MCAD Tech News #213

Solid Edge v20: Where Its Power Lies

A demo of the new Solid Edge release shows a
mid-range application for high-end assemblies.

A few weeks ago I was shown a Web-based demo of Solid Edge v20, and I have to say that, overall, I was quite impressed with the new version. A Web-based demo is not thorough enough to convince me that it’s the best MCAD application, but it does do some things that currently have no equal from the mid-range competition. The new version of Solid Edge is touted for its key functionality in designing plant equipment. This isn’t too surprising, now that just about every 3D CAD application in the so-called mid-range claims that machine design is a major market and source of income, just not at this magnitude.

Solid Edge takes a slightly different approach to handling what it calls "massively large equipment" -- machine assemblies with 100,000+ parts. (The company admits that this is best accomplished with the 64-bit version of the software.) Do these types of assemblies constitute the majority of what Solid Edge is used for? Well, no, but handling assemblies of this magnitude was a major focus of this release. The company even claims to have a customer designing a massive assembly consisting of some 500,000 parts -- that's a lot of parts!

UGS doesn't usually refer to Solid Edge by itself. Just like SolidWorks has CATIA to contend with, Solid Edge's big sibling is NX, and UGS has defined a market for Solid Edge consisting of customers requiring, say, one to 50 seats of the software. In other words, Solid Edge will continue to target small to medium businesses and NX will focus on larger enterprises. Although this was a Solid Edge launch demo, as a rule UGS would much rather talk about Solid Edge in terms of being a component of the UGS Velocity Series that includes Solid Edge, Teamcenter Express for PDM/PLM, NX CAM Express for machining, and Femap for FEA simulation. Read More>>

By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA

MatrixOne software isn't something that end users run out and buy for themselves. It's not that it isn't neat software or doesn't do cool stuff, but it's aimed at the large, diversified company with global locations and collaborative needs. This software is meant for the enterprise-wide approach to product management -- and it's big! Read more

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events

Webinar: Optimizing Process Frameworks
June 27, 2007
2 p.m. EDT
This Webinar presented by Collaborative Product Development Associates will review a framework for transforming product development processes and summarize the basic elements of the framework and how they support accurate process modeling, root-cause analysis, and consensus building to establish the on-going environment required for continuously improving and standardizing design processes. Read more

Second International Conference on Rapid Manufacturing
July 11-12, 2007 
Leicestershire, United Kingdom
This conference, which will take place at Loughborough University, will include a mixture of academic research and industrial applications presentations, focused on direct part manufacturing using additive Layer Manufacturing Technologies. The conference will feature a mixture of industrial applications and academic research into RM -- the use of additive layer manufacturing techniques for end-use parts. Read more

23rd Annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference
July 16-20, 2007
Reno, Nevada 
This five-day event, held at the Grand Sierra Resort, is the only North American conference that caters solely to professionals using portable 3D coordinate measurement technology on their factory floors. The open, educational atmosphere allows attendees to network with expert and novice users and learn about the latest trends and innovations in portable 3D industrial measurement technologies. Read more

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.