CAD CAM News

Autodesk Acquires T-Splines Modeling Technology Assets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Transaction to Strengthen Free-form Surface Modeling Capabilities.

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) has acquired certain technology-related assets from T-Splines Inc., a privately-held surface modeling software company, based in Utah. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The technology acquisition will strengthen our Digital Prototyping portfolio with more flexible free-form modeling and will help achieve even closer integration between industrial design and engineering workflows,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry at Autodesk. “T-Splines technology will benefit designers and engineers that require watertight surfaces for downstream analysis and manufacturing.”

Business Outlook

This transaction is expected to have no impact on guidance issued on November 15, 2011.

TDS Selects MSC Software's Marc for Nonlinear Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Technik und Design Systementwicklung (TDS) will use Marc to analyze seals and evaluate design alternatives for customers.

MSC Software Corporation announced that Technik und Design Systementwicklung (TDS) has selected MSC Marc at its choice for nonlinear analysis. TDS is an engineering services company based in Ingolstadt, Germany, and focused on the development of seals and doors. TDS has expertise in the area of interior door panels and equipment of car bodies.

TDS has traditionally only focused on design and development work using computer-aided design (CAD) software. However, the company will now begin to integrate numerical simulations into their development processes. The company's goal is to shorten development cycles, and do more goal-oriented structural optimization studies early in the design process.

"So far we've outsourced simulation jobs, or our customers have done their own analyses. However, we want to collaborate with our customers from the very first concept idea to the final manufacturing," said Ulf Nestler, Director of TDS. "Therefore it's necessary that we build the complete development process chain in-house. By doing the modeling and analysis in-house, we can answer critical questions about the durability of our designs. We want to be able to independently judge which design alternative will be the best choice."

TDS has selected Marc because of its capabilities in advanced nonlinear structural analysis, contact, complex material models, and multi-physics. Crucial to TDS's decision to invest in Marc was the well-engineered Marc software technology, and the very robust numeric algorithms Marc uses to solve nonlinear problems. TDS plans to perform structural analysis of elastomeric components for seal profiles. These requirements include large deformations, complex contact and critical friction conditions, temperature and time dependant, as well as incompressible material behavior.

With Marc's analysis capabilities, the engineers at TDS can solve very complex and high degree nonlinear mechanical-structural, thermal, thermal-mechanical coupled problems, as well as problems in the areas of multi-physics like electrostatics, magnetostatics, electromagnetism, and piezoelectrics.

COMET robot machining consortium meets at Fraunhofer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:46:00 +0000

The COMET consortium during 5th GA meeting in Fraunhofer IPA, one of the leading research institutes in the field of robotics and automation, in Stuttgart, Germany

The COMET project consortium held its 5th General Assembly meeting at the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart, Germany, from 24th to 25th November. Coordinated by Delcam, the COMET project is now in its second year, focusing on applying the previous year’s research and development on real-world machining tests, bringing manufacturing solutions that are cost-effective, flexible and reliable.

Prior to the meeting, the COMET consortium held its Exploitation Strategy Seminar with guidance from the European Commission representative, Mr.Mauro Caocci. The outcome of the COMET project should be able to be successfully applied in European manufacturing industry when the project ends in February 2013.

The experiments performed in the seven robot cells established by the COMET project have produced valuable data for machining with robots and highlighted the issues that may occur. The development of the COMET tracking system and high dynamic compensation mechanism, and the integration of these technologies with the programming and simulation environment is now under way.

During the meeting, the consortium visited Fraunhofer IPA, a leading research institute in the field of robotics and automation. The institute is focused on robot deployment and automated production processes, as well as the development of robot systems and their key components. In partnership with the Lund University, IPA is the main developer of the high dynamic compensation mechanism and its control systems.

Dr. Ir. Jan Ramboer, Research Programme Officer, who represented the European Commission at the meeting, remarked: "For a successful European Project you need good communication, flexibility and most importantly a passion for the work. All of these elements are clearly present in the COMET Project consortium and I look forward to the final results of the project. ”

In 2012, the COMET project will continue to integrate each part of the COMET platform and concentrate on demonstrating the advantages of robot machining in a variety of applications such as automotive parts, mould and die components and aerospace parts.

For more information about the COMET project visit www.comet-project.eu.

Acknowledgements:

This project is co-funded by the European Commission as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) adopted in 2008. The EERP proposes the launch of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in three sectors, one of them being Factories of the Future. Factories of the Future is a 1.2 billion Euro program in which the European Commission and industry are collaborating in research to support the development and innovation of new enabling technologies for the EU manufacturing sector. For further information please visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/factories-of-the-future_en.html

PLMIG publishes the first ever PLM Governance Standard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

The PLM Interest Group announces the release of the first ever PLM Governance Standard that can be applied by companies of all sizes as a methodology for integrating board-level and operational PLM.

The Standard has been developed by the 2011 workshop series in Gothenburg, Munich, Milan and London, and is a distillation of best-practice PLM management and oversight at all levels of a company. It gives the CEO and VPs clear visibility of PLM throughout the enterprise, and provides the PLM Team with a natural mechanism for meeting the Board's requirements.

The Standard does not rely on restrictive rules, and does not require extensive documentation of procedures. Care has been taken to keep it simple, lightweight and accurate.

This is a landmark for the PLM industry because, although there are various existing standards that impact on the PLM space, this is the first standard that applies purely to PLM. It is intended to be followed in the same way as other international standards, and may lead to more structure and cohesion within the PLM industry as future standards are developed to support it.

The PLM Governance Standard is published this week as the Q4 2011 issue of the PLM Journal.

The PLM Interest Group is a global Group which brings together its members to work proactively to solve their PLM problems. It is developing a new generation of applied PLM standards including the PLM Best Practice Library and the Path to PLM; and has previously run workshops that have produced the PLM Benchmarking Handbook; the PLM-SCM Guidebook; and the PLM Maturity Reference Manual.

PTC Named Winner of 2011 Frost & Sullivan Global Green Excellence in Product Innovation Award

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Recognized for the Key Industry Challenges Addressed by PTC’s Windchill Product Analytics.

PTC® (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company®, today announced that it is the 2011 recipient of Frost & Sullivan's Global Green Excellence in Product Innovation Award for Product Lifecycle Management. After being ranked against other leading PLM vendors in categories such as product profile, business commitment and environmental accountability, the company's Windchill® Product Analytics suite came out on top for its ability to enable the manufacturing industry to create more sustainable, and competitive products while reducing overall environmental impact.

According to Frost & Sullivan best practices research, the drive among manufacturers to improve the environmental performance of their products is gaining momentum every day. Not only have business-to-business customers and consumers demonstrated a clear preference for more sustainable products and "greener" brands, but investors are now pressuring manufacturers as well. Additionally, manufacturers need to design and develop products in compliance with an ever increasing number of environmental regulations in order to avoid blocked sales, production stops, fines and even criminal prosecution.

PTC's Windchill Product Analytics is a suite of component and bill-of-material analysis solutions that enable manufacturers to assess product compliance, performance and risk beginning early in the innovation process and continuing throughout the product lifecycle. The solutions complement existing PLM and ERP systems to make product performance analytics an integral part of the product development process. Armed with this knowledge, manufacturers will be able to develop greener products.

"Windchill Product Analytics provides an ideal platform for manufacturers interested in realizing profitable sustainability," said Karthik Sundaram, Senior Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "In evaluating leading vendors, PTC stood out in all criteria. Its holistic approach to sustainability - from its product solutions to its overall worldwide company initiatives - made PTC the clear winner of this year's Global Green Excellence Award."

"PTC has a rich history of enabling manufacturing customers to create more sustainable, optimized - and simultaneously more competitive and profitable - products," said Howard Heppelmann, Senior General Manager, Product Analytics Business Unit and Executive Sponsor of the PTC Internal Sustainability Program. "We are pleased that Frost & Sullivan has recognized our strategic commitment and the positive impact Windchill Product Analytics enables leading global manufacturers to make."

The full Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Research Report can be found here: www.ptc.com/go/greenaward2011

Dassault Systèmes Announces Isight 5.6 for Simulation Automation and Design Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Dassault Systèmes announced the availability of Isight 5.6, the market-leading open desktop solution for simulation process automation and design optimization from SIMULIA, the Dassault Systèmes brand for realistic simulation. Isight 5.6 includes enhancements in optimization, modeling and simulation integration, and postprocessing.

Isight provides designers, engineers and researchers with an open system for integrating design and simulation models—created with various CAD, CAE and other software applications—to automate the execution of hundreds or thousands of simulations. Isight allows users to save time and improve their products by optimizing them against performance or cost metrics through statistical methods such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or Design for Six Sigma.

“Isight has features and add-ons that allow us to integrate all of the different codes and interfaces used for our physics subroutines,” said Cosimo Chiarelli, head of the Aeromechanics and Propulsion unit in Business Segment Space Infrastructure and Transportation at Thales Alenia Space Italia in Turin. “It played a key role in helping us unify our processes and saved a considerable amount of time in our design optimization process.”

Among the new features for design optimization, Isight 5.6 provides a reliability analysis technique for importance sampling that allows users to compute and sample around the most probable point of failure in a design. When compared to sampling around the mean value point, importance sampling requires orders of magnitude fewer evaluations for the same accuracy in predicting the probability of failure or success. This is especially important in the verification of high-reliability systems, such as jet turbines or automotive brakes.

“Many customers, such as Thales Alenia Space, are gaining significant business benefits from using Isight as a tool for virtual product verification and validation,” said Alex Van der Velden, director, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes. “For example, when designing a space vehicle, one rarely has the luxury of using full-scale physical prototypes to iteratively optimize both the vehicle and its reentry trajectory. Virtual testing supported by simulation automation and design exploration technology is critical in helping manufacturing companies achieve the right performing design, faster and with less physical testing.”

Isight 5.6 also enhances several components, which are the building blocks of simulation process flows. The latest release includes updates to the Abaqus component to support multiple Abaqus/CAE cases by providing users with the option to parse all detected input files and create output parameters for multiple analyses. Improvements to the Data Matching component enable the definition and matching of multiple data sets within multiple ranges.

Isight 5.6 delivers a number of postprocessing enhancements, including new options in the approximation viewer for overlay constraints graphs to perform quick trade-off studies by relaxing constraints, showing or hiding constraint boundaries, and viewing constraint violations using a floor projection graph.

MSC Software and Sigmadyne Announce New Capabilities for Optimization of Optical Systems

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:44:00 +0000

MSC Software Corporation today announced that Sigmadyne, a finite element analysis consulting and software development company, has released extended capabilities for the analysis of optical systems using MSC Nastran as their primary simulation software.

Sigmadyne's latest release of SigFit™, an optical pre & post processor for MSC Nastran, allows optical response quantities to be written in MSC Nastran input format. This allows MSC Nastran's optimization capability to utilize optical behavior in the structural optimization of optical systems.

Optical performance is degraded by the distortion of reflective and refractive surfaces, and the characterization of such deformations is essential to performing optical performance evaluation. The best-fit polynomial characterizations of the predicted distortions of such optical surfaces can be generated by SigFit in the form of MSC Nastran multipoint constraint (MPC) equations. This feature allows engineers to characterize deformed optical surfaces within MSC Nastran using polynomial types commonly used in optical design. These equations now include enhancements to expand their usability to a wider array of applications involving significant lateral surface growth making them accurate for thermo-elastic load conditions.

Many modern telescopes include deformable mirrors to correct for unwanted optical surface figure errors induced by thermal or structural loading. A common design problem is to determine the optimum number and locations of the actuators required to correct these figure errors. MSC Nastran can be used to determine predictions of the disturbed optical surfaces and the influence functions for a large set of candidate actuator locations.

SigFit also provides many other options to use MSC Nastran in the analysis of optical systems. SigFit takes MSC Nastran analysis results and writes their effect in native formats for direct input to a variety of optical design programs. Examples include the temperature and stress changes in the index of refraction, including stress birefringence. The combination of MSC Nastran and SigFit provide a useful combination for the design of precision optical systems.

Dr. Victor Genberg, PE, President of Sigmadyne, stressed the key capabilities of MSC Nastran as instrumental in his business, "MSC Nastran is a great tool for multidisciplinary analysis because the analysis inputs and outputs are easily accessed. Execution of SigFit requires model geometry, displacements, temperatures and stresses for employment of its full array of optomechanical analysis types, and the simplicity in accessing this data from MSC Nastran streamlines the process of combining it with the power of SigFit."

Autodesk Inventor Helps Bring Greater Energy Efficiency for Building Retrofits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has named UK-based Green Structures as Autodesk Inventor of the Month for December 2011, citing the company’s use of Autodesk Inventor software and a range of other Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology in transforming the way energy systems are planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated within the built environment.

As a member of the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program — an initiative that provides Autodesk Digital Prototyping software to emerging and established clean tech companies for a small fee — Green Structures has rapidly created award-winning energy efficiency systems, particularly in the areas known as passive heat recovery ventilation and thermal energy storage.

The firm’s latest innovation, a heat recovery ventilation system called Ventive, works with existing chimneys to channel air and heat. This system contrasts with current mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems, which require that complex ductwork be installed throughout an entire building. Ventive can be installed in less than 30 minutes, providing a far faster and less expensive alternative for retrofitting buildings with the latest green technologies.

With help from the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program, Green Structures was able to upgrade its design capabilities to include Autodesk Inventor, as well as Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software, Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics software and Autodesk Revit Architecture software. Access to Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology provided a more controlled environment to test designs, helping to make the design process less costly, faster and with less guesswork.

“The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program provides us with world-class software,” said Thomas Lipinski, founder, managing director and CTO of Green Structures. “With access to the same professional tools as some of the United Kingdom’s largest manufacturers, we can further strengthen the quality and professionalism of our design process.”

Digital Prototyping Saves Time and Money

By using Autodesk Digital Prototyping software, Green Structures can better accelerate the prototyping process for its Ventive heat recovery ventilation system. The company used Autodesk Simulation software, for example, to run wind tunnel tests and heat transfer modeling, before carrying out appropriate redesigns. Since wind tunnel simulations in a professional facility cost approximately $1,550 (£1,000) per day, Green Structures significantly reduced the costs of fine-tuning its product by performing these tests digitally. Autodesk reseller, Envisage, helped provide training and support to enable Green Structures to more quickly implement Autodesk Digital Prototyping software in the design process.

“Autodesk Digital Prototyping technology is helping Green Structures save time and money as it brings its products to the marketplace,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “By gaining key insights before anything has been built, the company can more effectively validate and optimize its innovative clean tech solutions.”

Rapiscan Uses Autodesk Vault to Effectively Collaborate on Security Products

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Rapiscan Systems — a world leader in security screening and the official supplier of security systems for the London 2012 Olympics — is using Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) software to enable its engineers to collaborate more efficiently in the creation of the company’s innovative and powerful security products.

With 14 major locations around the world, Rapiscan’s highly sophisticated security offerings are renowned for meeting the most demanding threat detection requirements. Autodesk Inventor Digital Prototyping software and Autodesk Vault product data management software help Rapiscan drive innovation and foster teamwork among a globally distributed group of engineers working together on the Rapiscan Real Time Tomography (RTT) scanner.

Unlike conventional scanners, the RTT80 is a high-speed security scanner providing detailed 3D images capable of being rotated and viewed from virtually any angle, making it easier for screeners to detect threats. Because the RTT80 contains thousands of parts and requires collaboration from multiple teams in multiple locations, Autodesk Vault product data management software provides an ideal way for the Rapiscan team to track and manage data.

Simplifying Data Management Across Team Members

Rapiscan used to rely on FTP and email to exchange designs created with Autodesk Inventor Digital Prototyping software, but the firm experienced version control difficulties and inefficient tracking and communication.

“Autodesk Vault helps us be more systematized with file location, file control and file sharing without risking damage to them,” said Bally Panesar, Global Director, Mechanical Engineering at Rapiscan. “Since we now use Autodesk Vault as a central hub for all our data, we no longer have to worry about accidentally overwriting files or wonder whether or not our manufacturing team is receiving the most up-to-date versions.”

Having this kind of control over product data helps prevent costly errors both upstream and downstream, enabling Rapiscan to better meet tight deadlines and keep up with customer demand for its products.

“For global companies with distributed engineering teams, effective collaboration is more important than ever,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “By using Autodesk Vault to manage their product data, industry leaders like Rapiscan are better able to reduce errors and, ultimately, speed time to market.”

Surfware Appoints David Holding Company as New VAR in Bulgaria & Romania

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Surfware, Inc., developer of SURFCAM CAD/CAM systems, has announced the appointment of David Holding Company as its new reseller in Bulgaria and Romania. David Holding Company, headquartered in Bulgaria, will be licensing and supporting both Industrial and Educational SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems in Bulgaria and Romania.

"We are very pleased to add SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems to David Holding’s portfolio," says Balio Dinev of David Holding Company. "SURFCAM is going to bring great value to the solutions we will now be able to offer both to our existing and new customers, especially the customers already using SolidWorks as their CAD solution. Along with our ERP/MRP and MES, David Holding Company is now looking forward to offering SURFCAM as a world-class CAD/CAM system as part of our manufacturing solutions."

"We are excited to add another partner to our Global network of Value Added Resellers," says Matt Soucy, VAR Channel Manager of Surfware. "SURFCAM's continual growth in the world market requires local, professional, dedicated, and capable personnel to support our customers abroad. We are pleased to have David Holding Company as our newest reseller in an expanding VAR Channel which will enable more manufacturing facilities in Bulgaria and Romania to benefit from SURFCAM’s world class precision, control, and ease-of-use."

SURFCAM products have been installed on more than 26,000 systems worldwide over the past 20 years. In that time, SURFCAM has grown to support 16 languages and has gained outstanding reputation for training and providing the highest level of technical support to its customer base. SURFCAM continues to be one of the most affordable CAD/CAM software solutions to the CNC machining market today to end-users around the globe.

GE Scientists Decorate the Christmas Tree With 3-D Printed Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:41:00 +0000

Scientists at GE Global Research are back in the holiday spirit. As an encore to the redesign of Santa’s sleigh and construction of a state-of-the-art “Toy Lab” for Santa and the elves, researchers are bringing high-tech manufacturing to Christmas tree decorations to ring in the holiday season using additive manufacturing techniques.

Additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, is the practice of building up material to directly form a net-shape product rather than forming a product by traditional methods such as forging, casting or machining material away. For GE, it is providing new degrees of product design freedom and the opportunity to reduce the time, cost and use of materials that go into making our products.

The 3-D printing process is highlighted in a new video posted to Global Research’s You Tube channel. Juan Pablo Cilia, a Rapid Prototyping Specialist at GE Global Research, takes you through the entire process step-by-step from his initial design drawings on the whiteboard to a computer-aided design (CAD) that is the blueprint used to print the ornament itself. In addition, you will see the actual printing of the ornament in action.

“3-D printing techniques are creating beautiful ornaments that would not be possible using traditional manufacturing methods. It’s beginning to look a lot like a ‘3-D’ Christmas,” said Prabhjot Singh, Manager of GE’s Additive Manufacturing Lab. “

“The 3-D Christmas ornaments represent a creative way to showcase the possibilities in additive manufacturing to achieve revolutionary new product designs. At GE, Juan Pablo and members of my team see tremendous opportunities to use these processes to transform and improve the products we make from commercial aircraft engines to medical imaging systems.”

GE already is producing intricately designed parts and components for aircraft engines using additive technologies and has an innovative program in healthcare to simplify and reduce the cost of how ultrasound probes are made. Members of the Additive Manufacturing Lab are exploring new frontiers to expand the application of 3-D printing techniques across GE’s business portfolio.

Singh said, “As 2012 rapidly approaches, members of GE’s Additive Manufacturing Lab are looking forward to a very active year ahead. We will be hosting a technology summit on Additive Manufacturing, bringing in key stakeholders and thought leaders from industry, academia and government to discuss the future of this emerging manufacturing trend. We have only just begun to tap into its vast potential.”

SigmaNEST Delivers Results to Tampa Bay Steel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:41:00 +0000

A recent selection of SigmaNEST CAD/CAM nesting software by Tampa Bay Steel is delivering a substantial return on investment. As the world's leading CAD/CAM nesting software, SigmaNEST delivers unequalled efficiency and speed in terms of material optimization, part cutting, and cost estimation.

"We began implementing SigmaNEST just several months ago and are seeing significant and rapid gains in productivity and savings," explained David Carpenter, Engineering Manager at Tampa Bay Steel. "Because we utilize a variety of high-end fabrication equipment including multiple laser, plasma, and water jet systems – it is imperative that we find a single-source solutions provider to ensure that our fabrication process is operating in the most effective way possible. Increased machine productivity and reduced material scrap is a great benefit and with SigmaNEST we achieve both in a single program."

Founded in 1980 Tampa Bay Steel (Tampa, FL) service center processes and distributes metal products to customers in the agriculture, construction, trailer, and energy industries. Their in-house modeling software is SolidWorks. The flexibility of SigmaNEST allows the company to become more agile and responsive. Similarly Tampa Bay Steel is finding that the software's cost estimation capability allows for more accurate and winning quotes. "Our customers have come to expect quality and quick turn-around. Leveraging best-in-class technologies allows us to concentrate resources on what we do best while leaving part nesting to the experts."

"Today like never before manufacturers across the board are scrutinizing every aspect of operations," explained SigmaTEK Vice President Dan Barr. "From production to cost reduction and job cost estimation shop-floor applications will have an increased impact on the bottom line. Tampa Bay Steel is an example of an organization taking steps to ensure that its customers continue to receive the quality and service they have come to expect while at the same time improving operational efficiency and profitability. We look forward to solidifying our relationship and playing a progressive role in the company's future manufacturing initiatives."

InventorCAM 2012 makes its debut, reducing cycle times by up to 70% for Autodesk customers, with iMachining

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:40:00 +0000

SolidCAM announces the release of InventorCAM 2012, the latest version of its powerful CAM system, seamlessly integrated and with full associativity to Autodesk Inventor. InventorCAM 2012 launches the new revolutionary iMachining module, that reduces cycle times by up to 70% and increases tool life dramatically.

Autodesk Inventor users will be able to achieve dramatic increases in productivity for their CNC machining with InventorCAM 2012 due to its single-window integration in Inventor. InventorCAM provides the same look and feel in CAM as in CAD, greatly reducing the learning curve, enabling engineers to quickly generate efficient and safe toolpaths directly from the CAM toolbar, inside Autodesk Inventor.

The revolutionary iMachining technology in InventorCAM 2012 uses morphing spiral cuts and controlled step-over algorithms to enable tools to cut at their full depth, without suffering from shock loading or rubbing. Cutting at full depth helps to spread the load over the length of the tool, instead of the bottom few millimeters while, precise control of chip thickness, keeps cutting loads steady, enabling far greater metal removal rates to be achieved, even in hard materials.

Applications which require the use of small diameter tools benefit particularly from iMachining. Optimized feeds and speeds are automatically generated by the software’s technology wizard, taking into account the properties of the machine, tool, material, geometry and the user’s selected aggressiveness level for cutting. iRest and iFinish technologies are an integral part of this process, cutting the rest material with smaller and smaller cutters so that the final finish path can be cut at full depth and chatter free.

InventorCAM 2012 is powerful for its ability to drive multi-spindle and multi-turret mill-turn centers. InventorCAM 2012 takes advantage of iMachining for these applications to overcome the problems associated with low rigidity and over long tooling setups. By lowering the aggressiveness of cutting and utilizing the constant tool loading produced by iMachining, programmers can compensate for less than perfect cutting conditions, enabling the machine tool to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity in a collision free environment.

Simultaneous 5-axis milling, multi-sided indexing, high speed surface machining and 3D high speed surface machining in InventorCAM 2012 give engineers the ability to cut the most complex parts designed in Autodesk Inventor, while turning, mill-turn and wire EDM modules extend the software to program all the machines in the workshop.

Learning the software is easy - with an intuitive Autodesk Inventor like interface, experienced designers will quickly become proficient in InventorCAM 2012. Online tutorials provide 24/7 self-teach opportunities to make it easy to optimize CNC programming and machining productivity and are supplemented by the worldwide InventorCAM support network. InventorCAM 2012 helps companies designing in Autodesk Inventor, to rapidly generate fast and highly productive machining operations, resulting in reduced costs, shortened delivery times and higher quality and profitability .

Delcam's ArtCAM speeds ice bar production

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Using Delcam’s artistic CADCAM software, ArtCAM, has reduced greatly the amount of time needed by Peter Fogarty of Fire and Ice Creations to create ice carvings, including complete bars cut from ice.

A recent project for La Bodega Tapas Bar and Grill, in Regina, Saskatchewan, highlighted the savings. Each year, the restaurant has a sculpted ice bar on its patio from the last week in November to the third week in March to raise money for the Transition House, which helps women and children affected by domestic violence. In 2007, Mr. Fogarty spent ten days manually designing, cutting and assembling the ice bar, which contained logos for ten corporate sponsors. In 2010, using ArtCAM and a CNC ice router, he designed and cut logos for a much more complex ice bar, built from forty blocks of ice with twenty logos, in only seven days.

"I saw ice carving for the first time at a demonstration in 1977 and I was hooked,” Mr. Fogarty remembered. He started Fire and Ice Creations in his garage while he continued his distinguished culinary career but, in 2007, moved into ice carving full time. The company has built an impressive list of achievements, including sculptures for the 2007 Juno Awards, Canada’s main music awards, and a replica of Saskatoon’s 25th Street bridge used for a sushi display at the International University Congress.

The following year, Mr. Fogarty began computerising his ice-carving operation and by 2010 he was producing nearly all of his carvings using ArtCAM and the CNC ice router. "I selected ArtCAM because of its ease of use, particularly in converting existing artwork from clients and sizing, positioning and mirroring logos,” he said. "Another enormous benefit of ArtCAM is that it combines with the CNC ice cutter to cut out the logos faster and more accurately than was possible in the past.”

For the 2010 ice bar, Fogarty received electronic versions of the logos from the ice bar sponsors. "ArtCAM made it easy to produce the files needed to drive the ice cutter,” Mr. Fogarty claimed. "It greatly reduced the amount of time required to size, position and produce a mirror image of each of the logos, which was required because they were cut out of the back of the ice block.”

Another benefit was that the assembly took only six hours, half the time required in the past, because all of the pieces were cut so much more accurately that no additional cutting was required on site.

Delcam's new web site for PartMaker CAM system for production machining

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Delcam has launched a new web site, www.partmaker.com, for its PartMaker CAM system for programming the full spectrum of production machining equipment. The site details the many benefits that have prompted thousands of users with sophisticated machine tools to select PartMaker for their programming needs.

A key part of the new PartMaker site is a series of video testimonials from some of these customers. Many of these companies are from the medical industry, the largest outlet for PartMaker, with others from aerospace, electronics, general engineering and contract manufacturing. Similarly, they use a range of high-end machine tools from suppliers including Citizen, Star, Mazak, Nakamura-Tome, Tsugami, Doosan and Mori Seiki among others. All, however, rely on PartMaker to produce complex, high-precision parts, with the shortest-possible set-up times and cycle times.

Visitors to the site can also obtain details and video demonstrations on the latest version of the software, PartMaker 2012. Major highlights of the release include improved visualisation, more powerful simulation of vertical and horizontal machining centres, support for the latest breed of multi-axis bar-fed mills, turn-mill centres and Swiss-type lathes, greater flexibility and control in process development and much, much more.

The new PartMaker site features a modern, easy-to-navigate interface to allow visitors to find information relevant to their industry and machining application. This new style follows the format of new websites being introduced for Delcam’s other manufacturing software.

It includes links to Delcam’s international reseller network so that visitors can contact their local representative for further information or to request an evaluation copy.

There are also links to many of Delcam’s technology partners, including machine tool builders and cutting tool suppliers. Videos from recent exhibitions can be viewed where these companies have used Delcam software to program their demonstrations.

Delcam launches DentSCAN dental scanner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Delcam has extended its range of dental scanners with the launch of its DentSCAN scanner. The new unit is slim, light and accurate to 20 microns, making it ideal for use in dental laboratories that need to design restorations either for in-house production or for supply to milling centres for manufacture.

The DentSCAN scanner uses the latest generation of white-light 3D scanning technology to give both fast and accurate data capture. This is combined with precision calibration and articulation equipment to provide high-precision scans for the design of all types of restoration, from simple copings to anatomical crowns and bridges.

DentSCAN also has the ability to capture data from deep cavities, allowing dental impressions to be scanned as well as stone casts.

DentSCAN is available with three software variants; a Base bundle for crowns and bridges, a Plus option for simple implant restorations, and a Pro version for multi-implant restorations. Upgrades between the different levels are controlled by a simple software upgrade, with no need to buy a new scanner or any extra equipment.

The Plus and Pro versions of the software include best-fitting algorithms from Delcam’s PowerINSPECT metrology program, the world’s leading hardware-independent inspection software. These allow the positions of scan adaptors to be located to high levels of precision and so enable extremely accurate production of items such as dental bars that need to match to a number of implants.

Each unit is supplied with a calibration plate to ensure consistent accuracy, a multi-die adapter capable of holding up to eight components, and a scanning articulator with two clamps to allow both upper and lower impressions to be scanned simultaneously.

DentSCAN is, of course, fully compatible with Delcam’s dental CADCAM software for both modelling of the restorations and their machining. It follows Delcam’s policy supporting ‘open’ systems and can also be used with other dental machining software.

Panso Solutions of India Joins the Aras Partner Program

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Aras® today announced that Panso Solutions Pvt Ltd., a global IT and engineering consulting services firm located in Bangalore, India, has joined the Aras Partner Program. Panso Solutions combines innovative technologies with competitive pricing and rapid deployment to provide its PLM customers with competitive business advantage at the global level.

Panso applies its vast experience in global consulting, IT and engineering services, and product development to implement and deploy solutions faster, providing customers with quicker time to value. The company employs technologies such as open source and cloud-based solutions to provide additional value to its customers, including freedom from conventional software licensing models and the related costs. For more information please visit panso.in/

“Panso thinks outside the box and develops solutions for its customers that enable faster product launches, strategic sourcing and better business intelligence – critical in today’s global markets. We welcome Panso to the Aras Community and the Aras Partner Program,” said Peter Schroer, President of Aras.

EDS Technologies Signs MoU With Mar Baselios College Of Engineering

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:37:00 +0000

EDS Technologies EDST one of the leading PLM solutions company in India today announced that the company has entered into a strategic relationship with Mar Baselios College of Engineering Trivandrum to set up a finishing school for the students in the pre final and final years of Mechanical Production Automobile and Aerospace engineering

EDST will also conduct specialized training programmes for students from other institutes and working professionals seeking knowledge and enhancement of their skills On course completion the students will be awarded certification from EDS Technologies Pvt Ltd and Mar Baselios College of Engineering
This initiative focuses on developing long term relationship with Educational Institutions through in depth engagements around student and faculty programs and equip them with latest in technology said Mr S Senthil President EDS Technologies Pvt Ltd The association will strengthen the availability of professionals with right knowledge and skills and bridge the gap between industry requirements and academic excellence he added.

Taking Industry Academics relationship to the next level EDST will lay special emphasis on equipping engineering students and professionals with knowledge and skills that will enhance their value to industry The Finishing School will focus on providing industry specific technical training in PLM tools in order to scale up the employability levels of engineering graduates.

PLM offers revolutionary solutions to designing analyzing manufacturing and servicing products while profoundly transforming industrial processes and businesses The programme includes a curriculum that comprehensively covers the concepts and advanced features of PLM tools that enable conceptual and detailed designing resulting in state of the art knowledge based solutions.

Surfware Appoints Romeo Engineering Inc. as New VAR in Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:36:00 +0000

Surfware, Inc., developer of SURFCAM CAD/CAM systems, has announced the appointment of Romeo Engineering, Inc. as its newest reseller in North America. Romeo Engineering, Inc. (REI), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, will be licensing and supporting both Industrial and Educational SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems in Texas, USA.

"We are very pleased to be able to represent SURFCAM CAD/CAM Systems," says Edward Martell, Project Manager at REI. "SURFCAM is going to bring great value to the solutions we will now be able to offer to our new and existing customers. REI is built on a solid foundation of professional experience in automation design and manufacturing. A core focus is applying our robotics expertise to a new technology; we have designed a broad range of ultra-high pressure water and abrasive/water cutting equipment. This equipment integrates Waterjet intensifiers into our special designed machinery; tailoring this newest cutting technology to our customer’s needs. Everyone at REI is looking forward to now be able to offer a world-class CAD/CAM system as part of our manufacturing solutions offerings."

"We are excited to add another partner to our North American network of Value Added Resellers," says Matt Soucy, VAR Channel Manager of Surfware. "SURFCAM's continual growth in the domestic market requires professional, dedicated, local and capable personnel to support our customers. We are pleased to have Romeo Engineering, Inc. as our newest reseller in an expanding VAR channel which will enable more manufacturing facilities in Texas and North America to benefit from SURFCAM’s world class precision, control, and ease-of-use."

SURFCAM products have been installed on more than 26,000 systems worldwide over the past 20 years. In that time, SURFCAM has grown to support 16 languages and has gained outstanding reputation for training and providing the highest level of technical support to its customer base. SURFCAM continues to be one of the most affordable CAD/CAM software solutions to the CNC machining market today to end-users around the globe.

IMSI Wins InterSystems Breakthrough Application Award

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:36:00 +0000

InterSystems Corporation, a global leader in software for connected care, today announced that Integrated Modular Systems, Inc. (IMSI) of Havertown, Pa., has received the InterSystems Award for Breakthrough Applications. IMSI, an InterSystems application partner, was recognized for its imsiVOICE-Interactive™ with OneList™ system.

Running on the InterSystems Ensemble® rapid integration and development platform, the innovative application breaks new ground in radiology technology by combining input from one or more radiology information systems (RIS), picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), and electronic health record (EHR) systems with wireless digital dictation software. The result is a dramatically improved radiology workflow where radiologists can easily view their entire workload and resolve cases more rapidly than ever before.

“This application addresses one of the most frustrating problems in the radiology sector,” said John Mazur, president of IMSI. “As radiology centers grow and work with an increasing number of healthcare facilities that are sending information for review and diagnosis, the productivity of each radiologist inevitably decreases. This happens because they have a growing number of interfaces and applications to sort through. Until now, the traditional response has been to add radiologists to the practice, which requires a major economic investment. Eventually, the center may be faced with financial stagnation due to an inability to expand and effectively compete.”

Breakthrough Solution Makes the Numbers Work

The combination of Ensemble’s HL7 and DICOM integration, built-in human workflow, message storage and business rules engine enabled IMSI to build a solution that changes the negative equation that has been traditionally associated with the growth of radiology centers. The imsiVOICE-Interactive solution with OneList ties images from a PACS to current work requests and to patient information from the RIS, attaches audio files and funnels them to human transcribers or voice recognition software, and to all attached EHR repositories. When the radiologist reviews and approves the report, it automatically flows back to the clinician who initiated the work request.

The imsiVOICE-Interactive system presents radiologists with the appropriate information regardless of the status of any individual case or the number of cases in process. “Customers report that the system always recognizes when multiple studies are open in PACS and which of those images the radiologist is viewing,” noted Mazur. “imsiVOICE-Interactive also tracks the images and issues a warning message if the wrong image is being viewed. And, the system virtually eliminates paperwork delays. As a result, we’ve had customers who are seeing as much as a 20 percent increase in radiologist productivity while error rates have been significantly reduced. This means a considerable improvement in the bottom line for radiology centers that are growing their business. imsiVOICE-Interactive also accumulates data elements needed for Meaningful Use of an EHR.”

“IMSI recognized a problem area in one segment of the healthcare industry and utilized Ensemble to develop a creative solution that not only eliminates the problem but also enables their customers to grow their enterprises in an economically sustainable way,” said Paul Grabscheid, InterSystems Vice President of Strategic Planning. “We appreciate the opportunity to recognize their achievement with the InterSystems Breakthrough Application Award.”

MSC Software and Sigmadyne Announce New Capabilities for Optimization of Optical Systems

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, today announced that Sigmadyne, a finite element analysis consulting and software development company, has released extended capabilities for the analysis of optical systems using MSC Nastran as their primary simulation software.

Sigmadyne's latest release of SigFit™, an optical pre & post processor for MSC Nastran, allows optical response quantities to be written in MSC Nastran input format. This allows MSC Nastran's optimization capability to utilize optical behavior in the structural optimization of optical systems.

Optical performance is degraded by the distortion of reflective and refractive surfaces, and the characterization of such deformations is essential to performing optical performance evaluation. The best-fit polynomial characterizations of the predicted distortions of such optical surfaces can be generated by SigFit in the form of MSC Nastran multipoint constraint (MPC) equations. This feature allows engineers to characterize deformed optical surfaces within MSC Nastran using polynomial types commonly used in optical design. These equations now include enhancements to expand their usability to a wider array of applications involving significant lateral surface growth making them accurate for thermo-elastic load conditions.

Many modern telescopes include deformable mirrors to correct for unwanted optical surface figure errors induced by thermal or structural loading. A common design problem is to determine the optimum number and locations of the actuators required to correct these figure errors. MSC Nastran can be used to determine predictions of the disturbed optical surfaces and the influence functions for a large set of candidate actuator locations.

SigFit also provides many other options to use MSC Nastran in the analysis of optical systems. SigFit takes MSC Nastran analysis results and writes their effect in native formats for direct input to a variety of optical design programs. Examples include the temperature and stress changes in the index of refraction, including stress birefringence. The combination of MSC Nastran and SigFit provide a useful combination for the design of precision optical systems.

Dr. Victor Genberg, PE, President of Sigmadyne, stressed the key capabilities of MSC Nastran as instrumental in his business, "MSC Nastran is a great tool for multidisciplinary analysis because the analysis inputs and outputs are easily accessed. Execution of SigFit requires model geometry, displacements, temperatures and stresses for employment of its full array of optomechanical analysis types, and the simplicity in accessing this data from MSC Nastran streamlines the process of combining it with the power of SigFit."

ANSYS Earns Highest Rating From Investor's Business Daily

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Software Company Scores in Top 1 Percent, Based on Stock Performance.

ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS), a developer of engineering simulation software, is one of only six technology businesses worldwide to receive the highest possible score in a new list of stock ratings published by Investor's Business Daily. The financial publication's SmartSelect Composite Ratings of publicly traded companies grade stock performance on a scale of 1 to 99. ANSYS earned a rating of 99 earlier this month, the highest possible score. This places ANSYS among the top 1 percent of all stocks reviewed by the publication.

In compiling its SmartSelect Composite Ratings, Investor's Business Daily considers many factors, including earnings per share, relative price strength, sales and profit growth and return on equity. In 2011, shares in ANSYS grew 18 percent.

"Engineering simulation is a rapidly growing field because it helps companies overcome their greatest challenge — speeding the product development process, while maintaining a high degree of confidence in product integrity," said Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ANSYS. "By designing and assessing products in a low-risk virtual environment, engineering teams can make sure they 'get it right' rapidly and cost-effectively, with minimal investments in physical prototypes and field testing. We expect applications for ANSYS software to continue to grow, as both engineers and executives realize the promise of Simulation-Driven Product Development™. Our company's strong performance reflects the real value that ANSYS solutions add for customers around the world, every day and in every industry."

Z Corporation Sponsors Reality Show Contest for Student Designers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Z Corporation today announced it will sponsor "Reality Redesigned," a student-focused design competition and online reality show that will spawn daring new mountain bike designs created by inventive riders.

The show bills itself as "the ultimate design contest ... what happens when the biggest names in North American manufacturing, design and engineering throw open the doors and allow both mountain bikers and designers alike to have at it." In addition to entertainment, the episodes will serve as solid curriculum material for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers across North America.

The contest will spotlight the design process from drawing board to finished product.
Z Corporation Technical Support Specialist and expert mountain bike rider Dave Mee will "ZPrint" prototypes of three finalists in three categories, in preparation for a showdown at the RAPID 2012 Conference May 22-25, 2012. The winner will be announced live at the
Z Corporation booth. The winning design will then be manufactured and tested by a pro rider.

"Reality Redesigned" is produced by host and Executive Producer Jeremy Bout and others involved in "The Edge Factor Show," who are joining forces with Pinkbike (www.pinkbike.com), one of the top mountain bike sites in the world. Here's how it works:

Submissions (mid-December through Feb. 24, 2012). After registering for Pinkbike (free), contestants will place their submission into one of three categories.

1. Mountain-bike suspension
2. Mountain-bike component
3. Mountain-bike frame

Screening (ongoing). Submissions will be scored by Bout and qualified experts from the mountain-bike industry. A real-time leaderboard will track the top 15 designs in each category.

The Gauntlet (April/May 2012). Experts determine how designs will stand up to a real-life scenario, then grade each based on research, material pricing and specific criteria:

1. 3D Modeling -- Fit, form and function.

2. Rapid Prototyping -- (usefulness, rideability) -- Judges: Mee and professional rider Mike Montgomery. Mee will "ZPrint" the entries of three finalists in each category. 3D printing converts three-dimensional computer-aided design data into physical prototypes.

3. Engineering/Business plan

4. Manufacturability

Finals (May 22-25, 2012). At the RAPID 2012 Conference, three final designs will be displayed and judged, in three episodes shot with a live audience in the Z Corporation booth. The judging will include stringent and rigorous testing using finite element analysis (FEA) software and ZPrinted prototypes. The winner will be announced in the Z Corporation booth.

Epilogue: The winning design will be manufactured and tested by a pro rider.

"ZPrinting is a center-stage component of the show, inspiring innovation and bringing contestants' designs to reality," said Bout. "With physical models, judges and industry manufacturers can more deeply understand a design, and what it will be able to do on the trail. ZPrints will also expose students to technology they will use in their engineering careers."

"Reality Redesigned" is just one example of Z Corporation's ongoing commitment to education in addition to its EngineeringZONE™ program, sponsorships and education discounts.

To enter the contest: http://www.edgefactor.com/?i=12747&mid=1000&id=373053

Collabnet Sees Enterprise Cloud Development as the Next Wave in Agile ALM, Devops Initiatives in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:33:00 +0000

CollabNet, the global leader for cloud development and Agile ALM products and services, expects the adoption of cloud development practices to increase in 2012 as a growing number of IT organizations build and deploy software directly in the cloud. During 2011, CollabNet saw a 40 percent increase in cloud development projects developed, deployed and hosted on its private and public cloud offerings, with more than 1,500 new customers adopting its Codesion(TM) cloud development platform over the past 12 months.

"The software development industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and we see the convergence of Agile ALM, Continuous Delivery and hybrid cloud strategies making enterprise-wide cloud development practices increasingly attractive to IT organizations," said Bill Portelli, CEO and co-founder of CollabNet. "In this context, 'enterprise' applies to the compliance, traceability and security standards that software-driven organizations require from the cloud to increase productivity, global collaboration and the pace of releasing quality software ."

From an industry perspective, CollabNet cites the following factors that are leading to enterprise cloud development as the next wave in software development: 1) maturing cloud development platforms that provide enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance, 2) the ability to integrate commercial and open source ALM tools in the cloud, 3) the increase in Continuous Delivery in the cloud, and 4) the mainstream adoption of hybrid computing strategies that blend public and private cloud platforms based on application type and usage requirements.

CollabNet is well-suited to gauge the increased adoption of cloud development practices. The company maintains six world-class data centers that provide up to 99.99 percent average availability and stringent security controls for more than 1.5 petabytes of annual data traffic and 3.5 billion Subversion transactions per year. It maintains a highly trained operations team for managing large enterprise ALM sites, managing more than 10 terabytes of data annually and 1.6 million Subversion transactions per day for more than 25,000 users. It hosts approximately 800,000 documents and 350,000 artifacts for more than 5,000 projects using 7,000 trackers.

"We see enterprise cloud development as a growing movement in the software development industry and the result of two megatrends in IT - cloud computing and Agile ALM," said Guy Marion, vice president of cloud services for CollabNet. "Just as Agile processes are scaling across IT organizations, cloud development is moving from smaller projects to more strategic implementations that larger IT organizations are using to adopt and scale software development and deployment directly in the cloud."

CollabNet enables hybrid cloud development strategies with a portfolio of products and services that provide the performance, security and traceability today's maturing Agile-based environments require. CollabNet's cloud platforms meet enterprise needs and empowers thousands of developers to streamline the development and deployment process using a growing ecosystem of hosted open source and commercial tools, including Apache Subversion®, Git, Trac, Bugzilla, CollabNet's Agile ALM platform TeamForge®, and other leading Agile project management tools.

Dassault Systèmes Announces Isight 5.6 for Simulation Automation and Design Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

Latest Release Accelerates Design Space Exploration with Smarter Optimization and Open Integration Enhancements.

Dassault Systèmes announced the availability of Isight 5.6, the market-leading open desktop solution for simulation process automation and design optimization from SIMULIA, the Dassault Systèmes brand for realistic simulation. Isight 5.6 includes enhancements in optimization, modeling and simulation integration, and postprocessing.

Isight provides designers, engineers and researchers with an open system for integrating design and simulation models—created with various CAD, CAE and other software applications—to automate the execution of hundreds or thousands of simulations. Isight allows users to save time and improve their products by optimizing them against performance or cost metrics through statistical methods such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or Design for Six Sigma.

“Isight has features and add-ons that allow us to integrate all of the different codes and interfaces used for our physics subroutines,” said Cosimo Chiarelli, head of the Aeromechanics and Propulsion unit in Business Segment Space Infrastructure and Transportation at Thales Alenia Space Italia in Turin. “It played a key role in helping us unify our processes and saved a considerable amount of time in our design optimization process.”

Among the new features for design optimization, Isight 5.6 provides a reliability analysis technique for importance sampling that allows users to compute and sample around the most probable point of failure in a design. When compared to sampling around the mean value point, importance sampling requires orders of magnitude fewer evaluations for the same accuracy in predicting the probability of failure or success. This is especially important in the verification of high-reliability systems, such as jet turbines or automotive brakes.

“Many customers, such as Thales Alenia Space, are gaining significant business benefits from using Isight as a tool for virtual product verification and validation,” said Alex Van der Velden, director, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes. “For example, when designing a space vehicle, one rarely has the luxury of using full-scale physical prototypes to iteratively optimize both the vehicle and its reentry trajectory. Virtual testing supported by simulation automation and design exploration technology is critical in helping manufacturing companies achieve the right performing design, faster and with less physical testing.”

Isight 5.6 also enhances several components, which are the building blocks of simulation process flows. The latest release includes updates to the Abaqus component to support multiple Abaqus/CAE cases by providing users with the option to parse all detected input files and create output parameters for multiple analyses. Improvements to the Data Matching component enable the definition and matching of multiple data sets within multiple ranges.

Isight 5.6 delivers a number of postprocessing enhancements, including new options in the approximation viewer for overlay constraints graphs to perform quick trade-off studies by relaxing constraints, showing or hiding constraint boundaries, and viewing constraint violations using a floor projection graph.

For additional product information, visit: http://simulia.com/products/isight.html or http://www.3ds.com/products/simulia/portfolio/.