Composite materials, and particularly fiber-reinforced composites, present an interesting challenge. They have superior properties, compared to homogeneous materials, and have the potential to help engineers and designers meet increasingly challenging product requirements. Yet, they can be maddeningly difficult to engineer properly. To understand why this is so, you need to look closely, at the structure…
Dorner’s DTools Conveyor Configurator and CAD Site Now Optimized for Tablet
Dorner Tools (DTools), the online site that’s home to Dorner’s conveyor productivity applications, is now optimized for use with tablet computers, giving customers even more access to the design tools they need to fully configure their belt conveyor systems. This new design and layout improves usability on tablets, and is more flexible to fit varying…
Maybe you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on CAD/CAM tools
My friend Rachael Dalton-Taggart, Director of Marketing Communications at Geomagic Solutions (which is now part of 3D Systems), often has interesting perspectives on the engineering software market. Every once in a while, she’ll start an email thread on some intriguing or irritating issue, and include a bunch of industry editors/anaysts/consultants in the distribution list (we all […]
COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b Offers Breakthrough Analysis Tools
COMSOL announced the release of major new additions to the COMSOL simulation platform. The latest version of COMSOL Multiphysics, version 4.3b, introduces five new application-specific modules and expanded modeling and analysis tools. New Application-Specific Modules With the introduction of the five new modules, users in key application areas from major industries now have access to […]
Keeping carbonation bottled up with FEA
Verallia, Saint-Gobain’s Packaging Sector, uses Abaqus and Isight to optimize bottle shape and weight early in the design phase. by Chris Hardee, edited by Evan Yares/Senior Editor & Analyst, Software To Dom Pérignon, the 17th century French Benedictine monk, the presence of bubbles in the wine he produced was a fault that often led to…
Efficient, smart software
Automation Studio 4 has automated functions, true-to-life architecture modeling, version control, support for shared projects and simple object-oriented programming. Individual projects can split into manageable pieces for developers to work simultaneously. Integrated version control system ensures stability and consistency. Interfaced EPLAN Electric P8 allows synchronization with ECAD projects and hardware configuration in software. Communication through…
The Future of 3D Technology From This Day, Forward
by David Reis, Stratasys CEO 3D technology is all around us. It’s changing how we design and manufacture products, make movies, heal our bodies and interact with the world. Work that used to take place on a page or screen now reaches into space. And faster than ever before, 3D technology is transforming our world. To…
Thermal simulation for electronic systems
Thermal management of electronic systems is no longer something you can deal with by installing lots of heatsinks and fans, and crossing your fingers. If you’re building high-performance products, and you don’t want them to overheat or burn-up in use, you need to actually engineer their thermal performance. It’s in the nature of electronics to…
How real people use CAD: Shane McKenna
In the CAD world, there are all kinds. Some people just use CAD as part of their job—in the same way as they use Word, Excel, or Outlook. Others become power users, investing themselves in becoming experts at using one or more of the mainstream or high-end CAD systems. Then, there are the CAD hackers. People who […]
GAM Gear upgrades web-based catalog with new features and improved functionality
GAM Gear launches an upgraded web-based catalog with new features and improved functionality. The online catalog is a fully interactive experience allowing users to easily find products by browsing features or by searching on performance specifications. Over 16,000 products can be configured to user specifications and then quickly downloaded in popular 2D / 3D CAD…
How to Deliver Real-Time Concept Design with PTC Creo 2.0
Join Nout Van Heumen for a 30-minute discussion on the importance of real-time concept design and the tools he uses in the overall innovation and product development process. Nout is a Dutch industrial designer and engineer with a long legacy of meaningful results through his innovative real-time concept design approach. His work at HSV Packaging…
PHD Inc. Moblie Sales Configurator App Powered by CADENAS PARTsolutions
CADENAS PARTsolutions and PHD Inc. are expanding their CAD Sales Configurator with a 3D mobile app. CADENAS PARTsolutions has created a custom 3D CAD mobile app specifically designed for PHD Inc. The app, built for use with the Apple iPhone and iPad, will enable users to instantly access a complete catalog of 3D models, optimized…
Understanding Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
“Since the late 1950s, we’ve reduced fuel burn of airplanes per passenger-mile by over 80 percent,” says Joaquim Martins, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at University of Michigan. While more efficient engines get credit for a 50% savings, the balance comes from lighter, higher capacity, and more aerodynamic airframe designs. When designing airframes, designers focus…
CAD History
8436-TM-4.pdf 8436-TM-5.pdf 85739614-The-Engineering-Design-Revolution-CAD-History.pdf coons-outline-afips.pdf EDRA03-Newman-22-6_1.pdf Lawrence%20Roberts%2033959125.pdf LookingBack_19_1.pdf MIT%20CAD%20Final%201967%20FR-0351-19563962.pdf p113-licklider.pdf Retrospectives%201%20p19-hurst.pdf Ross%2C%20algorithmic%20theory%20of%20language.pdf Sketchpad%20III.pdf Sketchpad_A_Man-Machine_Graphical_Communication_System_Jan63.pdf Stotz%203D%201063.pdf Timothy%20Johnson%2033828890.pdf UCAM-CL-TR-574.pdf CADhistory.zip in One Big File
50 Years of CAD
by Evan Yares, Senior Editor & Analyst, Software The first CAD system was created in the early 1960s. Modern CAD programs have never caught up. In January, 1963, Ivan Sutherland, a PhD candidate at MIT, submitted his thesis, titled “Sketchpad: a man-machine graphical communication system,” describing his work in creating what is now recognized as…
Streamlining Product Development: Designing from Scan Data with Geomagic and FARO
Watch this webinar to learn about streamlining product development. Scanning and reproducing solid models for manufacturing no longer requires costly, time-consuming middleware or costly tools to be effective. New solutions like Geomagic’s new scan-in-CAD software, SPARK, and handheld scanners from FARO are revolutionizing the design process. Together, these solutions are allowing engineers to design and…
Bloodhound SSC Steering Wheel Design Challenge
Product Innovation Congress, BLOODHOUND SSC, Altair and GrabCAD challenge you to design a steering wheel for supersonic car! The deadline is January 31, 2013. The jury will be comprised of representatives from Product Innovation Congress, Bloodhound, Altair, DEVELOP3D magazine and GrabCAD. The winners will be announced at the Product Innovation (PI) Congress on February 19th, 2013.…
Bimba and PARTsolutions release 3D CAD Glasses
Bimba Manufacturing and CADENAS PARTsolutions announce the addition of 3D functionality to Bimba’s online CAD models. The CAD configurator allows all configured and generated CAD models to be viewed by Bimba customers in 3D. Once the model has been generated in the online configurator, users will see a 3D glasses icon in the upper left…
Create Motion Programs Directly from Your CAD Drawing
CADFusion bridges the gap between part drawings and motion control. Users need only import a vector-based DXF drawing into this easy-to-use environment to see the resulting tool path graphically on CADFusion’s canvas. Part optimization is easy and intuitive with shape re-ordering, feature scaling, and rotational/translational features at your fingertips. Overall process management, including local and…
CAD Interoperability Today
by Evan Yares, Senior Editor & Analyst, Software CAD Interoperability Today. It’s still an issue, but it’s getting better all the time. It’s possible that you don’t have any CAD interoperability concerns. If you use a single brand and version of CAD software, and don’t get CAD files from people using other systems, and don’t use…
Dorner – Build Conveyor Assemblies with CAD Configurator
Dorner Manufacturing’s new Configurator is an intuitive 2D and 3D CAD platform that allows users to build complete conveyor assemblies to their exact layout dimensions. The CAD tool is an industry first providing the download of a single CAD model of the complete assembled conveyor, saving the time spent matching up individual files. The CAD…
How Hidden SolidWorks Import Errors Could Be Costing You a Fortune
This webinar is available for on-demand viewing by filling out the registration form below. This webinar from Capvidia will show you how to use CompareWorks to diagnose the geometry you import into SolidWorks and show where there are differences and/or give you the assurance it is correct. With CompareWorks, you can establish a documented, traceable procedure…
The Maturation of SolidWorks
By Evan Yares, Senior Editor & Analyst, Software SolidWorks 2013 may be one of the best releases ever. SolidWorks Corporation was founded in 1993. The company’s initial plan was elegantly simple: build a CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows, competes with Pro/Engineer, and sells for $4,000, through local resellers. Today, almost 20 years later,…
CAE on the cloud
By Evan Yares, Senior Editor Will the availability of the high-performance cloud computing help drive use of CAE tools? The biggest problem with Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) is that too few people use it. There are several good reasons, but one that’s significant is money. CAE software licenses, and the big computers on which to…
Winning the Proto Labs Cool Idea aware for the Quadshot remote controlled aircraft
The Quadshot is a remote-controlled aircraft combining the stability and control of a helicopter with the speed and maneuverability of an airplane. The creative minds behind the innovative technology just won a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award. http://thequadshot.com