Top Product

Design methodology

          • speeds design time
            • works with most existing CAD/CAM packages

Developed over six years within this company’s design center, two structured methodologies for manufacturing design are commercially available in the form of a 3-day training program. Named Horizontal Modeling (HM) and Digital Process Design (DPD), the HM process enables rapid process design changes without time-consuming dismantling and rebuilding of 3D CAD models. Designers can work from fewer CAD models, streamlining the design process while improving productivity. DPD, which uses HM to produce single, fully associative in-process models, directly links product design to process documentation. Drawings are automatically created, updated and deployed with minimal rework or design redundancy. The faster design-to-manufacture process yields greater productivity and speeds time to market.

Delphi Corp, Troy, MI.
www.rsleads.com/311df-177

Busbar software
Flexibar Preformed software allows one to create a custom design or select a standard shape to generate an RFQ for specific application needs. Parameter options include ampacity, number of laminates, width, lengths, shapes and hole sizes. Flexibar flexible insulated busbar encases a stack of electrolytic copper laminates within PVC insulation, and may be twisted and bent to fit panel- and switch-board situations.

Erico, Solon, OH.
www.rsleads.com/311df-178

Electrical CAD
AutoCAD Electrical 2004 software integrates basic AutoCAD software with VIA Wiring Diagram (WD), producing full, native dwg files for 2D and 3D designing. Features include automatic wire numbering and component tagging, automatic project reports, automatic PLC I/O drawings from spreadsheets, the ability to re-use existing drawings, design auditing and cross-reference checking.

Autodesk Inc, San Rafael, CA.
www.rsleads.com/311df-179

Scanner for OCR
Readiris Pro 8 OCR automatic document recognition software has been incorporated into HP Scanjet 8200 series scanners. Paper documents and pdfs can be converted by the 4800 dpi scanner into editable text in various character formats (including Latin, Cyrillic, Greek and various Asian languages) and output formats like MS Word, rtf, html and Staroffice. Tables and graphs are recognized and coded accordingly.

Image Recognition Integrated Systems, Delray Beach, FL.
www.rsleads.com/311df-180

Control design, simulation
MATRIXx 6.3 control design and simulation software suite runs both on Windows and Solaris systems and features improved data visualization with Xmath contour lighting, greater diagram printing control, comprehensive help, and enhances SystemBuild modeling capabilities with componentization for hierarchical organization. This version is both backward and forward compatible.

National Instruments, Austin, TX.
www.rsleads.com/311df-181

IC design software
Upgraded for faster, more accurate circuit simulation, schematic entry and waveform analysis of integrated circuits on the Windows platform, T-Spice Pro 9 IC design and simulation software can be used for analog, mixed-signal and MEMS designs. Display output formats are available with increasing levels of detail and algorithms have been refined to provide quick table-based simulations and precise circuit behavior.

Tanner EDA, Pasadena, CA.
www.rsleads.com/311df-182

Expanded fluid flow analysis
This company’s fluid flow analysis software now includes full CAD/CAE associativity supported by the capability to produce fast, hybrid (bricks on the model surface and tetrahedral inside) FEA meshes for fluid domains defined in leading CAD solid modelers. Another addition is the ability to consider flow through porous media such as filters and catalyst beds.

Algor Inc, Pittsburgh, PA.
www.rsleads.com/311df-183

Portable CMM
The Advantage FaroArm and Tracker portable coordinate measuring machines offer lower-cost, lower tolerance measurements. The FaroArm has one 3 mm and two 6 mm Zircon hard probes and can be customized. The Tracker has a range of 165 ft and accuracy of 72 microns at 20 ft. Both are available with optional CAM2 Measure metrology software and 2 GHz Pentium 4 laptops.

FARO Technologies Inc, Lake Mary, FL.
www.rsleads.com/311df-184

Application Xtra 

Rendered images
ImageStudio 3D rendering software is streamlined to provide images in a fraction of the time taken by conventional software; complex shader and lighting setup can be bypassed to create an image in under an hour. ‘Mental ray’ rendering technology supports Image Based Lighting for high-quality, realistic images. 3D files are accepted from StudioTools, Maya and IGES; and output can be bmp, jpg, tif or QuickTime VR.

Alias Systems, Toronto, CA.
www.rsleads.com/311df-185

Charged particle analysis
Incorporating a multi-method solver, Lorentz 2D v6.1 software for the design and analysis of charged particles in the presence of electromagnetic fields aids creation of beam optics devices and components. The multi-method solver includes finite elements, boundary elements or a hybrid FEBEM combined mode. An improved iterative matrix solver and self-adaptive algorithm have been improved for greater speed.

Integrated Engineering Software, Winnepeg, MB.
www.rsleads.com/311df-186

CAD
OneSpace Designer 2004 includes enhancements to Drafting, Modeling, Sheet Metal, Drawing Manager and Model Manager modules. Sheet Metal now generates sheets from solids; Modeling provides dynamic drag and snap feedback in 3D CoPilot and various machining commands; while the Managers provide out-of-the-box installation, restoration of previous days work and protection from accidental overwrite.

CoCreate Software Inc, Fort Collins, CO.
www.rsleads.com/311df-187

Reverse engineering
With the rapid surfacing options for PolyWorks/Modeler V8, users quickly build curve networks over accurate polygonal meshes and automatically fit a network of G1-continuous NURBS surfaces over curve networks. Selected patches can be subdivided to improve localized accuracy. T-junctions (where multiple 4-boundary patches are connected) are fully supported into the NURBS surface generation.

InnovMetric Software, Québec City, QC.
www.rsleads.com/311df-188

Direct data transfer
FeatureCAM software are certified for Autodesk Inventor 7 and have added capability with Pro/ENGINEER and SolidEdge. Several part files can be opened directly from these formats, as well as SolidWorks, CATIA, AutoCAD, and STEP. The software maintains data integrity during the translation process, providing a seamless transition from CAD to CAM.

Engineering Geometry Systems, Salt Lake City, UT.
www.rsleads.com/311df-189

DFM software
The eSight design for manufacturability software tests and analyzes PCB design, assessing the entire design-to-build process. It can perform hundreds of tests for such applications as solder mask impingement, component keep-out areas, fiducials clearance or via-to-edge features. A free viewer allows results and comments to be shared.

Router Solutions Inc, Newport Beach, CA.
www.rsleads.com/311df-190

Steam system tutorial
This company’s website provides a reference resource for steam system design, optimization and maintenance. Tutorials include System Solutions, Learning Center, Technical Library, Steam Tables, and CAD Resources. More than 1000 CAD drawings are available to aid system design. The steam tables calculate steam load requirements.

Spirax Sarco, Blythewood, SC.
www.rsleads.com/311df-191

FEA for Windows
Designed specifically for Windows, Strand7 general purpose FEA system is used for static, dynamic and heat transfer analysis of structures and comprises pre- and post-processing and solver functionality in a single application. Its bi-directional data transfer interacts with various CAD programs, office automation and other analysis packages. Both non-linear and linear structures can be analyzed.

G+D Computing, Sydney, Australia.
www.rsleads.com/311df-192

Computed tomography
FlashCT 3D scanning system provides compares ‘as-built’ parts to ‘as-designed’ models, performing FEA on ‘as-built’ structures and creating rapid prototype models of scanned components. Full volume CT data is processed into a polygonal mesh for import into engineering design and analysis software. The FlashCT software includes modules for data acquisition (DAQ), processing (DPS) and visualization (VIZ).

Hytec Inc, Los Alamos, NM.
www.rsleads.com/311df-193

Digital pen
The Logitech I/O ball-point pen uses an optical sensor to capture everything written or drawn with it, including notes, sketches, email, calendar, etc. Once downloaded to a PC environment, the accompanying software automatically sorts notes into boxes checked for each page for organization and retrieval. Up to 40 pages can be stored between transfers, accomplished via USB link.

Scientifics, Tonawanda, NY.
www.rsleads.com/311df-194

Thermal analysis
Optimized for heat-transfer analysis, SINDA/G thermal analysis is integrated with MSC.Patran pre- and post-processing to provide stable non-linear models running up to 7x faster than less-specialized FEA codes. The software supports industry-standard radiation and orbital heating programs, such as Thermica, NEVADA, TSS and TRASYS. It also interfaces with other CAD/CAE systems.

Network Analysis Inc, Chandler, AZ.
www.rsleads.com/311df-195

Online nozzle selection
iSpray interactive web tool enables users to evaluate and select spraying nozzles, based on flow rate and pressure requirements. Proprietary tools aid in determining capacity and configuring tooling, coating and humidification for building complete nozzle assemblies. Photos, drawings and detailed specifications as well as info on various nozzle types are available.

Spraying Systems Co, Wheaton, IL.
www.rsleads.com/311df-700

CATIA upgrade
Version V5R12 employs semantic features that capture design intent, helping designers of electronic, elec-trical and consumer goods to concentrate on what they want to model and not how to perform the model-ing. Other features include full-scale coverage of composite parts design, a "5-axis helix machining" func-tion, and components for the shipbuilding industry; specifically, compartment and access objects definition, and heavy structures detailed design.

IBM CATIA, Dallas, TX.
www.rsleads.com/311df-701

Graphics card
The Parhelia HR256 card provides optimal support for video, 2D and 3D graphics on high-resolution, multi-input digital displays such as the 9 mega pixel IBM T221 and the ViewSonic VP2290b. For use in standard workstations, the HR256 handles graphics acceleration for tasks such as analysis of detailed im-agery and large models, CAD, aerospace and automotive visualization, and digital photography. Features include a quad single-link DVI interface, enabling both a quad DVI and dual LFH-60 direct connection.

Matrox Graphics Inc, Dorval, QC.
www.rsleads.com/311df-703