Concurrent Engineering Blog

Today we are going to talk about simulation driven design. What we are seeing people try to do now is to bring simulation in at an earlier stage of the design process. So, it is no longer restricted to later stages, such as design validation and verification. By introducing simulation earlier in the design process, it opens up the possibility of making a lot more changes; using it to drive the overall design instead of limiting it to the backend of the process. 

Formula Student is taking place on 4^th July- 7^th July 2013, at the Silverstone circuit. Now in its 15^th year, Formula student is the largest motorsport competition for students in Europe. Teams are challenged to design and build their own single-seater race car, before taking on the other teams at the Silverstone event in both static and dynamic events. And, as a Sponsor of Formula Student 2013, we can’t wait for the Formula Student event and the chance to meet all of the young engineers taking part in the programme.

Until recently the use of direct modeling was limited to animation. But, now, designers of all types are starting to use direct modeling. Improvements in the tools now mean it is easier that ever before for designers to create the products that their customer's want. 

The improvements made in the latest release of Creo Direct now mean it is easier than ever before for designers and engineers to build and design better products. Read below to discover more about the 4 key enhancements made in Creo Direct 2.0, which are making it easier than ever before for engineers and designers to use a direct modelling approach.

Product data management (PDM) is important for companies, as it enables them to control access and share information effectively. There has been research done, which concludes a strong correlation between business performance and a company’s ability to manage their product data [source: www.tech-clarity.com]. By using a PDM system, organisation are better able to support growth and overall performance.

Having the right tools for the job is vital for engineers to be able to get the job done. Engineering calculations are vital for all stages of product development. By having the right tools for this, engineers across different industries are able to streamline product development process by predicting the behaviour and performance of designs. And, as organisations face more challenges than ever before, the need to accurately capture engineering calculations has never been higher. 

Design optimisation is now a typical part of product design and development. For many designers and engineers, they use simulation tools to help them optimise their designs and create better products.

With Creo 2.0, manufacturing experts can leverage design data to create, optimise and validate machining sequences. Manufacturing teams and product design teams are able to work concurrently, knowing the any design modifications will be instantaneously and automatically included in the existing machining routines. So, even as the product design evolves, they remain up to date.

Years ago, when parametric features-based modelling was first released, it really did revolutionise the CAD industry. It fundamentally changed the way that engineering organisations not only developed 3D models, but also how they made changed to the designs as well. By adopting a parametric approach to creating models, engineers are also setting the clear parameters, features and relationships of the models, which is intended to capture the product’s behaviour. Parametric features-based CAD tools provide a lot of power and help to automate some of the engineering processes involved in product development.

Advances in CAD tools and technology now mean it is easier than ever before for engineers to design products. It means engineers are able to document their own designs and innovations, as well as explore more design options. Read below to find out more about the new capabilities in CAD tools, which have made it simpler for engineers to design and create new products.

What are the new capabilities of CAD tools, enabling this change?

There are many advances in 3D design technology, which have improved the experience for the engineers. For example, it is now possible to use direct modelling methods to manipulate parametric models (and not just on dumb geometry). Also, it is now more intuitive for users to understand the intelligence of a model and being able to use this information to enable changes.