From humble beginnings to advanced CAD technology, product design tools have come a long way. The tools now used in product design have developed significantly to the sketches and drawings first used by designers. In this blog post, we’ll look at how product design tool have changed and the impact this has had on product development process.
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.
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.
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.
It’s no secret that the release of Creo Parametric 2.0 came with a whole range of new features and functions. And, with these came significant improvements to design productivity and performance. But, you don’t just need to take our word for it. Take a look at these 4 videos to see how Creo Parametric compares in a direct comparison to Pro/E Wildfire 5.0.
Creo Parametric has improved the workflow used to improve sketching. Now, you are able to start sketching after only two clicks. For example, to being to sketch an extrude feature just start the extrude tool (located in the ribbon user interface) and then select the sketch plane. That’s it. Two clicks and you are ready to start sketching. You can also do the reverse. This time, we will select the sketch plane and then the extrude tool. Start by selecting the front datum plane as the sketch plane and then start the extrude tool. Regardless of your approach, after just two clicks you are ready to begin sketching.
Having the ability and the freedom to share that data, pass that information, from design, manufacturing, quality with ease can only help to improve product development and product potential. Many manufacturers are often restricted in the with their CAD tools. They don’t support a flexible, agile process, to make sure that this is all seamless.
As you know all too well, many design changes occur late in the process or even many months after the original design was created. Late stage design changes can be a real problem for companies. You want to be able to respond quickly to the challenge, without having to sacrifice your design intent. But, this isn’t always easy to do.