CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
1 December 2004
Implementation Investments
Arizona State University Students Design Robots and Satellites, Prepare for Engineering Careers with SolidWorks Education Edition
Arizona State University (ASU) is using 500 licenses of the SolidWorks Education Edition, including SolidWorks® 3D mechanical design and COSMOS® design analysis software, to prepare its students in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design for jobs at Intel, Motorola, and other global powerhouses.
More than 6,000 students at ASU's Tempe, Phoenix, and Mesa campuses take graduate and undergraduate engineering courses in fields ranging from architecture to aeronautics. ASU uses SolidWorks to teach students in its mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, aerospace engineering, and industrial design departments. Students learn how to convert design concepts and ideas into accurate, working 3D models that they can refine and build.
"We chose SolidWorks because it's very teachable, which is huge from an education standpoint," said Sean Dengler, industrial engineering lab supervisor in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at ASU. "These students aren't studying to become professional CAD designers. They're studying to become professional engineers who use CAD software to solve real-world design challenges. SolidWorks gives them the practical experience they need."
Dengler teaches a series of electives and required industrial and mechanical engineering courses that expose students to different engineering approaches and guide them into finding their own solutions to design challenges. In one course, juniors design cribbage boards using SolidWorks software and build them using SURFCAM®, a computer numerical control (CNC) application that fully integrates with SolidWorks. This course teaches students how to accurately design a product, and how to create the tool path for machining it.
In another course Dengler dubs "boot camp automation," students form teams to design and build autonomous robots that rely on sonar, infrared, and other sensors to navigate and operate. At the end of the class, each team's robot squares off with another to cross a moat and wander through two castles to knock the opposing team's king from a pedestal. "SolidWorks helps them visualize the robot design in 3D, so they can clearly see how to integrate the control systems with the robots' mechanical attributes," said Dengler. "This course teaches them to open their eyes to different possibilities. It teaches informed decision making, and real-world tasks of parts ordering, working with suppliers, and working in teams."
ASU also uses SolidWorks to design deployable satellites that the school launches for a variety of experiments. Launched near Edwards Air Force Base in California, these satellites also carry experiments from other universities. Students also learn how to troubleshoot their designs using COSMOSWorks® design analysis software. COSMOSWorks will allow them to see how their product designs will perform as physical objects.
"Arizona State's engineering curriculum provides students with a broad menu of disciplines to choose from," said Rosanne Kramer, director of worldwide education markets for SolidWorks Corporation. "SolidWorks provides students the best tools with which to approach product design, helping them develop the innovative thinking and design creativity they'll need professionally."
SolidWorks reseller Digital Dimensions provides Arizona State University with ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
Digital Dimensions Inc., a charter member of the SolidWorks reseller organization provides mechanical design and analysis software for engineering, manufacturing, and educational users throughout Arizona and the San Diego area. DDi's expertise in the implementation, training, and support for CAD and the SolidWorks family of products has helped hundreds of companies realize the benefits of state-of-the-art design and analysis tools for the past 20 years. For more information about Digital Dimensions, visit the company Web site at http://www.ddicad.com or call 1-800-575-7543.
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