The cost can be daunting. But what if there was a way to spread it out, and pay as you go?

Rental: An idea that’s been tried.

A dozen years or so ago, a relatively new CAD vendor, Think3, started offering their CAD software on a monthly rental basis. It was an intriguing idea, but it would have worked better had Think3′s software been more mature at the time. People tend not to renew rentals when the software doesn’t do what they need.

More recently, Ashlar-Vellum has offered their line of CAD programs under a number of licenses, including permanent, one-year, and monthly rental. Though Ashlar’s software is highly respected (especially by industrial designers), the company isn’t one of the big players in the CAD business.

Recently, Siemens PLM, which is one of the big players, revisited the idea of renting CAD software—but with a new twist. They partnered with Local Motors, a company that does crowd-sourced design of cars. Members of the Local Motors community can rent (actually “subscribe,” but with enough flexibility that it seems like renting) a special version of Solid Edge called Design 1, for $19.95 per month.

Solid Edge Design 1 is a capable CAD program, incorporating Siemens’ Synchronous Technology direct modeling tools. It’s no toy.

There are a couple of key things that make this initiative interesting. First, Solid Edge Design 1 is capable of effectively importing and editing solid models imported from most common CAD systems, including SolidWorks and Pro/E. Second, Design 1 is a direct modeler (it doesn’t include history-based modeling), so it’s quite a bit easier for a normal person (as opposed to a CAD guru) to get up and running on than systems such as SolidWorks and Pro/E (or, for that matter, the full-blown version of Solid Edge.)

Simplicity can be compelling: Solid Edge Design 1 can work with the data you have, doesn’t take a whole lot of time to learn to use, and only costs 20 bucks a month, with no long-term commitment.

One good question might be why Siemens PLM is offering Design 1 through Local Motors, instead of directly. It’s probably because Jay Rogers, Local Motors’ CEO, came to Siemens PLM, and said “this is what we’re looking for.” Siemens PLM responded, saying “that sounds interesting. Let’s give it a try.”

The only real “catch” with Solid Edge Design 1 is that it’s really only intended to be used for Local Motors related projects. Its native CAD files can not be read by the commercial versions of Solid Edge (though, because it is a direct modeler, it can write perfectly good neutral files, such as IGES, STEP, and JT.)

Siemens PLM has recently gone beyond just offering a $20 per month version of Solid Edge to the Local Motors community. They’re now offering the full-range of Solid Edge versions, up to Solid Edge Premium, with full FEA simulation, wire harness design, pipe and tube routing, for rental prices ranging from $99.00 to $299.00 per month. These versions of the software can technical support from Siemens.

At first blush, $300 a month sounds like a lot of money. It might be, for a hobbyist who just wants some CAD software to play at designing cars. But, for a person who plans to use the tool for serious work, it’s not that much. Put it in context: A commercial license of Solid Edge Premium sells for on the order of $7,500 up-front, plus another $2,000 or so in annual maintenance fees.

To me, $300 per month for this software, including updates and direct support, seems like a bargain.

For small to medium size businesses, the ability to pay for software as an expense, rather than as a capital item, is pretty compelling. Even more compelling is the ability to control costs by adding or reducing CAD seats as needed.

Is software rental the wave of the future?

Software rental has three problems that CAD vendors don’t like: First, the revenue stream has to be recognized for accounting purposes as it comes in, rather than upfront. For publicly held corporations focused on reporting lots of revenue, that’s not very attractive. Second, it’s hard to pay front-loaded commissions and bonuses to salespeople on rentals. And third, there’s no guarantee that someone who is renting software will continue to do so. That is, it’s difficult to “lock-in” those customers (and their revenue) over the long term.

Siemens PLM could get away with this initiative for a few reasons: They limited it to Local Motors community members, so they can learn what works (and what doesn’t) without messing with their entire customer base. As Solid Edge is not the market sales leader, they’re more likely to displace competitive seats than their own. Since the Solid Edge product group is only a tiny part of the giant Siemens corporation, there’s not much risk that this program’s success or failure will impact their next quarter’s financial results (and stock price.) And, finally, they have enough confidence in their product to believe that a pretty reasonable percentage of the people who have a chance to use it will like it.

While the Siemens PLM/Local Motors partnership is probably a bit of an experiment, it’s encouraging. Anything that can make good CAD tools more affordable is likely to be popular with users.

Siemens PLM Systems

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com

Local Motors

http://forge.local-motors.com

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The company’s product line includes escalators, moving sidewalks, passenger elevators, sightseeing elevators, and freight elevators. These are produced on some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in China, including a Salvagnini fully automatic flexible sheet metal production line. Major projects in China include the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Capital Airport and the National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest).

Elevators are electromechanical systems that must fit perfectly into the customer’s building; they are shipped as bulk components and installed at the customer’s site. Thus, most projects are one-off. Management set a goal of standardizing portions of the design process as a way of boosting productivity.

Another factor that previously hampered productivity was the use of multiple CAD programs that could not communicate with each other. “Giant KONE boasts a large number of designers of different ages and different levels of expertise, and their design software varied widely,” says Li Yong of the company’s Information Management department. “Problems were often encountered in upstream and downstream communications and as drawings were modified.” The company also lacked a comprehensive digital solution for managing its operations and product data.

Giant KONE’s original CAD software was 2D, which was adequate when the company had fewer orders, but as the workload grew, the drawbacks became evident. “Sometimes, a design had to be started again from scratch, just to make a simple 5-millimeter change in the dimension of a part,” says Yong. When designing new parts, designers made physical models first, then made drawings based on the models, made a round of physical prototypes from the drawings, and then verified the prototypes.

The chance to make a significant change to the design process came during a project done in conjunction with the National High Technology Research and Development Program 863. Called “Study of the Configuration Management Technology of Large Batch Customized Products and Its Application in the Elevator Industry,” this project was Giant KONE’s impetus to upgrade the design process from 2D to 3D. After investigating and testing a number of 3D solutions, Giant KONE chose Solid Edge software with synchronous technology from Siemens PLM Software. It hired United Digital Systems, Co. (UDS), a Siemens PLM Software platinum partner, to handle the implementation.

“Since implementing Solid Edge, Giant KONE has witnessed remarkable improvements in efficiency,” says Yong. With more than 90% of all products and components now modeled in 3D, it is possible to simulate the assembly of an elevator in Solid Edge prior to manufacturing. Only 2 physical prototypes are now required, down from 5 or 6 in the past. Engineering drawings are more accurate, and they are quickly created from the solid geometry. The average research and development (R&D) cycle for a new product has dropped from a year to 9 to 11 months.

“In working with a variety of parts, components and assemblies during the R&D of a high-rise escalator, Solid Edge with synchronous technology enabled our designers to easily locate problem areas and quickly modify them.” says Yong. “Synchronous technology enables our designers to significantly increase their modeling efficiency.” He explains, “In the past, we got all parts and components ready before assembly. Now, using synchronous technology, we work in a top-down way – first concept design, then accurate design and finally standardization.”

According to Yong, Solid Edge saves the company significant money. Solid Edge Simulation enables the company to improve its design verification process. Yong explains, “We’ve essentially eliminated physical prototypes. We now use Solid Edge for virtual assembly, dimensional simulation and interference checking, thus minimizing material waste and substantially reducing costs. Ultimately, using Solid Edge, we’ve saved ¥3 million.”

Yong adds, “The integration of Giant KONE’s Solid Edge design system with other applications has allowed the company to optimize our product design and manufacturing processes. Barriers between departments have been eliminated; information is immediately shared; and what you see is what you get in a design.”

Siemens PLM

www.plm.automation.siemens.com

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Black Diamond’s goal was to combine the two sets of performance criteria in one great-looking boot. “The other free-ride boots out there are made by European competitors with 50+ years of boot-making experience,” explains David Narajowski, director of advanced projects at Black Diamond. “Our challenge was not just to catch up to where they were, but to go beyond and create something much better.”

Black Diamond is a long-time user of CAD and has used its original design software, I-deas, from Siemens PLM Software, to develop many of its successful products. At the time the boot project started, however, the company had decided to standardize on the NX digital product development system, also from Siemens, an advanced design solution that still allows the company to leverage its legacy I-deas data. “Black Diamond’s design engineering centers worldwide have moved from I-deas and other CAD systems to standardize on NX,” Narajowski says. He notes, “Between I-deas and NX, there was a period of time when we tried a mid-range CAD program. But there is no way we could have developed a free-ride boot in a mid-range system.”

One of NX’s main advantages, according to Narajowski, is that it provides both the freeform modeling capability needed to capture the company’s design expertise (through the NX Shape Studio application, offered as part of the NX Mach III industrial design solution) as well as the powerful product design tools needed to turn an idea into a manufacturable product. “This is a perfect combination for BD’s hands-on, chop-shop-inspired, fail-fast-to-succeed-sooner approach to design,” says Narajowski. “Working with NX Shape Studio, we can directly manipulate surface geometry to do things like capture anatomical nuances of the foot. And this functionality is integrated with NX product design tools such as WAVE that let us go from one original conceptual model to three different product families with 10 sizes each.”

Jake Hall, Black Diamond’s lead industrial designer on the project, explains the need for such tight integration this way: “One of the great challenges of designing ski boots is that there is very little separation between performance and aesthetics. Fit, performance and aesthetics are one and the same. This means that engineering, industrial design, and manufacturability must be tied together seamlessly in order to create a successful product. Any apparent seams between the two disciplines would result in poor design.

“Fully integrated engineering and industrial design means that we needed both surfaces and solids as native parametric features within a model,” Hall continues. “NX, and particularly the powerful surfacing features in Shape Studio, provided the hybrid capabilities of surfaces and solids that the project required.”

The tight integration between the NX conceptual design and product design environments was key to optimizing the performance of the boot, a task that involved a lot of actual skiing and hiking in prototypes. “If someone came back and complained of pressure here or a pinch there, we could grab those surface points in Shape Studio and easily make a change,” Narajowski notes. “But those changes are not made in a vacuum. It’s not like we throw the design over the wall from industrial design (ID) to engineering and hope the design intent isn’t lost. We’re also using NX tools and the same geometry we create in NX Shape Studio to analyze the boot’s performance and to design injection molded parts. That is the real strength of NX for us.”

Engineers at the Black Diamond headquarters in Utah worked with their colleagues at the Black Diamond office in China on the design of the boot. The ability to share the workload in an efficient and accurate manner is another important benefit of NX on a project such as the free-ride boot, according to Narajowski. “NX allowed us to break up the model and have more than one person working on it at a time,” he explains. “There would be an ID person working on outside surfaces, for example, while someone else was working on the foot shape or on the cutter for the buckles. People could work on their own parts, and then we could pull them in and automatically update the ‘super part.’

Nearly all of the free-ride boot project was done using Siemens software. The integrated nature of the NX solution made it possible for the design team to go through the many iterations they needed to catch up to and surpass the competition. “Without having all that existing experience, we had to try a lot of iterations. We wouldn’t have been able to go through the iterations fast enough without tools like NX,” Narajowski adds.

The boot has been previewed to the industry, to rave reviews, and sales will begin in time for the next ski season. “As the largest, most expensive, complex development project we’ve ever undertaken, it’s hard to contain my enthusiasm about these boots,” says Peter Metcalf, CEO of Black Diamond. “They represent the best of BD today, exemplifying our design philosophy in terms of innovative product. BD boots will fully meet the demands of today’s free-ride skier. We set out to build a better boot for the skier who wants one boot to rip all terrain and our design team has delivered.”

Siemens PLM

www.plm.automation.siemens.com

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All parameters specified in Creo can be interactively linked with your simulation geometry which enables multiphysics simulations involving parametric sweeps and design optimization to sync up with the CAD program. The LiveLink for Creo includes all the capabilities of the Comsol CAD Import module and enables import and defeaturing of CAD files from all major CAD packages.

In addition, the Parasolid geometry kernel from Siemens PLM Software is now the default geometry kernel for those who use the CAD Import module and the LiveLink products for CAD. Parasolid enables the handling of more advanced geometry objects for any of the LiveLiink products, including versions for AutoCAD, Inventor, Creo Parametric, Pro/E, SolidWorks, and SpaceClaim.

Comsol

www.comsol.com

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After creating the first designs in NX and preparing static-mechanical calculations with the ANSYS Workbench platform using STL file format data, icotec delivered prototypes using the laser sintering method for an evaluation by a surgical team. Concurrently, surgical operating tools were designed. According to Ramon Huppi, icotec project manager, “Due to the synchronous technology of NX, we have more possibilities to move surfaces and define manufacturing-ready roundings.” For example, different sizes and modifications for the cervical spine resulted in a large project family. The tool design team compensates for this variety using an efficient inlay technique. Huppi added, “For tool manufacturing, we send a Parasolid file to our service provider who uses it as a starting point for the programming.”

Once the first genuine samples are made using one of icotec’s CFM machines, the approval tests can be conducted. Static and dynamic tests as well as studies under compression, torsion, or shear are performed by external labs in up to five million cycles. Changes are done quickly using synchronous technology.

Teamcenter handles all aspects of part management. This includes controlled check-in and check-out directly in the CAD system and searching for precursors, revision status, and handling a comprehensive and daily drawing management process for the development team.

In the future, the company plans to use special Teamcenter capabilities to support the approval processes for the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, the company plans to start leveraging the powerful data organization functionality to streamline the management of more than 30 years of aircraft spare part inventories and warranty obligations.

Siemens PLM Software

www.siemens.com/plm

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The SlapShot XT is the first robot capable of executing a slap shot like a professional hockey player. The robot’s integrated advanced electronics and software allows the gathering of data never seen before, enabling even more detailed analysis of the results to support further refinements in hockey stick design. The SlapShot XT is bringing about revolutionary changes in the way hockey sticks are developed.

MapleSim played a critical role in the design and development of the SlapShot XT. The software allowed Hockey Robotics to efficiently and accurately simulate the coupled dynamic electrical and mechanical behavior of the equipment. MapleSim enabled the concurrent study of the flexible body deformation and rigid body motion of the machines, allowed them to quickly prototype the designs, and investigate the coupled motion of the mechanisms easily. A four-bar mechanism was synthesized to match the hockey player’s motion, and subsequent dynamic and stress analyses were used to develop and confirm the performance of the resulting robot design. A flywheel maintained the stick’s momentum during contact with the ice, and the robotic hands allowed the stick to bend about two axes, storing and releasing strain energy throughout the shot. The final design was evaluated using NX 6.0 from Siemens PLM Software and finite element models of the components.

The robot provides repeatable, unbiased test data on the performance and durability of hockey sticks. According to Dr. John McPhee, chief scientist at Hockey Robotics, “MapleSim allows us to perform engineering analysis that was previously too challenging and computationally intensive for our industry to undertake.”

Future projects at Hockey Robotics involve using MapleSim to develop as rapid prototyping tool that they believe has the potential to permanently change the way that hockey sticks are designed and evaluated. They expect that their new solutions will provide shorter development cycles and substantial reductions in development costs for hockey equipment manufacturers.

Maplesoft

www.maplesoft.com

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“We quickly rolled out the software across the business units,” says Pinto. “With one or two mouse clicks, you can perform simple functions and solve a number of problems.” He said the main goal was to find software with maximum command simplicity. Information quality, project security, design reliability, and project documentation are some of the areas where the company has made gains due to the use of Solid Edge.

In 2010, Ikeda Group migrated to Solid Edge with synchronous technology. Pinto said, “The advantage of synchronous technology is the ability to work with various versions of projects quickly and simultaneously. In addition, users do not have to choose between constraint-driven or history-free modeling. They can re-use a model without programming knowledge, and data from multiple CAD systems can be leveraged immediately. We now work on three or four projects at a time. This affords greater flexibility in pursuing new projects involving agricultural implements, mobile devices, or leisure products. Depending on the complexity of a project, sometimes drafts are reay in one day rather than two weeks.”

Today, the company has six licenses of Solid Edge with synchronous technology and five licenses of Teamcenter Express, which are used for project data management and product lifecycles.

Siemens PLM Software
www.siemens.com

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At one point, Flovel’s management began to look for product development technology that was adept at accelerating the release of highly customized, innovative new products to market, while at the same time being able to ensure the high quality and rigorous accuracy required by its customer base.

To meets its requirements, Flovel selected  products from Siemens PLM Software including Solid Edge, Teamcenter Express, NX, and Femap with NX Nastran. Solid Edge is used for CAD to design complex turbine parts. Flovel based this decision on the software’s ability to handle sophisticated designs, 2D functionality, and sheet metal handling capabilities. Based on the successful use of Solid Edge at Flovel, the company is looking to leverage the product in other areas, including CAE, CAM, and product lifecycle management (PLM).

Using Solid Edge, Flovel has improved its overall design methodology (concept to prototype to product) and cut costs (due to a better understanding of 3D conceptual prototypes). The company cites outstanding ease of use compared to traditional approaches to design, noting that the user-friendly Solid Edge is fostering idea generation and innovation. Flovel also gives Solid Edge praise for superior searching options for making assemblies and points out that the visualization capabilities of Solid Edge measurably accelerates the handling of large assemblies.

Once Solid Edge was in place, Flovel implemented the second step in its product development initiative by adopting Teamcenter Express as its collaborative product data management (cPDM) solution. The goal was to establish a scalable cPDM solution that would facilitate collaboration between all of the key disciplines in the company’s product development operations. The procurement team selected Teamcenter Express for its visualization and collaboration capabilities, strong multi-CAD and multi-site support capabilities, and the ability to streamline the company’s design process. With Teamcenter Express, the company wanted its planning, design, engineering, and production departments to establish a synchronized engineering database with design information that users could easily access, share, and exchange on a secure and controlled basis.

Other goals for Teamcenter Express included establishing drawing number controls and materials codes, identifying the latest versions of their design information, and disseminating information in standard workflow-driven design processes. The company wanted standard, up-to-date information, such as what is contained in product catalogs, quality standards, manuals and plans, to be kept in Teamcenter Express for immediate access. Beyond this, Flovel engaged Teamcenter Express to manage released design information so that it can be leveraged by all of the company’s business units and their manufacturing operations for purposes of improving its CAM and CNC machining processes.

Flovel has extended its design process capabilities by implementing NX which is enabling designers to model difficult surfaces such as runner blades more easily. The company has also implemented Femap with NX Nastran. The intent of this deployment is CAE design optimization.

Currently, Flovel is using Femap with NX Nastran to analyze complex components. The company is performing finite element analysis (FEA) on turbine components for customized applications and operating conditions, as well as using the software to verify designs developed using conventional design tools. In addition, Flovel plans to extend its use of Teamcenter Express to other organizations and integrate the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system into its product development initiative.

Siemens PLM Software                       

www.siemens.com/plm

Flovel

www.flovel.com

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Teamcenter Mobility is available immediately and currently enables the user to search, display, and interact with detailed product information, including 3D product models, providing a powerful tool with a visually compelling presentation that enhances understanding and supports decision making. The initial implementation is being deployed via iPad with additional platform and functionality support to be announced at a later date.

Siemens PLM Software

www.siemens.com/plm

3D CAD Tips

Previously, only users of specialist 3D applications benefited from the intuitive, six degrees-of-freedom 3D navigation delivered by a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse. Now, the simple 3DxWare 10 interface allows users to assign keyboard strokes and traditional mouse or joystick movements in any combination to the 3D mouse. Tilt the controller cap to scroll a Web page, twist the cap to adjust the volume in iTunes, or use all six axes to pilot a helicopter in Battlefield Bad Company 2. The choice of application and assignment of the six axes and up to 31 function keys (depending on the 3D mouse model) is entirely up to the user.

Documents and Browsers: 3D mice now offer a compelling alternative to traditional mouse wheel navigation in documents, spreadsheets and Web pages. Gently tilt the 3D mouse cap to scroll the view up or down or twist the cap to zoom in and out.

Games: Most PC gamers rely on a combination of a traditional mouse and keyboard to control their character or camera view, but with 3DxWare 10 a 3D mouse can be used to deliver intuitive and comfortable control in games like The Sims^™ 3. It’s also possible for the 3D mouse to emulate a joystick or gamepad for a rich 3D experience in games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Wings of Prey and Need for Speed.

Media Players: Controlling the volume, track selection or position is typically handled by the traditional mouse and keyboard shortcuts. With a 3D mouse, you can twist the cap to adjust the volume, tilt the cap sideways to fast forward and rewind, and tilt the cap forward or backward to move between tracks in your playlist. And if the user prefers other controls, they can easily customize the 3D mouse to best suit their needs.

3D Collaboration: 3DxWare 10 also provides a new feature for professional users by allowing multiple 3D mice to be used on one workstation. This innovative development enables easier viewing of 3D models in group design reviews or client presentations.

The 3DxWare 10 beta platform for PC and Mac is available for download at www.3dconnexion.com/anywhere and is compatible with 3Dconnexion’s current line of 3D mice, including the SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $399), SpaceExplorer™ (MSRP $299), SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129).

3Dconnexion
www.3Dconnexion.com

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