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MCADCafe Weekly (10/4/2012): Autodesk Acquiring HSMWorks CAM Technology

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Autodesk has acquired certain assets of HSMWorks Aps, a developer of computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software. Through the acquisition of the HSMWorks technology, Autodesk will add software to control machine tools and related machinery to its portfolio of software for manufacturing. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The acquisition of the HSMWorks technology brings machining expertise and next-generation CAM technology to the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of manufacturing software,” said Buzz Kross, Autodesk senior vice president, design, simulation and lifecycle products. “Autodesk has a long history of making design and engineering technology more accessible, and we look forward to bringing HSMWorks’ CAM technology to a broader group of users.”

Autodesk intends to integrate the HSMWorks technology with its industry leading software and cloud services for manufacturing, and will make current HSMWorks products available for purchase and HSMXpress available as a free download. Existing SolidWorks customers using HSMWorks will continue to receive support and product updates. HSMWorks Aps is based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

Over the years I’ve seen CAD/CAM/CAE customers blindsided by vendors, but this acquisition may well take the cake. It was announced on October 1, but when I went to the HSMWorks website on October 3 to look for some background company information, the only information available was about Autodesk. That was quick.

I talked briefly with Noah Cole, Autodesk Corporate PR, on the acquisition. I asked him about what Autodesk actually acquired when the press release says “certain assets.” Cole said that specifically what Autodesk acquired were the HSMWorks technology and development team. When asked who within Autodesk would head up HSMWorks going forward, Cole said that was still being decided and that no organizational structure had been announced yet.

I think the biggest consequence of this acquisition is what happens to SolidWorks customers who have HSMWorks as an integral part of their businesses? After all, until a few days ago, HSMWorks was a SolidWorks Partner, and a Gold Partner at that, but no more. Keep in mind, though, DS SolidWorks is the “decider” when it comes to partner status.

How about these sentences, though, from the HSMWorks website: “Autodesk HSMWorks is designed from the ground up to work inside SolidWorks, providing a logical extension of the parametric SolidWorks assembly environment into the CAM world. Experienced SolidWorks users will feel right at home working with Autodesk HSMWorks and will be able to create high-quality toolpaths within minutes.” Takes a little getting used to seeing Autodesk and SolidWorks in the same sentence.

The HSMWorks website also includes something I thought I’d never see in the graphic below:

The question has to be asked, how long will Autodesk continue to support HSMWorks for SolidWorks once it is integrated into Inventor? I’m sure both SolidWorks and HSMWorks customers would love to know the answer to this question.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great acquisition for Autodesk, but you have to wonder, did Dassault Systemes SolidWorks have the opportunity to make the acquisition? With HSMWorks being a SolidWorks Gold Partner, DS had to have known that the company was in play. Did they choose not to act? And if so, why?

The following is from Tom Mortenson, an HSMWorks insider on the “official” Autodesk HSMWorks forum:

“What happens to HSMWorks?

Aside from the obvious name change, nothing. The product will continue under the new name, Autodesk HSMWorks, but the technology remains the same.

Will Autodesk HSMWorks continue to be developed and Will I Get Updates?

Yes, and yes. Autodesk HSMWorks will continue to be developed and we will continue to release updates. Autodesk HSMWorks 2012 R5 is now available and supports SolidWorks 2013. Autodesk HSMWorks 2013 will be released in the near future.

Will you be able to purchase new licenses?

Yes. Autodesk HSMWorks represents the very best of integrated of CAM for SolidWorks and there are no intentions of discontinuing the product.

What about support?

Support will continue through the existing channel of resellers, email (support@hsmworks.com), and the Autodesk HSMWorks forum (forum.hsmworks.com).

What are Autodesk’s plans for the HSMWorks technology?

Autodesk intends to integrate HSMWorks technology into the Autodesk portfolio of software, suites, and cloud services for manufacturing.

Does this mean that HSMWorks technology will be integrated with Autodesk Inventor, similar to its current integration with SolidWorks?

Autodesk is not providing specific details of future product plans at this time. The intention is to leverage the HSMWorks technology across their entire manufacturing portfolio.”

However, all may not be lost. While they were rebranded with the Autodesk name, the company still sells and supports applications such as Moldflow, T-Splines, and Algor to users of CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, and SolidWorks, etc. Will that be the case with Autodesk HSMWorks? There’s no way of telling, but that might just end up being the case.

I guess a more unsettling aspect of the acquisition is that reseller contracts with HSMWorks have been discontinued effective immediately that will provide product support only through October 31, 2012. What happens after that, especially with contracts that are still in force?

Will this latest acquisition by a competitor be reason for some customers to jump ship to a completely new CAD platform? A few might, but I suspect relatively few. However, I suspect a larger number of current HSMWorks customers will be shopping for standalone CAM alternatives, but might include an associated CAD alternative, as well.

So, the march of CAD/CAM acquisitions and market consolidation goes on. Is this necessarily a bad thing? That all depends which side of the fence you’re on. Could this be a good thing? That depends on how Autodesk decides to treat current HSMWorks users – continue to support SolidWorks users for a steady income stream or discontinue support and force the hand of current users to make major decisions about CAD and CAM software. That’s all in Autodesk’s hands now.

The Week’s Top 5

At MCADCafé we track many things, including the stories that have attracted the most interest from our subscribers. Below are the five news items that were the most viewed during last week.

MSC Software Acquires UCL Spin-off e-Xstream

MSC Software has acquired e-Xstream engineering, a spin-off of the Division of Applied Mechanics at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), renowned for multi-scale simulation. e-Xstream’s software platform, Digimat, is the reference solution for manufacturers and research scientists allowing them to design high performance composite materials more quickly and at lower cost by means of an accurate and reliable computational approach. The cplatform for modeling composite materials developed by e-Xstream offers advanced technology to materials suppliers, automotive and aerospace industries, and consumer product manufacturers as a way to innovate and reduce cost. Digimat multi-scale simulations can predict the physical behavior of a composite material from numerical simulations, the properties of its constituents, and the morphology of its microstructure.

Rapidform XOV Adds New Probe-Based Measurement and Speeds Up Inspection

INUS Technology released a new version of its inspection software, Rapidform XOV3. With this release, Rapidform XOV becomes a full-fledged contact inspection platform, with support for every major portable CMM device on the market. The completely new LiveInspect system, unique to Rapidform XOV, offers an automatic measurement guide that makes inspecting parts with a probe easy. After defining dimensions and tolerances on a nominal model, the software guides the operator how to measure a part and then generates a report automatically. Calculations are up to 10x faster than before, making the process of aligning, deviation analysis and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) faster. XOV is also the only native point cloud software with in-depth GD&T support for every callout in the ASME Y14.5 standard. Highlights of the 50+ enhancements include:

LiveInspect, Rapidform’s new probing interface for more streamlined inspection processes
Performance improvements resulting in times savings with calculations that are now up to 10x faster
Real-time preview of scan pair geometry by simple mouse-over for instant verification
Improved Reporting using customizable templates to share inspection results.

iPhone-Controlled Robots Could be the Future of Manufacturing Industry

As Quantum International works to deliver robotics innovations to customers, the market is trending toward smaller, more user-friendly robots designed to work alongside humans—not replace them. “Small manufacturers are the future for industrial robotics,” said Quantum CEO Robert Federowicz. “We’re exploring the development of smaller, safer assembly line robots that you won’t need a hard hat to get near. Smartphones and tablets like the Apple iPad could provide the ideal interface for these new machines.” This more affordable, more flexible generation of robots could help bring more manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., eliminating the need to outsource complex, repetitive tasks in the manufacture of electronics such as smartphones and laptops to countries with low wages. “The next generation of industrial robots will be closer to iRobot’s Roomba than the one-armed giants welding cars together today,” Federowicz said.

PTC Completes Acquisition of Servigistics

PTC has completed its previously-announced acquisition of Servigistics, developer of a suite of service lifecycle management (SLM) software solutions. The combination of the two companies firmly establishes PTC’s market presence in SLM by positioning PTC with the most comprehensive “system for service” in the industry. By adding Servigistics, PTC is now fully able to help global manufacturers service those same products. From a technology perspective, PTC’s SLM solution portfolio is now covers technical information, service knowledge management, service parts management, warranty and contract management, field service management, and service logistics. With its comprehensive SLM capabilities, PTC is now positioned to help discrete manufacturers transform their service strategies and operations into a true source of sustainable competitive edge – what PTC describes as “service advantage.”

Stratasys and Objet Provide Update on Merger Closing

Stratasys and Objet Ltd. announced that the closing of their pending merger will not occur during the third quarter as previously announced, as the process under the Defense Production Act of 1950 is not yet complete. The statutory period for completion of the process under the Act has extended beyond the end of the third quarter. Stratasys and Objet expect a conclusion in the fourth quarter. Since the parties did not close the merger by the end of the third quarter, Stratasys and Objet have agreed to amend their merger agreement to extend the end date under the merger agreement to October 19, 2012. Under the merger agreement as amended, either party can terminate the merger agreement if the merger is not completed on or before that date. As announced on April 16, 2012, Stratasys and Objet entered into a definitive merger agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction with a combined equity value of approximately $1.4 billion, based upon the closing price of Stratasys’ common stock on April 13, 2012. The transaction has received HSR approval and also been approved by Stratasys stockholders.

Jeffrey Rowe is the editor of MCADCafé and MCAD Weekly Review. He can be reached at jeff@ibsystems.com or 719.221.1867.

This Week

Hardware Review: BOXX Technologies GoBOXX G1840

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Big Performance in a Small BOXX

BOXX Technologies is an interesting company that builds a diverse range of desktop and mobile workstations geared for high-performance applications, such as CAD and CAE. This time around, we’re putting the GoBOXX G1840 through its paces, a machine the company classifies as a mid-range mobile workstation. Mid-range was fine with us because we hoped it would provide a good balance between performance and price. Ultimately, the GoBOXX G1840 exceeded our expectations for its price/performance ratio.

This machine will appeal to those users who need high levels of performance, as well as mobility. In other words, big performance in a small package at a reasonable price. So, let’s see how it fared.

GoBOXX 1840

Specifications and Build Quality

The GoBOXX G1840 we received has the following specifications as supplied:

CPU: Intel Core i7 – 3920XM (2.9GHz); Quad-core

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M

RAM: 16 GB DDR 3 (4 DIMMS)

SSD: 240 GB SATA

Connectivity: 2 SATAIII ports internal; 1 MSATA port; 1 IEEE 1394 port; 1 eSATA port; 1 USB 2.0 port; 3 USB 3.0 ports; 1 HDMI; 1 external DVI; 1 display port; Ethernet

Other: 8X DVD Multi-drive; 9 in 1 Flash memory reader; 2MB digital video camera; fingerprint reader; Kensington lock port;

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64-bit

Dimensions:16.22” (W) x 10.87” (D) x 1.75” (H)

Weight: 8.60 pounds (with battery)

Warranty: One-year limited

Default resolution of the full-HD glassview LCD that measures a whopping 17.3″ is 1,920 x 1,080. Screen resolution and clarity are excellent and comfortable for a full day of work.

Even when pushing the unit during demanding benchmark testing, it remained relatively cool and the fans ran very quietly with no annoying whine.

I guess the only complaint I would have, and this goes for all mobile workstations, is the physical size and weight of the AC adapter. I know there are physical limitations for power considerations, but with the miniaturization of just about everything else electronic, it amazes me that these things are still the size and weight of house bricks.

Overall, though, the feel and build quality of the GoBOXX G1840 is very solid and substantial. There is no keyboard flex when bearing down on the keys and the backlit keyboard is an excellent ergonomic touch, especially in the low light conditions that I often prefer to work in. A very well thought out and nicely executed quality package.

Measuring Performance

When we received the GoBOXX 1840, we had high expectations for performance, largely because of the high levels of performance we have experienced in the past with other machines from BOXX. The objective (formal documented generic benchmarks) and subjective (actual design and engineering software applications) tests we ran confirmed our expectations and didn’t disappoint.

However, keep in mind that the tests were performed with the GoBOXX 1840 “out of the box,” as we received it – nothing was tweaked or optimized to distort the performance numbers (such as enabling multi-threading) in a positive or negative direction. I actually get more out of the subjective testing because it’s more “real world,” but the raw numbers from the benchmarks are also useful as a means of objective comparison with other machines in the class. Your evaluations will probably differ from mine, but they do provide a point for comparison.

For objective testing, we ran two benchmarks NovaBench (geared more toward overall performance) and SPECviewperf 11 (geared more toward graphics performance).

NovaBench Benchmark Test

16281 MB System RAM (Score: 244) – this was better than recent desktop workstations evaluations

RAM Speed: 15,491 MB/s

CPU Tests (Score: 779) – this was comparable to most recent desktop workstations evaluations

Floating Point Operations/Second: 205,582,464
Integer Operations/Second: 882,584,872
MD5 Hashes Generated/Second: 1,256,129

Graphics Tests (Score: 90) – this was a bit lower than recent desktop evaluations, due to graphics card used

3D Frames Per Second: 90

Hardware Tests (Score: 36) – on par with recent desktop evaluations

Drive Write Speed: 195 MB/s

Total NovaBench Composite Score: 1,149

The 1,149 composite score is impressive because it is within 22% of the score of recent best desktop workstation evaluations.

SPECviewperf 11 Benchmark Test

The scores for the various demanding SPECviewperf 11 suite tests (CATIA, SolidWorks, Lightwave, Ensight, NX, and Pro/ENGINEER) run at 1,280 x 1,024 resolution (without multi-threading enabled) were among the best I have ever seen on a mobile workstation that I have benchmarked and reviewed.

Subjective Test:

For subjective testing, I ran Autodesk Alias Design, Inventor, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and 3ds Max. I used data sets of standard models that I have created over the years for this testing, including a model with 70,000+ parts, renderings of complex surfaces, and animations. The GoBOXX 1840 performed very well and did not seem to grind through any of the subjective tests. I’ll be using the GoBOXX 1840 over the course of the next several months for upcoming MCAD, CAE, and visualization evaluations/reviews to get a better sense of how it fares over a longer haul. I’ll update as I go because I’m looking forward to a continued good experience with this computer.

Final Thoughts

Although there is certainly a case to be made for stationary desktop workstations, just as strong a case could be made for mobile professionals and mobile workstations. Even though mobile workstations have come a long way in the past few years, there is often still a huge price premium to pay for mobility. However, with the quality and performance of the GoBOXX 1840, I think there is a relatively small price premium here and is definitely worth the price. The GoBOXX 1840 offers desktop-level performance in a portable and well-executed mobile platform.

_________________________________________________________________________

BOXX Technologies GoBOXX G1840 Mobile Workstation

Pros: Excellent performance; solid build quality with backlit keyboard; connectivity options; configurability.

Cons: None experienced.

Price (As configured for review): $4,669

Final Grade: A+

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

For More Information: BOXX Technologies; 512.835.0400; www.boxxtech.com

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MCADCafe Weekly (9/20/2012): Dassault Systemes Launches SolidWorks 2013

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

On September 10, 2012 Dassault Systèmes introduced SolidWorks 2013 with new and improved design applications to enhance collaboration, speed model creation and simplify the product development process. With more than 200 customer-driven improvements including powerful design tools and new drawing capabilities, sub-model simulation, cost estimation, network rendering, and wider sharing and increased connectivity, Dassault Systèmes is demonstrating its commitment to helping its SolidWorks customers create the right value for their own users.

Powered by Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SolidWorks 2013 combines ease of use with broad customization allowing new users to learn fast, and experienced users to quickly become more productive at previously complex and sophisticated tasks. Building on the success of the last 20 releases, the new offering covers the range of SolidWorks applications for 3D design, simulation, technical communication, product data management, and sustainable design.

“SolidWorks allows me to get my job done faster than any other CAD package on the market,” said Robert Conley, owner of Interactive Cad Solutions. “In my line of work, I have to get jobs done quickly to make a profit, and SolidWorks allows me to do that. I’m really looking forward to the Previous Release Interoperability feature in SolidWorks 2013 to allow me to better share designs with my customers and more quickly get to a final product.”

“With SolidWorks 2013 we’ve upheld our tradition of listening to our customers by providing enhancements and functionality to help them simplify their lives and create the best products. The new additions to core geometry and expanded product offerings demonstrate our continuing investment in our flagship product,” said Bertrand Sicot, CEO, SolidWorks, Dassault Systèmes. “SolidWorks 2013 empowers innovative design with application specific tools that help users quickly define, share and validate the form, fit, and function of their designs. We look forward to watching our customers make their ideas a reality at a more rapid pace.”

SolidWorks 2013 highlights include:

Powerful Design Tools

SolidWorks 2013 makes it easier to bring engineers’ ideas from concept to manufacturing with new tools for more efficient simulation, and expanded environmental and cost analysis. In addition to the following enhancements, the recently announced SolidWorks Plastics and SolidWorks Electrical packages help users make more informed decisions that result in simplified designs, reduced mistakes, and faster time to market.

SolidWorks Costing – Allows customers to automatically cost more types of parts, create more accurate quotations, and stay in budget with improved cost data and new APIs.
SolidWorks Sustainability – Quickly compares the financial impact of raw materials and the environmental impact of a design decision during the development process due to new raw material impact tools.
SolidWorks Flow Simulation – Takes the complexity out of flow designs by allowing users to visualize fluid flow around multifaceted geometries and more easily compare analysis results between multiple design configurations.

Faster Model Creation

Additional new offerings help users create and modify complex geometries faster and easier, providing more efficient 3D models and 2D drawings.

Conics in Sketcher – Full control over shapes for smooth transitions between existing geometries.
Intersect Feature – Quickly add or remove geometry without sketching.
Varying Dimension Patterns – Allows users to save time creating patterns, increase design flexibility, and reduce the number of features needed for models.
Section View Assist – Speed the creation of production drawings for faster and more consistent section views.

Improved Performance

The following new tools allow users to optimize the performance of a SolidWorks installation and maximize design team productivity.

CAD Administrator Dashboard – Simplify management and troubleshooting of multiple SolidWorks users within a company from a single aggregated view.
Simulation Sub-Modeling and Incremental Meshing – More accurately perform precise simulation analysis for specific areas of large and complex models faster and more efficiently.
Network Rendering for PhotoView 360 – Save time with faster rendering of photorealistic images by networking multiple computers to share the computational load.

Enhanced Collaboration

To address the dispersed nature of most design teams, SolidWorks 2013 optimizes collaboration with improved connectivity, enhanced viewing capabilities, and expanded sharing of designs and data.

Previous Release Interoperability – Collaborate with customers, suppliers, and internal teams with the ability to open SolidWorks 2013 files directly with SolidWorks 2012 (SP5). Users can work more efficiently and improve collaboration and file exchange, reducing delays and easing the transition to the latest release.
SolidWorks Enterprise Product Data Management Workflow – Route documents and contact users more efficiently to reduce delays and accelerate time-to-market.
DraftSight/SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Integration – Access DWG files within SolidWorks EPDM from the DraftSight user interface, and leverage 2D into the design process.
eDrawings — Users can measure, select and markup designs from anywhere using a mobile device.

Availability and Pricing

For more information about SolidWorks 2013, including video demonstrations, visit: http://www.solidworks.com/launch. SolidWorks 2013 is available worldwide through SolidWorks authorized resellers. Contact a SolidWorks authorized reseller for pricing. To locate an authorized reseller in your region, please visit: http://www.solidworks.com/locateVAR/

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

Right after Labor Day, I, along with a number of other CAD media members (old school press, new school bloggers) were invited to an pre-launch event sponsored by Dassault Systemes SolidWorks at its new HQ in Waltham, MA. The purpose of the event was to introduce SolidWorks 2013, the 21^st edition of the software. The new facility is quite modern, but the former one in Concord had more personality as an historic building and setting, but that’s just me. Oh well, time marches on. It was also strange not to see the SolidWorks name on the new building, but that is because the company is co-locating other DS divisions within the building (such as 3DVIA, ENOVIA, etc.), as is done at other DS facilities around the world, so Dassault Systemes is the name on the building.

It’s hard to believe that SolidWorks is in its 21^st release, but it is. According to Bertrand Sicot, SolidWorks’ CEO and Gian Pallo Bassi, SolidWorks’ VP of R&D, the 2013 release is “the best ever,” and a “very good vintage”. Outwardly, at first look, these claims seemed a bit of a stretch, but upon closer inspection throughout the day, SolidWorks 2013 does have significant additions and enhancements, including (just to name a few, since there were over 200 in SolidWorks alone):

SolidWorks Costing – Something I consider to be the “sleeper” capability of 2012 because of its potential impact the top and bottom lines, as well as an engineering tool that upper management can understand and appreciate. It’s gotten better and more comprehensive for 2013. Automatic cost estimation estimates part manufacturing costs using built-in cost templates. These manufacturing templates are customizable, allowing entry of specific manufacturing costs and data, such as material, labor, machine speed and feeds, and setup costs.

Sketcher Conics – Conics are planes through cones that produce three conic sections – ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. These can be mathematically complex but are very useful for controlling shapes for smooth transitions between existing geometries. Nice time saver while sketching.

Interoperability – You can open SolidWorks 2013 files directly with SolidWorks 2012 (SP5). This was done to ease the transition to the latest release. Still, no native interoperability with CATIA and nothing appearing on the horizon.

SolidWorks Plastics – SW Plastics is an extension of SolidWorks’ simulation business and is available in two flavors:

SolidWorks Plastics Professional – For plastics part designers, it helps optimize parts for manufacturability in the early stages of design. It is embedded within the SolidWorks CAD environment so you can analyze and modify designs at the same time you optimize for form, fit, and function.
SolidWorks Plastics Premium – Gives those who design or build injection molds a way to optimize them. You can create and analyze single-cavity, multi-cavity, and family mold layouts, including sprues, runners, and gates. You can also balance runner systems and estimate cycle time, clamp tonnage, and shot size for optimizing feed system design.

Prices for the various plastics packages range from ~$5000 to $14,995.

SolidWorks Electrical – A database system for electro-mechanical design available in three flavors:

SolidWorks Electrical — 2D schematic design tools for developing embedded electrical systems for machines or products. It has built-in symbol libraries, manufacturer part data, and 3D component models. Automated management tools streamline design of PLC connections.
SolidWorks Electrical 3D — Integrates electrical schematic design data from SolidWorks Electrical with the 3D model of a machine or other product. You can place all electrical components in 3D, then connect everything and determine lengths of wires, cables, and harnesses.
SolidWorks Electrical Professional — A single package that combines the 2D electrical schematic functionality of SolidWorks Electrical and the 3D integration of SolidWorks Electrical 3D.

Prices for the various electrical packages range from $5995 to $9995.

SolidWorks as a company said that it has a goal of attaining 2,000,000 users by end of 2012. I believe, like the competition, the 2 million figure is cumulative from Day 1. Even so, that’s a pretty heady goal, and remember, the majority of Solidworks seats are educational, but the company seems determined to meet the number by the end of this year. Speaking of SolidWorks ongoing education mission, the company said it continues to strive to prepare qualified students for commercial customers, and continues to develop education advocates at all grade levels. Overall, customer satisfaction stands at 94%, which is up 5% since 2007.

Looking to the future, the company was careful not utter a word about the “cloud” or V6. The only brief allusion to the “Next New Product” was that it will be complementary to SW, launch in May 2013, and targeted to conceptual mechanical design needs. End of story for now. Bet on it not to be built around the Parasolid modeling kernel (licensed from rival Siemens PLM Software), but rather, CGM from DS sister company, Spatial, and will probably have a V6 moniker. When they say it will be for “conceptual mechanical design,” I take that to mean advanced sketching, and not conceptual in an industrial design context. However, time will tell. Whatever comes out next spring will be interesting.

While eDrawings for the iPad was recently introduced, SolidWorks has big future plans for mobility. Rick Chin, SolidWorks’ Director of Innovation, demonstrated augmented reality on an iPad – a 3D digital product model in a real world context that will be useful to designers and engineers. The model casts shadows and “respects” the positioning of the floor plane (you can’t push the model through the floor). It allows you to interact with the product model and complements prototyping. No time frame was given on when this lab project might hit the market, but it was impressive, nonetheless.

With this pre-launch event, it became obvious that Solidworks is becoming much more than just a traditional CAD tool — other capabilities (costing, simulation, sustainability, etc) work with core SolidWorks capabilities for more closely interacting with the business environment. Throughout the event several company spokespersons said that modeling is NOT design, and vice versa. They also stressed that the design process is a balancing act, and truer words could not be said.

Editor’s Note: When I get signed up for working copies of the above software applications, I’ll provide details on many of the aspects briefly discussed above.

The Week’s Top Stories

At MCADCafé we track many things, including the stories that have attracted the most interest from our subscribers. Below are the news items that were the most viewed during last week.

NX 8.5 Delivers Customer-Driven Enhancements to Help Reduce Time to Market

Siemens PLM Software announced the latest release of NX software, NX 8.5, that includes enhancements and new capabilities that provide increased flexibility and productivity across product engineering and manufacturing.

NX 8.5 for Design – Streamlined workflows and an enhanced user experience help improve productivity, minimize input, and reduce the effort required to accomplish design tasks. NX 8.5 continues to leverage synchronous technology, a Siemens PLM Software innovation that combines direct modeling with dimension driven design, to provide designers and engineers a better way to create and edit designs.

NX 8.5 for Simulation – New optimization tools such as NX Shape Optimization, suggest specific, detailed improvements to an existing design to reduce stress concentrations. NX 8.5 also includes improvements in simulation modeling, structural, thermal, flow, motion and multi-physics analyses to help prepare more accurate analysis models faster, and speed solution time by as much as 25 percent.

NX 8.5 for Manufacturing – NX 8.5 includes the full release of volume-based 2.5D Milling. Also new are functions to support and automate multi-part and multi-stage machining.

NX 8.5 is expected to be available in October. For more detailed information on all the new functionality in NX 8.5, please visit www.siemens.com/plm/nx85.

Boeing Extends Deployment of Dassault Systèmes PLM Platform and Applications

Boeing Co. has signed a five-year contract to extend the use of Dassault Systèmes’ applications at both Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Dassault Systèmes and Boeing’s “Working Together” partnership began over 25 years ago and has resulted in numerous breakthroughs in the development and early deployment of powerful technologies that make game-changing innovations possible. “Boeing and Dassault Systèmes have enjoyed a long working relationship, and we are pleased to extend our contract. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Dassault Systèmes to create and leverage new innovations that will enhance our product design and manufacturing capabilities,” said Nancy Bailey, Boeing vice president of IT Product Systems. “Dassault Systèmes continues to evolve and mature their solution portfolio to more completely address our needs across the entire product value stream. The Dassault Systèmes PLM solution suite will continue helping us create additional business value for our company.” “Boeing and Dassault Systèmes have enjoyed a unique partnership for over 25 years,” stated Bernard Charlès, president and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “Both companies share a passion for innovation and for producing breakthrough experiences for our customers. We have also shared a common vision of how we can evolve our applications and Boeing’s processes to fuel remarkable innovation. Boeing has heavily influenced the evolution of Dassault Systèmes’ strategy, from 3D Design to DMU to PLM – and now to 3D Experience. We look forward to our continued partnership.”

Rev 11 release of LMS Virtual.Lab makes virtual simulation even more realistic

LMS International released LMS Virtual.Lab Rev 11, a new version of its solution for 3D functional performance engineering. LMS Virtual.Lab is a multi-attribute engineering platform, combining high accuracy with superior speed, and a highly efficient process for structural integrity, multibody dynamics, noise and vibration and durability. LMS Virtual.Lab integrates a scalable solution for structural modeling and analysis, with advanced model creation and manipulation tools to efficiently generate component, subsystem and full-system models, always innovative for enhancing the user’s experience. LMS Virtual.Lab Motion embeds the new LMS Virtual.Lab Composer supporting drag-and-drop GUI creation, for customization of industry-specific applications and streamlining the multibody dynamics simulation process. For Noise and Vibration, Rev 11 integrates a comprehensive structural FEM solver (coming from the recent SAMTECH acquisition) for fully coupled vibro-acoustic analyses. In addition, supporting high frequency acoustics, the Ray-Acoustics solver extends into the ATV technology. Running acoustic simulations up to the audible frequency range can be done more accurately and simply than ever before, an example being sound system design in vehicles. LMS Virtual.Lab Durability supports more accurate and faster simulation of seam welds through new technologies allowing the inclusion of size effects for seam welds and automatic identification of all typical seam weld topologies in an FE-mesh.

Autodesk Liberates Designers with Industry’s First Cloud-Based Pay-As-You-Go Simulation

Autodesk unveiled Autodesk Simulation 360—a comprehensive set of tools delivered securely in the cloud with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that enables any company to make simulation part of their everyday design and engineering processes. Architects and engineers can gain deeper insight into how buildings, including plants, will perform by simulating air flow to help ensure thermal comfort; analyze environmental effects on bridges and buildings; and test the behavior of structural materials including concrete — all before anything is ever built. Autodesk Simulation 360 is the latest offering to build upon the Autodesk 360 cloud-based platform. By performing computationally intensive simulation tasks in the cloud, designers, engineers and analysts can test multiple “what if?” design scenarios in parallel. The computational power of the cloud also eliminates the need for specialized hardware, thereby removing previous limitations and helping to increase productivity. The Autodesk Simulation 360 software portfolio includes a wide range of cloud-based mechanical, fluid flow, thermal and plastic injection molding tools at an affordable price. Additional benefits include direct geometry exchange; robust meshing tools; extensive material libraries; and proven solver technology to improve simulation accuracy in the areas of greatest concern. In contrast to traditional perpetual licensing, Autodesk Simulation 360’s easy and affordable, pay-as-you-go model simplifies access and offers unparalleled flexibility. For additional information on how to access Autodesk Simulation 360, visit www.autodesk.com/simulationliberation. Additional resources such as simulation experts, on-demand videos and tutorials are available at www.autodesk.com/simulation-360.

Jeffrey Rowe is the editor of MCADCafé and MCAD Weekly Review. He can be reached at jeff@ibsystems.com or 719.221.1867.

This Week

Lead Story

Dassault Systèmes Simplifies 3D Design with SolidWorks 2013

Product and Company News

Industrial Espionage and PLM Security (The PLM Insider Blog)

Vuuch Enterprise Social Software to Support 2013 Autodesk Manufacturing Software Portfolio

More than 90% of customers would recommend Delcam

New 3D Printing System from ExOne Vastly Increases Print Speeds and Manufacturing Capabilities for Industrial Products

Stratasys Stockholders Approve Merger with Objet

The Future of Automotive Manufacturing: Moving Towards Digital Planning and Smart Manufacturing

ESI Group: Acquisition of OpenCFD Ltd., the leader in Open Source software in Computational Fluid Dynamics

Autodesk and Jitterbit Partner to Increase Access to Vital Product Lifecycle Management Data

VIDEO Press Release: Dassault Systèmes Introduces “Perfect Shelf”, a Game Changing Industry Solution Experience for Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail Companies

Delcam adds 40,000th customer – Lifetime Products Inc.

SpaceClaim and First Trace Announce Integration of SpaceClaim Engineer and Kinnosa

GstarCAD: the CAD Leader in Mobile Times

GstarCAD MC Free Edition is Available Now (iPad/iPhone/iTouch)

Sigmetrix Releases Latest Version Of GD&T Advisor Software For PTC Pro/ENGINEER And Creo

MSC Software Announces a New Fatigue Materials Testing Service

Quirky Fuels Invention Machine

LMS advances its solutions for mechatronic simulation in partnership with European industry leaders

Siemens PLM Software Consecutively Named HP AllianceONE Partner of the Year

A Little Homework Goes a Long Way — Research & Analysis on 3D Systems Corporation and Stratasys, Inc.

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Adopted by Dana Holding Corporation to Improve Project Efficiency

Vax Standardizes on KeyShot for Design and Marketing Visuals

Stratasys Agrees to Settle Merger Litigation

ASCON Group Releases Beta Version of Enhanced PLM Solution for Small to Mid-Sized Companies Worldwide

ThinkDesign Product Suite Built with HOOPS Exchange and HOOPS Publish

GEOMATE announces free eLearning for GrafiCalc

ROMER Absolute Arm Now Up to 66% Faster (Hexagon Metrology)

Hexagon Metrology Releases New Brown & Sharpe TWIN-CAL IP67 Caliper

Video: Rev 11 release of LMS Virtual.Lab makes virtual simulation even more realistic

MecSoft Corporation partners with MekanoCNC

Actran 13.0 Delivers Performance, Functionality, and Ease of Use for Acoustics Simulation (MSC)

Sheet metal CADCAM can bring big benefits if you choose wisely (Lantek)

SigmaTEK Invites Fabricators to “Drop a Buck”

DARPA and Applied Research Lab at Penn State Choose PARC to Advance Virtual Product Development and Digital Manufacturing

CDS Catalog and CAD Download Solution Selected by UC Components

Comet Solutions Expands Its Presence in China

Granta Design Signs Master Software License Agreement with United Technologies for Materials Information Technology

Dassault Systèmes Supports Local Motors’ Drive to Design and Manufacture the Next Version of the “World’s Toughest Car”

GibbsCAM Technology Helps Drive DMG/Mori Seiki Standard

Hexagon Metrology Presents New Corporate Branding

IMSI/Design Announces TurboReview

Research and Markets: Global Product Data Management Market 2011-2015: Siemens PLM Software Inc., Dassault Systemes SA, SAP AG, Parametric Technology Corp Dominate

PLMIG publishes updated Product Structure Standard for PLM-ERP Series

Delcam UK expands offices

MCOR Expands its Territories with New Partner Program

Contactless excitation to study composite panel vibration response (LMS)

ZWCAD Design: More Advanced Tool Palettes in ZWCAD+

EnvisionTEC Unveils Industry Changing Availability of ABflex and ABStuff Rapid Prototyping Material

Digital Manufacturing Software Market in the APAC Region 2011-2015

Global Product Data Management Market 2011-2015

Computer Aided Design Market in China 2011-2015

IMAGINiT Technologies Earns Autodesk Simulation Specialization in Canada

New Training Courses From Cabinet Vision

SCSK Corporation of Japan Joins the Aras Partner Program

Computer-aided Design Market in the APAC Region 2011-2015

ESI Group Opens Its First Office in Russia

Delcam Polska opens second office in Katowice

Rapid Sheet Metal Inc Boosts Sales Coverage for Prototype Services

Related MCAD News

The EDA & MCAD/MCAE Almanac – Nominal Q2 2012

TradeStone Software Ranked as a Leader in IDC 2012 PLM MarketScape

HP Introduces New Consumer All-in-One PCs With Advanced Touch Technology, Ultraslim Designs

AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and Deutsche Messe AG Renew Successful Strategic Partnership

iPhone 5 Could Provide Big Boost to Robotics Developers

Aberdeen Publishes Contact Center, Manufacturing, Product Innovation & Engineering, GSM Research

White Paper: Proving Organic Nonlinear Electro-Optic Polymers Have Potential to Significantly Improve Performance of Spatial Light Modulators

NASA Selects Advanced Robotics Projects For Development

First Computer Displays Certified for Socially Responsible Manufacturing

Apriso Removes Barriers to Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence

Ford’s Electrification Man Sets out EV and Hybrid Strategy

CHEP Selects Universal Robotics to Provide Innovative Pallet Inspection System

USA-based Technical Machining Services named preferred manufacturing partner for Hy-Impact intelligent hydrogen systems

Electronics Contract Manufacturing and Design Services: The Global Market

Autodesk Streamlines Flagship VFX Software With Flame 20th Anniversary Edition

Market Research Projects Global Market for Electronics Contract Manufacturing to Reach $435 Billion in 2013

KETIV Achieves Autodesk Platinum Status, Autodesk’s Highest Tier for VARs

Mentor Graphics Calibre LFD Signoff Litho Checking Tool Certified for TSMC 20nm Process

Asia Pacific Market for Dental Prosthetics and CAD/CAM Devices – Japan, Australia, South Korea

KEMET Defense and Aerospace Capacitors Now Available at Digi-Key Corporation

Corporate Moves

Stephen Bodnar Joins Kenesto as Vice President, Products and Marketing

EOS Names Tim Morris New VP of North America

Roland DGA Announces Two New Appointments and a Promotion

Industry Events

Manufacturing Summit: Closing the Divide

MCADCafe Awards an Amazon Kindle to Lucky IMTS Attendee

IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2012 Pre-Registration Number Surpasses Total IMTS 2010 Registrants

Michael Grieves, PLM Author, NASA Consultant, Professor, to speak at PLM Innovation Americas 2012

World Maker Faire Announces Exciting Speaker Lineup Featuring Leading Thinkers From the Maker Movement

Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak to Speak at Product Innovation (PI) 2013

Take Control of your Documents with Teamcenter’s Single Source Data System

NAFEMS eLearning Program Continues with Basic Dynamic FE Analysis Course

CimatronE Mold Making Solution on Show in China

CGTech at the Advanced Manufacturing Show 2012 (VERICUT)

Rapidform 3D Scanning Event Attracts Record Crowd in Seoul Korea

NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS at IMTS 2012: Productivity-Enhancing Simulation Software

IMTS 2012 – Creaform Releases VXelements 2.0 and Introduces New MetraSCAN 3D and C-Link Functionality

PTC Exclusive CAD and Collaboration Sponsor of FIRST Tech Challenge Competition

MIT Media Lab Hosts Technology in the Classroom Town Hall in Partnership with NBC News’ Education Nation and Dell

Geomagic and Xisis to demonstrate the latest developments in 3D Scan, Design and Manufacture at TCT Live 2012

See a ‘Sneak Peak’ of SolidCAM’s all new 3D iMachining! (9/26/12)

PLMIG confirms Atlanta PLM-ERP Agenda to dovetail with PLM Innovation Americas

Delcam Japan to show latest in CAD and CAM at JIMTOF

Bluebeam International Rally Conference Pushes PDF and RPMs to the eXtreme

Increase Machining Productivity with NX CAM and VoluMill

The AMT Manufacturing Stage Set to Debut at IMTS 2012

Seiko Epson Corporation to Present at Aras ACE 2012 Japan Conference

Missler Software Inc. displays TopSolid at IMTS

ITI TranscenData Announces Sponsorship of PLM Europe 2012

20% Early Bird Registration Discount for PLM Innovation Americas 2012 ends 15th September

CGTech to exhibit at Siemens PLM Europe (VERICUT)

PTC to Speak at 2 Upcoming Investor Conferences

Corporate Newsletters

GoEngineer SolidWorks Newsletter – Summer 2012

White Paper: New Product Introductions (NPI) and Target Costs by aPriori

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MCADCafe Weekly (9/5/12): Autodesk Acquiring Inforbix for Cloud-Based PLM

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Autodesk continued its strategic investment in product lifecycle management (PLM) and has announced it has acquired certain assets of Inforbix, LLC. Inforbix is a software company focused on cloud-based SaaS solutions aimed at increasing the value of product data, productivity, and improved decision making for manufacturing-based companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As a part of this acquisition, Autodesk also announced that it appointed Oleg Shilovitsky as Senior Director of PLM and Data Management. Shilovitsky is a co-founder of Inforbix, LLC.

“Oleg Shilovitsky is an established PLM thought leader who brings deep industry experience and a history of innovation to his new role at Autodesk,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and Simulation at Autodesk. “Since the launch of Autodesk PLM 360 last year, we have introduced thousands of new users to the power of cloud-based PLM. We are thrilled to welcome Oleg and under his leadership look forward to continued innovation and driving greater adoption of Autodesk PLM 360.”

Autodesk plans to incorporate Inforbix technology for indexing, search, personalization and data visualization into Autodesk PLM360, which will help to accelerate the vision for the Autodesk 360 cloud services.

Oleg Shilovitsky co-founded Inforbix in 2010 and served as CEO. He was Inforbix’s strategist, technologist, and ideologist and also an author of the PLM Think Tank and Beyond PLM blogs. Prior to Inforbix, Shilovitsky worked for Smart Solutions, SmarTeam, Enovia and Dassault Systems.

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

Well, summer’s (almost) over, and we’ve had a relative dearth of news coming out of the MCAD industry the past several weeks, but this acquisition is a big deal for both Autodesk and Inforbix.

Inforbix is a developer of software that lets users access and view product data from multiple sources without any confusing data extraction, import, or conversion required. The software also helps connect product data elements that may or may not be similar in character. Because it has always been cloud-based, Inforbix software is relatively easy to deploy and much less costly than traditional PLM applications – two characteristics also shared and touted by Autodesk’s cloud-based PLM 360.

To expand its PLM product offerings, Autodesk is acquiring “certain assets” of Inforbix. Although terms of the transaction were not disclosed (which is not all that unusual), the deal is not expected to have any impact on Autodesk’s future earnings guidance issued earlier on August 23, 2012 (see The Week’s Top MCAD Stories below). Requests for information regarding the “certain assets” and financial terms of the acquisition are still in the works, and we’ll report back what they are when Autodesk gets back with us.

It’s not too surprising that Autodesk plans to integrate Inforbix software into its PLM 360 (its cloud-based PLM suite launched in early 2012). It’s also not too hard to imagine that the Inforbix acquisition will expand the PLM 360 suite’s indexing, searching, personalizing, configuration, and data visualization capabilities.

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MCADCafe Weekly (8/26/12): PTC Acquiring Servigistics For Increased Presence In Service Lifecycle Management

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

PTC announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Servigistics, Inc., developer of an innovative suite of service lifecycle management (SLM) software solutions, for approximately $220 million in cash. Pending regulatory approval and satisfaction of other customary conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed in September 2012.

The acquisition will greatly enhance PTC’s existing portfolio of SLM solutions which, today, includes robust capabilities in the areas of warranty and contract management, service parts definition, and technical information – including mobile delivery. Servigistics is recognized as a technology leader in complementary areas such as service parts planning, management and pricing, field service management, returns and repair management, and service knowledge management. In combination, the solutions will dramatically accelerate PTC’s ability to help discrete manufacturers transform their service strategies and operations into a true source of sustainable competitive edge – what PTC describes as “service advantage.”

“Over the past few years, Servigistics has earned a reputation for innovation in helping companies maximize their global service businesses through increased profitability, cash flow, and customer loyalty,” said PTC president and CEO Jim Heppelmann. “Their customers are at the leading edge of a global trend to take service from a cost center to a profit center, and SLM technology has been a critical driver. This acquisition should make clear just how serious PTC is about helping its customers achieve lasting service advantage.”

For leading manufacturers, getting their service strategy right presents a multi-billion dollar, high-margin revenue opportunity to differentiate themselves in the market from their traditional product-oriented competitors. As an enabling technology, SLM helps manufacturers and their service network partners optimize the customer experience by ensuring service is systemically planned, delivered, and analyzed to continually improve performance and maximize customer value. Yet, few manufacturers have either a coordinated strategy or the integrated technology suite needed to capture this new market opportunity – with many manufacturers realizing as little as 25% of the total service value in their products’ service lifecycle.

PTC has long been known for its world-class technology solutions that optimize the way companies create products. With this acquisition PTC will significantly expand how it helps companies service those same products. In fact, starting with the acquisition of Arbortext in 2005, PTC has been developing solutions that enable manufacturers to plan and analyze service based on how their products are designed and built. This service-focused strategy has driven PTC to deliver specialized solutions that are the result of innovative technology development combined with capabilities gained through the acquisition of companies such as ITEDO, LBS and 4CS. By adding Servigistics to this portfolio, PTC will be able to deliver a complete system for service – providing market-leading capabilities across all key components of the service lifecycle.

With Servigistics, PTC’s SLM solutions will provide global manufacturers with a real-time, single view into the extended service environment to identify and respond to areas for improvement, opportunities for new business, and risks to avoid. Only with a connected service network – supporting the owner/operator, distributor, dealer, service partner, field service force, repair depots, and warranty desk – can the OEM plan, deliver and analyze all necessary resources to ensure that service performance and overall value is meeting or exceeding their customers’ expectations. In addition, this acquisition further enhances PTC’s ability to help customers gain competitive advantage throughout the entire product lifecycle – from conception and design to sourcing and service.

“At Servigistics, we share PTC’s vision for helping to transform the way companies execute their service strategies,” said Eric Hinkle, Servigistics president and CEO. “We anticipate that our clients will reap great benefits from the synergies of this shared vision and are pleased to help PTC secure a strong technology and thought leadership position in SLM.”

Over the past 12 months, privately-held Servigistics generated approximately $80 million in revenue. In connection with this acquisition, PTC is increasing its previous preliminary FY’13 non-GAAP EPS target of $1.70 to $1.80 by a range of $0.02 to $0.05. PTC expects to draw on its credit facility to finance this transaction.

RBC Capital Markets Corporation is acting as financial advisor to PTC. Blackstone Advisory Partners L.P. is acting as financial advisor to Servigistics and its owner Marlin Equity Partners.

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

Not all that long ago, who could have predicted that like PLM, service lifecycle management (SLM) could contribute to a company’s top and bottom lines? To its credit, PTC saw this opportunity and jumped on it. This acquisition of Servigistics reinforces PTC’s commitment to SLM as an important aspect of its overall business, as well as a differentiator in a crowded marketplace

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Aston Martin Resurrects Its Racing Heritage with Creo

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

For almost 100 years, Aston Martin has been an icon of automotive speed and sophistication, winning the most distinctive races in the world throughout the 1920s (French Grand Prix), 1930s (Biennial Cup at Le Mans), and 1940s, as well as the 1950s (Le Mans 24 Hours).

But, for more than 45 years, Aston Martin stayed away from the racetrack.

In 2005, however, the company resurrected its racing heritage when it returned to the world circuit as Aston Martin Racing (AMR). That first year out, AMR’s DBR9 gained a CT1 class victory. Two years later, Aston Martin triumphed at Le Mans. Based on the Aston Martin DB9 road car, the DBR9 retains the chassis, engine block, and cylinder heads of the road car’s V12 engine. The rest of the car was re-engineered for high performance competition use. The DBR9’s bodywork is a blend of optimum aerodynamic performance and the styling of the DB9 road car.

More recently, AMR has geared up with some extra digital technology in its pocket. For a car company like Aston Martin, where prestige and precision have been part of its heritage since 1913, going digital for design and engineering was a big step forward.

After an extensive benchmarking process, AMR chose PTC Creo and PTC Windchill in 2011 for 3D CAD design of its racing vehicles and for PLM in its racecar division.

With the Creo suite, Aston Martin can start with simple sketched designs, refine them in Creo Parametric, and make them work on the track. AMR performs CFD analysis in Creo early on, and designers can make designs more aerodynamic. Instead of waiting for expensive prototypes, problematic areas are now digitally tested and corrected early in the design process using Creo.

In a three-minute video, PTC interviews Rick Simpson, Design Engineer at Aston Martin Racing. He explains the specifics of how PTC’s Creo design toolset helps them reduce lead times from design and fix design issues before going into manufacturing.

Interesting stuff from a company with a large legacy, long period away, and resurrection on the racetrack.

Tags: AMR, Aston Martin, CFD, Creo, DBR9, Parametric, PTC
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MCADCafe e-Magazine: Dassault Systèmes Unveils New SolidWorks Electrical Applications

Monday, August 6th, 2012

Dassault Systèmes introduced new SolidWorks Electrical applications that include an innovative, system level 2D schematic design tool and a powerful 3D electrical modeling add-in to SolidWorks design application that are linked in real time.

“Today, companies in industrial equipment, engineering services, high-tech, medical devices, and consumer goods are developing products that include more electrical content. More than half of our SolidWorks customers require a solution that streamlines collaboration between mechanical and electrical systems engineers,” said Bertrand Sicot, CEO, SolidWorks, Dassault Systèmes. “The addition of SolidWorks Electrical to our product portfolio moves us into this underserved market with a robust solution that upholds the SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use and makes close collaboration between mechanical and electrical design groups a reality.”

When it comes to electrical system design, organizations frequently look for ways to improve the overall delivery performance of their departments. SolidWorks Electrical applications make it easy for engineers and designers to plan electrical systems and integrate those electrical aspects into the overall 3D mechanical models. These new applications pave the way for mechanical and electrical engineering teams to collaborate during product development, streamline the design phase, and reduce product delays, resulting in more consistent and standardized designs, lower costs, and faster time-to-market.

“The full integration with SolidWorks will make SolidWorks Electrical easy to learn and will allow both our mechanical and electrical departments to collaborate on electrical system and wiring design,” said Kyle Strong, project manager at Getman Corporation. “Our mining vehicles include complex electrical wiring and need to have consistent design — the decision to consider SolidWorks Electrical was easy. By integrating our electrical and mechanical design processes, we can better document electrical requirements and cable/wire paths, resulting in less rework, higher product quality, and faster time-to-market.”

SolidWorks Electrical provides new capabilities with the following three applications:

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Stratasys and HP End 3D Printer Relationship

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Not all marriages are made in heaven, and the news that Stratasys and HP have agreed to discontinue their manufacturing and distribution agreement for 3D printers, effective at the end of 2012 proves it. The relationship lasted only a couple of years.

Stratasys said it does not expect the termination of its agreement with HP to have a material impact on its financial results for the current year and intends to work closely with HP to ensure a smooth transition for customers. I doubt, though, if the same holds true for HP.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement signed in January 2010, Stratasys developed and manufactured for HP an exclusive line of 3D printers based on Stratasys’ Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. Later that year, HP began a phased rollout of the 3D printers in the MCAD market in select European countries, but never made it over here to North America, which was both a mystery and a shame.

When Stratasys made the original distribution announcement with HP, it was regarded as a pretty big deal. The announcment also boosted Stratasys’ stock price. It truly was a big announcement for additive fabrication, but I don’t think many in the industry regarded it as the turning point for the technology. In the end, the annoucement and partnership never did fulfill the initial hype or substantive change in the additive fabrication market.

To be fair to HP, though, it only got Stratasys’ entry level UPrint and Dimension product lines. I think this was done to expand Stratasys market presence and installed base without canibalizing its more lucrative high-end 3D printer market that it wanted to keep. Fair enough.

It always puzzled me, though, why HP didn’t develop and market its own 3D printer for a worldwide market — especially at the low-end, prosumer level. After all, HP has provided 3D print heads for ZPrinters (now owned by 3D Systems) and is a market leader in 2D printers. Why not go the next step to develop and mass market your own 3D printing machine?

Admittedly, these are tough times, and no technology company knows that better than HP.

Tags: 3D printer, HP, Stratasys
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MCADCafe eMagazine – Hardware Review: HP Z620 Desktop Workstation

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

As has been the case for several years, not all computer users need a workstation-class machine, but many do, especially with graphics-oriented and computationally intensive applications, such as MCAD, FEA, and animation. However, high-powered workstations for graphic-intensive applications can come with a price premium. So, you can really pay a relatively high price for higher levels of performance, but is often worth it. There are exceptions, however, and the HP Z620 desktop workstation offers the best of both worlds – a versatile machine with excellent performance at a reasonable price.

I’d classify the HP Z620 as a mid- to high-level machine that provides just about everything most customers would need in a desktop engineering workstation. Admittedly, it may seem a bit pricey for what you get (at least how our review machine was configured), but overall is a real performer compared with competition in this spec and price range. The HP Z620 workstation is designed to perform in a professional engineering-oriented environment. It’s got a lot of premium, server-grade components optimized for demanding workloads.

The HP Z620 Workstation with Moldflow running

The HP Z620 we received for review came configured as follows:

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2643, 3.30 GHz
RAM: 32 GB (will handle up to 32 GB); supports up to 96 GB
OS: 64-bit Windows 7 Professional
GPU: NVIDIA Quadro 2000
Display: HP ZR2740w

Other: Solid state drives (optional)

Storage: up to 11 TB

3 internal 3.5” HDD bays plus 2 external 5.25” bays

2 Integrated 6Gb/s SATA ports

Support for up to 300W of graphics

3 Third-generation PCI Express slots, (2×16, 1×8) 6 slots total

With Intel’s Core i7 and higher CPUs, why consider a Xeon processor? Well, first of all, Xeon processors are generally intended for use in servers that tend to run cooler and at lower voltages than the Core i7 CPUs. In other words, Xeon-based machines are designed for continuous use over long periods of time under demanding workloads. The performance hit, though, could be an issue, but was negligible in this evaluation.

The Nvidia Quadro 2000 graphics card is part of a product line that is designed specifically to work on a continuous basis. Some applications, such as SolidWorks and Inventor are also optimized to work with Nvidia’s Quadro cards.

Behind the scenes, but an integral part of the overall Z620 are the system software applications that come pre-installed on it as part of the HP Cool Tools suite – namely, the HP Performance Advisor and Power Assistant. Performance Advisor provides a lot of useful information and tools regarding the machine. It lists component changes, provides details on driver versions, as well as CPU and memory utilization – all handy information to know if and when you need it. The Power Assistant shows you much power the HP Z620 is using, along with estimates of its operating costs and carbon footprint. With this information, you can adjust how the system operates to minimize energy usage.

I’d thought I’d take a peek inside the Z620 and was impressed with the tool-less chassis design with integrated handles and complete serviceability with internal modules that slide in and out. There is also a diagram on the removable side cover that has a handy map/guide that illustrates what is located where internally. Anyway, the inside of the box was well laid out and tidy.

Measuring Performance

Objective and subjective tests were run to measure performance. Keep in mind that the tests were performed with the machine in an “out of the box” state, nothing was tweaked or optimized to skew performance. I actually get more out of the subjective testing because it’s more “real world,” but the raw numbers from the benchmarks are also useful, as well as a means of comparison. Your evaluations may differ from mine, but they do provide a point for comparison.

For objective testing, we ran two benchmarks NovaBench (geared more toward overall performance) and SPECviewperf 11 (geared more toward graphics performance).

NovaBench Benchmark Test:

32,695 MB System RAM (Score: 286)

RAM Speed: 13,470 MB/s

CPU Tests (Score: 1182

Floating Point Operations/Second: 410,820,608
Integer Operations/Second: 1,652,746,640
MD5 Hashes Generated/Second: 1,173,024

Graphics Tests (Score: 244)

3D Frames Per Second: 710

Hardware Tests (Score: 28)

Primary Partition Capacity: 147 GB
Drive Write Speed: 175 MB/s

The 1,740 composite score is fairly impressive because the average score of other workstations in this class was 1,294. So, the HP Z620 provided better performance in relative terms.

SPECviewperf 11 Benchmark Test:

The scores for the various tests (CATIA, Solidworks, Lightwave, Ensight, NX, and Pro/ENGINEER) were some the best I have seen lately and averaged approximately 22% better than other HP desktop workstations I have benchmarked and reviewed.

For subjective testing, I ran Autodesk Inventor, Simulation, and 3ds Max. I used a data set of standard models that I have created over the years for this testing, including a model with 50,000+ parts, renderings of complex surfaces, advanced FEA, and animations. The Z620’s performance was good with these tests.

Most companies have users who need a little extra computing horsepower than is available in a generic desktop computer where a standard desktop PC might be perfectly suitable. However, heavy graphics and especially 3D can tax a standard PC beyond its capabilities. For these types of applications and users, seriously consider a workstation. In 2012, workstations aren’t an absolute requirement for everyone. But, if you need a powerful PC to work with graphics and 3D application, and are willing to pay a bit extra for optimized hardware for these types of tasks, the HP Z620 CMT is worth considering.

Hewlett Packard Z620 Desktop Workstation

Pluses: Cost/performance ratio, internal accessibility; easily upgradeable; system management software.

Minuses: None significant.

Price (as supplied): $5,868. Prices start at $1,649.

Overall Grade: A-

Contact: HP Z620 Workstation

The Week’s Top 5

At MCADCafé we track many things, including the stories that have attracted the most interest from our subscribers. Below are the news items that were the most viewed during last week.

Delcam’s new PowerSHAPE CAD enhances direct modelling and reverse engineering

The 2013 release of Delcam’s PowerSHAPE CAD system includes enhancements to its direct modeling and reverse engineering capabilities. In addition, the solid and surface modeling options are faster and more robust. The most important new option in PowerSHAPE’s direct modelling functionality is “Replace Face”. This allows a selected face or group of faces to be replaced with another face or group of faces, either from the same solid or from a separate solid or surface model. A second new option that will be of particular interest to tooling designers will be the “Solid Core” command. This selects automatically the smallest rectangular or cylindrical shape that will fully enclose a group of solid faces. For reverse engineering, PowerSHAPE now allows point-cloud data to be captured directly. Point data can be displayed on-screen as a laser attachment is passed over the object being scanned. This ensures that all the required information can be captured as any gaps in the data will be apparent immediately.

solidThinking Evolve 9.0 Releases with Support for KeyShot

Luxion announced that solidThinking Evolve 9.0 launched with file export for KeyShot. This week, solidThinking released the newest version of its concept design and 3D modeling software, solidThinking Evolve 9.0 and with it, support to save KeyShot .bip files directly. Features of the solidThinking Evolve 9.0 KeyShot save option include:

Materials and layers retained on save
Tesselation quality options on save
Option to open with KeyShot on save
Hierarchy of materials created in KeyShot scene tree
All objects retain applied materials (can be unlinked)
Hidden layer will not be imported

IHS Acquires Invention Machine and Releases Updated FY2012 Guidance

IHS Inc. acquired Invention Machine for approximately $40 million. Invention Machine is a semantic search technology that uncovers relevant insights held within a wealth of internal and external knowledge sources, transforming the underlying data into actionable intelligence. Their patented semantic question-answering software engine leads engineers and knowledge workers to information quickly and enables them to rapidly digest it to make better decisions. Invention Machine’s Goldfire product is the decision engine built on top of a patented semantic search engine that connects engineers and innovation and knowledge workers, on-demand, to one another and to the internal and external knowledge and trends needed to develop, maintain and produce breakthrough products and services. Semantic search engines understand the meanings and relationships of words, and can provide more relevant results than traditional text-based search engines.

Geometric launches DFMPro for NX to improve design review efficiency

Geometric announced the launch of its automated design for manufacturability solution, DFMPro for NX software. Today, organizations are striving to create innovative products and need to get them to the market faster, within cost targets and with better quality. Issues related to product delays as well as cost and quality need to be detected early in the product development cycle as changes in later stages have an exponentially higher impact on time and cost. Geometric’s DFMPro product is a solution that identifies and fixes these issues at the design stage. DFMPro comes with global best practices in the area of manufacturability and assembly, along with a powerful framework to add an organization’s in-house best practices. This allows design engineers to save time on design reviews and rework, and utilize such time in creating innovative products. DFMPro provides numerous built-in checks for manufacturing processes like machining, sheet metal, casting, molding and assembly. The standard checks in DFMPro are derived from various handbooks, design guidelines and global best design practices.

Jeffrey Rowe is the editor of MCADCafé and MCAD Weekly Review. He can be reached at jeff@ibsystems.com or 719.221.1867.

This Week

Product and Company News

SOLID Applications signs strategic agreement with Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation

Rev 11 release of LMS Virtual.Lab makes virtual simulation even more realistic

ZW3D CAD/CAM Helps Feist Co. Beat the Supply Chain Clock

PLMIG aims to resolve PLM-ERP

Autodesk Helps Morgan Cars Produce One of its Most Successful Designs Yet

Noesis Solutions Joins PTC PartnerAdvantage Program

Sunglass Launches With New API, Dropbox Integration To Democratize 3D Design

Dimensional Control Systems Leverages Technology from Spatial for New Analysis Solution

Delcam ensures Gardner Aerospace is quick off the mark

Dassault Systèmes Continues to Expand Channel Diversification and Growth, while Preparing Partners to Embrace 3DEXPERIENCE

starCAD MC 1.3 iPad app Released

Open Design Alliance Announces Teigha V3.6

aPriori Secures an Additional $5 Million in Venture Funding

IMAGINiT Technologies Earns Autodesk Simulation Specialization in USA

ZWCAD+ Launch: New Core. New Possibilities.

New version of the CAD viewer: Kubotek KeyView V11.5.1

Research and Markets: 2012 CAD Report

CDS Catalog and CAD Download Solution Selected by FluiDyne Fluid Power

PLMIG calls for Research into ‘Own-Language’ PLM

Research and Markets: CFD Market in India 2011-2015

Ensure Your Company Maximizes the Benefits of FEA with NAFEMS Training

MCS From Vero Completes The Picture

OpenDXM GlobalX now “made to measure” (Prostep)

Living the dream with Delcam’s FeatureCAM

Knovel and Society of Manufacturing Engineers Partner to Expand Knovel Offerings, Extend SME’s Global Reach

PTC to Announce Fiscal Q3 Results and Host Conference Call

Hexagon Metrology Debuts PC-DMIS 2012

QUAN Signs New Agreement with Prestigious European Robotics Institute

starCAD MC 1.3 Officially Released – iPAD App

Integware Joins The Aras Partner Program

aPriori Completes Record Fiscal Year

Can 3D plant project data control be easy on Administrators? (CAD Schroer)

Lantek reaches its worldwide customer base through social media

Kinnerton Confectionery Selects Aras Enterprise PLM

GTMA/Vero Event Highlights Improved Processes and Material Advances

Rand Secure Archive Releases New Versions of EAS Web Access and EAS Entourage Client Tools

Manufacturing/Heavy Industry News Site Launched

Jetbox releases iC5 Turbo for ENOVIA Engineering Central and Program Central

Delcam reseller Les Technologies increases customer support

ANSYS To Release Q2 2012 Earnings

Scanning Services India, Affordable Digital Scanning Services with 99.98% Accuracy

Related MCAD News

Dassault Systèmes Launches “Smart, Safe & Connected Car” Industry Solution Experience

Mazor Robotics’ Renaissance Technology Receives U.S. FDA Clearance for Brain Applications

Boeing Airplanes, Innovation and Technology Highlighted at Farnborough International Airshow

PCS Announces the Release of Its Latest Version of the Robotics Education Pack

EDA Consortium Reports Revenue Increase for Q1 2012

New York Power Authority Selects FLOW-3D to Study Flows at Niagara Falls Facility

HiWave’s Haptic Touch Panels Deliver Tactile Feedback for Improved User Interaction with Aerospace Electronic Systems

Voters Favor National Strategy to Restore U.S. Manufacturing Jobs

Mentor Graphics Introduces the Industry’s First General Purpose 1D-3D CFD Simulation Software Solution

General Motors Trials MagneGas Alternative Metal-Working Fuel

New HD Ultra Wide Format Scanner Series from Contex

Bluebeam Software Launches Photo Contest to Demonstrate How Revu iPad Enables Users to Work Without Limits

United Announces Order For 150 Boeing Aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace Concludes a Successful Farnborough Airshow

Corporate Moves

Geometric appoints PLM veteran Louis J. Pascarella

United States Rocket Academy Welcomes XCOR Aerospace to Texas

Industry Events

IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2012 to Host First-Ever Job Center

CT Core Technologies shows how to protect your valuable IP in upcoming Webinar

Delcam to show probing in FeatureCAM at IMTS

3D PDF event held by PROSTEP was highly successful

Tata Technologies eMO EV Study Illustrates ‘ENOVIA V6 – Solutions for Product Design’ Webinar

CT Core Technologies shows how to protect your valuable IP in upcoming Webinar

Metals Service Center Institute to Host 11 Manufacturing Summits: Goal to “Close the Divide Between Jobs, Policy & Growth”

NAFEMS North America Conference ’12

NAFEMS Practical Introduction to FEA Course

CimatronE & GibbsCAM “Steal The Show” at ACMEE, India

Dassault Systèmes Schedules Second Quarter 2012 Results Webcast and Conference Call for July 26, 2012

Delcam’s success in Asia featured by UKTI

PTC to Announce Fiscal Q3 Results and Host Conference Call

Graphic Skin Competition Underway for Rally Fighter to be Built during IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2012

Webinar – 7/12/12 – ArtCAM Express – Using The Relief Clipart Library (Delcam)

1 Comment »

Industrial Design Software Choices

Friday, July 13th, 2012

I’ve been an industrial designer for a long time, so long in fact, that I still have Prismacolor pencils, pastels, markers and gouache (long ago dried out) that I used to execute product design sketches and renderings. I still sketch quite a bit with pencils and pens. However, there are also a lot of ID software packages out there today for different budgets and needs.

With all these ID software choices, you can narrow them down with a few basic features and capabilities that you’ll need for ID:

GUI — A good one is essential for minimizing the learning curve (which can be very steep) and fitting in with the way you work.

Sketching — For mimicking napkin drawing medium, and not with contstraints and parameters, easy and fast sketching ability is an absolute.

Surfacing — Freeform, organic shapes require top-notch surfacing, above and beyond basic 3D modeling.

Rendering — Communicating a design to others inside the company or to customers outside is much more effective with high-quality renderings.

Export — ID is not a standalone endeavor and the ability to export to other CAD packages for refinement is key — in native and/or neutral file formats.

We don’t have room to detail all of the ID software possibilities, but some of the more notable packages include:
-Alias Design/Surface/Automotive
-Rhino
-SolidWorks
-3ds Max
-SketchBook
-Sketchup
-modo
-Blender
-NX
-CATIA

Any others you care to add? Let us know.

In the future, I’ll put together a matrix that lists the products above and their features for comparison purposes for aspiring and practicing industrial designers.

Tags: industrial design
7 Comments »

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