Matti Technology AG uses SolidWorks to shorten design cycles by up to 20%
They may not be a household name, but Switzerland's Matti Technology AG is a major player in the development of printing presses, finishing lines, drying techniques, and digital printing technologies. They provide high-speed solutions to support a variety of business printing needs, and have successfully integrated a thousand different digital systems
SolidWorks World is Only 277 Days Away (and counting)
Most of the folks in the SolidWorks Community are quite familiar with my passion for SolidWorks World. They also know that I don't usually get REALLY excited until the call-for-papers is announced. Not so this year. For a couple of
... ContinuedWin a trip to Belize and more in the SolidWorks Green Design Contest
I'm excited today to write about the launch of our SolidWorks Green Design Contest, in honor of Earth Day. Many of you may not yet have tried the environmental assessment tool that comes free with SolidWorks, called SustainabilityXpress. Those of you
... ContinuedEvolution of an inventor
While drafting today’s press release, we spent time speaking with X-Finger inventor Dan Didrick and learned more about how he got his start helping people. Believe it or not, it was trying to scare the pants off of people. As a child, he loved using materials from his father’s dentist office to make movie-quality monster masks. By seventh grade, the budding special effects artist was selling his instructional video on mask-making through creepy Fangoria magazine.
SolidWorks Solution Partner Spotlight: IGE+XAO
Today we're hearing from David Sobot of IGE+XAO, a company specializing in electrical CAD.
Why did you choose to work in this field?
Because it is very diverse and I have wonderful colleagues. Most of the IGE+XAO employees have been in the company for a long time, which means that I have known most of them for more than 14 years. We will celebrate our 25th anniversary very soon and are still working in a nice and dynamic atmosphere.
This Time You Get to Ask Questions…
Bertrand Sicot was introduced as the new CEO of SolidWorks in front of nearly 5,000 people at SolidWorks World 2010 in San Antonio. SolidWorks World is a great event, bit it isn't exactly the best place to have a question
... ContinuedAllmand Bros. accelerates parts manual development with 3DVIA Composer
I wanted to provide some more information on one of the customers profiled in the press release we issued on 3DVIA Composer V6R2011x. Nebraska-based Allmand Brothers Inc. might not be a household name, like the similar sounding band, but the
... Continued2lbs of Bacon, 2lbs of Sausage, a Bottle of Sauce and a Bottle of Rub
Care to take a guess what that title means? Never mind, I'll just tell you. Those are the ingredients of something known as "The Bacon Explosion", a football-sized BBQ dish that packs a whopping 5000 calories and 500 grams of
... ContinuedMarie Planchard reflects on her teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week
It is teacher appreciation week and a time to reflect on the teachers that have made a difference in so many lives – including my own. First I have to thank my 7th grade math teacher, Sister Mary, who was the best math teacher I ever had. Sister Mary was all about strengthening basic math skills in everything you do. I used to talk in class, instead of the usual “I will not talk in class” 500 times. Sister Mary had you take a 4 digit number and multiple it by itself and then subtract that number until you got down to zero. Funny as your basic math gets stronger so does the algebra – but Sister Mary knew that.
... ContinuedSolidWorks Learning Resources in the Aggregate – swtuts.com
For a long time now, SolidWorks users have been creating "content" to help fellow users learn how to be more productive. SolidWorks World presentations, local User Group presentations, even things like YouTube videos and step-by-step guides. – all available free
... ContinuedUncork Your Brain with Mind Maps
That great idea you are looking for is already somewhere in your mind or in the collective mind of your team. The real effort in coming up with a great idea, is all about getting out of your own way so that your great idea can reveal itself. I want to refer to this as the “idea release” process, rather than the idea generation process.
A very useful tool in the idea release process is mind mapping. In this post, I will discuss how we inadvertently trap our great ideas in our mind; strategies for getting out of our own way; and finally how mind maps can help.
... ContinuedMeeting at the NEOSWUG Clubhouse
If you think a SolidWorks User Group meeting has to be held in a classroom or stuffy hotel meeting room, think again. There have been meetings scheduled at museums, indoor racing venues, even bowling alleys. For the past few years,
... ContinuedTaking the Certified SolidWorks Professional Test – Segment 1
In March I wrote about how I was challenged by blogger Matt Lorono to pass the Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) test, and my promise to pass it by the day SolidWorks World 2012 begins. It has been a month since my first post, so I thought I would give an update to everyone.
If you’re not familiar with the CSWP, it’s broken up into three segments. So when Marie Planchard started helping me train, we focused on what I would need to know to pass the first segment. In this part, you have 90 minutes to
- Create a part from a drawing
- Use linked dimensions and equations to aid in modeling
- Use of equations to relate dimensions
- Update of parameters and dimension sizes
- Mass property analysis
- Modification of geometry on initial part to create a more complex part
In preparing for segment 1, I worked through the sample exam on the website. After I created it the first time, Marie worked with me to make the design again and showed me where I could save time. For example, Geometric Relations, Linked Values for sketch dimensions and Equations really help. In the CSWP exam, the part was not difficult – but you have to work fast.
... ContinuedWho wants to help us design a hot-rod baby buggy?
It's hard to believe that the Let's Go Design series launched a year ago this month. Since then, we've seen Jeremy Luchini and the team design and build an Ultimate CAD Chair, and most recently, design a practice cage for
... ContinuedBen Gulak and team design the next wave of personal transportation using SolidWorks
What do an electric unicycle that transforms into a full street bike and a skateboard/tank hybrid have in common? The answer is a guy named Ben Gulak and his team of co-conspirators.
Ben comes from Toronto, Canada. He’s currently a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he’s a mechanical engineering major. When he’s not attending classes, he manages not one, but two, companies.
... Continued