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INDUSTRY NEWS
HOW COVID-19 HAS ACCELERATED THE POPULARITY OF CAD DESIGN IN THE MANUFACTURING WORLD
Comment by Brian Thompson, CAD division vice president and general manager at PTC
The power of design has never been more important as the UK economy emerges from the shackles of the pandemic. Manufacturers want to find ways to bring products to market and, whilst speed is always of the essence, there is an increasing need to minimise costs in the development stage. This is driving a surge in CAD adoption. Clients across aerospace, automotive, defence and renewables are all investing in the latest
software solutions such as Creo, yet there are still many questions doing the rounds about how to maximise its true value. The answer lies in digital transformation. Manufacturers want to be far more model-based in
everything they do, not only in product design and product development. To see this, remember Model-based Definition (MBD) is an approach to creating 3D CAD models so that these models effectively contain all the data needed to define a product. That has two big implications: • The 3D model is the source authority for ‘everyone’ and drives all engineering activities because the information is placed directly on the geometry – no more chasing outdated, ever-changing 2D models around the company! • Important complementary processes, such as simulation or preparing models for manufacturing, run off that model. Customers are
looking for technologies that help them get as far as they can in the digital environment before they commit to money, time, and togetherness in the lab developing prototypes. It’s not just about
COVID, it’s about cost. Our partner, Ansys, a leader in simulation, did research showing that upwards of 70% of product cost was already baked into the product by the time development reached the prototype stage. By the time you reach that number, any changes you’re making will only be able to have an impact on the margins. Manufacturers who are doing as much as possible digitally are looking to simulation and
generative design and I don’t think it’s any secret why they’d do that. With simulation, designers can experiment in real time, change their minds, change materials and approaches – all without spending a penny on materials or lab time until they need to. Generative design takes this a step further. We’ve seen customers like Jacobs Engineering and
Volvo Trucks use this with great success. The computing power is in the cloud so engineers set the problem, the system creates and ranks alternatives, and engineers can use a solution as-is or continue to evolve it on their own.
Embrace digital! Design engineers need to embrace digital, and I would break that into several steps. Step one, which is more tactical. Simulation and generative design technologies will become
more important because these technologies allow design engineers to do what they went into the field to do – design great products! I have yet to meet the design engineer who says ‘what I really want to do is spend more time
preparing my model for analysis only to find out I made an avoidable mistake at the beginning’. Analysts feel the same way – they want to spend their time on problems that require their specialised expertise. I’d tell designers to brush up on topics like stress, strain, heat transfer, structural analysis – what they’ll need to use these tools most effectively. Second and higher-level, Model-based Definition will continue to increase in importance and is
not simply a clerical shortcut. MBD is about expanding the influence of the CAD model up and down the value chain. This means the CEO is using a viewer to look at the model; the manufacturing engineer is running tool paths off that same model; and the design engineer is using that same model for simulation. If you move even higher, MBD is foundational because it’s part of customers’ model-based enterprise
strategy and, in turn, part of their digital transformation strategy. Both users and companies can start to open up a new world and it’s incredibly exciting to think about and to be part of that with customers. Firms can start on their own journeys and see benefits no matter the size of their business. The past two years have shown that it’s not worth trying to make predictions, but I can say we’re hopeful about how CAD and digital transformation can help our customers, and the businesses they serve to be productive and safe.
www.ptc.com/en NEWS IN BRIEF
congatec and System Industrie Electronic have announced a strategic value-adding partnership. The focus is on solution platforms for regulated industries, such as healthcare and medical technology requiring MDR certified medical computers, and systems for critical infrastructure needing cyber security certification from federal agencies such as the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). OEMs in these markets will benefit from a full service that combines the strengths of both partners to create a value package that offers full system responsibility.
www.congatec.com
Danfoss Power Solutions has rebranded its Walterscheid series of tube fittings. Following its acquisition of Eaton’s hydraulics business, Danfoss plans to continue investing in the product line under the new name Waltech. “The Waltech series is known for
outstanding performance, robust design and leak-free operation,” said Christian Kuenstel, product management leader, Connectors, Fluid Conveyance, Danfoss Power Solutions. “It offers a complete solution for any application requirement, while enabling simple, safe and repeatable assembly by hand or by machine.”
www.danfoss.com
PORTESCAP OPENS ENGINEERING LAB
Portescap, the developer of miniature motors for global OEMs, has enhanced its R&D capabilities by creating a new Engineering Lab. The Lab has been developed to enhance miniature motor design across worldwide markets. Located close to the company’s India production facility, the expertise of the Mumbai Engineering Lab team will develop solutions for customers in India selling globally, as well as supporting the company’s international R&D capability which creates products for use worldwide. This was a benefit during the Covid-19 pandemic where fast reaction times were needed. A key requirement for the medical care of patients was the use of ventilator machines, and with high and urgent demand, new designs were needed. So, a ventilator OEM in India turned to Portescap’s Mumbai team for a fast yet reliable motion solution. The company’s new Engineering Lab had recently come on-line at Portescap’s Mumbai facility, which allowed a suitable miniature slotless, brushless DC (BLDC) motor to be designed, tested, and then brought into production quickly. “While Portescap has R&D expertise and
facilities in Switzerland, the United States and in India, the new Engineering Lab in Mumbai has enhanced the company’s ability to quickly develop new products for production, meaning a faster time to market for our customers,” commented Dheeraj Saxena, Portescap’s global head of research & development.
www.portescap.com MARCH 2022 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 7
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