Enhanced Systems Design Capability

Solid Edge Version 16 from UGS to Provide Enhanced Systems Design Capability - Enhancements include industry-first, dynamic Family of Assemblies

UGS, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, has announced the company will deliver the newly-launched Version 16 of Solid Edge - its industry-leading, value-based 3D computer-aided design (CAD) system for the mainstream PLM market - with expanded capabilities for Systems Design.

UGS announced the launch of Solid Edge Version 16 on 2 June in conjunction with the annual Solid Edge User Summit.

The company expects the new release to begin shipping in September.

Due to the ever-increasing complexity of product designs, the creation of virtual prototypes has become critical to an efficient error-free design process, reports a new paper from UK-based information and communications research firm Cambashi Ltd.

Systems design -- where a group of interacting components are modelled as a "whole" with sufficient information to describe how they relate to one another and how they need to perform to meet design criteria - has therefore become an increasingly critical part of the product design mix.

For Solid Edge, UGS began a progression of essential components for systems design in 2000 with sensors that provide persistent design monitoring, and subsequent releases advanced this powerful concept.

Solid Edge Version 14 introduced systems library technology, a unique approach enabling users to define, store and reuse cohesive sets of parts, features and constraints as a single functional system; and Version.15 added capabilities for adjustable assemblies, assembly features and interactive physical analysis.

Version 16 continues this progression of innovation for systems design, helping customers to Design with Insight and ease the design of complex products with the addition of:.

* Adjustable Parts - Similar to Adjustable Assemblies introduced at V15, Adjustable Parts allows parts (such as springs) to be placed into different assemblies under different geometric configurations without the need for new file names or part numbers, providing increased design flexibility for common modelling situations.

* Fastener Systems - Fastener Systems automatically place fasteners and their associated hardware into an assembly, based on hole size.

All common holes are detected and hole alignment checked allowing for efficient task automation.

* Dynamic Families of Assemblies - These components and variables are assembled in multiple combinations to form a variety of alternative subassemblies.

Families of Assemblies are created through an efficient table-driven user interface that allows multiple options to be selected from potential alternatives, complete with validation checking.

Subassemblies may be picked from a list of pre-selected alternatives, or dynamically configured during implementation.

As with all Solid Edge applications, Solid Edge Insight may be used to check in parts or subassemblies when closing the master assembly, thus finalising the design and tracking the use of applicable components.

"The concept of assembly families has been in the industry for some time now, allowing users to combine multiple parts in a variety of ways to solve similar design problems," said Dan Staples, director of the Solid Edge business unit for UGS.

"Now with Solid Edge Families of Assemblies the user is in control, dynamically and easily configuring options on the fly, taking advantage of greater flexibility in dealing with complex product designs, all under the watchful eye of Insight design management.".

Back to top