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SolidWorks

New, free CadFaster 3D CAD iPAD app

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CadFaster, Inc. released its newest CadFaster application for the Apple iPAD available in the Apple iTunes App Store. (http://bit.ly/pTzM43) The application is ideally-suited for engineering, architecture, construction, mechanical, and plant design firms seeking the fast reading and smooth handling of complex and large CAD data files. CadFaster Collaborate lets you distribute, annotate, and co-view 3D designs in real-time using the fast and efficient 3D visualization technology.

The new product allows anyone to collaborate with 3D models exported to the CadFaster cloud service from Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, or SolidWorks. An ArchiCAD plug-in will be available in September, 2011. 3D models are highly compressed before they are exported and stored in a cloud database and the application includes a number of demo models to work with.

CadFaster

www.cadfaster.com

CAD for the stars

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The WIYN Observatory is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The WIYN Observatory enables frontier astrophysical research through the design of astronomical instrumentation (such as an imager or spectrograph). The primary challenge is developing an instrument that delivers the image quality that the astronomy community requires while meeting the budgetary and schedule constraints of the project. Engineers have to be able to design, analyze, and produce fabrication drawings of the components of the instrument.

The WIYN Consortium chose SolidWorks software as its primary mechanical design software based on its reliability, ease of use, ease of learning, and reasonable price. SolidWorks Simulation was chosen based on its interface with SolidWorks CAD software. Predictable behavior when constraining sketches, three-file architecture, dynamic rotation, easy movement of part files from one assembly to another by dragging and dropping, and dissolving and forming subassemblies were some of the reasons why the consortium chose the products.

Researchers used the software to develop the One Degree Imager (ODI), a wide-field, giga-pixel camera slated for use on the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope located at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Ariz. During the project, designers and engineers shortened the design cycle by approximately 20%, saved up to $300,000 in development costs, and reduced drafting time by nearly 50%.

SolidWorks

www.solidworks.com

New U.S. Dassault headquarters designed with Dassault software

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Architects, designers, and other entities used Dassault Systemes software products to design the new Dassault headquarters in Waltham, Mass. They used DraftSight for the initial planning that included the interior floor plans, plumbing, wiring, sprinkler and HVAC diagrams. DraftSight is Dassault’s free 2D CAD product. The cooling equipment on the roof, light fixtures, office furniture, and backup diesel generators were all designed in SolidWorks.

Project architect Sara Ross has been using DraftSight as she tracks and fulfills the strict environmental requirements to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the interior design. The exterior has already earned LEED Gold certification – the highest acknowledgement of “green” status given to buildings that save energy, conserve water, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, recycle materials, and improve indoor air quality 

The first employees are expected to move into the facility in December 2011. However, every employee will soon be able to visit their new offices earlier through an augmented reality campus tour created with Dassault’s 3DVIA software. It can convert DraftSight drawings of the campus into 3D models through with employee avatars can walk.

Besides office space, the 27-acre headquarters features a gourmet cafeteria, fitness center, game rooms, coffee lounges, expansive outdoor courtyard, training classrooms, and a briefing center.

Dassault Systemes

www.3ds.com

SolidWorks to the rescue

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As the world watched the rescue of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped 2,000 ft underground for two months, few knew that a redesigned drill from Center Rock Inc. made the rescue possible. The company’s pneumatic bits use wear-resistant carbide and diamond tips on a series of rotating hammers. Center Rock’s percussive hammer bits can tunnel through even the hardest, most abrasive rock, as was the case at the San José Mine in Chile.

Developing its industry-leading technology demands 3D design and simulation tools, according to Rudy Lyon, Center Rock’s senior engineer and product development manager. “Designing an effective percussion rock bit is challenging,” Lyon explained. “You have to visualize how the hammers will function underground, analyze the structural stresses involved, and understand the impact of air flow on cuttings removal. We usually perform these simulations concurrent with the design process, but, at critical times, we conduct simulations and redesign bits during an actual deployment as was the  scenario during the Chilean mine rescue.”

Center Rock also relies on 3D technology to meet its product expansion goals. “Not every bit satisfies every situation,” Lyon added. “There are different sizes of drill holes, several types of drilling rigs, and rock of varying density, hardness, and thickness. To meet the full range of customer demands, we need to design and manufacture an extended line of products.”

To meet its product development objectives, Center Rock uses SolidWorks 3D design and simulation software products, including SolidWorks Professional, SolidWorks Premium design software, SolidWorks Simulation Premium, and SolidWorks Flow Simulation applications for nonlinear structural and CFD analysis. Center Rock chose SolidWorks software because it is easy to use for multidisciplinary engineering and provides an integrated suite of design visualization and simulation solutions.

During the Chilean mine rescue, expanding the 5-½-in. robe hole to 12-in. and then to 28-in. using a Center Rock CR120 hammer and hole opener and then a 28-inch Low Profile multi-hammer, was one of three simultaneous rescue attempts. Most estimates projected that the rescue would take at least four months. Using Center Rock drill bits and drilling rigs from Schramm, Inc., “We believed we could drill the hole faster than that,” Lyon said.

Center Rock’s assertion proved to be right when the rescue team pulled the 33 miners to safety inside a 28-in.-wide escape capsule on October 9, 2010. The Center Rock team knew about the important contribution of SolidWorks Simulation in the redesign of the bit that enabled the miners to return to the surface two months ahead of schedule.

Using SolidWorks Flow Simulation, Center Rock customized the bit to let drill cuttings fall into the mine. “The SolidWorks Flow Simulation studies helped us customize the tool by putting a band around the bit, so that two-thirds or more of the air went down the shaft,” Lyon recalled. “We needed an adequate split of air to let the cuttings fall by gravity, where the trapped miners kept busy clearing about eight dump-truck loads of spoil. SolidWorks Flow Simulation allowed us to reconfigure the tool and reach the miners faster.”

When the drilling slowed because the bit hit a metal rock-bolt support, Center Rock used SolidWorks nonlinear analysis studies to redesign the bit, resolve the snag, and continue drilling. “SolidWorks Simulation Premium helped us tweak the bit by thickening the space between the carbide buttons,” Lyon explained. “We ran the analysis, did the redesign, manufactured the new design, and delivered the bit in just three days. The ease of use and integration of SolidWorks Simulation analysis tools helped the process go much faster and provided reassurance that we had done the best we could.”

SolidWorks solutions also have helped Center Rock develop new products more efficiently. With SolidWorks, the company has quadrupled its product offering while cutting design cycles by 66%.

“Many of our products come in different sizes,” said Lyon. “Using SolidWorks design configurations we can develop product families three times faster, taking advantage of

standardization and design reuse. We also use eDrawings as our standard file format for document control. SolidWorks solutions support high-end engineering and manufacturing and give us the ability to quickly turn on a dime when necessary.”

SolidWorks

www.solidworks.com

Luxology ships modo for SolidWorks Kit

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For years, SolidWorks users have achieved photorealistic images of their designs by leveraging the PhotoView 360 application, built with Luxology rendering technology. Now, Luxology announces new tool that facilitates the use of the company’s modo software for advanced visualization by SolidWorks users. The new modo for SolidWorks Kit simplifies the importation of SolidWorks models into modo while maintaining user interface conventions familiar to SolidWorks users.

The kit expands modo’s native functionality with additional options for efficiently importing parts and assemblies while providing flexibility on how the model is organized for visualization purposes. Inside modo, users are presented with a familiar SolidWorks-style layout and navigation controls, along with drag and drop support for changing materials and selecting lighting environments. A complete list of the new features in the modo for the kit is as follows:

Enhanced SolidWorks Import: allows additional import options for bringing SolidWorks parts, bodies, and assemblies into modo. Benefits include reduced memory usage for large files and the ability to use instances for ease of editing and reduced overhead.

PhotoView 360 Compatibility: models open in modo with the same appearance and decal information as seen in SolidWorks

Familiar Navigation for SolidWorks Users: user interface and navigation is similar to SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 so users have a comfortable and consistent set of controls

Efficient Tools for Selecting and Reorganizing Imported Models: help users with the complex task of re-organizing model data so that it is easier to apply materials. Imported data can be selected by appearance, part, body, or face and new layers can be created in modo to highlight specific parts of the design.

Library of Additional Materials: 350 material presets (PAD presets) beyond those included with modo let Kit users mimic real world surfaces like leather, carpet, tinted glass, and mesh grills – or even “x-ray” materials that reveal interior portions of the designs

Studio Environment Set 1 Kit: set of 51 HDRI spherical images complete with ground planes for easily obtaining professional-quality studio lighting for product shots and engineering visualizations

Training Videos: prepared by experts in both SolidWorks and modo, these videos guide users in the SolidWorks-specific user interface, CAD tools, workflow, and rendering creation

A webinar detailing the highly-anticipated modo for SolidWorks Kit and conducted by SolidWorks expert and Luxology Registered Trainer Paul McCrorey, will be held on April 28, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.luxology.com/store/modoforsolidworkskit/.

Luxology

www.luxology.com

Tech Soft 3D launches HOOPS 3D version 4.0

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Tech Soft 3D announced the latest release of HOOPS 3D Exchange. Companies can integrate this toolkit to develop applications that read product and assembly information from leading 3D CAD formats.  Packed with format, feature, and platform enhancements, the newest version responds to the growing demand for accurate and extensible data exchange throughout the industry.  

The result is broadened accessibility and functionality in HOOPS 3D Exchange v4.0, which now reads the most current versions of Siemens NX (7.5), SolidWorks (2010/2011,) and includes VDA- FS, (versions 1.0 and 2.0.) Also, the PRC file format at the core of HOOPS 3D Exchange can now be easily published into data-rich and secure PDF documents.

Other key enhancements include:

– Markup definition (semantic PMI)

– Platform support for the Linux 32-bit system

– Incremental assembly file loading

– Re-tessellate functionality

– Curve and surface evaluators

Tech Soft 3D

www.techsoft3d.com

SolidWorks add-on products

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Okino shipped its 2011 version of its SolidWorks CAD conversion system for 3ds Max, Maya, Lightwave, Cinema-4D, Softimage and other 3D file formats. There is support for converting SolidWorks 2011 CAD data into all major downstream 3D packages and file formats.

The conversion pipeline allows native SolidWorks BREP CAD assembly, part and presentation files to be converted to all major animation + authoring packages, 3D downstream file formats and VisSim programs.

Okino’s NuGraf and PolyTrans software import crack-free geometry, hierarchy and materials (assembly data) from native disk-based SolidWorks files or from a running copy of SolidWorks, and subsequently provide high-end rendering, viewing and scene composition of the data, or have the data optimized and then pipelined into all major 3D file formats, animation packages and third party/OEM integrations. Most importantly, SolidWorks assemblies, parts, and presentations can be imported into all key animation systems such as 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage, Cinema-4D and Lightwave, as well as any third party product which integrates Okino’s PolyTrans 3D converters.

Okino

www.okino.com

SolidWorks

www.solidworks.com

3Dconnexion 3D mice help Line 6 rock the digital design world

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Line 6 offers an array or award-winning music creation products from guitars and amplifiers, to effects, effects processors, and recording interfaces. Renowned for its studio and stage-standard gear, Line 6 invented digital guitar amp modeling technology in 1996, and currently is the number one developer of guitar amps used by pros and hobbyists.

Line 6’s lead industrial designer, Dale Wagler, and the rest of the engineering team spend an average of five to six hours per day working in SolidWorks, each using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse to design and test their products.  “When you’re working in a complex application hours on end each day, working as efficiently as possible has a tremendous impact on the design process,” says Wagler. Using his 3D mouse, “I move around models in assemblies so much, that not having to stop what I am doing and click and drag, and scroll the wheel, is the biggest benefit.”

For the past five years, Wagler and his team have been using 3Dconnexion 3D mice to design their products, from guitar and bass amps, to recording interfaces and stompbox pedals. Most recently, the team worked on the design of the Relay G-series digital guitar wireless system used by Steve Stevens with Billy Idol, Peter Stroud with Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLaughlin on stages across the world, as well as the next generation of Variax modeling guitars – Variax designed by James Taylor. Wagler drives the conceptual stage of products and then works closely with the engineering team to finalize the working design. According to Wagler, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have had a positive impact on the quality of their designs and the team’s overall productivity. “You can do these things with a standard mouse, but they are not as sure-fire. With the SpacePilot PRO, I can move around a model and rotate an assembly with greater ease – as if I’m holding it in my hand.”

3Dconnexion
www.3dconnexion.com

Software Helps Snowmobiler Win Invention Contest

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Up until recently, Toronto snowmobile racer Shawn Watling used to create vehicle models with cardboard, string, and paper. Enter a professional engineering buddy who turned him onto SolidWorks software. Since then, Watling has tripled his work speed and won the Popular Science Invention Award for a device that could turn his sport on its head.


Watling designed a breakthrough snowmobile track powered by a rearward axle instead of the traditional one in the front of the sled. Third-party tests show that when compared with traditional designs, Watling’s Rear Axle Drive (RAD) technology delivers 30% more power to the ground than a traditional design, meaning faster acceleration; 10% increase in speed; 33% reduction in stopping distance; superior cruising and cornering; up to 72% increase in fuel economy.

The former provincial hockey star and millwright is now in talks with several household-name snowmobile makers considering acquiring the patent-pending technology.

Watling modeled his current prototype machine in SolidWorks – the whole sled – down to every screw and washer. He uses SolidWorks Simulation software for stress and motion analysis, and to cut excess weight from the design. He exchanges DXF files with machinists for water and laser cutting.

“I went through all the things a snow machine does and charted all the physics,” said Watling. “SolidWorks lets me try multiple scenarios using all types of geometry without having to make a physical prototype every time.  For example, I rattled off eight quick swing arm designs in a couple of days and used SolidWorks Simulation to measure the ground forces, which is a critical factor in this design. I designed my latest sled prototype in four months with SolidWorks, avoiding three or four physical prototypes and probably a year and a half of labor.”

By moving a snowmobile’s propulsion axle from the front to the back of the sled, RAD drives power directly to the ground. This is key to making the sled “carve like a snowboard, climb like a scared cat, launch like a dragster, crank in the corners, and stop like you snagged a fence,” according to Watling. The design further conserves energy by adding an extra 14-in. to the front track position and spending less effort pulling the track around the idler wheel.

Videos on Watling’s website show how RAD puts pressure on the skis when you need it — during acceleration — and lightens the pressure when you’re cruising to avoid the dangerous process of darting in and out of other riders’ grooves. Better weight distribution also minimizes sliding during braking and is crucial in fuel economy.  To further demonstrate superior performance, Watling is installing RAD on racing sleds that will generate 500 hp and attempt the Guiness world record for snow machine asphalt quarter-mile later this year. He’s also shooting for the vaunted Ice Oval record at Eagle River, Wisc. 

SolidWorks
www.solidworks.com

Simulate Mechanisms with Blocks in SW Sketches

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In this episode of Matt’s Minute, I show how to use blocks in SolidWorks sketches to simulate mechanisms. Sometimes full-on 3D is too much for simple conceptual work. In cases where what you really want to do is cut shapes out of paper and make a little mechanical mock-up, blocks in a sketch work great for this kind of work. Editing and coloring the blocks is also easy. Blocks can be made external and shared or reused in other documents. Check out this short video to see SolidWorks sketch blocks in action.