Position Papers

Visitors to the Radan stand at the UK’s Southern Manufacturing Exhibition will see how the 2015 release of the sheet metal software combines all aspects of it for the first time. A number of the 180 enhancements in Radan 2015 help bring all aspects of the software together – CAD/CAM, Radbend, Radm-ax, Radtube and the logistics products. “When people think of Radan they think of the world’s most powerful sheetmetal CAD/CAM software,” says Product Manager Olaf Körner. “But Radan is actually a whole suite of connected products. “For example, there is a major connection between 3D in CAD/CAM and the Radbend press brake software. When manufacturers unfold a model they need to know how the bend process will be affected further down the production line.” This is aided by strengthened 3D translation procedures, which he says import information more consistently. The routines for automatically calculating the thickness of imported parts have also been

3D Systems announced that it will be showcasing how its design-to-manufacturing digital thread increases productivity and expands possibilities for designers, engineers and inventors at SolidWorks World 2015, February 8-11 at the Phoenix Convention center, Phoenix, AZ, booth 717. Featuring a full range of its latest 3D printing, software and scanning technologies, 3DS will demonstrate the power, versatility and seamless integration of its 3D design and digital fabrication solutions, and welcomes visitors to experience them first hand. 3DS’ advanced technologies on display include Direct Metal Printing (DMP), Stereolithography (SLA), Micro-SLA, Plastic Jet Printing (PJP), Multi-material 3D printing, integrated 3D software and scanning, and its TouchTM haptic 3D stylus. 3DS’ integrated portfolio of design-to-manufacturing solutions continues to meet the demands of engineers in aerospace, automotive, medical device design, industrial design, consumer goods, heavy equipment, jewelry design, dental, medical and more. “We are excited to showcase the most advanced generation of design-to-manufacturing technologies available in the market,”

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), announced the relaunch of its TCS Graduate Program in Australia. This graduate recruitment initiative creates new tech-sector job opportunities for Australian graduates that have been selected from a number of leading universities. To mark the occasion, TCS announced that its 2015 inductees will participate in a comprehensive 3-month training program in Australia and India commencing on the 31st January. Deborah Hadwen, CEO, TCS Australia and New Zealand said, “The TCS Graduate Program 2015 provides a structured training environment for the team. We are looking at the next generation of leaders in this bright, talented group. Australia has a need to develop talent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) fields, and TCS is committed to creating work opportunities for graduates, with the long-term goal to grow globally-integrated executives that have the right skills and capabilities that will assist Australia to remain competitive.” Over 300 IT graduates applied to the TCS Graduate

The FORAN System celebrates half a century in 2015. With 50 years of active service, FORAN is the longest standing CAD/CAM/CAE software on the market and a technological asset for the engineering and technology group SENER, which has placed its trust in this project throughout its history as a hallmark of its identity. To commemorate this anniversary, SENER will host an event in Spain with the presence of FORAN customers worldwide. FORAN, an acronym of FORmas ANalíticas (ANalytic FORms), is a complete CAD software for the design, construction and engineering of all kinds of ships and marine units. FORAN allows for the efficient creation of a complete and detail 3D virtual model of the vessel, from which it is possible to automatically obtain all the information needed for its manufacture and assembly. In addition, this 3D model can be reused as a data source for other tools, such as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), procurement management or planning applications. Currently, FORAN is

Delcam CRISPIN – in partnership with www.3DSHOES.com – has chosen the winner of its Global Footwear Design Competition.  Ekaterina Gapeeva, a shoe designer from Minsk in Belarus, was chosen as the overall winner from the many entries, based on her design’s creative flair, commercial potential and impressive use of Delcam CRISPIN’s ShoeMaker software, the package used to create all of the entries.  The winning entries can be seen on the Delcam CRISPIN website at www.delcam-crispin.com/competitions/index.asp Ekaterina’s design will now be 3D printed and showcased on Delcam CRISPIN’s stand, A36 in Hall 14 at the SIMAC exhibition taking place in Milan between 25th and 27th February.  She will join the Delcam CRISPIN staff at the exhibition. Ekaterina was delighted to win the competition, saying "My design was inspired by collections of Giuseppe Zanotti, Valentino, Stella Jean, Gucci and Chanel.  I tried to express the natural beauty and loftiness of birds, with a combination of a feather’s thin

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Autodesk have teamed up to offer product designers a chance to win up to USD $4,000 through the inaugural Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge. Participants are eligible to submit their design after completing the free 1-hour, online course Designing Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products for the Circular Economy. Submissions are due March 15, 2015, and winners will be announced in April. The required online education course provides practical instruction for product designers in the application of ‘cradle to cradle’ design principles, and the goal of the Product Design Challenge is to eliminate the concept of ‘waste’ by designing products with materials that may be perpetually cycled to retain their value as nutrients to fuel growing global economies. “We are celebrating a new vision—giving product designers the chance to be rewarded for applying their skills to innovative circular thinking,” said Bridgett Luther, president of the Institute. “The design

TraceParts has now released the 2015 version of its Supplier Parts Management Software TraceParts Enterprise. The highlights for this release are the new Subcontractor Edition and the import of existing data into the TraceParts Enterprise Database. “We’ve taken onboard suggestions from our current users worldwide and from companies who tested the free Try & Buy version during the last 12 months. As a result, we’ve now implemented the most wanted “enhancements” and much more in this major release,” says Alfred Schallert, Global Product Manager of TraceParts Enterprise. The newly created Subcontractor Edition enables companies to integrate their subcontractors into TraceParts Enterprise without wasting time managing them. While the Subcontractor Edition is clearly targeting larger organizations, the new import function is addressing small and medium size businesses, who do not connect to an ERP or PDM system, but still want to reuse their existing data in TraceParts Enterprise. “In addition to these major functions, we

RLM Apparel Software Systems Inc., is closely following last year’s exceptionally strong software development agenda with the first in a series of planned 2015 system-wide innovations for its popular FashionManager™ Enterprise software solution. Comprising new and enhanced capabilities to PLM, Financials, and Sales modules, the latest round of improvements bolsters the functional scope of the all-in-one business solution and enables clients to accelerate business processes and improve operational efficiencies. According to RLM Partner and Vice President of Product Development Rick Lynn, “With the positive market response to the numerous releases we delivered last year, we are continuing to accelerate our development roadmap in 2015. This release adds significant new and improved tools for wholesale, retail and online sales that address the growing demands of today’s omnichannel business environment. Following last year’s release of the all-new Financial Reporting solution, we are now adding several new financial tools that continue to set the

Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. is releasing expert trainer Jonathan Pickup’s Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual, now in its seventh edition. The book supports the new capabilities of Vectorworks® 2015 software and helps users gain a firm understanding of the basic tools, features and commands found in the Vectorworks line of industry-specific CAD and BIM solutions. Pickup’s manual provides a streamlined and efficient approach to training, breaking down the process into three simple steps: read a section, watch a video and try a tutorial. Each step increases the reader’s capabilities, and many designers who say they thought the initial tutorials were easy find that the text’s evolution truly helps them to learn over time. “Jonathan’s teaching methods, as typified in his Essentials Tutorial Manual, are superb, and his manner of explaining techniques, tasks and tools is wonderfully clear, concise and well illustrated,” says Neil Barmen, Intern Architect, AIBC LEED AP. “Following along with the lessons in the manual

Engineers and designers of electric machines have a revamped & more intuitive modeling environment to use when performing motor simulations and analysis as of today with the release of MotorSolve version 5. Major additions to the software also enhance the charts and field data available to users. Here are just some of the highlights available. An Even More User Friendly Software. MotorSolve is among the most easy to use design software of its kind. Version 5 raises the bar of user friendliness by introducing a number of changes – both requested by users and created by Infolytica – to the interface and modeling engine to make it easier and faster. Using MotorSolve is simple and foolproof: after a thorough review of each motor template, design parameters have been renamed (to follow the latest standard terminology) and simplified in terms of geometrical options. The variational geometry engine, which gives MotorSolve the flexibility and power