MCADCafe Editorial Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. Hexagon and Microsoft Forge Partnership to Revolutionize Manufacturing Through Cloud TechnologyApril 26th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
SOURCE: Hexagon Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division announced its strategic partnership with Microsoft, which aims to redefine how engineers collaborate and enable the discrete manufacturing industry to innovate faster, with more confidence, and with new solutions that combine data from virtual engineering processes with real-world measurement of manufactured products. The collaboration will offer solutions that use modern cloud infrastructure to connect manufacturing and engineering systems – including Microsoft 365 – in Hexagon’s Nexus digital reality platform for manufacturers, and help employees increase their productivity through cloud-accelerated simulation and AI. The partnership aims to transform collaboration across the manufacturing value chain and apply digital twins to accelerate product innovation. Transforming how manufacturers collaborate Hexagon and Microsoft have partnered closely on the development and scaling of the open-source Fluid Framework and Azure Fluid Relay service to support the real-time sharing of data across a wide range of manufacturing industry processes and systems, allowing data created in one system to be immediately available to any other person or machine operating in another. Under the new partnership, the Microsoft 365 ecosystem will plug into this data layer, enabling customers to connect their day-to-day office documents and processes with manufacturing tools. This gives teams the freedom to innovate with the tools they already use; for example, tooling cost data from a Microsoft Excel worksheet could be easily shared with a CAM programmer, so simplifying work practices and decision-making between roles. Harnessing the Power of Digital Twins: Nvidia Omniverse’s Transformative Impact Across IndustriesMarch 29th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
In an era where digital transformation dictates the pace of innovation across all sectors, Nvidia’s Omniverse platform emerges as a critical tool in realizing the full potential of industrial digitalization. This comprehensive ecosystem, supported by powerful collaborations with tech giants like Microsoft, as well as industry leaders Ansys and Siemens, is setting new standards for the creation, development, and operation of digital twins across a broad spectrum of industries. A Unified Vision with Microsoft and NvidiaThe partnership between Microsoft and Nvidia to integrate Omniverse Cloud APIs into Microsoft Azure signifies a monumental step towards advancing the global manufacturing industry’s digital transformation. This collaboration leverages Azure’s robust cloud infrastructure alongside Omniverse’s advanced digital twin technologies, enabling industries to enhance design, engineering, and operational efficiencies through real-time collaboration and AI-driven insights. The integration facilitates a seamless flow of data across diverse tools and applications, empowering teams to visualize complex processes in physically accurate digital environments. This unified approach not only accelerates decision-making processes but also fosters innovation by enabling the simulation of products and manufacturing processes long before they materialize in the physical world.
Empowering Innovation: How Dassault Systèmes’ Startup Program is Shaping the Future of Technology VenturesMarch 1st, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
In the ever-evolving landscape of startups and innovation, the spotlight often shines on the most luminous of disruptors. Yet, the bedrock of this vibrant ecosystem is the support and tools that empower these emerging ventures to transition from nascent ideas to market-ready solutions. At the forefront of this supportive network stands Dassault Systèmes with its pioneering “3DEXPERIENCE Works for Startups” or “SOLIDWORKS for Startups” program, as revealed in an insightful dialogue with Abhishek Bali, the director of the program. Abhishek Bali, an engineer and designer turned MBA graduate, joined Dassault Systèmes’ Boston office in 2016. With a rich background in engineering and business, Bali brings a unique perspective to the startup program, emphasizing the importance of bridging top-down innovation with grassroots, bottoms-up creativity. Dassault Systèmes, traditionally known for aiding giants like Boeing and Procter & Gamble in overcoming innovation challenges, has, over the past decade, turned its gaze to the burgeoning field of startups. The “3DEXPERIENCE Works for Startups” program, initiated in 2017, is a testament to Dassault Systèmes’ belief in the power of early to mid-stage startups. The program offers these companies—particularly those with physical products aimed at the market and less than five years old or under one million in revenue—comprehensive access to Dassault’s suite of design, engineering, simulation, and data intelligence tools. Remarkably, over 19,000 startups have been admitted to the program, with close to 900 applications received monthly from across the globe. This global outreach, stretching from the US and Europe to Asia Pacific regions, underscores Dassault Systèmes’ commitment to democratizing access to cutting-edge tools for innovators everywhere. Beyond software access, the program uniquely positions startups for success by providing substantial discounts in the initial years, exposure at leading trade shows, and a chance to be featured on Dassault Systèmes’ marketing platforms. This holistic approach not only lowers barriers to entry but also connects startups with a broader ecosystem of investors, manufacturers, and mentors. A standout aspect of the program is its adaptability and support for startups in various sectors, including medical devices and disaster management, reflecting a deep respect for the diverse challenges innovators face. Partnerships with over 200 incubators worldwide further amplify the program’s reach, offering startups a springboard to refine their ideas and scale new heights. In conversation, Bali shared touching anecdotes of startups applying to the program during significant holidays, underscoring the profound value and hope the program instills in its applicants. The program’s success is not just measured by the software it provides but by the dreams it enables and the global innovation ecosystem it nurtures. Revolutionizing Physical Strength Assessment and Training: The Proteus Motion JourneyFebruary 15th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
In the realm of physical fitness and rehabilitation, a transformative wave is making its presence felt, and at the forefront is Proteus Motion. We had the opportunity to converse with Paul Vizzio, the Director of Hardware Engineering at Proteus Motion, to explore how this company is redefining strength assessment and training.
MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2024 – ThinkIQJanuary 5th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal
The Future of Manufacturing: AI, Industry 4.0, Sustainability, and Global Collaboration By Doug Lawson, CEO, ThinkIQ As pressure from impending ESG regulations, economic headwinds and geopolitical tensions grow, manufacturers are increasingly looking at cutting-edge technologies to help navigate these challenges. While many manufacturers are still effectively blind to a staggering percentage of events on the factory floor and in their supply chains, Smart Manufacturing solutions will be key in the next year to reduce manufacturing inefficiencies, increase productivity and, ultimately, weather the economic storm. Here are a few manufacturing technology trends we expect to see in the coming year. Manufacturers Will Increasingly Embrace Artificial Intelligence to Combat Inflation With inflation wreaking havoc up and down the entire supply chain, manufacturing companies are looking for ways to stabilize their operations and increase efficiency. The constant increase in prices of raw materials has forced manufacturers to look for ways to improve efficiency and productivity, at reduced costs, with a dependable output of high-quality products. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening up greater possibilities for more optimized manufacturing processes to these ends. Read the rest of MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2024 – ThinkIQ Nvidia’s Staggering Q2 Earnings Shed Light on Looming AI ChallengesAugust 23rd, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
NVIDIA announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, reporting record revenue of $13.51 billion, an increase of 88% from the previous quarter and 101% from the same period a year ago. The company’s Data Center revenue also hit a record of $10.32 billion, rising by 141% from the previous quarter and 171% from a year ago. GAAP earnings per diluted share for the quarter were $2.48, which marked a significant increase of 854% from a year ago and 202% from the previous quarter. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $2.70, up 429% from a year ago and 148% from the previous quarter. NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, stated that a new computing era has begun, with companies transitioning to accelerated computing and generative AI. The company’s GPUs, combined with its networking technologies and software stack, play a crucial role in the emerging landscape of generative AI. Read the rest of Nvidia’s Staggering Q2 Earnings Shed Light on Looming AI Challenges InnovMetric: 3D Metrology Ecosystem Continues to Evolve for Digital TransformationApril 24th, 2023 by Jeff Rowe
Like virtually all engineering software, metrology (measurement) software has made and continues to make giant strides for manufacturing organizations seeking the best path to a comprehensive digital transformation. For metrology, one of the companies leading this charge for digital transformation is InnovMetric. We recently spoke to Marc Soucy, President of InnovMetric about his company, new and improved technologies offered by his company, and his take on the state of metrology software. InnovMetric considers itself the pioneer of point cloud-based inspection that invented the concept of a universal 3D metrology software platform. Soucy kicked things off by saying, “We are an independent software development company, and we empower manufacturers of every size to digitally transform their 3D measurement processes. We revolutionized 3D metrology with the introduction of point-cloud-based dimensional inspection in 2000, and the concept of a universal platform in 2006. Today with over 20,000 customers in 100 countries, including the largest industrial manufacturers that have adopted our PolyWorks solutions as their standard 3D methodology software platform. We are focusing on creating next-generation digital data and process management technologies. We are a multinational organization with 550 employees dedicated to bringing 3D measurement data at the heart of enterprise manufacturing processes.”
MCADCafe Interviews Marc Soucy, President, InnovMetricRead the rest of InnovMetric: 3D Metrology Ecosystem Continues to Evolve for Digital Transformation MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Bantam ToolsJanuary 21st, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
By Bre Pettis, CEO, Bantam ToolsI predict that 2023 will be a breakout year for Desktop CNC Milling Machines as users explore ways of integrating them into their prototyping and production workspaces. At Bantam Tools, besides the bread and butter use cases of making prototypes and jigs and fixtures with Desktop CNCs, one of the things I predict we will see more and more of is connected fleets of cnc machines. We showed up at IMTS this year making a laserpointer keychain out of aluminum with 3 Bantam Tools CNC Milling Machines. Each machine was set up with a single tool in a single fixture doing a single operation and with the part moving between machines. Because Bantam Tools CNC milling machines are smaller CNCs, each individual spindle might remove less material but collectively they create a network effect that is more resilient for uptime. Beyond Bantam Tools, I would expect this trend to expand into the greater CNC world and I predict we will see software options set up to manage fleets of machines. Read the rest of MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Bantam Tools MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – ModuleworksJanuary 21st, 2023 by Sanjay Gangal
Trends in CAM technology by Dr. Yavuz MurtezaogluThere are more than 1 million CAM Operators worldwide and they are using around 40 different major CAM software brands. The focus of the CAM vendors in 2023 is going to be delivering more value to their user base by providing annual maintenance updates. Most CAM vendors are focusing on improving the User Experience to improve the productivity of the CAM operators and to reduce training needs for new operators. This means “easy to use” and “easy to learn” are both equally important topics to address by CAM vendors. Capabilities of tool path technology in CAM systems will evolve to address the needs for higher productivity of the CAM operators. A good example of this trend is quick adoption of tool path strategies like “One click Deburring” or “Fully automated Rotary machining” in many CAM systems. Many CAM Software vendors are deciding to license such tool path technologies from ModuleWorks as their main component provider for tool path calculation and simulation. This frees up their development resources to address the complete workflow from design with PMI (product manufacturing information) to post processing. |