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| The latest information on CAD/CAM software and
technology
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June 11, 2008
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Second Life is one of the hottest virtual realities around, with more
than 13 million registered participants including banks, corporations,
businesses, and individuals. Software companies such as SolidWorks,
Autodesk, and PLM Siemens have land there. And now, so does the U.S.
Dept of Energy's Solar Decathlon. The Solar Decathlon is a competition
in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design,
build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient
solar-powered house. The public is invited to view winning designs on
October 12 - 20 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
As you might know, MACHINE DESIGN also has an area on Second Life at
Tipsico 186.14.145. I'd like to invite any of our readers to join us
editors there. Just shoot me an e-mail and we can set up a time to sit
and chat.
Comments? Questions? Send them in, and we might print them here!
-- Leslie Gordon
lgordon@penton.com
blog
Second Life: Pez Balut
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Anyone designing high-performance cylindrical and conical-shell
structures invariably wants to balance strength and low weight, along
with several other characteristics including lowest-cost manufacturing.
FEA and CAD software provide one way to shape complex forms, but these
general-purpose programs work best when applied to a wider variety
engineered structures and tasks. Read the whole article
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Imagine if you could have a machine in your home that, like the Star
Trek replicator, conjures up a cup of coffee or a hairbrush on command.
This sort of personal manufacturing might well be close at hand.
Researchers at Cornell University's Computational Synthesis Lab in
Ithaca, N.Y., have come up with a "personal fabrication device" —
about as big as a microwave oven — anyone can purchase for a few
thousand dollars. Better yet, the device's open-source firmware,
application source code, and parts list are online for those who'd like
to build or modify their own device. Read the whole article
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After starting an aerospace component- manufacturing company in
1997, Keith Entz and his company Entz Aerodyne, Valley Center, Kans.,
got caught up in one of the aerospace industry's downturns. So around
2004 his partner David Kirkwood and Production Manager Matt Cochran
started looking for another line of business. "We wanted to branch out
to another market that wasn’t so cyclical and where we could be an OEM
instead of a contractor," says Cochran.
Read the whole article
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Industrial CT-scanning
machine
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The Metrotom industrial CT-scanning machine allows for the
nondestructive inspection of part interiors. The component to be
inspected is placed on a platform and then rotated 360° while the
machine x-rays the part. The resulting images capture internal as well
as external structures. In addition to inspection, the machine works
well for damage and porosity analyses.
Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, Carl-Zeiss-Strasse 22, 73446
Oberkochen, Germany, zeiss.com
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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.
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A direct route from scan data to
CFD
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Software called 3-matic lets users reconstruct and manipulate
scanned data directly, transforming it into a mesh ready for FEA or CFD.
Users can also analyze physical objects for which CAD data is
unavailable or in which part properties (such as shape or wall
thickness) have changed during manufacturing.
Materialise US, 6111 Jackson Rd., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48103,
(734) 662-5057, materialise.com
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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.
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Rapidform XOR software builds "watertight" parametric CAD models
from scan data. A Redesign Assistant extracts design intent and design
parameters. An Accuracy Analyzer provides real-time deviation analysis
to ensure that CAD models are built within user-defined tolerances. The
software also generates meshes for CAE, CAM, and RP software.
Rapidform Inc., 292 Gibraltar Dr., Sunnyvale CA 94089, (408)
856-6200, Rapidform.com
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Get connected to Machine Design!
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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
Looking for an engineering job? Find it on our online Engineering
Job board
Post a resume, get alerts about interesting positions as they are
posted, and see what kinds of engineering jobs are hot right now!
Visit the Design Engineer Job Zone
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
Attention time and information starved engineers
Now you can get a quick dose of literature, product, and digital
information resources right in your copy of Machine Design Magazine.
Look for your edition of Literature Express in the second issue of May
of Machine Design. There you can request product information, catalogs,
CD’s and more from hundreds of manufacturers.
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!
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Sponsored
by:
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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
Architecture Options in Motion Control Design: Chips, Boards, or
Drives
Sponsored by PMD
DATE: June 11th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Levels of motion component integration often require serious design
consideration during machine and equipment development. A lack of
integration can impact equipment size, assembly costs, and reliability.
Yet expanded integration often affects the costs of components,
manufacturing, and maintenance. It also raises design questions
regarding the selection of motion system components. Obviously, what
the design tries to achieve determines the compromises made. This
presentation investigates and compares the differences between motion
control systems based on chips, boards, or drives; evaluates how each
fits into desired design parameters; and provides a quick understanding
of the factors used to select a level of motion system integration.
Click here to register!
Best Practices in Reducing Production Scrap and Rework
Sponsored by PTC
DATE: June 19th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Analysts agree that raw materials and labor are the two largest cost
centers for most manufacturers. Production inefficiency can come from
just about anywhere - parts from a supplier that don’t fit into your
finished assembly, a physical prototype you’ve used and then
discarded, or even a delivered product that doesn't meet customer
requirements. In each case, the scrap – along with the rework –
costs you time, money, and reputation. Today's highly compressed cycles
mean manufacturing errors and product-development inefficiencies can
become greatly magnified. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Join
this informative presentation to learn how successful companies are
implementing new product-development initiatives to significantly reduce
production scrap and design rework, and their associated costs.
Click here to learn more and register!
Supercharging Products with Embedded RFID
Sponsored by SkyeTek
DATE: June 26th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
The power of RFID as a stand-alone application to increase accuracy and
efficiency in supply chain management has garnered much attention in
recent years. The story now is how RFID can be added as a feature to an
almost unending list of products -- adding new functionality, increasing
reliability and enhancing the user experience. They may still look the
same on the outside, but embedding RFID readers and software into
existing and yet-to-be released products can transform them on the
inside offering manufacturers, OEMs and product designers new
opportunities for competitive advantage through increased efficiency,
accuracy and product differentiation.
Click here to learn more and register!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design
webcasts.
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RedEye RPM, a business unit of Stratasys, announced
its newest Webcast titled "Defining the Rapid Tooling and DDM Matrix,"
which will take place on Wednesday, June 18 at 1 p.m. EST. Dan Mishek,
part-owner and sales manager for Vista Technologies, will co-host with
RedEye's, Jeff Hanson. The Webcast will cover differences in volume,
complexity, materials, quantities, and delivery as they relate to direct
digital manufacturing and rapid tooling. Register for the event.
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Tooling U launches mobile
application
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Tooling U, a Cleveland-based online training company
specializing in manufacturing announced a mobile training technology, TU
Mobile. Now users can access real-time training information even if they
are not near a computer. From a mobile device, a student can take a
class, enter and save notes, and complete tests. Administrators can
track student reports and generate student schedules while out of the
office. The technology works with Blackberry, Apple IPhone, and Windows
Mobile devices. For more information
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Contact Information
Editorial questions: Leslie Gordon
216-931-9242
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities: Virginia Goulding
216-931-9893
Machine Design
1300 E. 9th St.
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©2008 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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