 |
| The latest information on CAD/CAM software and
technology
|
April 10, 2008
|
Do you remember the bad old days of punching Fortran code onto paper
cards? One tiny mistake often meant tedious hours of troubleshooting.
For comparison, here is an example of one of the earliest computers, and
of one of the latest.
A so-called mechanical computing engine, Difference Engine No. 2,
will be on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif.
starting in May, 2008. The Engine consists of 8,000 parts of bronze,
cast iron, and steel. It weighs five tons and measures 11 feet long and
seven feet high. The device is a Charles Babbage (1792 to 1871) design.
Although he is considered the inventor of computers, he never actually
built one. The Engine is the first of his designs to be built in its
entirety.
One of the smallest computers to date, the Lifebook U810 laptop from Fujitsu in Japan weighs about 1.2 lb, has Wi Fi, an
800 Mhz processor, 5.6-in. LCD, and runs Windows Vista.
Comments? Questions? Send them in, and we might print them here!
-- Leslie Gordon
lgordon@penton.com
blog
Second Life: Pez Balut
|
You would think that by now, CAD data exchange would almost always
go smoothly, especially considering all the research that has been done
in this area. No doubt interoperability has improved. But, in general,
data-exchange problems seem to grow only more complex. Interoperability
issues obviously arise because of the many proprietary CAD file formats
in use today. But problems also come from CAD-neutral formats, the CAD
geometry itself, and so-called intelligent models. Read the whole article
|
|
The 2008 STAR American Conference will
be held on 23-25 June, 2008 in Dearborn, MI. The theme of the conference
is "the Power of Integration".
 More than just a
concept, integration is the philosophy that drives the development of
all CD-adapco products. In a packed three day agenda, which includes a
day of training, you will learn new ways of deploying CD-adapco's CAE
software in order to gain a sustainable competititive advantage. The
conference is free to attend.
|
|
Watch an Engineering TV video on MACHINE DESIGN'S
home page about a new twist to rapid prototyping. A team at Cornell
Univ. has developed a compact "personal fabrication" machine called a
"fabber" with which almost anyone can build almost any kind of object,
including active ones such as batteries. Watch the video
|
Last month’s Engineering Week was supposed to be a grand attempt
at encouraging students to pursue careers in technical fields.
No surprise that there were a lot of E Week booster speeches about the
engineering profession. The director of IBM’s worldwide research
laboratories, writing in Business Week, summed up the tone of most
remarks when he said, "We need greater cooperation between academia,
private industry, and government to ... foster enthusiasm and skills for
the sciences." Read the whole article
|
|
|
Biocompatible material for
FDM
|
Stratasys announces the availability of ABS-M30i, a new
biocompatible material for use with the company’s FDM 400mc (fused
deposition modeling) prototyping and production machine. Applications
might include surgical instruments, food processing and packaging
systems, and pharmaceutical handling, processing, and packaging
applications. The material is FDA compatible and meets ISO 10993
standards. It can be sterilized using either the gamma radiation or
ethylene oxide method.
Stratasys Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn., Stratasys.com
|
|
Announcing the new Pro/ENGINEER
Wildfire 4.0 Interactive Tour!
 The newest release of
Pro/ENGINEER delivers a wealth of new and enhanced capabilities across
the board. From detailed design, to design outsourcing, verification and
validation, data import and repair, manufacturing tooling and equipment
design, electromechanical design-and much, much more!
Loaded with dozens of mini-demos, the Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0
Interactive Tour lets you experience, first-hand, the features and
functionality available with the latest release.
|
|
CFdesign for Pro/Engineer Wildfire 4.0 provides parametric
CAD-driven flow and thermal analysis. For a demonstration of how the
software works in Pro/E, visit http://cfdesign.com/wf4/wf4.html
Blue Ridge Numerics Inc., Charlottesville, Va., cfdesign.com
|
|
|
Software for Motor and Generator
Design
|
Opera software for motor and generator design lets users define
complex behaviors such as friction, load, and speed-dependent torques.
Multiphysics capabilities show the effects of temperature and of
mechanical stresses that torque will have on parts. A new front-end to
an electromagnetic simulator speeds design by means of
fill-in-the-blanks dialog boxes. Users select the required motor or
generator from a list that includes induction, brushless permanent
magnet, and switched reluctance motors. After users type in about 10
parameters to define mechanical geometry, material properties, and
electrical data, the software creates the model. Parameters might
include diameters of rotor, stator, and shaft, stator tooth width and
the number of stator slots.
Vector Fields Inc., Aurora, Ill., www.vectorfields.com
|
Get connected to Machine Design!
 Visit our Linked-In group to
connect directly with Machine Design and our group of Engineering
professionals. Our Linked In group focuses on providing valuable
information to the Engineering community. We seek to strengthen the
quality of information, relationships, and communication amongst our
readers and members. To become a member Join Now!
Our Machine Design Linked-In group is for:
- Editors
- Engineers
- Students
- Enthusiasts
- And more...join now.
See you inside,
MachineDesign.com
Introducing Engineering TV, an innovative online video
program by engineers for engineers. Twice a week, each 5-8 minute
episode shows cutting-edge technology in
action and looks behind the scenes as today's engineers shape tomorrow's
breakthroughs. Brought to you by the Penton Media Design and Electronics
Engineering groups.
View
Videos
Rev up your interdisciplinary design skills
What happens when a microcontroller turns on a power FET, sending a
current pulse to a motor coil that develops a magnetic field which turns
the rotor shaft, advancing a timing belt that drives a pair of nip rolls
suspended on bearings in a web-processing operation on a form, fill, and
seal machine installed on a potato chip line at a Frito Lay plant in
central California? And how can you be sure that the encoders, prox
sensors, and other feedback devices you plan to use will accurately see
and report every relevant motion, machine state, and process condition?
And will the signals get through the networks fast enough, without being
corrupted, giving the controllers time to execute their algorithms as
intended? It's a lot to think about, and it only scratches the surface
of what many engineers grapple with today. If you happen to be one of
them, then the place for you — where you can find answers and meet
others with similar concerns — is www.Mechatronic-Design.com.
Backed by some of engineering's top information sources including
Machine Design, Electronic Design, Motion System Design, and Power
Electronics, Mechatronic-Design.com is the interdisciplinary engineer's
desktop, toolbox, library, and lifeline in one easily accessible
place.
Find. Learn. Apply.
Mechatronic-Design.com.
Experience National Instruments Technologies From
the Comfort of Your Own Computer!
 With more
than 200 on-demand webcasts, videos, interactive
tutorials and demos available for users of any experience level, it is
easier than ever to learn about the newest products and features
available from National Instruments.
Begin your search here with a collection of
webcasts specifically chosen for design and automation engineers.
CAD Library offers advanced CAD Resources
The Machine Design CAD
Library, includes millions of configurable 2D and 3D CAD models
of
components and assemblies downloadable for easy use in new and existing
designs. Our models are in native CAD formats. No translation
required!
|
|
Sponsored
by:
 |
UPCOMING IN-PERSON EVENTS
Design-2-Part Shows are America's longest running and most trusted
events for sourcing custom parts and services.
Ten shows covering the country offer OEMs, engineers and purchasing
personnel the opportunity to meet job shops and
contract manufacturers face-to-face.
UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Gearmotors: Achieving the Perfect Match
Success through optimized motor & gearbox integration
Sponsored by Groschopp
DATE: April 9th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
How do you select a motor and a gearbox (speed reducer) separately, then
perfectly match them for your OEM application? Is it better to specify
a pre-engineered gearmotor? Does it make a difference?
These are the questions that will be answered in Groschopp's upcoming
webcast. Groschopp engineers Matt Decker and Loren Kamstra will share
tips, tricks and techniques for specifying the most efficient and
cost-effective choices given a variety of application considerations.
Review of actual Case Studies will bring their experiences to life and
reinforce your new motor/gearbox/gearmotor knowledge.
Click here to learn more and register!
Multiphysics - More Than Just FEA
DATE: April 16th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Multiphysics capable simulation tools are revitalizing FEA, offering
smarter solutions to today's engineering problems. Sponsored by COMSOL,
this webinar introduces you to applying multiphysics modeling techniques
to solve design and production analysis problems. We will guide you
through three examples:
- Simulating friction-stir welding
- A molten aluminum extrusion-solidification process
- A live demo conducting a thermal-electrical-mechanical contact
analysis of a high power connector
Click here to register!
Wireless Sensor Networks
A Surveer of Design Options
Sponsored by Winland Electronics Inc.
DATE: April 30th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Developing a wireless sensor network can be an awesome challenge or a
simple matter of picking the right module, depending on who you ask.
Off-the-shelf solutions have certain advantages, but may not be the best
overall solution to your problem. Home grown or custom solutions can be
designed to overcome specific challenges, so they can be critical for
certain projects. Learn more about the technical pros & cons of both
options in this live course.
Click here to register!
2008 Online Manufacturing WebExpo & Conference
Presented by New Equipment Digest and Machine Design
DATE: May 21st, 2008
TIME: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET
The Online Manufacturing WebExpo and Conference brings you and your
management team the advantages of a traditional trade show without any
of the travel cost! Participate in a webcast, visit a trade show booth
and pick up valuable literature - all from the comfort of your
office.
Webcasts:
This all day online event will feature a series of "LIVE" Webcasts
covering a broad range of manufacturing-related topics. Tune in to any
or all of the Webcasts. Ask questions during the broadcast, hear what
your peers are asking too. Register today for the series featuring
Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings Division, AutomationDirect and Bimba
Manufacturing.
Trade Show:
Visit company booths at the virtual exhibition hall where you can learn
about new products, subscribe to newsletters, download white papers or
literature from Sealevel Systems, AutomationDirect, Bimba
Manufacturing, EFD, FactoryMation, Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings
Division and Strong Hold Products.
Stay for an hour or stay all day - you decide. Without burdensome travel
costs, you can invite your whole management team to view a Webcast or
review product features at company booths.
People who should attend:
All types of Engineers, Plant Managers, Facilities Managers,
Maintenance, Plant Operations, Analysts, Research and Design, VP of
Operation, Managers, Directors, CEO, President, and Safety
Directors.
To register for this free event, visit www.newequipment.com/webexpo
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design
webcasts.
|
Autodesk says it is providing an updated version of Inventor LT
before the May 1, 2008 expiration date. Inventor LT lets manufacturers
create, share, and edit 3D part models from different CAD systems. To
learn more or to download a copy, visit the Autodesk Labs site
|
|
|
CAD industry keeps on
growing
|
Jon Peddie
Research, Tiburon, Calif., says business keeps on growing in the CAD
industry despite problems facing the rest of the U.S. economy. According
to the firm, in 2008 the CAD market should reach almost $6 billion, an
increase of 15% over 2007. The firm also projects the market will reach
$8.2 billion in 2012.
|
ANSYS Inc. has
announced that PERA Global will be its exclusive sales and support
partner for Multiphysics, Workbench, and FLUENT in Mainland China, Hong
Kong, and Macao. PERA has offices in eight locations including Beijing,
Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
|
|
|
Thank you for reading the CAD/CAM Monthly Newsletter from Machine
Design.
This email was sent to #email#. You've received this e-newsletter for
one of two reasons:
1) You signed up for it on one of our web sites.
2) You are a reader of Machine Design magazine.
Manage Your Subscription
To quickly unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here Unsubscribe
To subscribe or unsubscribe, to this or any of our newsletters, visit our subscription page.
To CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, visit our subscription page, login with your
old email address, then change your address.
Contact Information
Editorial questions: Leslie Gordon
216-931-9242
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities: Virginia Goulding
216-931-9893
Machine Design
1300 E. 9th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114
©2008 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
Subscribe to our RSS feeds