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Why a soccer kick bends the ball path: SOLIDWORKS simulation

With SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, you can virtually test a ball's flight path and see the science behind its amazing trajectory. Visualize anything you want to test, including the physics that make a ball curve and dip, to optimize performance and reduce physical testing. See the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation study setup and learn about the Magnus effect where a spinning object moving through a fluid curves away from its straight path. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of SOLIDWORKS]
View the video.

New CAM software cuts robotic machining deployment

At Automate (Booth #4476), RoboDK will showcase RoboDK CAM, which generates robotic machining programs directly from CAD files. Designed for easy deployment, it cuts setup time by up to 40%. Live demonstrations will show users how to create collision-free robot motion straight from CAD data, eliminating manual line-by-line coding.
Learn more about RoboDK CAM.

AI Tools You Can Use: What is OpenClaw? How do I get it and use it?

OpenClaw is trending big time right now, but what is it? The YouTubers over at Create a Pro Website run through the basics of what you need to know and how to implement it. Basically, OpenClaw is a next-gen 24/7 AI assistant that lives on your computer and can perform actions for you. You talk to it through a chat app. You can set it up to do real work such as alert you to important emails, answer emails for you, manage your calendar and travel, and so much more. There is a great intro video here and also a longer, very thorough step-by-step video to setting up OpenClaw.
View the OpenClaw intro video.
View the OpenClaw setup video.

What's new in hyperMILL 2026?

OPEN MIND Technologies has announced a wide range of new and enhanced capabilities in its hyperMILL 2026 CAD/CAM Software Suite that save time and increase accuracy. For precise and efficient 2.5D, 3D, precision 5-axis, and mill/turn machining, hyperMILL offers users exceptionally productive programming and powerful machining strategies. Check out all the new features.
Learn more.

SOLIDWORKS: Mastering sheet metal -- advanced tips and tricks

GoEngineer's Brady Daniels, Senior Applications Engineer, gives a master class in next-level sheet metal design. This on-demand webinar covers practical tips and techniques aimed at expanding your understanding and improving real-world workflows. Topics include bend calculations, comparing design approaches, how flat patterns work, and embracing multi-body design. Skip through or take in the whole presentation when you have time. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of GoEngineer]
View the GoEngineer video.

What are Onshape Custom Features?

Certified Onshape Professional Too Tall Toby explains how to supercharge your workflow using community-created tools. In this insightful tutorial, he dives into the world of FeatureScript -- the powerful coding language behind Onshape. Learn where to find new scripts and how to use them. Save time. Learn new skills, shortcuts, and maybe even better ways to do things. Incorporate Custom Features into your everyday work. Very useful.
View the video.

What can the new Autodesk Inventor AI Assistant do for you?

Autodesk Assistant brings industry-specific context to help execute tasks and orchestrate actions across your 3D models -- not just answer questions. Designed to understand your workflows, Assistant appears as a dockable panel alongside your Inventor workspace and includes the ability to perform complex tasks or gather information from your designs without writing a single line of code. Find out what this new AI "colleague" can do for you.
Watch this informative Autodesk video.

AI and collaboration in SOLIDWORKS

Discover AURA, the new AI assistant built into SOLID-WORKS, in this informative video from TriMech Group. What can AURA do for you? It can streamline workflows and make collaborating on and tracking projects even easier, for starters. Other top features of SOLIDWORKS Design 2026 are also covered. Some good tips here.
View the TriMech Group video.

Digital Engineering: How a private jet gets a high-end refurb

Ever wonder how private jets get overhauled from standard OEM layouts to exotic, artful interiors? It takes engineering expertise, specialty design skills, and true craftspeople. Increasingly, it also takes automation provided by middleware to weave a digital thread through CAD, BOM, ERP, and PDM software.
Read the full article.

How AI is quietly transforming simulation

Is AI really useful, or is it just a passing trend? Balavignesh Vemparala, an R&D Engineer II at ANSYS, lays out a compelling case for how artificial intelligence is already hard at work in the simulation world with real results for users. From faster solves to accelerated workflows, improved quality and traceability, generative models, and more, discover what you might be overlooking when it comes to real-world AI application. Worth the read.
Read this informative ANSYS blog.

SOLIDWORKS 2026 assembly updates: GoEngineer

In this GoEngineer video, you can learn how SOLIDWORKS 2026 is making assembly workflows smarter, faster, and more efficient. Explore the latest enhancements to assemblies, including: streamlined display and configuration tables, AI-assisted fastener mating, improved performance for lightweight components, and more.
View the GoEngineer video.

Xometry's CAD Add-Ins: Get instant pricing, lead times in your workspace

Xometry's add-ins for SOLID-WORKS, Fusion, and Onshape allow engineers and designers to purchase custom manufactured parts within their preferred CAD workspace. These no-cost add-ins analyze the geometry of CAD designs and allow users to select their preferred material, process, and part quantity to get real-time pricing and lead times. This seamless integration of custom manufacturing quotes allows you to move efficiently through your product development process.
Get the Xometry add-in for your favorite CAD program today.

Mastercam 2026 is here!

Mastercam 2026, the powerhouse for precision machining, is packed with exciting new features designed to boost productivity and streamline workflows. Highlights include: enhanced solid hole functionality, classic mill toolpath support in Mill-Turn, new levels and planes managers, PrimeTurning enhancements, the all-new AI-powered Mastercam Copilot programming assistant, and a whole lot more.
Learn about all the new features.

Automatically generate technical drawings in SOLIDWORKS 2025

Did you know you can generate 2D technical drawings directly from a part or an assembly environment automatically with SOLIDWORKS 2025 release FD01? What a great feature for creating tech manuals, detailed production drawings, and more. Learn from the experts at TriMech Group how this tool "eliminates repetitive setup tasks and helps you focus on real engineering and design."
View the video.
Like this tip? Learn how to create an exploded view too.

10 best updates from the last 5 years: SOLIDWORKS

Follow along with the experts at TriMech Group as they chronicle the top feature updates in SOLIDWORKS. Are you still using SOLIDWORKS 2020 -- or an even older version? Find out what you are missing, such as: enhanced rendering and new technical drawing tools; improved file sharing, collaboration, and workflows; advanced customization and UI improvements; faster and more efficient assemblies and simulations; and more.
View the TriMech video.

3D inverse design helps military OEM develop unique cooling fans

A U.S.-based defense contractor, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of life support systems (LSS) for military applications, had a need for a custom fan to be integrated in its product line. With TURBOdesign1 from Advanced Design Technology (ADT), the company was able to bring the fan design process in-house and cut design time as well as production cost.

In developing the fan, engineers were challenged to develop a large air-flow-volume, low-pressure fan characteristic with high air velocities over the stator blades. In order to achieve the best aerodynamic efficiency, it was required to avoid separation at the stator while recovering the static pressure. No existing standard design was known that could satisfy the requirements to efficiency, size, and operating speed.

Reducing the fan noise was an additional design objective. Certain rotor design features were desirable to minimize fan noise: forward sweep of the rotor blades, plus reduced chord length at the shroud were to eliminate the possibility of vortices shedding off from the suction side of the rotor blades and hitting the next blade pressure side close to the trailing edge. Another desirable feature was positive blade stacking at the rotor blade tip to minimize losses and noise associated with the tip clearance.

Originally, the company evaluated several conventional fan design approaches, including all the available commercial codes for design of turbomachinery based on a direct design approach. The evaluation criteria included computer system requirements and associated hardware costs, the number of engineers needed to be involved in the design process, and the learning curve to produce new designs with a high level of confidence. ADT's TURBOdesign1 software came out the winner, in part because it did not require special hardware and, after just three weeks of initial training, engineers were able to tackle their first fan design case.

The design team used ADT's TURBOdesign1 3D inverse design code to introduce these new features and achieve rotor blade loading that produces the required flow and pressure rise at the lowest shaft power with a sufficient stall margin.

After completing and testing two different axial fan designs, the company engineers became more confident that their next designs would be successful. Examples of the resulting geometries of the stage are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1. The resulting geometry of one of the axial flow stages designed by TURBOdesign1.

 

 

Figure 2. The final hardware model.

 

 

ADT's TURBOdesign1 inverse design code, used together with CD Adapco Star CCM+ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, has proven to satisfy all of the new design objectives.

"We found ourselves using all the features implemented in the TURBOdesign1 code," said the company's aerodynamics engineer. "In addition to specifying meridional geometry and blade loading, having the ability to specify custom blade thickness, stacking location, and stacking profiles was very useful in achieving good aerodynamic designs."

TURBOdesign1 output data was exported to a spreadsheet, and additional design parameters, like diffusion factor for axial fans, were evaluated during the design procedure. This gave the designers an even higher level of confidence early in the design process, before taking it to CFD for evaluation and prototype construction and testing.

The use of ADT's TURBOdesign1 software made it possible to design an entirely new cooling fan from scratch, starting only from design requirements. In the process, the company was able to eliminate the costs of using outside consultants, reduce the lead time for new turbo-machinery designs of this type, and produce its own designs in-house that are best suited to its application needs.

"We cannot put a dollar figure on our new ability to design our own fans," said one design engineer. "But, in our opinion, it's invaluable."

Want more information? Click below.

ADT's TURBOdesign1

Source: Advanced Design Technology (ADT)

Published June 2013

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