EGSIndia - Articles on New and Emerging Technologies

SolidWorks Configuration - for Progressive Tool Strip Layout

2011-11-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

SolidWorks Tips - Using SolidWorks Sheet Metal for Scrap Estimation at Design Stage

2011-11-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

SolidWorks 2012 - Large Design Review

2011-10-31T22:28:00.000-07:00

SolidWorks 2012 - Design Costing

2011-10-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

Six Steps in Product Design For Success

2011-10-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Six Steps is all it takes to ensure product success. Read more about this here ...

SolidWorks - Beyond Kernels

2011-10-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

SolidWorks has been an enviable product for many CAD Software developers and companies for many reasons - Ease of Use, Rich Feature / Functionality and above all empowering users with a voice that the developers listen to all the time.

When Parametric Solid Modelling was in its birth pangs, kernels, architecture, operating systems were discussed threadbare to focus on the inherent power of visualization in enabling design of better products.

It is well known that SolidWorks has been leveraging on the Solid Modelling strengths of Parasolid, Surfacing capabilities of ACIS (Spatial) and Advanced Math Libraries of CATIA to put SolidWorks on steroids as we know it today. Just looking at the Installation directory and DLL's installed would throw light on the above statement.

For many years, SolidWorks has not really been relying on any particular kernel for its existence and growth. A cursory view of features such as Multi-body parts, deformable solids, n-sided patch fill would help users understand the versatility of features that have made users love SolidWorks the way it is today.

Upward Compatibility between different releases while protecting legacy data is a de facto essential that every CAD Software developer understands and accepts. Market always determines the choice and popularity of a particular shift. Cases in point are SDRC/Ideas and CATIA V4 to V5 transformation, not to metion CADDS after Parametric Technologies acquired it. SpaceClaim uses ACIS from Spatial (owned by Dassault). Can SpaceClaim open 3D models of any CAD toolkit and still edit and change features? Yes. Why? Not because of the Kernel per se, but how the Kernel is put to use for a specific intent by the CAD Software developer.

At the user level or for that matter at the IT Data Management level, no one is really worried about the internal architecture or function calls of their underlying engine as long as the User level functionalities and flexibilities are protected, enhanced and stabilized. Even API calls from top-level user routines can be protected during version enhancements as we have seen before. When SolidWorks started it was just Parasolid. Did the user really know or get a knee-jerk reaction when SolidWorks started empowering its users with features based on multi-kernel strategy?

Whispers and innuendo's about the future SolidWorks releases may be making the rounds for reasons beyond objectivity, but SolidWorks knows that its objective is to deliver on one thing - A Pleasant User Experience. Kernels are just that - lying underneath and delivering what their masters - the code developers want. Users could not care less.

What next in 3D CAD? - Ideas for Next Generation Technology

2010-07-01T20:13:00.001-07:00

It has been over two decades since a new technology emerged in 3D CAD Design. Parametric representation and B-Rep modelling created a tectonic shift in the CAD industry spawning several codes with the latest generation exploiting the Windows architecture for ease-of-use and reach.

While history based representation has provided innumerable benefits, history free editing, a mere corollary, has been confined to limited areas of geometric manipulations in comparison to creat-modify-update-release nature of drawings for manufacture, that the industry requires.

Common challenges still remain in 3D CAD technology that needs to be addressed. Some of them include:

Handling of large data sets
Faster regeneration time during edit and update processes
Quicker and easier ways of generating/ modifying 2D Drawings
Intuitive approach to design using constraint-free environment
Operating System Independent environment
Freedom to collaborate without data translation

While the debate on choice of parametric vis-a-vis history free approach would continue, a wishlist of user-specific requirements could include the following:

2D framework that enables 3D data manipulation without losing sight of the 2D drawing - be it part or assembly (because at the end of the day the user requires a 2D Drawing anyway - am I asking for a roll back ? No !)
Hybrid approach with both History-free and History-based environment wherein the user has the choice to decide on the approach in the middle of a design process - going back and forth
Transparent inter-operability - absoluted no barriers !
Ability to handle Large data sets in fractions of time taken currently
Surface or Solid - User does not care or should not be troubled to fix 'closure volume' errors
If one can view HTML pages on any web browser, why not 3D CAD and associated 2D CAD data? e-Drawings has helped - but still more needs to be done here.
Web standards have evolved - why not leverage on this for 3D CAD environment and framework? (a.k.a Google Sketchup with an advanced framework)
OS Free, platform independent approach with distributed cloud computing (this is emerging as a serious alternative with much spoken and written about it)
If Torrents can used a distributed collaborative framework, why not leverage on this for 3D CAD data sets?

Time to re-look at Gregory Patch?

Gregory patch (remember Designbase from Ricoh?) has numerous intrinsic advantages over NURBS in terms of handling large data sets, concise representation and computationally less intensive architecture. Combined with cloud computing, history/history-free hybrid approach, simplified language (CTML - CAD Text Mark Up language?), ability to manipulate 3D data in 2D (yes - I mean this seriously) and 'Torrent'ial collaborative engineering - we will have a deadly cocktail of capabilities that I am sure the users would enjoy and celebrate !

Let us free our minds of constraints and break conventions, now that technology empowers such initiatives. Are we ready for this?

DraftSight - Is this the Google of CAD?

2010-06-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dassault Systemes recently announced FREE Download of DraftSight - an alternative to popular 2D CAD Software to create, edit, manage and share DWG Files. It sure is exciting that the 2D CAD users got an alternative that helps them get their drawings done with no investment but for internet download time !

This event is significant in more ways than one. Firstly, it emphasizes the fact that 2D CAD technology is no longer a serious choice for Design Engineers when 3D CAD, such as SolidWorks, is available at affordable costs. Secondly, the price of any product drops when demand is not there! Rightly so.

I happened to download the Beta version of DraftSight and am impressed on many counts:
1. Opening very large DWG Files is done in a fraction of the time taken by other 2D CAD software.
2. Installer is just 42 MB in Size !
3. Interface is akin to popular 2D CAD that professionals are used to.
4. Support upto Version 2010 of DWG format
5. Virtually no training is required to get started.
6. Good online documentation
7. Simple process of license activation
8. Community login based support. Online enhancement requests reviewed by developers.
DraftSight is a trendsetter for lowering the cost of ownership of 2D CAD. Costly upgrades can be avoided resulting in money saving.
Pricey 2D CAD software just became redundant. While LISP and network licensing schemes for professional users is still chargeable, these functionalities are seldom a mandatory pre-requisite. Why a network license when the license is FREE ?

For large and small organizations spending huge amount of money in buying and upgrading their existing 2D CAD software, DraftSight is an alternative worth considering seriously.

With Mac OS and Linux support coming in the near future, DraftSight is going to be OS independent. Is this the Google of CAD? While Google with its search engine has changed the lives of millions in their quest for information, knowledge and e-commerce, this CAD initiative is bound to create goodwill among CAD Engineers for continued patronage and development of a superior product at a fraction of the cost. Customers just pay for the services rendered ! Is this not Pay per use policy?

While there are many flavours of DWG editing software available, none of them comes close to DraftSight in terms of cost of ownership and above all community based support.

A Truly Appreciable initiative from Dassault Systemes indeed - CAD just got Googled !

Solving Quality Issues by Design - A G D & T and Tolerance Stack Analysis Approach

2010-03-02T08:57:00.001-08:00

White Paper on Importance of G D and T with Tolerance Stack Up Analysis for developing 0 PPM Designs and Solving Quality issues is presented with case study involving an Electric Motor Designed and analyzed using SolidWorks and SigmundWorks Software.

Quality in Assembly Build and Performance affects profitability. Acceptable quality depends on drawings that define design specifications. G D & T Drawings developed according to ASME Y14.5/ ISO Standards and ensured for correctness and completeness is the first step. Assigning least cost tolerances, predicting assembly build and performance is the next step towards developing a fool-proof quality regime. This is done by performing Tolerance Stack Up Analysis. Implementing technological tools to achieve this has following inherent benefits:
1. Correctness and Completeness of Drawings eliminates ambiguities, re-work and errors in production/ inspection processes
2. Identification of dimensional parameters affecting assembly build and performance provides insight into causes and creates objective framework for Least Cost Tolerancing
3. Incorporation of existing Process Capabilities for dimensional management enables decisions on investments in machines, tools and new processes
4. Identification of process stage, based on dimensional sensitivity, when manufacturing processes goes out of control ensures processes are monitored, corrected and controlled effectively
5. Aligning the Design Process with the Manufacturing and Inspection goals helps achieve consistent product quality at affordable cost

To integrate and sustain in a world market, at higher levels of profitability, it is essential that technology content in products is enhanced substantially – an essential ingredient for success.

Please visit: http://www.egsindia.com/whitepaper_g_d_and_t_tolerance_stacks_sigmundworks_solidworks.html

Design Validation of Automotive Systems - Benefits of using SolidWorks Simulation

2010-02-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

A new White Paper has been published by EGS India on the Benefits of Design Validation for Automotive Systems.

Automotive Industry is constantly looking at ways and means of reducing costs and staying profitable while delivering on time. Common denominator in all these challenges is Design. Companies investing in developing indigenuous Design Technologies, emerge successful in the world market and are able to sustain and innovate at a higher pace than the rest of the competition. This is possible on account of the following capabilities:

Delivering products faster with Up-front Engineering Design Validation as a part of the Product Development Process while compressing the cycle time
Lean Design by incorporating Value Engineering as a part of the Design Process ensuring evaluation of least cost alternatives before even the first prototype is developed
Increasing Reliability by Design – an Initiative that will eliminate hidden costs associated with product recall, re-design and/ or replacement of parts

EGS India to participate in Access 2010 hosted by TANSTIA - ACCESS’10 is the second in the series of International Machine Tool and Engineering Expo

2010-02-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

EGS India is participating in Access 2010 and can be visited on Booth 108. Focussing on emerging Technologies and Benefits for the Machine Tool Industry, EGS India will be highlighting the benefits of SolidWorks 2010, SigmundWorks Tolerance Analysis Software and SolidWorks Simulation as a Design Validation Tool for Product Design and Development. Additionally the ability to save, re-use and update Engineering Data using Enterprise PDM (Product Data Management) as well Publishing Manuals and Documentation using 3DVia Composer are the highlights of the program.

The Expo is being conducted at Chennai Trade Centre between February 7 -to- February 9, 2010.
All are welcome and invited to Booth 108.

2010-02-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Delivering products faster with Up-front Engineering Design Validation as a part of the Product Development Process while compressing the cycle time
Lean Design by incorporating Value Engineering as a part of the Design Process ensuring evaluation of least cost alternatives before even the first prototype is developed
Increasing Reliability by Design – an Initiative that will eliminate hidden costs associated with product recall, re-design and/ or replacement of parts

'Valuefacture' of a product ensures product acceptance by Customer while assuring improvement in bottomline profitability. Companies that have identified Design Engineering as a Profit Centre have continued to invest in tools and technologies that augment Design Validation with assured return on Investment.

Read on by registering on:

http://www.egsindia.com/whitepaper-on-Design-Validation-SolidWorks-Simulation-registration.html

White Paper focusses on the challenges faced by the Auto Industry and provides the ways and means of addressing Challenges such as Cost Reduction, Warranty Enhancement, Increased Reliability, Improved Sustainability, Reduced Product Development Cycle Time and above all Increase Product and Company USP by adding Immense Value.

Sustainable Designs helps develop Profitable Products - A SolidWorks Initiative

2009-09-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Sustainability Xpress could not have been released, by SolidWorks Corporation, at a better time, with the world looking at Initiatives to address Global Warming, Reducing Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Footprint. A simple add-in inside SolidWorks, it helps Designers understand the impact of their designs on environment early in the design stage.

In terms of recent economic downturn how do sustainable designs result in higher profit, larger market share and improved sales for engineered products? Sustainable designs need to have Conservation as the central theme. Conservation of:

Material
Energy
Resources

Conservation of Material helps lower cost of raw material used, select material that can be recycled and evaluate alternate materials that are eco-friendly. These objectives align perfectly with the cost reduction objectives of any organization that intends to remain competitive.

Conservation of Energy focuses on Energy used to produce a product as well as energy consumed by the product during its life. By integrating features in a design to reduce manufacturing stages, energy conservation starts getting addressed. Similarly by evaluating alternate methods of manufacture (such as die casting, sand casting, forging among others) not only energy consumption gets the focus it needs, cost-effectiveness also gets evaluated. This necessarily helps reduce product development costs as well. Efficient designs result in energy savings for the consumer - a USP for the product in terms of market acceptance. Again, this finds favour with energy conscious society across the world. Imagine what, a 10% energy savings in a pump used in agricultural application, can do in terms of energy consumption - the focal point in global warming.

Needless to say, initiatives in Energy conservation helps reduce input cost, increases profitability and market share as well !

Conservation of Resources is a conscious effort requiring attention in every organization to stay competitive. In addition to lowering operating costs, resource conservation in air, water and land helps reduce carbon footprint while preserving the eco-system for future generations.

SolidWorks has raised the bar, once again, when it comes to developing eco-friendly designs for a greener earth. By introducing the ability to evaluate Carbon Footprint, Environmental Impact, Water Eutrophication, Air Acidity and Energy Consumption the ability to develop greener design has become a reality.

Other contemporary CAD software should take the example of SolidWorks in enabling designers develop products with a conscientious effort to help sustain a healthy eco-system - a Social Responsibility that protects the Wealth of future generations.

Let us take the example of a flanged-shaft design as shown in the picture below:

If we look at the design in terms of a sustainable product following aspects come to mind:

Reduce the number of fasteners
Alternate Materials considering processing cost and re-use
Manufacturing process with least energy consumption
Integration of features for lesser number of manufacturing stages.

The options available are endless. Every one of them leads to a cost-effective design with one difference - Corporate Social Responsibility of a Sustaining Eco-system !

Sustainability Xpress shows the difference between Hot-rolled Steel bar and Normalized Steel bar just in material selection.

What do organizations look for in terms of profitability, increasing market share and cost savings? Weight reduction, VAVE ( Value Addition Value Engineering ), BOM reduction, Optimization and above all reliability.

Sustainable design have complete convergence with Corporate goals for higher growth. In addition to providing for ways and means to reduce costs, it helps designers achieve a sense of satisfaction of having made their contribution for a greener earth - a new experience indeed. Another perspective in Design Validation for a Greener Earth - a small but surely a firm step in the right direction.

Simulation - Cure all for beleagured engineering enterprises?

2009-02-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

In these days of economic challenges, companies are forced to look at ways and means of reducing costs to survive and stay profitable. Some of the immediate priorities that need urgent management focus include:

1. How to reduce product cost to sustain healthy margins?
2. How to innovate and deliver products of high value without compromising on safety?
3. How to increase an already shrinking market share?
4. How to eliminate warranty costs, product recall and re-work?

The questions are unending. This is just a partial list. The answers just do not seem to be there.

A careful analysis of all the questions, posed above, provides a common denominator - Design

Product cost is dictated by the Bill of Materials and Drawings. Innovation and USP of a product is driven by product function and efficiencies. Increasing market share is directly related to selling better products of higher value at affordable (read not lower) cost. Warranty issues, recall and re-work relate to product not functioning as intended. All these lead to one common cause - Design, provided the product has been manufactured to specifications provided.

It is well known, without contention, that upto 85% of product cost is influenced by design. Then it would be prudent, on the part of every company that is looking at ways and means to stay profitable, to scrutinize the design process and revisit existing designs to achieve higher levels of efficiency, profitability and success.

If the design teams were to be able to arrive at innovative designs by evaluating a variety of design concepts, validating the same using simulation tools, optimizing designs for least cost and releasing drawings incorporating functional tolerances that meet intended functions, the challenges mentioned in the beginning of this article get addressed with higher levels of reliability, confidence and perfection.

Simulation tools in design are of 3 types. They are:

Finite Element Analysis & Fluid Flow computations
Kinematic Analysis for Mechanisms
Tolerance Analysis for Stack-up calculations - Synthesis and Analysis of Tolerancing strategies for cost-effective design

CAD Integrated FE analysis and CFD computations are commonplace these days. In addition to overcoming the data translation issues found with standalone simulation tools, optimization of designs based on parametric CAD dimensions as design variables provides the design engineer with a rich set of options to quickly arrive at functional, failsafe designs.

Shaft Failure - Case Study of Warranty Problem

Above is a case study of a shaft failure, done using SolidWorks Simulation, that could have been avoided if a simple life calculation had been performed. Not only is it expensive to replace during warranty period, but time and efforts spent in getting it identified and corrected, leads to unplanned expenditure. Needless to say the company image takes a beating where the damages are incalculable.

Another example of a design gone wrong is shown below.

Case study of a Product Recall

Failure due to improper calculation of loads and stresses lead to a correction on the plastic mould. The product was re-designed for better strength, as shown in the SolidWorks Simulation design above, with a higher factor of safety. The product recall costs are staggering in addition to creation of a huge pile of inventory of parts that cannot be re-used.

Efficiency of a cyclone separator was drastically improved, at the design stage, by performing integrated CFD, as shown below in the FloWorks model. By validating early in the design process, a near-optimal cost effective design was possible for chosen configuration. Particle tracking helped understand bottlenecks such as re-circulation in addition to pressure drop calculations.

Case Study of Optimal Design: Flow Simulation of a Cyclone separator

Innovative Designs can lead to creation of a new market for products that have never been explored. In addition to creating a market share, sans competition, it helps leverage better sales for companies, resulting in increased profits.

Tolerance Analysis can help save money for any manufacturing engineering enterprise by allocating required tolerance to meet design function while minimizing costs.
Tolerance Stack-up Analysis/ Synthesis using SigmundWorks inside SolidWorks

Benefits of Simulation are many-fold. Some of the important ones are:

Do it Once – Do it Right
Give the Best to the Organization
Profit on Day One of Product Launch
Valuefacture – Eliminates Competition
Save our Planet

GD & T - Power of Feature Control Frames using SolidWorks

2008-10-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Feature Control Frame forms the heart of the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing ( GD & T ) practice for engineers involved in creating, manufacturing and inspecting designs. In fact it is the greatest invention of engineering expressions in symbolic language that it is finding unilateral acceptance by the engineering community as a whole.

For the un-initiated, let us considere a hole dimensioned as follows:
Read from left to right, the Feature Control Frame states that "Position of the Axis of a pattern of 8 holes when produced within stated size limits, can be off-centre within a diametral tolerance zone of 0.50 when produced at Maximum Material Condition, when the part is located on Datum A as Primary, Datum Feature of Size B when produced at Maximum Material Condition as Secondary and Datum C as Tertiary references."

Feature Control Frames have a characteristic symbol in the first cell, a tolerance value with a zone descriptor and material modifier (if any) as the second cell followed by cells having Datum references ranging from 1 to 3 depending on the design specification that the tolerance definition is intended to convey. Number of datums depend and possible material modifiers (on datum features of sizes) depends on the intention and feature that is controlled.

Many a times, design intent and design specifications are wrongly used interchangeably while producing drawings. GD & T Drawing is intended to convey design specifications in an unambiguous manner and not the design intent. Sounds strange? Read again !

GD & T symbols, when used with care and purpose, have been proven to reduce costs and greatly improve quality while ensuring part interchangeability and protecting the parts' intended fit, form and functions.

SolidWorks helps designers achieve a great level of definition control with GD & T using DimXpert. Even Imported geometries can have the complete Dimensional schematic completed in no time with accurate representation of the design specifications.

Feature Control Frame Definition using DimXpert

User specified Datums with selected order of precedence alongside features of sizes can be defined for various levels of control based on size, form, orientation and location. Features defined using feature control frame are ascertained for completeness of definition. Features shown as green are complete in dimensional definition. If the feature selected is a part of a pattern of features, say a hole pattern, then a common reference frame with necessary number of features are provided automatically.

Using SolidWorks, this is possible even in the case of imported geometries as shown. This approach enhances accuracy and adequacy, when dimensioning a part with a huge history of features requiring dimensioning.

When a circular feature of size, such as Datum B shown in the Figure, is selected as a datum for another feature, the feature dimensioning is automatically defined in all aspects with appropriate Feature control frame (in this case Perpendicularity) in context to the datum feature used (in this case Datum A) in precedence. This approach, not only saves time, but also ensures dimensional completeness thereby preventing ambiguity in manufacturing and inspection downstream during part manufacture.

Hole depth is also indicated in the Feature Control Frame while defining size limits. Tolerances specified as based on default values specified by the user that can be modified based on cost and practical manufacturing considerations (including machine Cp and Cpk).

When multiple features refer to the same Datum, this is automatically recognized by SolidWorks and common Datum sequence is followed in all relevant Feature Control Frames, signifying a single setting during manufacture and inspection.

In summary, DimXpert inside SolidWorks reduces effort required to develop GD & T drawings while improving accuracy of representation and completeness in definition. This eliminates ambiguity, resulting in overall cost and time savings.

Overcoming Market Challenges - A Design Approach

2008-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Recessionary trends in markets always force customers to re-think before spending and postpone high-value investment decisions. In these days of wild economic oscillations, every company involved in manufacturing and marketing of products is faced with the following scenarios:

Reduced Orders for Products
Shrinking profit margin
Competitive pricing from predatory products

Add to these challenges, the burdening effects of increased input raw material costs, extended product development time and costly re-work due to failures, we have a problem of monstrous proportions that affects the company bottom-line and survivability.

In order to stay competitive, increase market-share and provide more value for less money, product development companies need to do three things:

1. Innovate
2. Improvise
3. Implement

It is well known that 80%-85% of a product cost is driven/ decided by Design. Input raw-material, number and sequence manufacturing operations, product testing, product/ design re-work, field failure correction, enhancing product performance, improving efficiency all have their main input from Design. No time is better time than NOW to revisit our Designs and see how we can address Critical Business Issues.

Cost Reduction Exercise should be done in a conscious and time-bound manner to have any effect. Simple steps, when followed with due diligence, can turn around companies towards higher growth path and profitability. History is replete with testimonies to this cause. 'Jelly-bean' type rounded shape of Ford Taurus increased sales and profitability for Ford Motor Company in the mid-eighties on account of the three 'I's mentioned above.

Step I: Set Goals

Goal setting is an important process that determines the success rate of the exercise. Such goals should have clear alignment with Critical Business Issues facing the company. For example, let us say, a Company ABC that has had a successful run with one of their mainstream products is facing competition from an overseas Company in terms of price. The Goal could be:

Increase Overall Profit margin by 5% while addressing the following:

Reduce finished product cost by 10%
Integrate new features that lowers overall cost of ownership to end-consumer by 10%
Implement within 1 month

Goal Setting in terms of tangible benefits within specified time-line helps in more ways than one: Events Force Action

Step II: Design Action Plan

Design Team, identified to achieve stated goals, then needs to work on a definitive Action Plan with an accepted mission statement: 'Failure is not an Option'

Steps involved in the Action Plan could have following indicators:

Reduce Number of Parts going into an Assembly (by integration, elimination or augmenting product functions)
Reduce Manufacturing Operations required to produce a part (by simplifying geometry)
Reducing number of serviceable parts (thereby reducing service parts inventory)
Revisit Bill of Materials to standardize on parts (replace parts with Standard Catalog parts where permitted)
Reduce fasteners and/ or standard parts to minimum required quantities
Minimize product configurations to achieve modular variants
Evaluate Power-to-Weight Ratio for optimal utilization
Check tolerances of parts going into assemblies and perform tolerance stack-up calculations to reduce/ eliminate rejections at part/ assembly levels
Validate Designs for Fit, Form and Functional aspects with emphasis on least cost
Ask Questions such as: Why, Why-not, How, When and What for every design feature that adds to overall cost

Step III: Perform Fit, Form and Functional Validation

Revisiting every design to have a better understanding, in terms of cost is bound to be a profitable exercise. However, for proven products, the inertia to change or the fear of 'tinkering' with a working design over-powers the incentive to adopt new technologies and processes that result in a final product having the least cost and best functionality in its range. This 'fear' or 'reluctance' can be avoided or confronted ( based on the company's approach) by Validating every aspect of Design in terms of their Fit, Form and Function. This provides a basis for the engineering evolution of the product and helps revisit equations in a changed economic scenario.

Step IV: Implement

By adhering to the action plan that helps reach goals within stipulated time frame, cost reduction end benefits are assured. The will to implement after overcoming the fear of change has to be a pre-requisite to the conduct of this exercise. By re-visiting the goals and seeing how close or how far the benefits are, it helps set clear targets for further re-assessments that help build a competitive product.

None of the above would help succeed without the Team taking the ownership for the success or the not-so-successful exercise of competitive product development.

In bleak market scenarios, this exercise provides more benefits even to other areas of an Enterprise:

Redefining Value and Enhancing Customer Satisfaction
Confidence in Product Performance and Augmented USP
Pride of Ownership for a Superior Product

All the above go a long way in instilling a higher level of resolve to face competition, enhance value and reduce the overall cost of ownership for Customers and Prospects alike.

Notwithstanding other exercises, Design Re-validation is a Necessity that protects the bottom line while ensuring higher profitability for Product Development companies.

Integrated Design Validation for Fit, Form and Function Using SolidWorks - Part II

2008-10-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

Part I highlighted the Fit and Form aspects of Design Validation using SolidWorks. Additional Form Validation tools are highlighted in this part.

Form validation starts from the first step, namely, concept design. Form is validated all the time. Every dimension involves form validation. Shape optimization directly interacts with form and validates for optimal weight, cost or any variable that the designer uses to arrive at a design solution.

Draft Analysis, inside SolidWorks, helps designer to analyze designs for form requirements that are mandatory from manufacturing considerations. DraftXpert provides a range of tools for form validation inside SolidWorks.

Draft Analysis Settings and Results for Plastic Part

Curvature continuity and tangency on surfaces can be checked by using Zebra Stripes Visual Display availabel inside SolidWorks.

Zebra Stripes on Plastic Part

Undercut Detection on parts, be they plastic or die-cast, is required tofind trapped areas in a model that cannot be ejected from the mold. These areas require a side core. When the main core and cavity are separated, the side core slides in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the main core and cavity, enabling the part to be ejected. SolidWorks enables designers to perform Undercut Detection analysis to ensure manufacturability issues are addressed.

Undercut Detection in a plastic part

Similarly Curvature Analysis of parts is an important part of the design process that can be accomplished using SolidWorks with interactive measurement of curvature by traversing the mouse over the surface being analyzed.

Curvate Analysis on a Plastic Part Surface

Similarly, at Sketch level, insight into curvature variations on curves can be shown to understand form variation and control using Curvature Comb in SolidWorks.

Curvature Comb Display on Sketch Curves

Manufacturability has a direct influence on feature form. It is possible to analyze turning, milling and hole drilling operations using DFMXpress inside SolidWorks. Hole Depth-to-Diameter ratio, Minimum percentage of hole area inside a part, Milling Tool Depth-to-Diameter ratio, minimum corner radius and percentage bore relief on turned parts, minimum linear and angular tolerance zones are some of the rule-based checks that can be performed on parts designed using SolidWorks for Manufacturing feasibility.

DFMXpress Machining Feature Recognition on Pump Housing

DFMXpress Analysis of Machining Features in Pump Housing

Numerous features inside SolidWorks help Designers perform Design Validation of Form on a continuous basis. This helps avoid re-work and getting designs done right the first time.

More the next article....

Integrated Design Validation for Fit, Form and Function Using SolidWorks - Part I

2008-09-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

Competitive scenarios are compelling companies take a re-look at the Designs of their Products to incorporate higher levels of functionalities and efficiencies while addressing cost and profitability pressures. It is important to delineate Design parameters in terms of and Fit, Form and Function (F-Cubed) and validate the same to achieve stated objectives.

To recall the definitions of F-cubed, Fit addresses the interchangeability of parts in assemblies and enables assessment of the dynamic interactions of tolerances placed on features of sizes and their influences on inter-part relationships that would define functional behaviour. Form defines shape, dimensions, mass and other attributes that essentially address the design space in the context of the assembly as unique characteristics of the part being designed. Function explicitly defines the intended performance during the operational life of the part.

Design Validation of Fit, Form and Function is important to achieve stated objectives. SolidWorks offers rich set of tools to Validate designs as they evolve giving the Design Engineers a choice of alternatives to make qualified decisions. SolidWorks tools that enable the user can be classified as follows:

1. Fit: Tolerance Analysis (Tolanalyst)
2. Form: Geometry Analysis ( Sketch Xpert, DFMXpress, Draft Analysis, Curvature Analysis)
3. Function: Kinematic Analysis, Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fit:

Tolerance study inside SolidWorks for Real-world designs can be performed using TolAnalyst.

Using four simple steps, Stack-up Analysis can be performed on assemblies with ease.

1. Using DimXpert, dimension and tolerance part features either using manual or automatic mode.

2. Define Assembly Sequence for parts in order to assess dimensional chains that influence the outcome.

3. Establish Assembly Constraints to understand how each parts relates to the assembly.

4. Perform Analysis to Evaluate and review the minimum and maximum worst case tolerance stacks.

Form:

Design Validation for Form helps to arrive at a basis for the dimensions provided on the design, clarify critical dimensions that influence performance and ensure unambiguous understanding of part shape that would meet functional requirements.

Sketch level understanding of concept feasibility is easily achieved in SolidWorks.

Examples shown here of different mechanisms involving lower and higher order pair help understand the functionality of SolidWorks in achieving higher levels of confidence during the design process.

The sketches can be used in layout stage to exploit Top-Down approach in the detailed engineering design of individual parts either by an individual or as a part of a team for higher collaborative efficiency.

More in the Next article ....

CAD Obsolescence - Wither Pro/Engineer?

2008-09-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

A nondescript Russian Genius created a monster in the mid '80s - shaking the Design World with a new Paradigm called Bi-Directional Parametricity. At a time when the CAD market was ruled by the likes of IBM and EDS, along came Samuel P. Geisberg - a mathematician - from Leningrad to the Great American Promised Land - to re-write the script and re-cast the deck with all Aces up his sleeve. Rest is history. Parametric Technology Corporation, known for its Pro/Engineer came, divided and conquered, much to the chagrin of prevailing well-established CAD Software houses.

Due credit should be given to PTC for creating a new market for a new technology - driven by the passion to perform or perish. Be it Technology - Created, derived or acquired, Sales, Marketing or sheer Grit, PTC had it all. It was a great American Dream of an Enterprise that started to conquer the mind and hearts of Engineers of all hues. Sure enough, there came a time when if you were not using Pro/Engineer you were perceived as a loser or a Not-Destined-to-Succeed type.

When Success gets to the head, it starts a downslide that only self-analysis can stop. PTC was no exception. The same innovation, that helped PTC scale great heights, proved to be its nemesis. With few innovations coming in, slower adoption of, by-now-ubiquitous, Microsoft Operating System coupled with easy-to-use functional modellers (read SolidWorks) breathing down the neck, PTC had already started to show signs of cracking.

Grapevine has it that, when PTC was downsizing to stay profitable, after the acquisition of Computer Vision, a Management representative was sent to CV's not-well-known Minnesota office to close it down. Flustered by an extremely warm reception accorded to him, he reviewed the work done and was taken aback by a new product that was under development. His initiative prevented the Division closure and, surreally, PTC's own. The product ? None other than Windchill.

A re-vamped user interface (relatively easy to use toolset - much to the chagrin of the Pro/Engineer loyalists), costly re-training efforts, stability issues, loss of focus, lack of innovation and loss of marketshare, lead PTC on a downward spiral, much to the frustration of its User community and fiercely passionate loyalists who would wage a World War III in its favour.

No company that does not listen to its Customers can survive. Not an unfamiliar adage? Still PTC chose to ignore them and with them their wads of Dollars that PTC just could not get. Is it a surprise that PTC was able to add only a fraction of new users Year-on-Year while contemporary CAD software corporations continued to grow with users at many orders of magnitude? Losing new orders, a shrinking client base due to attrition by vibrant new CAD products, and increased frustration amongst its own user community (who looked, with disdain, at PTC's stock getting flogged ) is perilous, however cash-rich a company may be.

Spending hard-earned dollars on acquisitions of Abortext (just because one of its large clients wanted a synergy between Pro/E and Abortext publishing), MathCAD, NC Graphics and, now, CoCreate, while losing focus on Mainstream product that took PTC to its dizzying heights added to the ills. Nevertheless, PTC was intent on playing its own requiem.

Now, PTC is up for sale, by its looking-to-cash-on-the-last-stop operatives. A relevant message for all CAD companies is apparently written on the wall.

Innovation, Improvisation, Hearing customers and Raising the Technology Bar are the Pre-requisites for any CAD Technology Company to survive and conquer. It is not the dollars in the bank that matters in the long run. It is the place in the broad hearts of the CAD users, aspiring to create new designs, that cements a permanent position. Money will come in with popularity and acceptance.

Alas PTC is scripting its own Swan's song for Pro/Engineer.... So long comrade ....

Direct Editing of Imported Geometries using SolidWorks 2008 - Choices for the User

2008-07-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

SolidWorks has been a peacefully co-existent, co-operative, neighbour for almost all contemporary 3D CAD platforms. Its ease-of-use combined with the ability to import, edit, update and possibly re-hash complete designs, has made it more popular among the design community. How effective is SolidWorks in terms of direct editing of imported history-free geometries while preserving history data in edit-mode? This article sets out to explore the new features in SolidWorks 2008, that enables an Engineer to work with non-native geometry providing rich functional tools to help get the job done.

As shown, 3D CAD model of a plastic telephone part, in Parasolid Format, was taken as an example to explore the functionalities available in SolidWorks 2008 to perform Direct Editing functions on non-SolidWorks geometries. The Parasolid Geometry came in fine without any errors.

By just picking on the filleted surface (as shown), Instant3D functionality immediately recognized the multiple-radii fillets and made the feature dimensions available to the user for parametric modification. Multiple selection of features, such as fillets, were possible for instant editing, saving on time and effort.

Chamfers, even on thin-walled sections, were recognized for parametric modification and update, as shown. Again, this was possible for multiple-selections. In addition to Instant3D, FeatureWorks (available in SolidWorks Office Professional) could be used to completely de-feature the imported 3D CAD model, either interactively or using the Automatic option.

Adding or editing existing draft always poses a challenge in Imported geometries. SolidWorks provides DraftXpert as well as Draft recognition tools in FeatureWorks to make parametrically editable draft features, that would have otherwise taken more time to manipulate without history-based associativity.

As shown in the figure, adding adequate draft and incorporating fillets on features of CAD parts can be challenging and sometimes impossible. Inside SolidWorks, if draft has been incorporated in the imported geometry, it can be modified by using FeatureWorks, avoiding surface manipulation that can sometimes be time consuming. Alternately, new draft can be added to existing drafted surfaces resulting in updated geometries for re-use.

Interestingly, if a fillet is added at the root of the feature, before the draft, regeneration of the model can result in regeneration errors due to feature-precedence problems. This could result in loss of productive time, effort and increase frustration for the user, especially if there are too many of them.

Figure shows fillet being added before a draft and subsequent regeneration error.

FeatureXpert helps resolve such problems with ease, in addition to providing users with multiple options to either eliminate or overcome the problem. In this case, FeatureXpert has helped re-order the draft and fillet features on the history-tree thereby eliminating such time-consuming errors, upfront.

There are bound to be situations wherein imported geometries have bad surface definitions necessitating only a brute-force surgical correction to help overcome problems. SolidWorks provides editing of model surfaces in terms of deleting, deleting and patching and deleting and filling thereby providing the user with multiple options and choices for use, per the situational demands.

Re-construction of surfaces and replacing existing ones with the new ones are possible. This functional advantage results in time and cost savings while augmenting design for manufacture practices. SolidWorks ability to handle large and complex feature data sets provides a good platform for inter-operability with other 3D CAD systems.

Some of the problems of feature-based editing and modification, in the past, has been the time taken to regenerate the model and time / effort required to fix regeneration errors during the process of re-design incorporating SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technlogy ( SWIFT ) to dynamically re-order features and giving customers a choice of alternatives to overcome/ avoid regeneration errors, SolidWorks has established a new paradigm in Intelligent editing of imported 3D non-native geometries without compromising on proven parametric history-based technology that has made 3D popular as it is today, with bi-directional associativity.

New SolidWorks Videos

2008-06-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

Exciting SolidWorks Videos have been added to EGS India Website for the benefit of the Design Engineering Community.

Following Videos highlight latest trends in Design Technologies using SolidWorks.

1. Mechanism Design Functions in SolidWorks
2. SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology ( SWIFT ) - Benefits in Design
3. New Features in SolidWorks 2008
4. Large Assembly Management using SolidWorks 2008
5. SolidWorks 2D Drawing Creation - Capturing Design Intent

Contact EGS India - SolidWorks Reseller in Chennai, Coimbatore INDIA for your Design Requirements.

Synchronous Technology from Siemens - History-Free modelling - Myth or Reality?

2008-06-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Of late the CAD Market has been active with discussions on the 'new' technology marketed by Siemens as Synchronous Technology - a new paradigm in Mechanical CAD. Some CAD gurus term it revolutionary, path-breaking and a panacea for the ills of Parametric Technology ( not PTC !), while other seasoned users and I-have-seen-this-often CAD specialists want to be cautious and adopt a wait-and-watch approach.

One of the common thread underlying the discussions on Pro's and Con's has been that Parametric approach has been beset with two issues , namely errors during regeneration and time taken to edit a design having a long history-tree. Hence history-free modelling approach seems to offer a solution to these issues. Instead of taking extreme stand with respect to either History-based or History-free approach, a middle path trying to capitalize on the benefits of both approaches seems to be emerging. This is definitely a positive trend for the 3D CAD Industry and the user as well.

From the perspective of a Design Engineer using 3D CAD, following points remain in focus for any tool to retain its popularity and acceptance:

1. Ease of Use
2. Bi-directional Parametricity with easy-to-generate-drawings having driving dimensions
3. Tolerance Analysis for stack-up calculations
4. Knowledge Management for re-use of design procedures
5. Design Drawing Automation
6. Error-free 2D Drawing for downstream usage in Manufacturing, Inspection, Assembly, Service among other functions.
7. Dimensional Management for Fit, Form and Function

Most of these requirements would need parametricity, constraints, relations between Features of Sizes that goes well with Parametric History-based approach.

One of the points that needs to be addressed critically, is Freedom to Edit Designs developed on any CAD system. Let us look at a scenario wherein an organization develops a design and transfers the same to another manfuacturing facility for prototype development. If the Design data can be changed inadvertantly without leaving a trace of the change (read history-free) it sounds scary with obviously undesirable implications! Freedom can result in abuse !!

Every technology has its advantages and dis-advantages.

Development of 2D Drawings that enables parametric updates and changes to dimensions need to have higher focus. This gets complicated with History-free approach on account of the bi-directional facility enjoyed by the Engineering community.

Simply said, History-based technology provides a facility to Undo, Modify and Redo a design concept at any stage in design process. History-free approach necessitates correctional approach that may involve re-work. Things done in a fraction of a second may require more steps with History-free approach. Parametric dimensions on a drawing would necessarily have to be re-visited by the Designer when a model undergoes a change in History-free approach while it would not be so with History-based approach.

I guess a consensus would emerge with more players such as SolidWorks (that already has Instant3D and SWIFT to address direct editing and regeneration/re-ordering issues) working on ways to address this requirement without sacrificing on the benefits currently enjoyed by the Design community.

Convergence of methods is sure to be in focus for time to come. At the end of the day, Users would be the winners !!

EGSIndia: Engineering Design Newsletter - June 2008 Edition Released

2008-06-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

EGS India has launched the June 2008 Edition of its Newsletter for the benefit of the Engineering Design community.

Interesting articles on Time Management for Projects, Finite Element Thought for the Day, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing ( GD & T ) - Usage of GD & T Symbols, Kinematic Analysis of Ingenuous Mechanism Designs using CosmosMotion are provided in this recent edition of EGSIndia Newsletter.

Thought provoking article in the 'Did You Know' column and Benefits of a recent Design Seminar conducted by EGSIndia - Reseller of SolidWorks, Cosmos, PDMWorks in Chennai, Coimbatore, India are highlighted.

Please visit following web pages for more information:

http://www.egsindia.com/index.php

http://www.egsindia.com/June-08/NS-June-08-newsletter.html

http://www.egsindia.com/gdandt.html

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Course Offered by EGS India

2008-04-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

EGS India has been offering a Comprehensive Practical course on Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing per ASME Y 14.5 (2000) standards for Organizations in India.

In addition to teaching the basics of GD&T for participants, EGS India has been providing hands-on training with practical problem solving to customers having wide-ranging applications from Consumer products, Defence, Automotive, Machine Tool to Power and Process applications.

Contact EGS India at info@egs.co.in for more details on GD&T courses for Corporate Requirements.

Product Design Newsletter Launched by EGS India

2007-11-09T05:08:00.000-08:00

EGS India has launched a Product Design Newsletter to disseminate information, knowledge and experiences in the areas of Engineering Design, Simulation using Finite Element Analysis, Best Practices in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing ( GD&T ), Analysis to test correlations, Recent Trends in CAD & CAE Technologies.

Online Newsletter can be found by accessing:

http://www.egsindia.com/NS1/newsletter.htm

Highlights of the Newsletter include:

1. Topics in Product Design including innovations, new concepts and technologies
2. Success stories of CAD & CAE Implementation
3. Articles on Finite Element Analysis
4. Experiences in Product Design & Simulation
5. Seminars and Product Launches in SolidWorks CAD & Cosmos FEA
6. Training information and articles on Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing

Introduction to EGS India

2007-11-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

About EGS India: EGS Computers India Private Limited, since 1993, has been in the forefront of delivering solutions to customers in the following areas:

Product Design and Development, Remaining Life Calculations, Validation using Finite Element Analysis
Sales & Technical Support for SolidWorks and Cosmos FEA Software for Computer Aided Engineering in India
Customization of Engineering Design activities
Training in advanced engineering functions relating to design and development.

Backed by years of product development experience, conventional wisdom and lateral thinking, the team of specialists at EGS India have been working with Large and Small Engineering Enterprises alike, in providing Engineering Solutions for mission critical programs while challenging the frontiers of technologies.