I remember the first time I attended SolidWorks World back in 2009. I didn't really know what to expect, I brought too much junk, and I tried to do way too much stuff. I wish I had known about our friend Muggs Ferguson's SolidWorks World Survival Guide.
If you're attending SolidWorks World for the first time this year, I highly recommend you check it out. Muggs spent a good amount of time putting it together, and it even includes a forward by our own Richard Doyle.
It's only nine days until SolidWorks World 2012, and the partner profiles keep rolling in. Today, we hear from Simpoe. If you're at the event later this month, stop by and say hi. And if you still haven't registered, there's till time. If you pay for two registrations, we'll throw in a third for free. And as always, CSWPs save $100. You can see all of our registration deals at the SolidWorks World website.
1. Tell us about Simpoe.
Our company develops and markets plastic injection simulation software. Most plastic parts we use today in our daily life are injected parts, and we simulate this manufacturing process. This is the only thing we do, but we do it best. Simpoe is a French company, located near Paris. Simpoe software's ease of use, speed and affordability set a new standard in the industry, and 90% of our business is international. With our software available in several languages, international offices and a worldwide network of value added resellers, we are a true global company.
2. What products do you sell, or what services do you offer?
We sell (of course) our software, as well as the associated services, such as training, support or consulting. In San Diego we will focus on SimpoeWorks, which is our product line fully embedded into the SolidWorks graphic user environment. SimpoeWorks is the only SolidWorks Gold Partner product for plastic injection simulation, which means we really work inside SolidWorks. The user never leaves his/her familiar SolidWorks interface, and we are the only one to do that.
3. How can your products or services help make a SolidWorks user’s life easier?
We can help any SolidWorks user in the plastic industry. Whether they are just designing plastic parts, or developing the tooling and the molds, or manufacturing the parts, Simpoe will help them. They can identify very early on potential design and manufacturing problems, with very easy to use , intuitive and fast software tools. Will my part fill? Will my part have aspect defaults? Will my mold work? Will my machine be big enough? And without ever leaving the SolidWorks interface.
4. Why should SolidWorks World attendees visit your booth? What will be special or exciting?
A drawing is worth a thousand words. So come to see by yourself the speed and ease of use of SimpoeWorks, as well as the full integration within SolidWorks. Simpoe management will be present at the booth, and we love to meet our customers and resellers face to face. So come to see us. On top of it, very exciting news for SolidWorks users will be announced at the show. But we cannot say more at this time.
5. How can customers connect with you before, during and after the show?
During the show, we will be at booth 435 in the Partner Pavilion. And if you want to get a taste of the ease of use and speed of Simpoe software, you can register on our website to receive the link to download SimpoeXpress, our free light version.
You can tell we're getting close to SolidWorks World 2012 now because our partners are sending in their profile responses fast and furious. Today, we hear from Stratasys. If you're at the event later this month, stop by and say hi.
1. Tell us a little bit about Stratasys
Stratasys manufacturers five lines of 3D printers used for prototyping and production, and it operates a digital manufacturing service, called RedEye on Demand. Three of the 3D printer lines carry Stratasys name brands: Fortus, Dimension, and uPrint. We are an OEM manufacturer for HP’s DesignJet3D line of 3D printers, and we manufacture the Solidscape 3D printer line. Stratasys is one of the original additive manufacturing system makers, and has been in business since 1991.
2. How can your printers help make a SolidWorks user’s life easier?
Having a 3D printer at your desk or around the corner lets you bring your CAD ideas to life and examine them for form, fit, and functional performance. Customers say that just having easy access to a 3D printer has helped them design better, design faster, and improve their products. Users have even reported that they’ve come up with product ideas that would have been impossible to conceive of before their exposure to 3D printing.
3. Why should attendees visit your booth?
Besides some of our larger machines, we will be showing our most recent introduction, the uPrint SE series which is available with or without a complete printer package called the uPrint SE 3D Print Pack. This is a complete start-up kit, requiring nothing else to get up and running. There are no extra costs and no surprises. Notable is that these are the first 3D printers available on the market through a lease. Prices are as low as $290 per month – less expensive than a single outsourced job.
4. How can customers connect with you before, during and after the show?
One of the things we've heard from SolidWorks World attendees over the past few years is that you'd like to learn more in advance about the SolidWorks partners who set up booths in the Partner Pavilion. So now through SolidWorks World 2012, we'll be posting a series of blog entries about some of the partners you might think about checking out, and the people who will be representing them. Today we hear from Sigmetrix.
1) Tell us a little bit about Sigmetrix.
Sigmetrix, LLC is a SolidWorks solutions partner focused on providing easy-to-use assembly tolerance analysis and optimization software utilized by systems, mechanical and manufacturing engineers. Powered by CETOL 6 Sigma Technologies™, Sigmetrix’ products accelerate tolerance optimization, providing precise calculations and increased understanding of the impact tolerance specifications have on manufacturing variations and ultimately on product quality.
2) Why should SolidWorks World attendees visit your booth?
If product success is important to SolidWorks World attendees, then a visit to the Sigmetrix booth would be time well spent! Visitors will learn more about our tolerance analysis solutions and will have the opportunity to view our 3D Variation Behavior Modeling first hand. Everyone that registers at our booth receives a special show giveaway as well as a chance to win one of several show gifts when they turn in their CETOL 6 Sigma poker chip!
3) How can your products help make a SolidWorks user’s life easier?
Our mission is to educate SolidWorks users on the advantages of incorporating tolerance analysis into their projects and to help them produce more efficient, robust designs that result in reduced costs and warranty issues while improving product performance and quality.
4) How can customers connect with you at the show? How about before and after?
SolidWorks World attendees can find us at booth #437 in the Partner Pavilion. You can also find us at:
One of the things we've heard from SolidWorks World attendees over the past few years is that you'd like to learn more in advance about the SolidWorks partners who set up booths in the Partner Pavilion. So now through SolidWorks World 2012, we'll be posting a series of blog entries about some of the partners you might think about checking out, and the people who will be representing them. Today we hear from Geometric Technologies.
1. Tell us a little bit about Geometric Technologies.
Geometric Technologies develops cutting‐edge productivity solutions for CAD/CAM industry. Our products DFMPro and CAMWorks are seamlessly integrated within the SolidWorks® platform, enabling intelligence and automation in design as well as manufacturing processes.
2. What products do you sell that might appeal to SolidWorks users?
CAMWorks® for SolidWorks is the first Gold Partner CAM solution designed exclusively to operate in SolidWorks. CAMWorks is an intuitive feature based CAM solution that helps manufacturers increase productivity and profitability through best-in-class technologies and adaptable automation tools that maximize machining efficiencies.
DFMPro for SolidWorks facilitates upstream manufacturability validation by helping in identification of areas of a design that are difficult, expensive, or impossible to manufacture. It automates the iterative design review process for manufacturability. Both the products are sold via a wide network of resellers in over 40 countries.
3. How can your tools help make a SolidWorks user’s life easier?
CAMWorks is seamlessly integrated within the SolidWorks environment, which facilitates automatic accommodating changes to the part model, thereby eliminating time consuming CAM system rework due to design updates and thus enabling true associative machining. It eliminates hours of complex programming through Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR) that automatically defines prismatic machinable features, while a Knowledge Database (Technology Database) defines machining operations to automatically generate accurate toolpaths at the click of a button. DFMPro covers design for manufacturability checks within SolidWorks environment. This saves lot of time and effort for design engineers as carrying out such checks is not only tedious but also requires re-design effort. The ‘Rules Based’ interface of DFMPro cover checks for manufacturing process like
Sheet Metal (checks for slots, hems, bends, holes, etc.)
Machining (checks for machining processes like Drills, Mills and Turned models, etc.)
DFMPro also facilitates collaborative design review process by generating comprehensive 3D reports in eDrawings format. This capability is very useful for suppliers to quickly generate eDrawings reports and share it with the OEM for their review, comments and acceptance.
4. Why should SolidWorks World attendees visit your booth? What will be special or exciting?
This year we are showcasing CAMWorksXpress, an easy to learn and easy to use SolidWorks integrated 2.5D machining CAM package for programmers and machinists. And CAMWorks Nesting, a new add-on nesting package integrated within SolidWorks to create optimized nested layouts of Parts or Assemblies. Using CAMWorks Nesting users can select single/multiple sheets, specify the part-to-part distance and sheet margin/collar. The package also allows associativity to the original SolidWorks part or assembly.
We also invite attendees to a presentation by Marc Bissell, Sr. Applications Engineer at Geometric on “Integrated Design and Manufacturing - From Orders to Parts” in the Certified Partner Theater on Tuesday, 14th February, at 1:00 p.m.
We shall be displaying the new casting process capability of DFMPro, this will cover checks for wall thickness, undercut detection, fillet radii, etc.
5. How can customers learn more about your products?
SolidWorks World attendees can find us at booth #524 in the Partner Pavilion. You can also find us at:
As many of you know, Valentine's Day falls over the four days of SolidWorks World 2012, and thousands of you will be with us in San Diego, away from significant others and children. And while phone calls, text messages, Skype and Facetime can help bridge the gap, we know that lots of you will be missed at home.
We're also guessing that some of you may have had to make special arrangements or deals with your significant others in order to join us. If you fall into that category, we're interested in knowing what you had to agree to in order to get out of the SolidWorks World dog house.
If you have a funny or amusing story, let us know in the comment section below. If it's good, CEO Bertrand Sicot may event mention it during general session on the first day.
And by the way, we'll have a special booth set up in the Partner Pavilion on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday that you can use to send a video e-card to anyone you like. Be sure to stop by.
Don't forget, if you pay for two registrations, we'll throw in a third for free. And as always, CSWPs save $100. You can see all of our registration deals at the SolidWorks World website.
As we gear up for SolidWorks World 2012, we're be running a series of interviews that shine a spotlight on our employees from different parts of the world, and why you might consider attending. Next up on the SolidWorks World 2012 International Series is Ba-Thong Phan, senior area technical manager, for SolidWorks in Asia Pacific, India and Korea.
Ba-Thong is a SolidWorks World veteran, so we wanted to sit down with him in advance of the show to discuss the customers in his region and the unique ways they are using SolidWorks. Check out Ba-Thong’s thoughts below:
Q: What kinds of businesses/customers make up most of the market in your region?
A: The Asian market is well known for being a manufacturing hub since the 80’s. Most of our customers focus on machinery automation, mold making and consumer products. The services industry has been booming in recent years, serving customers from North America and Western Europe.
Q: Can you give an example of how customers in your region are using SolidWorks in unique ways?
A: I attended a meeting organized by the SolidWorks user group in my region and I saw one customer using SolidWorks and Flow Simulation for a toilet bowl. The customer used Flow Simulation to optimize the water usage.
Q: What do you enjoy most about SolidWorks World personally?
A: This SolidWorks World will be my 13th event and I’m excited to go to San Diego, even though it’s a 20 hour flight from Singapore! It’s the one annual event where I can meet my resellers, my colleagues, my users and partners. I’ve also learned a lot in past years from the breakout sessions.
Thanks to Ba-Thong for taking the time to talk, and don't forget, if you pay for two registrations, we'll throw in a third for free. And as always, CSWPs save $100. You can see all of our registration deals at the SolidWorks World website.
We kicked off and ended our SolidWorks World 2012 contest season with trivia contests. For the last one, all you had to do was guess how many Australians attended SolidWorks World 2008, the last time the event was held in San Diego. Guesses were all over the place, from 12 to 4000. The correct answer is 17, and the person who came closest was Bob Prochnow with a guess of 18. Can't get much closer than that.
So congratulations to Bob, who will be attending SolidWorks World 2012 on our dime. And don't forget, you can still save $100 if you register by midnight tonight, so hurry. If you pay for two registrations, we'll throw in a third for free, and as always, CSWPs save $100. You can see all of our registration deals at the SolidWorks World website.
Just a few years ago, the iPod revolutionized personal electronics worldwide. Tony Fadell, the designer who spearheaded the team that brought the iPod to market, will keynote SolidWorks World 2012.
Known as the “Father of the iPod,” Fadell made his mark via his former positions as Apple’s senior vice president of the iPod division and adviser to Steve Jobs. Today, Fadell is changing the game again as founder and CEO of Nest, a hot startup that’s introduced the world’s first learning thermostat. The Nest Learning Thermostat™ learns about you and your home to automatically turn itself down when you're away, guide you to energy-efficient temperatures when you’re home, and free you from programming hassles by creating a customized temperature schedule. Nest has been dubbed the “iPhone of thermostats” by Wired and TheNew York Times describes it as “gorgeous, elegant and very, very smart.”
“To create a game-changing product, function and design must go hand in hand,” said Fadell. “We certainly put that principle to work when developing the Nest Learning Thermostat, and I’m excited to share more about that experience with the thousands of passionate, designers and engineers who will attend this year’s SolidWorks World.”
And don't forget, you can still save $100 if you register today. If you pay for two registrations, we'll throw in a third for free, and as always, CSWPs save $100. You can see all of our registration deals at the SolidWorks World website.
One of the things we've heard from SolidWorks World attendees over the past few years is that you'd like to learn more in advance about the SolidWorks partners who set up booths in the Partner Pavilion. So now through SolidWorks World 2012, we'll be posting a series of blog entries about some of the partners you might think about checking out, and the people who will be representing them. Today we hear from Objet, Inc.
1. Tell us a little bit about Objet.
Objet produces and markets high quality 3D printers and 3D printing materials, mainly for the rapid prototyping needs of design, engineering and manufacturing companies. As a company, Objet has its headquarters in Rechovot, Israel and has been operating worldwide for nearly 13 years. Our technology background is based upon inkjet printing principles, but using resin photopolymer based materials to create the actual models and prototypes.
2. What products do you sell that might appeal to SolidWorks users?
Objet offers 3 different lines of 3D printers and almost 70 different 3D printing materials today. Our 3D printers fall into 3 families: Desktop line, Professional Eden line and Objet Connex line. In total we have 9 different printers, ranging from the smallest, Objet24, able to print our very reliable Objet VeroWhitePlus, to the Objet Connex500, able to print 68 different materials, including two at the same time.
Our range of 3D printing materials is constantly growing. As of December 2011 we have 68 different materials with different families including the rigid opaque ‘Vero’ family, rubber-like ‘Tango’ family, 2 transparent materials, an ABS-like material, a high temperature material, a bio-compatible transparent material, and 51 ‘composite’ materials that can be created by combining some of these materials together to produce new materials, what we call ‘Digital Materials’.
3. How can your Objet printers help make a SolidWorks user’s life easier?
First of all, Objet’s 3D printers are workhorses. Unlike many of the other technologies out there today, Objet machines are extremely reliable and our users regularly leave them running overnight, without supervision. This is vitally critical when time is short and deadlines are waiting. All our systems are office compatible and office friendly – they don’t need any particularly special operating environment, something that is also of great benefit to users.
Also hugely useful - Objet’s Connex range of multi-material 3D printers enables designers and engineers to really simulate the true look, feel and function of an end-product, even complex assembled goods. And with its simultaneous multi-material technology, it’s possible to not only print mixed-material models, but you can also print different color/texture versions all at the same time thus cutting waiting times between design iterations and even serving multiple users all at once.
4. Why should SolidWorks World attendees visit your booth? What will be special or exciting?
Stop by our booth where you will see many cool and exciting printed parts on display that feature our new materials and new technology, including the Halo figurine that was printed on our Objet Connex printer in a single print with no assembly.
5. How can customers learn more about your products?
SolidWorks World attendees can find us at booth #500 in the Partner Pavilion. You can also find us at:
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