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hyperMILL 2024 CAD/CAM software suite

OPEN MIND Technologies has introduced its latest hyperMILL 2024 CAD/CAM software suite, which includes a range of powerful enhancements to its core toolpath capabilities, as well as new functionality for increased NC programming efficiency in applications ranging from 2.5D machining to 5-axis milling. New and enhanced capabilities include: Optimized Deep Hole Drilling, a new algorithm for 3- and 5-axis Rest Machining, an enhanced path layout for the 3D Plane Machining cycle, better error detection, and much more.
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Find test data issues faster: AI Anomaly Detector

It can take months of manual engineering time to detect test data abnormalities. Now the task can be performed in a flash. Artificial intelligence software provider Monolith has developed the industry's first AI-powered Anomaly Detector software that can discover a broad range of issues in test data fast -- measurement or sensor errors, user errors, system malfunctions, or incorrect usage of the system during testing. It does this by automating the process of raw test data inspection to look for potential errors or abnormalities across hundreds of test channels.
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Loss-free conversion of 3D/CAD data

CT CoreTech-nologie has further developed its state-of-the-art CAD converter 3D_Evolution and is now introducing native interfaces for reading Solidedge and writing Nx and Solidworks files. It supports a wide range of formats such as Catia, Nx, Creo, Solidworks, Solidedge, Inventor, Step, and Jt, facilitating smooth interoperability between different systems and collaboration for engineers and designers in development environments with different CAD systems.
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Top 5 reasons for solder joint failure

Solder joint reliability is often a pain point in the design of an electronic system. According to Tyler Ferris at ANSYS, a wide variety of factors affect joint reliability, and any one of them can drastically reduce joint lifetime. Properly identifying and mitigating potential causes during the design and manufacturing process can prevent costly and difficult-to-solve problems later in a product lifecycle.
Read this informative ANSYS blog.

How a BattleBot was built using Onshape

Learn how RoboGym Robotics, a veteran BattleBots team, said goodbye to Solidworks and took their design game to the next level using Onshape, the cloud-native, all-in-one CAD and PDM solution. RoboGym was able to analyze key components of their Roundhouse BattleBot like its armor and weapon bar, run simulations, collaborate, iterate, and optimize their design to its fullest.
Read this informative Onshape blog.

Trick to measuring angles in SOLIDWORKS

Learn from the pros at TriMech how to take angle measurements easily in SOLID-WORKS. TriMech has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to SOLIDWORKS tips, and the company is excellent at training too.
View the video.

COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.2 is here

COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.2 introduces faster solvers for turbulent fluid flow, electric motors, and room acoustics. It also brings data-driven surrogate model functionality for creating multiphysics-based digital twins and building fast and accurate standalone simulation apps. Get the full details of what's new in the latest version.
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17 ways SOLIDWORKS 2024 helps you work faster

SOLIDWORKS 2024 helps designers and engineers work faster than ever. Learn all about improvements to core 3D CAD modeling features, new 3D modeling techniques, and graphical and software performance boosts that will help you get your parts made and your products developed in record time.
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6 tips to streamline workflow in Mastercam 2024

Mastercam 2024 CAD/CAM software has been intentionally upgraded to make programming fast and easy. It prioritizes streamlining workflow so that the entire machining process -- from design to QC -- is as efficient as possible. Learn how to maximize the benefits of Mastercam 2024, including special toolpaths, easier hole-making operations, wireframe shortcuts, and more.
Read this informative Mastercam blog.

How CT data analysis is helping TE Connectivity reach their goal of end-to-end quality inspection

In a bid to cut their mold and part development process to 25% of the time it took in the past, TE Connectivity has taken ambitious steps to interconnect design and simulation with quality measurement. Learn how the company, in collaboration with PTC (Creo) and Volume Graphics, has worked to ensure as-designed parts match as-manufactured parts as early in the process as possible. An in-depth and illuminating read.
Read the full article.

State-of-the-art mesh morphing technology for super optimization: Ansys and RBF Morph join forces

After a long and successful OEM partnership with Ansys, mesh morphing pioneer RBF Morph has two proprietary products featured among the world simulation leader's offerings: Ansys RBF Morph Fluids and Ansys RBF Morph Structures. Thanks to mesh morphing, companies can substantially reduce computational time while performing highly automated design optimization analysis, increasing products' reliability and performance while cutting costs, delivery time, and environmental impact.
Read the full article.

Top Tech Tip: Creating drafts with the rib feature in Onshape

Ribs are used to add stiffness and strength to parts without adding excessive weight or increasing wall thickness -- most commonly in molded parts that require a draft angle so the part can release from the mold. See the basics of how this is done in Onshape, which features the power of cloud computing, real-time collaboration tools, and a built-in PDM system -- all for the same price as CAD.
Learn more.

How to design a spoon with subdivision modeling: SOLIDWORKS xShape

Learn how to design a spoon with SOLIDWORKS xShape, which is found in 3D Sculptor on the 3DEXPERI-ENCE platform. xShape is a next-gen subdivision modeling tool that runs entirely in your browser and takes a freeform approach to creating complex shapes and surfaces. You can design 100% in the cloud or seamlessly integrate your xShape models with your SOLIDWORKS designs. Follow along with this 7-minute tutorial to see what it's all about.
View the video.

What's new in Onshape?

Check out the latest updates to Onshape, the cloud-native product development platform that delivers professional-grade CAD capabilities with next-gen product data management. New features include customizable keyboard shortcuts, better BOM navigation, improved drawing tools, and new Learning Center content. With Onshape, users can innovate quickly while simultaneously or asynchronously collaborating with other stakeholders on any web-connected device.
View the video.

Open-access learning center for multiphysics modeling

COMSOL, the developer of the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, has introduced a new online resource that provides no-cost, open access to modeling and simulation learning material across all areas of physics. Designed with the user in mind, the Learning Center offers a single entry point for users of all skill levels, where courses, articles, and videos present a clear path for learning how to use COMSOL Multiphysics for modeling and simulation.
Check out the COMSOL Learning Center.

Maple helps engineers design propulsion systems for some of the world's biggest ships

Ships keep the global economy moving. Whether they are ultra-large crude carriers transporting oil from the Middle East, container vessels transferring manufactured goods from Asia, or car carriers shifting vehicles from factories in Europe, the global maritime industry moves around 32 trillion ton-miles of cargo every year, four times more than it did at the end of the 1960s.

To deliver this dramatic increase in cargo, the industry has had to change drastically over the past few decades. Vessels have become larger and more efficient as shipping companies work strenuously to keep costs down in the face of rising and ever-more-volatile fuel costs. For marine engineers, that means constant pressure to refine the performance and reliability of vessels and their systems. Nowhere is that pressure felt more acutely than in the most fundamental component of any modern powered vessel: its propellers.

MAN Diesel & Turbo, headquartered in Germany, is at the forefront of the quest for improved performance in marine propulsion systems. MAN designs and builds marine propulsion systems from 4 MW to 40 MW in size, with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) of up to 11 m in diameter and even larger for fixed-pitch propellers. The technical computing software, Maple, from Maplesoft is playing an important role in keeping the propellers efficient and dependable, thus keeping costs down.

In cooperation with Rudolf Diesel, considered the father of the diesel engine, MAN produced the first diesel engine in 1897. The company has been manufacturing propellers for ships since 1902 and has designed, manufactured, and supported more than 7,000 propeller plants.

Modern controllable-pitch propellers, like the MAN Alpha CPP range, improve the efficiency and maneuverability of marine vessels. In propellers of this design, the angle of the blades is controllable, always providing the optimal match between the speed of the engine and the ship, thereby maximizing propulsive efficiency and permitting precise control of the vessel's speed. This is important when maneuvering into a port, for example. The blades can even be set to provide reverse thrust, which eliminates the need to install a separate reversing gear or use a reversible engine.

Mads Hvoldal is a mechanical engineer at the MAN Diesel & Turbo Propulsion Competence Center division in Frederikshavn, Denmark. He works for the team that designs the mechanical and hydraulic control systems used to vary propeller pitch. "We produce a range of standard designs, but it is the nature of the industry that many propulsion systems are engineered for specific vessels," he says. During peaks in demand for new vessels, development of hundreds of different designs per year is common. They need a software system that is robust and flexible.

"We start with the basic specifications, the available hydraulic oil pressure, the size of the propeller itself, and the rate at which we need the blades to change pitch," says Hvoldal. "We use those parameters to calculate the required sizes of components, both for standard parts like bolts and flanges and for the engineered components used in the system. We then pass those dimensions to our Pro/Engineer 3D modelling system for detailed design."

The part-sizing calculations are complex, taking into account the characteristics of the hydraulic control system and the properties of the materials used to make the final parts. They are also critical: transmissions need to perform well and operate reliably over long service lives in tough marine conditions. Shipping is also an intensively cost-competitive business, so over-sizing or over-engineering parts is not an option. After careful consideration, they chose Maple to help them in this complex design process. They also chose Maple for its speed and accuracy.

"We started using Maple for our design calculations, replacing another mathematical software package," explains Hvoldal. "The other system required us to transpose all the relevant equations from their original format into its own language before we ran the calculations. It was a time-consuming process to write the translations by hand and then to check them.

"I had quite a lot of experience using Maple in hydraulic systems design in a previous role," Hvoldal says, "so I could see its potential benefits in our current work."

The critical advantage of Maple, says Hvoldal, is that the engineers can put the design equations in their original form right into the system. "That makes Maple faster to use, with reduced need to check and debug the code."

MAN Diesel & Turbo, Propulsion Competence Center, Frederikshavn, has been using Maple for around six months, and the power, speed, and efficiency of the system has convinced its engineers that there is potential to expand their use considerably in the future.

"So far, Maple has replaced our previous system for design calculations," says Hvoldal. "But we are now exploring the feasibility of building standard models to simplify and automate the process further, and of automating the links between our initial calculations and the detailed part models in the 3D CAD system."

Source: Maplesoft

Published December 2012

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