LAKE MARY, FL, USA, Jun 19, 2020 – FARO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FARO), the global leader for 3D measurement, imaging and realization solutions for 3D Metrology, AEC, and Public Safety Analytics, announced the release of its most affordable and accurate 3D portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM): The FARO Gage. Ideal for small and medium-sized businesses performing high-accuracy tasks, the Gage is the most intuitive, ergonomic, and versatile articulated portable FaroArm, enabling machine shops to perform their most demanding 3D inspections in record time.

The all-in-one-solution also reduces calibration costs and minimizes clutter, replacing traditional hand tools such as calipers, micrometers, and height gauges, while providing 20 percent more reach than the previous-generation Gage arm. Lightweight and portable but with the precision of a lab instrument and the ruggedness of a shop floor device, the Gage sets up in seconds, reduces inspection time, and delivers quality results with exceptional flexibility, resulting in increased speed and productivity.

“When it comes to measurement equipment value; accuracy, portability, speed and affordability matter,” said Michael Carris, Ph.D., Vice President of Product Marketing at FARO. “Too often machine shops rely on expensive and hard-to-use fixed CMMs that take up valuable floor space or a multitude of hand tools that slow down the process. The Gage eliminates these inefficiencies. As a result, inspection bottlenecks are greatly reduced, measurement accuracy is improved, and operator variability is significantly minimized.”

As the United States and the world begin emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the value proposition for such a product could not be clearer. While global industry is presently suppressed, economists predict a robust recovery by Q3 and Q4. That means that many machine shops now operating at half speed will rapidly ramp up production. Demand will surge and products will require fast-tracked release.

The FARO Gage achieves this aim by improving efficiency and productivity like never before. That efficiency begins with setup. A universal quick mount ensures compatibility with a variety of mounting options that allows it to be set it up anywhere, including on-machine. A simple 2-button design, 6-point articulation and built-in counterbalance deliver exceptional ease of use and fatigue-free operation. Its compact design makes the product lightweight and easy to transport. The Gage is compatible with FARO’s full line of metrology software, including CAM2 Probing, the simple contact measurement solution. The result is an advanced metrology device that delivers unparalleled performance.

“Small and medium size operations can now take full advantage of 3D measurement technology,” Carris added. “For machine shops, quality problems, imprecise measurement, scrapped parts, extended wait times and customers part rejections all contribute to unnecessary expenses that become more critical during these trying economic times. The FARO Gage allows for more streamlined processes, significant waste reduction, and quick return on investment. Backed by FARO’s 40-year history of superior portable measurement experience, Gage allows more companies to benefit from lean manufacturing practices and will be employing the new industry standard in compact performance and affordability.”

For more information about FARO, visit: www.faro.com.

BOSTON, MA, USA, Jun 19, 2020 – The BID Group of Companies (“BID”), a privately-held, global leader in the forest products industry has expanded upon its use of PTC’s (NASDAQ: PTC) award-winning products to include PTC’s Vuforia Augmented Reality (AR) offerings. In particular, by adding a subscription to PTC’s Vuforia Chalk remote experience software, BID is empowering its remote service team to provide real-time assistance for customers wherever, and whenever needed.

With over 30 years of experience and heritage in the forestry sector, BID is a one-stop source for comprehensive and innovative wood processing solutions. Prior to leveraging Vuforia Chalk, BID deployed PTC’s ThingWorx Industrial IoT Platform, enabling its customers’ facilities to maximize productivity, increase throughput, and improve overall reliability of the manufacturing process via real-time data analytics and a rich array of production reporting. BID has also implemented the Vuforia Studio and Vuforia Expert Capture AR products for deployment across the industry, aimed at improving frontline worker efficiency, safety, and agility.

“As part of our digital transformation initiatives, we have prioritized the use of IoT and AR to help create smarter, more connected products, and services,” said Chris Wells, Senior Vice President, Aftermarket Service & Reliability, BID. “By incorporating PTC’s AR offerings, we are excited to unlock new opportunities aimed at servicing our clients in a more efficient and interactive manner.”

Recognized by industry analysts for its depth and breadth of capabilities, Vuforia offers some of the fastest, easiest, and most advanced AR content development solutions, enabling increased workforce safety and efficiency, improved customer experiences, and reduced cost. The Vuforia AR Enterprise Suite includes Chalk, Expert Capture, Studio, the Vuforia Engine development platform, and the newly-released Vuforia Spatial Toolbox platform.

“We are pleased to help BID roll out their worldwide digital transformation strategy, with an immediate focus on improving remote service capabilities,” said Mike Campbell, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Augmented Reality Products, PTC. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that the future of work is changing, and digital technologies such as IoT and AR are essential to business continuity. We look forward to collaborating with BID in support of their ongoing success.”

To learn more about BID’s implementation of Vuforia, please click here.

About The BID Group

The privately-owned BID Group has over 35 years of experience in providing industry leading solutions for its highly valued customers in the wood processing industry. One of the largest integrated suppliers to the wood processing industry and the North American leader in the field, The BID Group is your one-stop source for comprehensive and innovative solutions that exceed our customer expectations. The ability to provide a complete, smart connected, turnkey manufacturing facilities that includes engineering, project management, installation, startup, and after sales service furthers the BID Group companies’ strategic value to its customers. The companies have offices in 15 locations across continental North America. Learn more about BID at http://www.bidgroup.ca.

About PTC (NASDAQ: PTC)

PTC enables global manufacturers to realize double-digit impact with software solutions that enable them to accelerate product and service innovation, improve operational efficiency, and increase workforce productivity. In combination with an extensive partner network, PTC provides customers flexibility in how its technology can be deployed to drive digital transformation – on premises, in the cloud, or via its pure SaaS platform. At PTC, we don’t just imagine a better world, we enable it. For more information, visit https://www.ptc.com.

ANN ARBOR, MI, USA, Jun 19, 2020 – CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, “Systems Modeling and Simulation: An Introduction.” The webinar will take place on Thursday, 9 July 2020, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) and will last for one hour.

Innovation leaders realize that accurate and accessible data is the foundation for insight and inspiration. It is also critical to recognize that the surrounding ecosystem must be brought into play and linked appropriately. This combined structure is foundational to defining and achieving sustainable innovation. In this webinar, participants will learn about Systems Modeling and Simulation (SMS) and the current market trends and significant business challenges associated with simulation. Digital transformation, including its needs for making the case to adopt systems modeling and simulation, will also be considered.

This webinar will help attendees:

1. Understand how to achieve sustainable innovation in a modern fast-paced and complex engineering environment.
2. Learn about the development challenges that lead to a simulation-driven systems engineering environment.
3. Understand the value of systems engineering.
4. Learn what is needed to deploy SMS.
5. Find out how SMS is related to the digital transformation of businesses.

According to Don Tolle, CIMdata’s Simulation-Driven Systems Development Practice Director, “The complexity of today’s interconnected cyber-physical systems operating in the context of digital transformation requires the adoption of systems thinking throughout an entire organization and across the entire product lifecycle. Most companies today exhibit relatively low levels of maturity in their systems engineering processes and in the adoption of best practices necessary to achieve the business benefits of model-based engineering. To maintain a leadership role within their respective industries, companies must strive for a simulation-driven, systems innovation approach, moving well beyond traditional product development silos of domain knowledge.”

This webinar will be useful to a broad audience, including engineering executives, senior and middle managers responsible for simulation-driven projects, CAE and systems engineering SMEs and practitioners, IT support analysts for engineering, and anyone involved in digital transformation and simulation-driven systems engineering.

1. To find out more, visit: https://www.cimdata.com/en/education/educational-webinars/webinar-systems-modeling-and-simulation-sms-an-introduction.
2. To register for this webinar, please visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6912594821382433538.

SANTA FE, NM, USA, Jun 18, 2020 — Flow Science, Inc. has announced a major release of their metal casting simulation software, FLOW-3D CAST v5.1, a modeling platform that combines extraordinary accuracy with versatility, ease of use, and high performance cloud computing.

FLOW-3D CAST v5.1 features new process workspaces for investment casting, sand core making, centrifugal casting, and continuous casting, as well as a chemistry-based alloy solidification model capable of predicting the strength of the part at the end of the process, an expansive exothermic riser database, and improved interactive geometry creation. FLOW-3D CAST now has 11 process workspaces that cover the spectrum of casting applications, which can be purchased individually or as bundles.

FLOW-3D CAST v5.1 features a new, state-of-the art, chemistry-based solidification model that advances solidification modeling into the next frontier of casting simulation

Offering FLOW-3D CAST by process workspace gives foundries and tool & die shops the flexibility to balance their needs with cost, in order to address the increased challenges and demands of the manufacturing sector, said Dr. Amir Isfahani, CEO of Flow Science.

FLOW-3D CAST v5.1’s brand new solidification model advances the industry into the next frontier of casting simulation – the ability to predict the strength and mechanical properties of cast parts while reducing scrap and still meeting product safety and performance requirements. By accessing a database of chemical compositions of alloys, users can predict ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and thermal conductivity to better understand both mechanical properties and micro-structure of the part.

This release delivers the complete package – a process-driven workspace concept for every casting application paired with our unparalleled filling and now, groundbreaking micro-structure and solidification analyses. Expert casting knowledge pre-loads sensible components and defaults for each workspace, putting our users on a path to success each time they run a simulation. FLOW-3D CAST v5.1 is going to take the industry by storm, said Dr. Isfahani.

Additionally, databases for heat transfer coefficients, air vents, HPDC machines, and GTP Schäfer risers provide information at users’ fingertips. The new Exothermic Riser Database along with the Solidification Hotspot Identification tool helps users with the precise placement of exothermic risers to prevent predicted shrinkage.

A live webinar outlining the new developments and how to apply them to casting workflows will take place on July 15 at 1:00 pm EST. Registration is available online >

For an extensive description of the FLOW-3D CAST v5.1 release improvements, click here.

About Flow Science

EXTON, PA, USA, Jun 18, 2020 – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud services for the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the United States, this year presented the annual Transportation and Civil Engineering (TRAC) contest for middle and high school students in a virtual setting. Originally scheduled to be held during AASHTO’s spring meeting in Kansas City, organizers re-invented the competition as the “AASHTO Virtual TRAC Showcase” as a result of COVID-19 social-distancing restrictions.

The Bentley-sponsored AASHTO National Bridge and Structure TRAC Bridge Challenge invites students from 7th-12th grades to design innovative bridge projects using Bentley applications. This year, 18 finalist teams were selected. However, when AASHTO made the difficult decision not to hold the event in person, Bentley partnered with AASHTO to host the “Virtual TRAC Showcase” on June 3. While only 12 of the 18 teams could present in the online forum, it served as an opportunity to recognize students for their hard work, allowing them to present virtually their projects in front of parents, teachers, sponsors, state departments of transportation, and AASHTO members.

The winning teams from Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, and Mississippi, with names including “The Suspension Is Killing Me,” “Bridge O Matics,” and “Cable Stayed Mustangs,” presented their bridge projects designed using Bentley software that included MicroStation, OpenRoads, and ContextCapture. The 10-minute presentations allowed each team to demonstrate how they designed the bridges and built models of their designs with balsawood. Each member of the 12 teams received a certificate and gift card provided by Bentley Systems, Michael Baker International, and TopoDOT to acknowledge the students for their outstanding work.

Francois Valois, Bentley’s vice president for civil engineering, said, “The role of civil engineers is critical to transportation infrastructure. The hands-on experience of the TRAC program introduces students to civil engineering concepts and processes and inspires them to imagine a future career in engineering. I’m proud that AASHTO, Bentley, and the DOTs came together to provide this opportunity for the students to present their projects virtually and get the recognition that they deserve.”

Linda Clifton, AASHTO TRAC program manager, said AASHTO designed the program for use in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes to introduce students to transportation and civil engineering. “America’s transportation industry has a huge demand for well-qualified civil engineers. TRAC’s goal is to get middle and high school students exposed to and excited about a career in civil engineering. We see TRAC as an investment in today’s youth, to ensure that America has the highly-skilled workforce it’s going to need for years to come.”

If this year’s TRAC teams are any indication, the program has met its stated goal. One of the 12th-grade students said, “I started the program with an interest in civil engineering and ended with a love for it. TRAC was probably the best way to prepare me for a future as a civil engineer.”

To download videos of the award presentations, please visit the Bentley-sponsored AASHTO National Bridge and Structure TRAC Bridge Showcase.

About AASHTO

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all transportation modes, including air, highways, public transportation, active transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.

TRAC (Transportation and Civil Engineering) & RIDES (Roadways In Developing Elementary Students), AASHTO’s educational outreach programs, are designed for use in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes. The hands-on activities introduce students in grades K-12 to the work world of transportation and civil engineering and inspire them to consider careers in those fields. State departments of transportation work with schools in their state by providing the curricula and resources for the schools and providing engineers to visit the classrooms to serve as speakers, teach a hands-on activity, and/or talk to students about the importance of math and science in preparing for their future. https://tracrides.transportation.org/

About Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems is a leading global provider of software solutions to engineers, architects, geospatial professionals, constructors, and owner-operators for the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure. Bentley’s MicroStation-based engineering and BIM applications, and its digital twin cloud services, advance the project delivery (ProjectWise) and the asset performance (AssetWise) of transportation and other public works, utilities, industrial and resources plants, and commercial and institutional facilities.

Bentley Systems employs more than 3,500 colleagues and generates annual revenues of more than $700 million in 172 countries. From inception in 1984, the company has remained majority-owned by its five founding Bentley brothers. www.bentley.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, USA, Jun 18, 2020 – Open Design Alliance (ODA), the leading provider of CAD and BIM interoperability solutions, announced the release of OpenIfcViewer, a free viewer for the open standard IFC format developed and maintained by buildingSMART International (bSI).

OpenIfcViewer supports all major IFC versions from 2×3 through the 4×2 Bridge candidate. It is a full-featured solution with 3D navigation controls, render modes, predefined views, fast selection and IFC property inspection. The full IFC hierarchy tree is available. The viewer also includes sophisticated features such as scene markup, cutting planes and clash detection.

OpenIfcViewer visualizing an IFC model with cutting planes

“We developed OpenIfcViewer with two goals in mind,” said Neil Peterson, ODA President. “First, we want to provide a professional-grade visualization solution for today’s IFC users, who are mostly using IFC 2×3 and 4×0.

“Second, we would like to facilitate the development and adoption of new IFC versions, the IFCs of tomorrow. We already support the 4×2 IFC Bridge candidate released in 2019, and we’re currently working in cooperation with bSI to support the new IFC 4×3 infrastructure candidate, which includes Rail, Road and other IFC extensions.

“IFC 4×3 is being developed by bSI in cooperation with a large group of stakeholders, including bSI members, software vendors, government agencies and various infrastructure domain experts. These stakeholders need tools to create, visualize and work with IFC 4×3 for testing and validation of the new standard. To support these efforts, ODA has committed to adding IFC 4×3 support to OpenIfcViewer by September of this year.”

Availability and Pricing

OpenIfcViewer is available at no cost for personal and professional use at https://openifcviewer.com/.

About Open Design Alliance

ODA builds SDKs for people who work with complex engineering data. We offer platform-agnostic solutions for proprietary and open engineering formats, including data access, visualization, cloud development, publishing and more. Learn more at opendesign.com.