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2020 & beyond: 6 more megatrends to watch in engineering modeling & simulation

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Bruce Jenkins | Ora Research

Early last year we reviewed in this blog post eight megatrends in engineering modeling and simulation that dominate the thinking and decision-making of engineering organizations and their technology providers today, and that we believe will continue to do so well into the years ahead. We wrote then:

This second decade of the twenty-first century is witnessing an explosion of invention and innovation in digital engineering technologies unrivaled since the 1980s, when so many foundational tools and methods were either created or brought to practical fruition. Here are eight megatrends that we believe will drive generational leaps forward in engineering modeling and simulation technologies, methods and work processes through 2020 and well beyond:

  • Simulation-led, systems-driven product development.
  • Democratization of engineering modeling and simulation.
  • Simulation app revolution.
  • Design space exploration.
  • Topology, materials and process optimization for additive manufacturing.
  • Simulation for the Industrial IoT and Industry 4.0.
  • Big-data analytics in simulation.
  • Cloud HPC for simulation.

Now, here are six more large-scale trends that we think are already beginning to drive major technology developments and end-user investments aimed at fostering cost, schedule, quality, performance and innovation improvements in the engineering and production of discretely manufactured products (many will benefit process manufacturers and other AEC industry participants as well):

  • 21st– century data management: Separate the data from the data model (Aras, Onshape, Frustum…).
  • From PIDO to fully automated design space exploration: 20+ years of evolution—then a revolution.
  • New requirements-management technologies that automatically link—via new systems-level engineering technologies—requirements fulfillment during the course of system-level product design (MapleSIM, Simulink…) back to digitally captured system requirements definitions (SysML, Rational Rhapsody…), and automatically track and report divergences and convergences between the two as the design evolves.
  • Generative design design space exploration: What’s alike? What’s different? When is each appropriate?
  • AI and ML (machine learning) in engineering modeling and simulation—the next steps beyond big-data analytics for simulation.
  • Further breakthroughs in co-simulation: Simultaneous instead of step-wise simulation of multiple physical domains, and at multiple (mixed) fidelities—0D, 1D, 2D, 3D; also 4D and 5D in AEC.

Previews

21st– century data management

Aras’s insight to separate the data from the data model makes them, a bit ironically, the technology vendor that will relieve legacy PLM vendors of the prohibitive burden of somehow hoisting their SQL-based PDM offerings into the cloud, yet still link them into today’s truly “open” world. Because Aras’s technology architecture has already done it for them, before them.

And without charging a penny for the technology. Aras makes its software available as freeware. Users can download, evaluate, and implement it in production usage—all for zero dollars. If users then need customization and integration to link into their unique multi-application environments, Aras is available to do this, for fair and reasonable service fees. An extraordinarily apt 21st-century business model, we think.

From PIDO to fully automated design space exploration: 20+ years of evolution—then a revolution

This breakthrough was sparked by HEEDS from Red Cedar Technology, a paradigm-disrupting startup that commercialized university-developed technology under the leadership of Bob Ryan, and was subsequently acquired by Siemens PLM. HEEDS has set a new direction now being pursued by almost every major DSE technology provider.

Generative design vs. contemporary design space exploration

When early adopters of generative design technology discover what fully automated design space exploration technology can do, will they feel underserved by their generative-design technology providers putting forth tools that still require, today, an arguably unnecessary exertion of effort by engineers and designers in making decisions that the software should be making for them?

Or, instead, is generative design an entirely appropriate technology for disciplines and end-user markets where not all problems and sought-for outcomes can be expressed in an entirely determinative manner? The jury is still out on this one, we believe. After users gain more experience with both approaches—and with continuing maturation of both technology classes—time will tell.

Looking forward

Watching the answers to all these questions take shape is going to be fascinating. We greatly look forward to following and reporting here on these and many more game-changing technologies and trends as they unfold in the quarters and years to come. Stay tuned!

Selected background reading

Aras acquires Comet Solutions

HEEDS MDO

MapleMBSE from Maplesoft radically expands accessibility of model-based systems engineering

CosiMate from Chiastek: Co-simulation conduit for multifidelity systems modeling

Cloud-native CAD will disrupt the PLM platform paradigm

Additive manufacturing used for local PPE solution in Belgium

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Bruce Jenkins | Ora Research

“Over the last month or so, the Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has captured our collective consciousness across the globe and forced us to rethink every aspect of our professional and personal lives,” says Kaustubh Nande, Global Marketing Director at Hexagon’s| MSC Software. “Hexagon too has taken some concrete steps to protect our workforce and to minimize risk to the supply of our products and our services to our customers. For instance, we put in place a work from home program to use our smart manufacturing software packages and put together additional online learning options for manufacturing professionals.

“One interesting project undertaken by our team in Belgium was about using in-house knowledge and available material and tools to solve a specific issue posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Across the globe, there have been several reports of hospital workers suffering from shortages in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), due to the unprecedented demand across the world.”

The Hexagon | e-Xstream team at Belgium “heard about a requirement for PPE, specifically face shield holders, in a nearby hospital. The team decided to chip in and do its bit by conceptualizing an additive manufacturing solution to the problem. The team had access to a 3D printer and suitable material within the office. The team first found an open CAD model that was available online and plugged it into the 3D printer and used the design to 3D print some face shield holders right at the Hexagon office.”

The company says that, “backed by a thorough understanding of additive manufacturing techniques and knowledge about the use of Digimat and e-Xstream in plastic printing, the team was able to think smart and deliver on what the doctors required. In the coming weeks we will also be increasing the production count. The finished product met the need for equipment that could protect hospital staff. The key thing is these plastic PPE liners can be disinfected easily and reused by the hospital. Depending on material available you can print in various colors for easy identification.”

MSC concludes, “This gesture by our Belgium team stands out as a great example of how the right hardware and software tools combined with the proper knowledge can bring in quick, practical solutions to solve real-life issues quickly and effectively.”

Work-from-home information

MSC adds: “Our customers, employees, and partners are at the heart of what we do. Our concerns and well wishes go out to all those directly and indirectly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are taking the threat very seriously by protecting our workforce and minimizing the risk to the supply of our products and services to you during this time. Across the globe, the measures being put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 means that many companies are asking their employees to work from home.

“Our goal is to offer the level of responsiveness and support that you have come to expect from MSC. If there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please visit mscsoftware.com/work-from-home/assistance-programs for complete details on our current assistance programs, as well as check back for additional announcements in the coming days.”

Kaustubh Nande

Hexagon’s COVID-19 information page

C3D Vision 2019 helps designers visualize geometric data

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C3D Labs, Moscow, Russia, released C3D Vision 2019 visualization module, a part of C3D Toolkit for developers of engineering software. C3D Vision operates with polygonal models and is responsible for drawing visual scenes in 3D applications.

The 2019 release is integrated more closely with the C3D Modeler geometric kernel. To automatically generate scene graphs based on mathematical models, developers call just one function.

The multi-threading support found in C3D Toolkit is also implemented in C3D Vision 2019. There is an option to calculate polygonal models for visualization objects (based on mathematical representations of the geometry) in synchronous or multithreading mode. Searching objects and drawing is also performed in either of these two modes.

The new version of the 3D engine quickly and easily creates modern 3D design projects. Together with the C3D Toolkit’s other software development modules – the geometric kernel, a parametric solver, and file converters – C3D Vision provides CAD developers with a solution for constructing, editing, displaying, and converting geometry.

C3D Vision 2019 new functions include:

• PMI. The module implements three aspects of product and manufacturing information (PMI): linear, diametrical, and angular dimensions. In turn, dimensions may be applied with measurement tools.

• Slots and signals are now the primary form of communication between C3D Vision objects. The enhancement reduces the amount of source code needed to interact with geometric objects and their corresponding representations, as well as to interact with camera control processes and to update rendering frames.

• Metadata provides additional information about C3D Vision objects. It helps to find the name of an object and its properties, and to check whether objects inherit certain classes.

• Native events is the new and simplified event model in C3D Vision. It handles events from input devices, such as the mouse and keyboard, and can be used to override other devices.

• Object detection now generates signals as the mouse moves, and identifies the object pointed to by the cursor. A structure that lists the identities of objects found by the cursor is transferred to the slot. Using the identifiers, developers can search for objects or their primitives as mathematical representations.

• Cutting Plane tool now performs cross sections using OpenGL, which gives quicker results. (This replaces the older method of modifying the topology of solid sections.) The tool can make sections with several planes and closes the cutting point. A material can be specified for each section plane separately.

With the 2019 release, the architecture of the Vision engine has undergone changes, giving customers the opportunity to create objects, as well as write processes for creating and editing objects.

One such customer is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center VNIITF of ROSATOM, which uses C3D Vision together with the C3D Modeler’s geometric kernel and C3D Converter to develop products for computer-aided engineering and calculations.

The RFNC Zababakhin All-Russia Research Institute of Technical Physics (Snezhinsk) licensed C3D Toolkit in 2016. That was the year that they initiated in-house software development using C3D Toolkit for geometric modeling and import/export of finished geometry through exchange formats.

C3D Vision 2019 is available for free testing as part of the C3D Toolkit, or as a separate module.

C3D Labs

GENERATE for Windows OS is an interactive Generative Design software

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Frustum Inc., innovator of interactive generative design solutions, announced a new release of its GENERATE software. GENERATE represents a new paradigm for design, interactive generative design, which fundamentally alters how products are modeled for manufacture by allowing engineers to interact and iterate in real time with generative design models. As a result, engineers can develop multiple perfectly designed and optimized models to identify the best solution in a matter of minutes versus hours or days previously.

Designed to meet the complex needs of design for manufacturing, GENERATE is a 3D design software to offer interactivity with generative design models. It combines the creativity of the engineer with artificial intelligence to significantly shorten the time of designing high performing products – effectively delivering a near real-time interaction with a generative design model, generating designs by functional requirements and producing a result that is ready for manufacture. Parts and products designed through this process are lighter, stronger and use far less materials than those designed using traditional CAD software.

“With GENERATE, designers and engineers can interactively specify the functional requirements of their design and the design will automatically be modeled to meet those requirements. The design output is functional and does not have to be remodeled in CAD,” said Jesse Coors-Blankenship, CEO, Frustum Inc. “We developed GENERATE on a multi-threaded architecture that was built from the ground-up to deliver faster design output by leveraging both CPU and GPU computing optionally. GENERATE will redefine how manufacturers get products to market, reduce materials costs and improve the overall performance of products.”

Built on its patented generative engine, TrueSOLID, GENERATE couples advanced topology optimization and simulation algorithms with real-time interaction to quickly produce high-performing, ready to manufacture mechanical designs. It is functionally parametric and facilitates perfect blending of generative geometry to traditional surface-based CAD with engineering precision. The technology is currently being commercially licensed to Siemens PLM software and integrated into Siemens NX and Siemens SolidEdge.

The new Windows-based GENERATE design software includes the following features:

  • Native CAD file import
  • Single and multi-body optimizations
  • Multiple loads and constraints
  • Realtime FEA
  • Standard and user-defined material library
  • Interactive design changes
  • Windows 64-bit multi-threaded architecture
  • STL export with user-defined resolution
  • Optionally GPU-enabled with NVIDIA

The GENERATE design software is now available.

Frustum Inc.
www.frustum.com

BMF Material Technology teams up with Onshape for high-precision manufacturing

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Onshape, a leading 3D cloud CAD platform, announced a strategic partnership with BMF Material Technology , a world leader in micro/nano-scale 3D printing and  precision manufacturing.

Micro/nano-scale 3D printing is a technology in high demand by manufacturers of extremely small and complex parts such as connectors, endoscopes, cardiac stents and tiny springs.

BMF plans to use Onshape’s real-time data management platform to speed up collaboration and communication with its customers, helping them optimize their CAD models for the most accurate printed parts.

“On a daily basis, there are companies all over the world – throughout Asia, Europe and the United States – contacting us for printing small parts with our nanoArch  printers,” says BMF’s CEO, Dr. Xiaoning He. “Before using Onshape, we had to email CAD files back and forth with our customers. But now we can have our team in China and our customers overseas work together on the same model at the same time. It has really improved our efficiency and speed, and Onshape is the only CAD system that can deliver this capability.”

As BMF customers collaborate with the company’s additive manufacturing experts to refine their CAD models, Onshape records every edit in a comprehensive history log. By clicking on any point in the timeline, Onshape users can instantly go back to any prior state of the design.

“The edit history log is a huge advantage for us,” adds He. “It speeds up the learning curve for our customers. We’re in the 3D printing business, not the design business. Onshape will help us teach our clients how to deliver better designs the next time.”

Onshape is a CAD system that combines advanced 3D modeling tools with design data
management in a secure cloud workspace. Its database architecture eliminates the security risk and version control problems created by uncontrolled file copies because only one master copy of the CAD data is stored in the cloud, accessible only by different levels of permissions (edit, view-only, commenting, etc).

BMF
www.bmftec.com

Onshape
onshape.com

Frustum Generate topology optimization plus 3D Systems DMP expertise slash weight of GE Aircraft bracket 70%

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Bruce Jenkins, Ora Research

A perennial engineering challenge is designing a part to meet performance requirements while observing design constraints imposed by manufacturing processes. Conventional subtractive machining offers sharply limited ability to cost-effectively produce complex geometries, especially biomorphic shapes and lattice structures. The result of those manufacturing limitations is often components and products with suboptimal functionality and performance.

But today, with advances in 3D printing and especially direct metal printing (DMP) swiftly making these technologies more and more available and effective, many constraints imposed by traditional manufacturing processes are going away. At the same time, software technologies for multidisciplinary design exploration are emerging to help engineering and manufacturing organizations make the most of these new production processes. In particular, rapid advances in topology optimization technology are helping engineers generate the most efficient designs for single-step manufacture by latest-generation DMP systems. With this combination of new technologies, what the engineer designs is essentially what gets manufactured, with very little of the time- and labor-intensive manufacturing engineering that before now was needed to turn engineering intent into machinable reality.

The business value of this confluence of new technologies was dramatically proven in a recent project by software developer Frustum and 3D Systems’ Quickparts on-demand parts service. The project was part of a public challenge to industry by GE Aircraft to reduce the weight of an aircraft bracket while maintaining the strength needed to meet all of its functional requirements, primarily supporting the weight of the cowling while the engine is in service.

Design-critical nature of weight

Since the beginning of motorized travel by land, air and sea, engineers have striven to balance the competing objectives of maximizing strength while minimizing weight. This balancing act has become especially critical in recent years, with swiftly growing and globalizing competition among manufacturers, ever stricter efficiency and emissions mandates, escalating costs and schedule pressures.

Weight is an especially crucial factor in modern aircraft engineering. Although a Boeing 737 weighs some 65 metric tons, shaving just a single pound of weight from the design yields fuel cost savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for each plane. Multiplied by the total number of aircraft currently in operation worldwide, those savings approach $10 million annually, according to a GE Aircraft white paper.

Topology optimization of the design

In the GE Aircraft challenge, Frustum’s Generate topology optimization software provided the first steps in tackling critical weight-versus-strength issues. Topology optimization determines the most efficient material layout to meet the performance requirements of a part design. It takes into consideration the given spatial volume allowed, load conditions on the part, and maximum stresses allowed in the material.

Generate automatically generates optimized geometries from existing CAD files. It models material structure among the design features to generate optimally stiff and lightweight structures. Smooth and blended surfaces reduce weight and minimize stress concentrations.

“Based on an existing conventional part design, our software automatically produces optimized geometry for additive manufacturing, without needing to do any remodeling,” says Frustum CEO Jesse Blankenship.

Unlike parts manufactured by traditional CNC or casting methods, the complexity of the model generated by topology optimization is of no concern, as DMP handles extremely complex models as easily as simplistic ones.

3D printing expertise from 3D Systems On Demand Parts Manufacturing service

Once the initial design was generated, 3D Systems’ expertise came into play. Its On Demand Parts Manufacturing service, available through the company’s Quickparts online portal, is a leading provider of unique, custom-designed parts, offering instant online quoting, expertise in 3D design and printing, and manufacturing services support. The worldwide service is well versed in the most complex aspects of direct metal printing.

“Direct metal printing is much more complex than plastics printing,” says Quickparts business development manager Jonathan Cornelus. “We help our customers to develop parts suitable for DMP, with minimized risks for part distortions or build crashes. We print components using optimized parameters based on our long-term experience in printing parts for customers.”

Manufacturing process

With the GE Aircraft bracket, Frustum’s Generate imported the original CAD file and performed the topology optimization in one step, delivering an STL file for printing. 3D Systems provided manufacturing advice on the process, material specifications, best build orientation to deliver optimal part properties and achievable tolerances, and identified potential risk for deformations.

The part was printed on a 3D Systems ProX DMP 320 system. Preset build parameters, developed by 3D Systems based on the outcome of nearly half a million builds, provide predictable and repeatable print quality for almost any geometry. An entirely new architecture simplifies job setup and offers the versatility to produce all types of part geometries in titanium, stainless steel or nickel super-alloy. Titanium was chosen for the GE Aircraft bracket, based on its superior strength even when material is thinly applied to lower a part’s weight.

Exchangeable manufacturing modules for the ProX DMP 320 system reduce downtime when changing materials. A controlled vacuum build chamber ensures that every part is printed with proven material properties, density and chemical purity. The small portion of non-printed material can be completely recycled, saving money and providing environmental benefits.

Dramatic weight reduction an eye-opener

The completed part met all the load conditions required by the GE challenge and stayed within the specified geometric envelope, while slashing weight a staggering 70 percent. “This is the kind of project that should be a real eye-opener for automotive and aerospace companies,” says Cornelus, “where reducing weight while providing the same or improved functionality is the lifeblood of their design, engineering and manufacturing operations.”

Beyond the design and performance of the part itself, Cornelus points out that topology optimization teamed with DMP can often consolidate multipart assemblies into a stronger single part, eliminating fasteners and connectors that are often the cause of failures, as well as the time and labor of assembly.

Finally, there is the coveted advantage of speed. Production-grade parts in tough materials such as stainless steel, titanium and nickel super-alloy can be turned around by 3D Systems in as little as two weeks to satisfy the ever-shortening schedule demands of myriad industries.

Frustum Inc.
https://www.frustum.com/

3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing
https://www.3dsystems.com/on-demand-manufacturing

The Evolution of CAD

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by Darren Chilton, Program Manager, Product Strategy and Development, solidThinking

Designers seeking a solution for creating products for additive manufacturing, look no further than hybrid modelers. Without the constraints of traditional CAD tools, these programs help you explore product designs and create alternatives all in one place.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) software first came onto the scene in the later part of last century to help engineers, designers and other industrial users create accurate, dynamic models quickly. Several programs over the years have done just that: revolutionized the design process, cut turnaround times and enabled more complex product designs. As the industry continues to develop, however, many designers are finding that CAD solutions are too rigid and do not allow enough creative freedom when designing products.

CAD is a great tool for documenting a design after a designer has worked out all the dimensions and details on paper or with physical 3D models. But when it comes to allowing designers the freedom to create new products and experiment with design alternatives, CAD often misses the mark.

A new player is rising in the 3D modeling industry: hybrid modelers. Hybrid modelers pack the power of CAD into a package that is intuitive and includes tools that leave room for greater creativity.

CAD reimagined
CAD programs typically rely on solid modeling, a technique well suited for creating parts to be mass manufactured, but not known for its flexibility. When creating more fluid or organic forms, designers usually prefer polygonal modeling or surface modeling. Each of the three major modeling styles offers advantages and disadvantages. For instance, polygonal modeling makes it easy to quickly flesh out forms, but can be difficult to control the model with exact dimensions. The goal of a hybrid modeler is to blend two or more of the modeling styles into one program that leverages the advantages of each.

The challenge in creating any hybrid modeler is making the different modeling styles play nicely with each other. Most hybrid modelers start as a successful program using one of the modeling styles. When an additional modeling style is packaged with the program, often as a third part plug-in, it may feel disjointed and may not work well with the initial set of tools.

One new program that overcomes this objection is solidThinking’s Evolve. This program was conceptualized as an all-in-one hybrid modeler from the beginning. The program was built to highlight the strengths of each of the three major modeling styles in a cohesive approach. The result is an interface that allows users to seamlessly move between modeling styles.

The core value of a hybrid modeler is the flexibility it gives you. The ability to use multiple modeling styles in one model lets you create the intended forms while still being able to apply precise details with tools like rounds and trims. You also have the flexibility to start a model using one technique then prepare it for manufacture using a different technique.

bicycle-helmet
Clicking the Nurbify button in Evolve 2015 converts the polygonal modeled helmet (left) into a solid NURBS surface (right) with one click.

Above is an example of a bicycle helmet that was designed using polygonal modeling. The designer was able to quickly create the form and design of the helmet, but was left with a model that wasn’t usable for manufacturing. Using Evolve’s Nurbify option, the designer was able to convert the model into a smooth NURBS surface with a single click. The geometry can either be further refined, or sent directly to manufacturing.

Technologies like Nurbify can change the way you approach product design. Instead of creating a mountain of sketches to work out every aspect of a design, you can move into 3D earlier. You can make more accurate decisions earlier in the design process, as well as explore multiple design iterations. Some of the best designs end up being happy accidents that are developed while you experiment with different forms and ideas.

bikeframe
solidThinking’s Evolve was conceived as an all-in-one hybrid modeler. The program was built to highlight the strengths of each of the three major modeling styles in a cohesive approach. The result is an interface that allows users to seamlessly move between modeling styles.

One example is a design for a pen. The designer in this instance fleshed out some basic forms of the pen, then worked through various iterations until a final design was achieved. With Evolve’s flexible set of tools specifically developed for this type of workflow, the designer created these designs in minutes compared to the hours it may have taken in a traditional CAD program.

pen-designs-created-with-solidThinking-Evolve
Using the Construction History feature in Evolve, the designer was able to efficiently create multiple iterations of a pen design.

Creating a one stop shop
In the 3D modeling industry there are several programs that specialize in various parts of the concept creation, modeling, visualization, or manufacturing process. The wide set of options gives you plenty of choices, but often means the model has to be moved between several costly programs along the way.

In addition to creating ease of use between the major 3D modeling styles, hybrid modelers include more complete toolsets to ensure designers work as efficiently as possible. Evolve 2015 includes a completely updated rendering engine that emphasizes ease of use and creates visually stunning renderings.

In this instance, the designer created a design using Evolve, then rendered it using native tools. Thus, Evolve, enables you to keep most — if not all — of your project in one program throughout the process. By packaging multiple functions into one software solution, hybrid modelers are more attractive to emerging manufacturing technologies.

Disrupting traditional manufacturing
One of the most notable emerging technologies today is additive manufacturing. Though the technology has been around for decades, new technologies and tools are making it more accessible than ever. With these manufacturing options, the industry is seeing products with more complex and sophisticated geometry.

Additive manufacturing enables a complete shift in how you are able to design products. 3D printers can make forms that are not possible using traditional methods. Beyond being able to make low volume parts faster, you are able to make parts lighter without sacrificing structural integrity.

bicycle-part
The original part (left) was optimized to remove unnecessary material and resulted in an organic, efficient form (right) ready for 3D printing.

Take the part above, the image on the left is the original part prepared for traditional manufacturing. At 6.2 lb, there is room for weight reduction, but traditional manufacturing methods are not able to handle the complexity of the more efficient structures. In this case, the designer optimized the part in solidThinking Inspire by applying the required loads and constraints, which then removed all the non-essential material. The optimized part was then prepared for manufacturing using Evolve. The result, shown on the right, is an organic structure that reduced the part mass by 35% and brought the final weight below 4 lb. The complex structure is not suited for traditional manufacturing, but is easily handled by a 3D printer.

Similar to traditional manufacturing methods, traditional CAD programs have difficulty handling complex organic structures. To create these structures, designers rely on hybrid modelers and their ability to create organic geometry.

Hybrid modelers and additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing is making it easier than ever to create new products and prototypes. Similarly, hybrid modelers make it easier to conceptualize the products and prepare them for manufacturing. For this reason, many designers consider hybrid modelers a great solution for additive manufacturing.

coffee-cup-stack
Creating quick iterations of an initial concept is ideal for users preparing products for additive manufacturing.

With Evolve software, the designer can quickly and easily create variations of a design, as shown here with unique mugs. In the world of additive manufacturing, the designer isn’t locked into manufacturing a certain number of products to save costs. This allows greater design flexibility and the opportunity to make changes even after manufacturing has begun.

Using a traditional CAD program, a designer would have to create each one of these iterations separately; this is where hybrid modelers provide a significant advantage. Once the base mug is designed, the designer can create and experiment with several designs in just minutes. The iterations of these designs were powered by a unique construction history feature. While working in the hybrid environment, a designer can make changes to the original design and the entire model updates responsively.

“Evolve’s Construction Tree history lets you seamlessly go back and edit your models without having to start the process over; this is key to help expedite the timeline,” said Jared Boyd, product design manager at Dimensions Furniture.

In addition to making it easier to iterate and create designs, hybrid modelers make it easier to communicate with various members of the manufacturing process with options to export the model in most major 3D formats or create photorealistic images and animations.

CAD, evolved
CAD programs can be beneficial in certain areas of product development, but with the introduction of hybrid modelers, designers are free from the constraints of traditional CAD programs and can create innovative products faster and easier. Not only do these programs lead to greater efficiency, they also ease communications between designers and vendors while leaving plenty of room for creativity.

The future relationship between additive manufacturing and hybrid modelers is exciting. Huge advances are already being made in industries with high cost, low volume products like aerospace, defense and medicine.

Reprint info >>

solidThinking
www.solidthinking.com

Inverse-kinematics software helps design modular robots for 3D printing

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by Vojislav D. Kalanovic, President of Flexible Robotic Environment, Div. of Biocommerce

Robotic systems being used today, for the most part, lack modular flexibility and other elements that allow easy integration, which often prevent an integrator from bringing them to market quickly. These deficiencies also prevent them from being able to tackle non-serial jobs in a timely and cost-effective manner.

In order to improve robotic system development efficiencies, Bicommerce has created a modular software solution that deploys a user-friendly set of tools that open robotic integration to a broader spectrum of users and markets—from a “bread maker” up to the level of a professional system integrator.

VDK-6000-robotic-metal-3D-printing-machine
The FRE solution was used to create the VDK 6000 robotic metal 3D printing and repair work cell that automates refurbishing, rebuilding, and/or creation of metal components using subtractive and additive technology.

The Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE) is a new, patented technology used in robotics that builds a robot around an application instead of trying to “squeeze” an application within the working volumes that are defined by the physical constraints of a spatial kinematic chain.

In this article, we’re going to look at the FRE application being used with Aerotech’s motion components to form a unique, six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) VDK 6000 Robotic Cell for metal 3D printing and metal part refurbishing. The VDK 6000’s advanced metal printing and metal removal capabilities reparation processes are widely used in industry today.

The Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE)
FRE is robotic software that combines mechanical and motor/drive components with proprietary inverse kinematics software and controls. This configurable and interchangeable, multi-degree-of-freedom robotic package allows the user to “shape” the workspace using standard motion elements. Users can also create a distributed 3D mechanism according to a specific need. Such a mechanism then employs all of its DOF simultaneously in order to provide a desired spatial relationship between a tool and a part at any given instant in time.

The flexibility of the FRE solution permits various systems to be built with virtually the same parts. Examples of this are Bicommerce products, such as the VDK 1000 6DOF material removal system, the VDK 3000 6DOF laser deposition system, the VDK 4000 6DOF direct-write system, the VDK 5000 4DOF ultrasound inspection system, and the VDK 6000 6DOF cold spray system. FRE systems can be expanded at any time and individual components can be replaced and/or exchanged with ease.

The FRE software was used to create the VDK 6000 robotic metal 3D printing and repair work cell that automates refurbishing, rebuilding, and/or creation of metal components using subtractive and additive technology. The VDK 6000 provides a unique, modular motion solution and is designed to execute multiple operations on a single station, enabling production of “first time right” parts—as well as their repair. The VDK 6000 helps deploy the most advanced metal printing and metal removal capabilities for well-established reparation processes widely used in industry today, bringing about faster re-deployment at a lower overall cost.

VDK 6000 offers an auto-connect robotic tool-changer for integration with a variety of conventional and non-conventional processes, such as cold spray, milling, laser scanning, ultrasonic inspection, thermal spray, polishing, laser deposition/drilling and plasma-welding. This flexibility allows various combinations of subtractive and additive manufacturing for 3D printing and repair with a single-system solution.

FRE inverse kinematics capabilities mean that axes are broken into a spatial placement having the best error minimization configuration for a given application. With the FRE approach, VDK 6000 can be scaled up or down depending on customer needs.

The VDK 6000 was built using Aerotech motion components for all six axes. Aerotech components include direct-drive linear motor and ball-screw-driven linear stages, worm-gear-driven rotary stages, drives, and Aerotech’s A3200 machine controller. The accuracy and durability of Aerotech motion components are essential to the precision performance of the VDK 6000 system.

Plotting a path via the SolidWorks API
One of the main features of the VDK 6000 is the path-planning program based on an Application Programming Interface (API) developed for SOLIDWORKS. This capability allows the user to path plan in a user-friendly setting, while exporting motion files that are specific to the hardware configuration, composed in a variety of ways in space and where path-planning is not always intuitive.

The SOLIDWORKS-based API allows the user to:
• create a simple path on a given solid
• create multiple paths that are necessary to perform cladding on a given solid/part
• create slicing models and subsequent paths necessary to create a part provided as a solid model

Creating 3D paths
Users can create a 3D direct-write deposition path on a specific part by using the API that is appended to a CAD package.

3d-direct-write-deposition-path
To create a 3D direct-write deposition path on a specific part, use the API that is appended to a CAD package and executed as shown here. This screenshot shows a 3D path (left) and 3D path formed on an existing 3D surface (right).

Sometimes an application requires a cladding operation, which is the bonding together of two dissimilar metals. When this is required, the user selects surfaces on a given part that are intended for cladding using a mouse selection.

Once the surfaces are selected and cladding parameters are assigned within the API environment, a cladding path is created with only a “click.”

Users can also use the API to select and assign specific tool orientations that are to be used during the cladding process, as well as process parameters including peripheral power, I/O control, speed assignment, cladding direction and tool orientation.

part-ready-for-cladding

user-selected-part-ready-for-cladding
The top screenshot shows an existing part ready for cladding. The bottom screenshot shows the user-selected surfaces of the part for cladding.
cladding-path
Once users select the surfaces that require cladding and the parameters are assigned within in the API, a cladding path is created as shown here.

Creating 3D slicing paths
The API also allows the user to build a part using a slicing application. Once the part is selected within the API environment and the parameters are assigned, a click of a mouse produces a slicing diagram.

sliced-solid-transparent-view
This screenshot shows a sliced solid with a transparent view depicting tool orientations and active paths.

Once the fast and user-friendly path-planning process is complete, you can export the motion path directly into the operating environment of the VDK 6000 for immediate execution. Every FRE system comes with a custom MMI making them even more intuitive for the end-user.

In conclusion…
The robotics industry today lacks the degree of modular flexibility that allows quick and easy integration. The Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE) software solution combines mechanical, motor, and drive components with proprietary inverse kinematics software and controls, resulting in a modular, cost-effective, highly innovative, configurable, and interchangeable multi-degree-of-freedom robotic package that can be applied in many low- to high-level applications.

Reprint info >>

Aerotech
www.aerotech.com

New Balance Uses 3D Printing to Create Customized Shoes for Runners

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No two runners are the same. This is especially true for athletes competing at the most elite levels. Their foot-strike patterns, degrees of pronation (the amount a runner’s foot rolls inward with each step), and braking and propulsion forces are all unique. However, the extent to which most running shoe models vary is rather limited in comparison.

As a result, there are some who believe that personalizing a runner’s shoes, specifically the spike plate that provides traction on the underside of the shoe, can help these athletes become faster on the track.

A proponent of this trend is New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., best known simply as New Balance.
The company embraces innovation across all platforms of the business and continuously explore advanced methods for product design and production so it’s no surprise that New Balance has turned to design-driven manufacturing for 3D printing custom spike plates, based on an individual runner’s biomechanics and personal inputs, for their elite athletes.

Using a proprietary process to collect race simulation data from Team New Balance runners, the Sports Research Lab then applies advanced algorithms to translate this information into an optimized design that can be additively manufactured on an EOSINT P 395 system—plastic laser-sintering technology from EOS that allows designers to produce, or “grow,” complex geometries that can’t be created using traditional manufacturing techniques.

“There are so many great things that came out of this process, compared to the methods we used in the past to develop and manufacture products,” says Sean Murphy, senior manager of innovation and engineering at New Balance. “This is a totally unique situation where we come away with the runner’s data, generate multiple plates we feel will meet their needs, and actually provide several pairs of track spikes for them to try simultaneously. It’s great to be able to have them identify and respond to each different variation that we produce.”

New Balance Sports Research Lab individually customized spike plates and additively manufactured them using a plastic laser-sintering system from EOS. Side view of the spike plate attached to the bottom of a track spike.
New Balance Sports Research Lab individually customized spike plates and additively manufactured them using a plastic laser-sintering system from EOS. Side view of the spike plate attached to the bottom of a track spike.

Customized Design with the Runner in Mind

Long before the spike plates are additively manufactured, or even designed, New Balance’s Sports Research Lab collects each runner’s biomechanical data using a force plate, in-shoe sensors, and a motion-capture system worn by the runner. The motion-capture system helps determine the relationship of the foot to the force plate, creating a three-dimensional vector recreation of the foot strike (i.e. the impact of each stride).

The in-shoe sensors show discrete pressure information over the course of the runner’s foot strike and how the runner’s foot interacts with the shoe. When a particular part of the foot exhibits high pressure values, it generally indicates that the associated 3D vector is important to that area of the shoe at that specific moment in time.

“We establish a relationship between these high pressures and the corresponding forces to help us create a map of forces relevant to each area of the foot,” says Murphy. “A simple example is in the toe area. Generally, when you see high pressure there, it corresponds to a force that is pushing toward the heel to create a propulsive force forward. We use parametric modeling software to process this data and distribute the position of the spike plate traction elements, calculate the orientation and adjust the size of the elements, and incorporate specific runner preferences into the design.”

The designer is then responsible for performing the CAD “cleanup” necessary to create the final product, including touching up model surfaces and making adjustments to accommodate the full-size range of the spike plate. Once the final geometry has been verified, the CAD files are converted to .stl files and uploaded to the EOSINT P 395 system for layer-by-layer manufacturing.

Spike plate customized for New Balance runner Jack Bolas, including his name (seen on the outer edge of the plate toward the heel).
Spike plate customized for New Balance runner Jack Bolas, including his name (seen on the outer edge
of the plate toward the heel).

Side-lining Traditional Techniques

Track-shoe spike plates have three general characteristics that can vary depending on the length of the race the athlete is competing in and their preferences: The fit, stiffness, and design of the plate all impact the comfort and performance of the runner. Typically, each spike-plate style requires several injection molds for various sizes, all costing thousands of dollars. These molds will run thousands of plates before being retired or replaced, often annually, by a new mold indicating a new model. Currently, the laser-sintered batch sizes produce around four unique plate pairs and take five to six hours to manufacture.

“By laser sintering our customized spike plates we can manufacture on demand, fluidly adjust our process to accommodate different sizes and widths, and update designs without the continuing capital investment required by injection molding,” says Katherine Petrecca, business manager of New Balance Studio Innovation. “The incorporation of the laser-sintered spike plate also allows us to realize a five-percent weight reduction compared to traditionally manufactured versions.” For a competitive runner, the smallest change in weight can make a significant difference.

The development and production of the custom 3D printed spike plates isn’t the only thing that separates these shoes from their off-the-shelf counterparts. While traditional track spikes are commonly made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyether block amide (PEBA), New Balance worked with high-performance materials manufacturer Advanced Laser Materials, part of the EOS family, to develop a proprietary nylon blend.

“We decided to collaborate with ALM on this project because they had experience developing the type of material we were looking for,” says Murphy. “We had worked with them on a previous prototyping project and the variety of materials, as well as knowledge, that they offered made them the perfect partner.”

The spike plates are “grown” in the EOS system from the custom-blend nylon powder, coupled with tailored laser conditions, and yield maximum engineering properties such as tensile and flex moduli, while minimizing build time. Post production includes standard processing techniques such as bead blasting (the process of removing surface deposits by applying fine beads at a high pressure without damaging the surface), after which the plates are processed through a proprietary system for aesthetic finishing and coloration.

The Proof is in the Personal Records: One Runner’s Story

With all the time and energy put into the research and development process, there is still one important question: Does it make a difference in the performance of the runners who wear such customized spike plates? Kim Conley, a member of Team New Balance and U.S. Olympic runner, thinks so.

After initially coming in to the Sports Research Lab at New Balance for the simulation testing in 2012, Conley first wore her customized spike plates for competition in 2013 at the Mt. SAC Relays and has continued to wear them, especially at such important races as the World Championships.

“My shoes are critical to my performance. They’re the most important piece of equipment I have,” says Conley. “As a professional runner, you obviously want the most effective and comfortable spike plates for competition. For me, these are the ones New Balance designed based on the curve running data their development team had collected. They provide better traction and less pressure on the outside of my foot, which allows me to focus on my race plan and not worry about my spike plates.”

Conley has run personal records (PRs) in both the 3000m (8:44.11) and 5000m (15:08.61) wearing her laser-sintered spike plates. She also wore them at the 2013 World Championships, where she had her best international performance to date.

A Perfect Fit

What does all this mean for the amateur or recreational runner? While runner-specific spike plates are currently only available for Team New Balance athletes, Petrecca says this will eventually change.

“Design-driven additive manufacturing really holds the promise of more on-demand production and more individually customized design,” she says. “These spike plates are the first step we’ve taken with our athletes to prove that out. As the material options expand; as our own proficiency with the technology expands; as capacities for additive manufacturing grow, we believe we will be able to bring 3D-printed products, in some format, to the everyday consumer.”

Runners won’t be the only ones having all the fun. Petrecca notes that there is definitely the opportunity to expand the customization practices developed on the spike-plate project to other sports. However, the repetitive motion of running along the track doesn’t always happen in other athletic events—where participants are required to quickly change direction, pivot, back-pedal, or shuffle side to side—which could present a number of data-collection challenges.

“There is still a significant amount of progress that needs to be made in order to get groundbreaking products like this to the consumer,” says Petrecca, “but seeing these customized plates on the feet of elite athletes is a tangible example of a next generation of products: additively manufactured, performance-customized products that could allow every runner to have a shoe that is uniquely their own.”

Barb Schmitz

SpaceClaim Adds Support for 3D Printing

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It seems nearly hourly a story about 3D printing is hitting the newswires and showing up in blogs, on Twitter or in the mainstream media. The applications of 3D printing are widely varied, from 3D printed chocolates to cars to houses to perfectly fitted prosthetics. It seems that the possibilities for 3D printing are nearly limitless.

My colleague and Design World Managing Editor, Leslie Langnau, has been covering 3D printing from its humble beginnings. In a future issue, she and I will be covering 3D printing, from both the hardware and software sides of the equation.

One of the obstacles for users is how do you use CAD data to print a 3D part, as you can’t simply send the CAD file to the printer. CAD files must be converted to STL files, which in turn can be used by the printer. Problems, however, often rear their ugly heads when any file is converted to another file type.

We’re very interested in hearing how you all are doing this so feel free to comment or send me an email as we prepare on how to tackle this topic.

Facilitating the CAD-3D printing connection

In the latest release of SpaceClaim 2014 SP1, the company is introducing a solution to help with the problems being faced with 3D printing. The STL Prep for 3D Printing module prepares models for 3D printing not only repairs problems, but also modifies STL and CAD files. According to SpaceClaim, this new module also extends SpaceClaim Engineer’s intuitive interface, speed, and ability to work with any major 3D format into the 3D printing world.

The new STL Prep for 3D Printing Module for SpaceClaim 2014 helps repair printing problems and modify STL and CAD files.
The new STL Prep for 3D Printing Module for SpaceClaim 2014 helps repair printing problems and modify STL and CAD files.

SpaceClaim’s director of product management, Justin Hendrickson, was interviewed by Ralph Grabowski, editor of Upfront eZine, on the obstacles faced by users who want to create 3D printed parts using their CAD models.

These problems included:

* STL files have to be watertight (no gaps between surfaces)
* Shapes must be suitable for printing, such as merged assemblies, thickened ribs, and interiors removed
* Models have to be resized to fit the envelop size
* Fixtures added, such as exterior and interior supports
* Model reduced in complexity to reduce the data sent to the printer
* Additional considerations for material, such as shrinkage
* Inability to use 2D drawings or scanned data

To resolve many of these issues, SpaceClaim’s new add-on tools help users prepare CAD models for 3D printing. In today’s multi-CAD design environments, perhaps the most important tool is one that enables users to combine models from a variety of CAD packages. When the source file is a mesh, then the new 3D Print Prep tool cleans it up, removing gaps, holes and intersecting meshes, which makes them watertight.

Hendrickson explains a common scenario in which the software’s modeling tools can help users print something derived from a model, such as a mouth guard derived from a cast of someone’s teeth. The modeling tools can be used to create a generic mouthguard, and then subtract the mesh (of the teeth) from the mouthguard model.

SpaceClaim’s new 3D print prep module also handles these tasks: converts any model to STL or AMF [additive manufacturing format] files; previews the solid to mesh export, with adjustable settings; reduces triangles automatically.

STL Prep for 3D Printing is available as an add-on for SpaceClaim 2014 SP1 for an additional $1,200; Base package for SpaceClaim is $2,445. Find out more about STL Prep for 3D Printing here.

Barb Schmitz