|
| CAD, CAM, CAE, design, technical drawing, drafting, delineation, visualization, manufacturing | ISSN 1442-2255 |
|
D-Cubed's AEM Component Supports Physical Simulation in SolidWorks 2003
Cambridge, England - November, 2002 - D-Cubed Ltd. announces that their AEM component supports new functionality that enhances the physical realism of the assembly environment in SolidWorks 2003 from SolidWorks Corporation. The AEM (Assembly Engineering Manager) is the solving technology behind the new Physical Simulation mode in SolidWorks 2003, complementing the Physical Dynamics functionality first introduced in SolidWorks 2001Plus. Through its innovative use of the AEM, SolidWorks 2003 is the only CAD system that enables design engineers to investigate the effects of springs, gravity, motors and 3D contacts on their assemblies directly in the core of the standard product. The AEM provides the tools for a CAD system to interactively simulate the physical behaviour of a mechanical assembly according to the mass properties of its constituent parts, the motion caused by a variety of engineering related forces and devices, and the interaction of parts as they collide and push each other around. Physical behaviour is reproduced automatically without any pre-processing and without requiring the introduction of artificial equations or mating constraints. Interactive fully 3D contacts between accurate solid parts are embedded directly in the CAD model, with no user intervention required. Videos of the AEM in action can be seen online. The benefits that the AEM brings to a CAD system are based on its fundamental strengths, which include: . . Direct use of the 3D DCM, giving a level of integration with the assembly constraint environment that is not possible for any third party simulation technology. D-Cubed's 3D DCM (3D Dimensional Constraint Manager) component defines and solves the assembly mating constraints in most major CAD systems. . . Precise solving on the actual solid model of both the permanent constraints that link the moving parts, such as hinges and sliders, and the temporary contacts that occur as moving parts touch. Some alternative approaches only approximately solve the linkages and contacts at each step in the simulation. As a result, for example, a shaft may not actually be concentric with its hole, and parts that are supposed to be in contact may actually be interpenetrating or separated, thus calling into doubt the validity of the results. . . Support for interactive 3D contacts on the actual solid model. This contrasts with those approaches which only solve contacts on a pre-defined sub-set of the model, sometimes only using a faceted approximation, often with performance that is not interactive. "Physical Dynamics, and now Physical Simulation, are proving to be highly valued additions to SolidWorks," says Dave Corcoran, Executive Vice President for SolidWorks Corporation. "By employing D-Cubed's AEM technology, SolidWorks has extended its lead in providing its customers realistic physical behaviour as part of its core product." "We are delighted that SolidWorks have used the AEM to support the interactive physical simulation of the functioning of their assemblies," says John Owen, Managing Director of D-Cubed. "Such productivity enhancements are part of the reason why SolidWorks is so successful." About D-Cubed Ltd.Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, England, D-Cubed provides software components and technical consulting services to the CAD/CAM/CAE application development industry in all areas of geometric, solid and variational/parametric modeling. Most of the world�s leading CAD vendors have adopted one or more of D-Cubed�s widely respected component technologies for integration into their end-user applications. We have never developed, and do not intend to develop, our own end-user applications. This focus avoids any competitive conflicts of interest with our customers.
|
|
| All rights reserved � 1996-2009 Digital Business Media Pty Ltd | home |