May

Swiss Watchmaker Uses SolidWorks To Transform Complexity Into An Art Form

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CAD And Simulation Help Company Reduce Design Cycle By 40 Percent And Cut Design Costs 60 Percent

CONCORD, Mass., USA, April 11, 2011 – There’s no such thing as “too complicated” in Franck Muller’s world, and if there were it would be a compliment. The Swiss watchmaker celebrates complexity, layering one component on another to create some of the world’s most expensive and sought-after timepieces.

Franck Muller uses SolidWorks® CAD , SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, and SolidWorks Simulation software as its primary design platform for combining 21^st century engineering with classical features such as repeaters and tourbillions – rotating enclosures that compensate for gravity’s effect on the mechanism. Franck Muller’s Aeternitas Mega 4 Grande Sonnerie Westminster Carillon watch was the most complex wristwatch ever designed when it was created in 2009. It packs 1,483 individual elements, 205 sub-assemblies and 36 “complications,” or added features, into a space small enough to fit on a customer’s wrist.

“The movements in this watch are so precisely packed in a small space that it would not have been possible to have a clear overview of how the mechanisms function within the allotted space without SolidWorks 3D design tools,” said Franck Muller R&D Engineer Jean Pierre Golay.

SolidWorks software enabled Franck Muller engineers to shorten the design cycle by 40 percent and cut development costs by 60 percent. During development of the Aeternitas Mega 4, SolidWorks helped reduce design errors by 30 percent.

“Once the size of the watch is defined, the challenge is to figure out a way to design the various mechanisms to fit and function within the case,” Golay said. “This challenge becomes increasingly difficult when developing complicated movement. SolidWorks software not only allows us to visualize individual components but also to simulate the motion of components and mechanisms, so we can avoid interference errors.”

Franck Muller chose SolidWorks solutions for their ease of use, advanced design and simulation capabilities, and seamless integration between the CAD, simulation and product data management applications.

“Any competent designer can make something complex, but it takes real creativity to make complexity into the kind of beauty you see in Franck Muller watches,” said Christine Washburn, vice president, corporate marketing, SolidWorks. “We’re grateful that Franck Muller chose our software as the canvas its designers use to experiment and innovate as they explore ways to make a centuries-old craft new.”

About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).

About Dassault Systèmes

As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design – DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA). For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/.

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in the US and other countries. 3D VIA is a registered trademark and 3DVIA Composer is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes in the US and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2010 Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

Franck Muller works with SolidWorks authorized reseller Axemble for ongoing training and technical support

May

Wood Group Uses SolidWorks to Pack Durability and Performance into Slender, Submersible Pumps

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Company’s Highly Customized Equipment Designed to Resist Heat and Pressure, Preventing $250,000-Per-Day Breakdowns

CONCORD, Mass., USA, Mar. 3, 2011 – There is no room for error when designing a pump to pull oil out of a one mile-deep hole while resisting breakdowns from heat, pressure, friction, and corrosion. Breakdowns mean up to $250,000 per day in expenses and lost revenue for pump operators. Wood Group ESP turned to SolidWorks® 3D CAD and simulation software to design and test its pumps for top performance and durability while meeting tight production schedules.

Oklahoma City-based Wood Group ESP manufactures electric submersible pumps (ESPs) and surface pumps for the petroleum and chemical industries. Wood Group units can pump anywhere from 90 to 95,000 barrels of oil, water or chemicals per day. A typical pump packs more than 300 parts into a form factor up to 40 feet long but only five inches in diameter.

Wood Group ESP customizes every order that comes in, and the company’s 45-person engineering team usually has as little as five days to get new designs into production. SolidWorks CAD, simulation, and product data management software help the company conceptualize and produce new designs quickly, according to Bobby Taylor, manager, engineering services at Wood Group ESP.

“The bottom line is that without SolidWorks software, we couldn’t make money. We can’t do our job without it,” he said. “We have more than 60,000 part numbers, so being able to pull models of various parts together and build an assembly helps us get the job done quick and accurately. There’s no time for mistakes.”

Wood Group’s engineers use SolidWorks solutions from the earliest conception of a design through simulation and production. SolidWorks CAD software enables the company’s engineering team to quickly design pumps to suit customers’ specific needs.

“In our business, engineering to order is critical,” Taylor said. “Every pump configuration is a little different, so when an order comes in, we’re using SolidWorks to create assembly drawings on the fly so we can get them to the shop floor for quick production. We’re including every aspect of the design in the layouts – there’s nothing we leave out. We’re basically building virtual pumps in the software. That way when the production crew goes to build them, the design is right on.”

Durability and reliability are Wood Group ESP’s biggest engineering challenges, Taylor said. Wells are highly corrosive environments filled with fluids that attack component surfaces as soon as the pump goes in. The pumps also “eat themselves away” by creating vibrations that can also cause failures. As the design staff assembles components, research and development engineers run mechanical and hydraulic analyses with SolidWorks Simulation software to ensure they will perform as expected. The simulations also help designers show customers and potential customers what Wood Group ESP is proposing to them.

If a pump fails at a customer site, the short time frame shrinks even more, Taylor said. “The customer wants the equipment back in the well because they aren’t making any money if they aren’t pumping. We pull the pump out of the well, tear it down, and see what needs to be replaced. If it can’t be repaired, we have to build them a new one. SolidWorks software is key to doing that quickly to keep the customer’s losses to a minimum. Having all the components as 3D models in SolidWorks helps us create a new pump quickly because we can modify existing models instead of starting from scratch.”

Wood Group ESP works with SolidWorks authorized reseller MLC-CAD for training and support.

About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

About Dassault Systèmes

May

Even the CEO has to study for the CSWP test

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SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot posted the following to the SolidWorks corporate blog earlier this week

***

One evening at SolidWorks World 2011 I was having a conversation with Matt Lorono, who manages the SolidWorks Legion blog. During our talk, Matt brought up the topic of certification, and asked if I had already earned my Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) certification. I had to admit that I hadn’t, but promised Matt that I would have it by SolidWorks World 2012.

Early last month, I started working toward meeting that goal, and thought that some of you might be interested in following me through the process. So over the next few months, I plan to post occasional updates letting everyone know how things are going. First, some background.

While I haven’t used SolidWorks every day since I joined the team in 1997, I would guess that I’ve sat through approximately 1,000 customer demos and benchmarks in the past fourteen years, so I’m pretty familiar with our products. And I still remember (almost) everything I learned in engineering school, which I believe will help as well.

I’ve also found a great teacher—our very own Marie Planchard, who was a university professor before joining SolidWorks. Marie has been helping me understand the areas I’ll need to focus on as I study for the exam, and has been working with me to set milestones for my training efforts. Working with her has really helped me understand how valuable a great teacher can be, and why they’re so necessary. My 16-year-old son is also learning SolidWorks in high school, and it has been a lot of fun to work on my training exercises along with him, and share tips on occasion.

I’d also like to mention that I used this opportunity to experience the setup process in the same way as our customers. I installed and configured SolidWorks on my own, downloading directly from the SolidWorks customer portal. It took a little while to download the files, but the overall experience was very easy. I have to admit that I was impressed, so good job to the development team.

I plan to take the first segment of the CSWP exam soon, and I look forward to updating everyone on my progress. Wish me luck!

May

The 2D Trifecta is Complete. DraftSight for Linux Now Available

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Three different versions of a free 2D CAD program made for three different operating systems, doesn’t exactly make a program 3D, but times are lean and we’ll take what we can get. If you’ve been gnawing the meaty bone of Windows or Mac OS hankering for the fatty goodness of open source drafting, you’r 2D line slappin’ dreams are coming true today.

Dassault has just released the Linux version of their 2D design tool, DraftSight.

As you may know, DraftSight is built on Graebert’s ARES platform. 8 months after Dassault launched DraftSight for Windows and 5 months after Graebert released their own version of ARES Commander for Linux, Dassault has launched DraftSight for Linux. There’s no word on all the Linux version which are supported, but if it lines up with what is offered by Greabert for ARES Linux it will look something like this…

supports 32-bit versions of Ubuntu® 9.10 Gnome, Fedora® 11 Gnome, Suse® 11.2 Gnome, Mandriva® 2010 Gnome and KDE, or higher versions.
does not support the specific Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) and the export of Enhanced Windows Metafile (EMF) images.
supports application development through Lisp, C/C++, and the DRX API. Windows specific technologies like VSTA, ActiveX, and COM. LISP encryption are not supported.

If you’ve used either the Windows or Mac versions of either ARES or DraftSight, you’ll notice the same UI and most of the same tools – simple, clean and just what you need to open up DWG’s and perform all the basic 2D operations and a few of the advanced. You can download DraftSight for Linux now.

In addition, Dassault is building a community around DraftSight. People of like mind, with the same questions you have can be found on SwYm, Facebook and Twitter.