Generative Design on Cloud - 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

 The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform 

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a collaborative environment that Connects People, Data, Processes, ideas, and Business. 3DEXPERIENCE is a cloud-based platform that is easily accessed with a browser that has curated roles for persons from each department in an organization ranging from Design, Simulation, and Manufacturing to Governance/Management.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform has cloud design capabilities running on a browser, so that it can be used with any device using a dedicated Touch Mode. A few of the Cloud Design roles include 3D Creator, 3D Sculptor, 3D Sheet Metal Creator, 3D Structure Creator, 3D Mold Creator, 3D Pattern Shape Creator, 3D Render, Drafter, and so on.

3D Creator

3D Creator is a role on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, having xDesign as the web application to create parametric models and assemblies, in a unified interface within a browser. Since the tool requires only a browser and internet connection, you can model on the go with a Tablet or Mobile device. The tools and workflows in xDesign are very similar to the mighty SOLIDWORKS.

DESIGN GUIDANCE

Apart from Parametric modeling, xDesign enables us to use industry trending tools like Generative Design on the cloud. We can use this Design Guidance to help design geometries, taking into account forces, space, and loads. We can create a new design or redesign an existing geometry.

For creating a new Generative Design, the process is so simple that we need to define the Material of the model, boundary conditions like Fixtures and Loads, the bounding box dimensions of the model, and any areas to be excluded during the generation process. Within the browser, several iterations occur to offer you the best possible geometry for the given conditions.

A conventional or legacy design consumes more material that does not contribute to the load, whereas the model obtained from Design Guidance (Generative Design) can be directly built using additive manufacturing. In order to make the optimized model to be manufactured using conventional machining processes, we can build machinable features from generated design using xDesign tools.

Advantages of Generative Design

· Reduced Product Weight hence reduced material and handling costs

· Takes less time to complete the design

· Create better designs and better products

· Consolidation of various parts into a single design

· Limitless number of designs to choose from

· 3D Creator doesn’t need any installation

With 3D Creator you can also:

· Create parametric 3D models anywhere and anytime using a browser

· Eliminate the need to plan your assembly structure with a single modeling environment

· Iterate rapidly without the rework associated with typical parametric modeling tools

· Understand structural requirements through an easy exploration of optimal material with Design Guidance

· Leverage the power of machine learning to reduce repetitive tasks with the Design Assistant tools

· Visualize your designs with ease and impress customers instantly with realistic appearances and environments.

The 3D creator role enables you to step up your Product Design and development process, and allows your design data to be managed, and used for other processes like Simulation and Manufacturing, on this unified 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. 

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3DEXPERIENCE BROWSER BASED CAD - xDesign

What is 3DEXPERIENCE?

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a collaborative environment which empowers businesses to innovate and collaborate in entirely new ways through cloud.
It provides real-time view of business activity and ecosystem, connecting people, ideas, data and solutions together in an organization using a single environment.
Bring key stakeholders together on a single collaborative platform, allowing you to seamlessly move from ideation through delivery for continuous development via 3DEXPERIENCE cloud-based solutions.

What is 3D Creator - xDesign?

3DEXPERIENCE platform contains roles in which 3D Creator has xDesign app for 3D parametric browser-based modeling. 

Innovate, collaborate, and create great designs on the go using the xDesign Cloud Solution inside a web browser.

The User Interface of 3D Creator – xDesign app is very similar to traditional SOLIDWORKS with the advantage of cloud design which offers the user to design from any device, anywhere and anytime with just a browser like Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari etc.

You can capture and realize your ideas with parametric 3D models of parts and assemblies.

It provides a single modeling environment and rapidly iterate your design intent anytime with super features.

Design and optimize materials and design using Design Guidance tool and generative design approach.

Reduce repetitive tasks with the Design Assistant tools using the power of machine learning technology.

3D Creator - xDesign is a cloud-based solution that is always working with the latest version of software on all your devices with no worrying about installing, configuring, or managing software.

With 3DExperience Cloud Design app like xDesign, the IT infrastructure, hardware requirements, server maintenance can be minimized.

Secure communication and collaboration can be ensured with internal or external stakeholders. 

3D Creator ensures successful collaboration through secure and safe communities, complete design and data access control, sharing, easy visualization, and product review within the ecosystem.

Manage tasks and monitor the progress of projects using a dashboard. The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform dashboard offers seamlessly transitions between 3D Creator and other design solutions.

3D Creator - xDesign app offers Design Guidance, an interactive feature based on simulation and optimization algorithms to help inspire innovative solutions to your design challenges, collaboration and data management.

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Track your Project Data with File Versions

Managing Project data seems to be difficult when there are too many project files and many Versions for individual project file. Versions are nothing but a milestone in our Project that can be retrieved anytime  for reference and reuse. While working towards the completion of our Project there are many stages where we improvise the Project or add an additional data to move our project a step closer to completion. Project Files can be saved separately in each of these stages as Versions so that we can have complete tract of our project data and reuse the older data whenever required. But improper version management often leads to troubles like,

• Maintaining filename for Version copies of Project file.
• Identifying the required file in cluster of similar files.
• Risk of deleting mandatory versions while removing duplicate files.
• Tracking the modifications in the individual version file while auditing the project. 
• Recovering the appropriate version files for reusing the same in another project.

To eliminate these troubles, SOLIDWORKS PDM provides an excellent Automated File Version Management and Control System. SOLIDWORKS PDM consists of three Servers namely – Archive Server, Database Server and License Server. Archive Server is where all the raw data gets stored and Database Server posses the Metadata of respective files. The Client systems uses a Local Vault View where we can see the completely organized data in proper folder structure from Archive Server and Database Server combined. Versions are created whenever we Check Out a file from Vault and again Check In the same file. SOLIDWORKS PDM automatically saves all the versions of a project file as separate files in its Archive Server and a version number is maintained for each version file in the Database Server.

During Check In, the check in dialogue box enlists the files and its references we are checking in to the PDM Vault. Each Check In increases the version number of the file and each version can have a comment which records the purpose of the version created. The version number can be preserved from increasing by enabling the check box Overwrite Latest Version. In case if we do not want to check in the file with all the changes we made after saving the file so many times we can use “Undo Check Out” option which erases the file in the local cache and provides the earlier created versions available without any changes made.

The Versions can be monitored and retrieved using the tools available in PDM local view. Here the Version tab shows us which version of the file we are having in our local cache in the format Available version/Latest Version (for example 2/3 denotes available version is 2 whereas latest version is 3). After Selecting appropriate file use “Get Latest Version” option in the toolbar to get the last saved version of the selected file. In order to retrieve older versions, use the created versions list that is available in the “Get Version” option of “Actions” dropdown menu. Here the Versions will be listed with version number and Version Comment we gave while checking in the file for making it easier to get the required version easily. The BOM will also get generated automatically for individual versions. 

In case, if we want to audit the project work “History” option in the toolbar can be used. This option will show a dialogue box that contains complete track of the project file. It lists outs all the major events of a project like Versions created and Workflow states changed along with date & time, User’s name who made the event, Comments we give while Checking in and changing workflow state. Here the different Version files can be compared by selecting the appropriate versions and clicking “Compare”. If we want to undo the changes made in the project up to a particular version, we can select the required version and click the “Rollback” button which rewinds the project to that Version. Any version can be saved as an individual file by selecting the version form the list and clicking the “Save” Button.

We may wonder what happens what if all my version file consumes a lot of unwanted space over a period of time. SOLIDWORKS PDM Administrator tool provides an automatic clean up tool “Cold Storage for erasing or moving the unwanted version file from the Archive Server. Once the Cold Storage is set, the older version files will be automatically moved\erased once the number of versions reaches the limit of our choice. Also, versions with Revision can be stopped from moving to cold storage. This process can be scheduled at regular time period like the system idle times so that this does not affect the performance of the server.

Automated Technical Data Management

          Using Paperless automation easy access to documents from anywhere in the world which will keep you to track on with proper business operations. seamless communication between employees is always in the updated data.

Impacts :

• Workflow automation not only streamlines your business processes but also helps you to cutoff costs.
• Manual documentation will be a time-consuming process. Time is money! Just imagine how much time you could save and use it elsewhere in productively- if documents were located quickly.
• Manual data entry is usually plagued with human errors that cost time and money. Workflow automation solutions help you to eliminate human errors, thus boosting your business process.
• With automated technical data management is in use, you can track what tasks have been completed, by who and when. Records are kept throughout the process. Legacy data plays a huge role in your business.
• Documents can easily be shared among colleagues and accessed from multiple locations. Work doesn’t have to be limited to office environments.
• Streamlined automation integrates with the project management system enables you to assign work and easily monitor the overall progress.

Final word
          Automation is no longer the future of business, but the way to go for today’s business should immediately adopt workflow automation solutions. But one thing is clear; using a manual system in a digital world is a race to the bottom.

 

Data Management Solution to Aerospace Industries using SOLIDWORKS

          Aerospace industry is one of the most creative engineering fields and it involves complicated design and process to meet the world class standard. The approval process of an aerospace industry is entirely different and need to undergo lot of scrutinization because it involves human safety and comfort parameters

          Let’s see how SOLIDWORKS provides the complete innovative solution for common challenges in managing of data and technical communication.

Challenges:

• Controlling and Managing of design data particularly CAD and project documents 
  
• Workflow automation for different types of projects and process structure 
• Sharing data to downstream department and Collaboration with the multiple vendors 
• Ensuring the right data at the right time with the correct revisions and versions updation 
• Segregated of design data with the multiple teams and locations 
• Aerospace industry requires lots of details in technical product communication 
• Communicating and documenting of technical design information to the Market, Vendors and Suppliers 
• Internal design related communication to Manufacturing and Assembly line 

Solutions: 

• SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management enables the organisation to store the data in a centralised storage with a secured vault
  
• Based on the workflow of any organisation design data can be stored and retrieved 
• With the centralised storage and accessibility authorisation for both user and administrator level is possible 
• An integrated search tool with more than 120 types of filters will helps to retrieve the data without any interruption in minimal time 
• SOLIDWORKS Composer gives the complete solutions for making technical design communication and documentation at design stage 
• As per the requirement we can create Product manuals, Part catalogues, Service manuals with the complete technical information 
• Visual animation of product assembling and dismantling in a most interactive 3D output 

Benefits:

• Easy integration of SOLIDWORKS and data management with SOLIDWORKS ecosystem 
• Granular security provides the complete confidentiality in maintaining data 
• Efficient time saver in retrieving data of various projects 
• Interactive communication to the layman level 
• Documentation, Manuals and Animations by using a CAD Data at low cost 

 

Business impact of data Management in Power & Process Industry

Product datamanagement (PDM) has to serve as a central knowledge repository for process and product history, and promotes integration & data exchange among all business users who interact with products — including project managers, engineers, sales people, buyers, and quality assurance teams. But its not happening in real-time environment.

Challenges faced in Power & process Industry:

A)Spending countless hours for the design approvals Engineering Change Orders (ECO)–more time to prepare and convey Engineering change notice (ECN) and getting approvals.

B)Has to maintain a whole Revision history of a design evolution,Errors of manual approaches to be captured and also Duplicate file creation has to stop.

C)Unable to collaborate with multiple location organizations

D)Difficult to deliver the right file, at right time to the right person

E) Difficult to Create, maintain, manipulate and store the Bill of Materials (BOM) data to support downstream operations.

Solutions:

A) By Automatic electronic workflow system in SolidWorks PDM,significantly reduce the time required for the design approvals of Engineering change orders (ECO).

B) SolidWorks PDM Track changes, maintain a whole revision history of a design’s evolution, and errors of manual approaches can be avoided and also helps to avoid creation of duplicate files .

C) SolidWorks PDM allows replicating the data from one location to another location without much effort.This global connectivity helps in reducing the time to market of product.

D) But with SolidWorks PDM, usingworkflow and transition action- data can assigned automatically to a right person at right time with notification

E) SolidWorks PDM software offers many tools which enables to handle BOM data more efficiently and also to export this data for the use in downstream applications.

Benefits:

• Achieve Intelligent Process automation
• Ability to Track Changes
• Helps in Process integration
• Smart BOM Management
• Error free Change management
• Enterprise Scalability for multiple Location access.