past few years. SolidWorks 2015 includes tools for 3D design, simulation, electrical design, product data management and technical communication. Designers and engineers can span multiple disciplines with ease, shortening the design cycle, increasing productivity and delivering innovative products to market faster.

SolidWorks 2015 not only delivers key enhancements requested by the entire user base, but is clearly adding functionality to broaden its appeal in other industries and markets. For example, SolidWorks users will be able to easily enhance the aesthetics of consumer products and apparel, and simulate construction machinery, building infrastructure and machine tools better than ever before.

The media had the opportunity to interview SolidWorks executives one-on-one during the launch event. I asked several which of the new features they thought users would be most excited about. Fairly unanimously they said that would be the software’s new model-based definition (MBD) offering, which will enable design and manufacturing to share PMI information directly in 3D. I personally think it’s a bit early for users to get too excited about that particular piece of the pie, but it certainly reflects where product development is inevitably headed: paperless design or at least less paper.

“With the emphasis on the direct-from-3D-model fabrication processes, it’s important that we shift our focus to model-based definition so that we can shorten our overall design cycle and simplify the way we do things,” said Ryan Trulli, Mechanical Engineer, GE Oil & Gas. “With SOLIDWORKS Model Based Definition, the 3D model itself holds all the dimensional data necessary to make the part. This means less documentation creation, fewer emails flying around, and fewer files to sustain when the project is complete.”

New features in SolidWorks 2015

The new functionality in the software, grouped by area of improvement, include:

Productivity
• Focus On Design, Not Modelling with new features that reduce geometry creation steps.
• Faster Information Sharing – Improved general performance, faster analysis and streamlined approaches give users the data to quickly make decisions and keep designing.
• Enhanced User Experience – An improved graphical interface presents a clear view of critical data to help focus on design.
• Simulate Multiple Design Scenarios – Quickly evaluate the effects of various load combinations on a model, and tracking results.
• MySolidWorks Standard – The new MySolidWorks Standard and Professional subscription levels deliver more than 100 hours of SOLIDWORKS training materials and online file exchange services.

Simulation-LoadCase-Manager2-v2
In SOLIDWORKS Simulation new load case manager interface within a Static study allows you to define (secondary) load combinations from (primary) load definitions quickly and evaluate the effects of the various load combinations on your model.

Optimize Work Process
• Collaborative Sharing – By easily accessing social collaboration and online data management tools on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, users can benefit from faster development and quicker decision making.
• SolidWorks Treehouse – Top-down design is facilitated by visually creating assemblies, enabling product structures to be managed at the beginning of design projects.
• Web2 for SolidWorks Enterprise PDM – With the addition of mobile connectivity, users can connect to Enterprise PDM from any location, at any time.

Reduce Operations Costs
• SolidWorks Model Based Definition – A new offering to help improve communication between design and manufacturing teams by enabling them to communicate product and manufacturing information (PMI) in 3D.
• SolidWorks Inspection – The process of creating documentation is simplified, allowing users to quickly set up and compare baseline data to production parts for quality control.
• SolidWorks Electrical – Quickly develop electrical schematics and incorporate them into the 3D model with enhanced cable harness and system integration.
• Enhanced Cost Analysis – Users can estimate costs across many manufacturing methods, including weldments, plastics, castings and 3D printing.

Surface-curvature-combs
The Surface Curvature Combs tool evaluates curvature quality and smoothness. You can display curvature combs on model surfaces to analyze how adjacent surfaces join and transition.

Solve More Design Challenges
• Improve Manufacturability of Products with Compound Curvature – Automatically flattening of 3D models, to help identify materials and manufacturing issues. This feature is especially helpful to those in the apparel, footwear, upholstery and shipbuilding industries.
• Enhance Product Aesthetics and Usability – Creating asymmetrical fillets for parts, assemblies and surfaces gives users in the high tech, medical and consumer industries increased flexibility to model more ergonomic and stylized designs.
• Accurately Simulate Machine Components – Developing accurate construction machinery and machine tools with automated roller chains helps ensure operation and usability.

To dig a little deeper into the new functionality offered in SolidWorks 2015, check out the company’s launch site here, which will be live September 9th.

Barb Schmitz

GrabCAD Announces Integration with PTC Creo and Workbench Summer 2014 Release

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It appears the folks at GrabCAD have been quite busy. The Cambridge-based startup is making two significant announcements today: the integration of its Workbench cloud-based file management platform with PTC Creo CAD software and the release of Workbench Summer 2014.

Since PTC Live Global was just held this week in Boston, we’ll start with that one. The integration of Workbench with Creo means that users will now have a host of new capabilities that are available only to PTC Creo users. These new capabilities include:
● The ability to view native models
● The ability to view Creo drawings and other proprietary Creo documents
● The ability to interact with assembly information, such as family table instances

In addition, the processing power for all of the above actions will be provided by the GrabCAD cloud platform, freeing up the user’s desktop for other tasks. GrabCAD and PTC will roll out these new capabilities over the next several months to both new and existing PTC Creo and Workbench users.

“PTC Creo is the CAD tool of choice for many of the companies that use Workbench, whose users appreciate the ability to access an integrated set of design, simulation and manufacturing tools in one suite,” said Hardi Meybaum, founder and CEO of GrabCAD. “We’re excited that this integration with PTC Creo will make it even easier for these users to keep track of CAD files and bring others into their design process quickly and easily.”

GrabCAD Workbench is a cloud-based file management platform that makes it easier for users to manage and share CAD files.
GrabCAD Workbench is a cloud-based file management platform that makes it easier for users to manage and share CAD files.

Summer Release 2014

The company also announced that July 1st it will ship its Summer Release of GrabCAD Workbench. Already boasting CAD file management and external collaboration features, Workbench makes it easy for mid-sized companies to better deal with CAD file management.

The Summer Release’s new capabilities include:
● Flexible search capabilities. Search on metadata such as date, type, author, revision, version, and custom file properties
● “Whereused” reports. Shows where a part is used in other assemblies
● Assembly BOM Views. Display, filter, and export the parts list of any CAD assembly
● Configuration and family table support. View different configurations and families of parts and assemblies from major CAD systems

Many engineering organizations rely on more than one CAD provider, so Workbench is designed to support them all. This “multiCAD” approach is supported by a number of new CAD-specific enhancements:
● SolidWorks. Intelligent notifications alert users of document changes such as when a file is locked or affected by changes to another document
● Creo. Automatically detects the latest Creo file for upload; view native parts, assemblies, and drawings
● Autodesk. Support for 3D DWG

In addition to these new features, GrabCAD has made more than 100 enhancements to existing features over the last six months, including:
● Revision control. Links assembly revision to part revision
● Version control and backup. Restores deleted files or restore to a point in time
● File locking. Lock status now available inside SolidWorks Workbench add-in

Learn more about GrabCAD Workbench by clicking here.

Barb Schmitz

Design Technology Behind the Scenes at 2014 World Cup

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Every four years, national soccer–or football as the rest of the world calls it–teams from across the globe duke it out to determine the best square on the planet. An estimated one billion viewers will be glued to their seats watching the action that kicks off today in Brazil, nearly 900 million more than who tuned in for this year’s Super Bowl.

With the excitement of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in full swing, I thought this might be a good time to remind everyone of the real unsung hero behind this year’s matches: technology! Here is a sampling of some of the technology behind the scenes at this year’s World Cup.

No more bad calls. Thanks to new wearable smartwatches, referees in Rio de Janeiro won’t have to trust their own eyes on whether the ball crosses the goal line. The smartwatches used in Brazil are made by a German company called GoalControl, which installed 14 cameras that track the ball around the pitch. The watches will vibrate and display the word “GOAL” each time the ball crosses the goal line. Good news for fans still enraged over the infamous bad call made during the 2010 in London when England was denied a score in a match against Germany, even though the ball had clearly passed the goal line.

Smartwatches and 14 cameras will determine whether the ball crosses the goal line at this year's World Cup matches.
Smartwatches and 14 cameras will determine whether the ball crosses the goal line at this year’s World Cup matches.

Crowd control. With tens of thousands of excited soccer fans descending upon the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha stadium in Brazil, crowd safety is of utmost importance. With past tragedies in mind, the structural integrity of the facility is critical. Fortunately the stadium has been analysis validated that the fierce Brazilian winds won’t impact the safety for spectators and teams. Simulation specialists at ANSYS channel partner ESSS used ANSYS CFD software to predict airflow around the stadium and pressure on the stadium roof. The specialists also used ANSYS FEA software to study the combined effects of wind, stadium infrastructure and a traditionally rowdy crowd. Engineers completed the analysis in two weeks – about one-tenth the time required for traditional wind-tunnel validation – for 66 percent lower costs compared to physical testing methods.

Bend it like Beckham. The curl obtained with the inside of the soccer cleat, or football boot, which was made somewhat famous by David Beckham, and the curl with the the outside of the cleat, is due to the Magnus effect. The effect, named after the scientist who first observed the effect in a lab in the 1850s, explains the side-force on a sphere that is both rotating and moving forward. Check out this blog by COMSOL to see how the company used its multi physics software to analyze the World Cup match ball.

This show the velocity and pressure fields around the rotating forward-moving ball and a rotating cylinder. The velocity at the equator is much higher on the side of the ball that rotates with the direction of the ball, as it slides the air past its surface. On the other side of the ball, its rotation and forward movement work in opposite directions.
This show the velocity and pressure fields around the rotating forward-moving ball and a rotating cylinder. The velocity at the equator is much higher on the side of the ball that rotates with the direction of the ball, as it slides the air past its surface. On the other side of the ball, its rotation and forward movement work in opposite directions.

Turf wars. Real turf fields are pretty to look at, but high-maintenance costs lead to the investigation into alternative artificial surfaces. The first attempt in 1981 in London failed miserably. The surface brought on odd bounces and an increased likelihood of injuries. In 1996 a successful hybrid grass system was introduced, featuring millions of synthetic fibers injected into natural grasses. These hybrid systems can take up to three times more wear and tear than natural grass and can be installed in as little as three weeks. A Dutch company METAL Machinebouwers used Solidworks CAD software to design the machines used in the first stage of the installation process: creating the artificial fibers that will be planted into the ground.