ATLANTA, GA, USA, Jan 13, 2020 – IronCAD, the leading provider of design productivity solutions, announced the immediate availability of the latest version of its fully integrated Multiphysics for IronCAD (MPIC). Since the unveiling of Multiphysics for IronCAD, the usability and robustness of MPIC have been appreciated by many IronCAD users. Each year, additional improvements and refinement have been added to further increase the ease of use as well as the functionalities that sets it apart from the competition. Most of these new features are based on user feedback and request to speed up the design cycle, simplify analysis setup, and reduce analysis times.

MPIC 2020, includes several new and improved key technologies designed specifically for CAD design analysis. IronCAD’s focus was on general CAD designers and users who want to adopt design analysis earlier in the digital prototyping cycle and aim to provide accurate, realistic and quick analysis. As such, most of these improvements are in the assembly analysis functionalities.

Some of MPIC 2020 new technologies and features include:

1. New tolerance assembly analysis technology is implemented with respect to how parts are assembled and meshed for analysis. This new option uses parts’ discrete boundary surface facets to smartly unite parts together for design analysis. This technology enables the healing of CAD assembly models with intentional or unintentional gaps so they can be glued together for quick design analysis.
2. New drag-and-drop user interface has been implemented in the part tree of materials, boundary condition constraints, and load areas. Users can select the part’s tree node and drag it to a different material tree to quickly assign it to a different material. In boundary condition constraints and loading, the sequence of the priority of the constraint can also be changed by selecting the condition and drag it up/down to change the priority of the boundary condition.
3. MPIC model is now upgraded to XMD 2.2 model and compatible with all AMPS product lines. It can be opened, modified, and analyzed by any AMPS XMD application if additional features/capabilities are needed.

Multiphysics for IronCAD offers basic to advance versions that include non-linear, fluid, dynamics, and rigid body kinematics. Once installed, users have access to the full functionality limited to 2000 mesh nodes that can be used to get started with the analysis application. To access the latest Multiphysics for IronCAD 2020, visit https://www.ironcad.com/design-extensions/multiphysics-for-ironcad/.

“This new release with new tolerance assembly analysis technology will streamline the design analysis for design engineering beyond anything in the market today” stated Cary O’Connor, V.P. of Marketing of IronCAD. “Users will be able to quickly design products and assemblies with accurate design simulation easily without having to struggle with gaps and inaccuracies often found in CAD designs that don’t fully model manufacturing processes such as welds and fixturing. Overall, users can improve designs and design-to-product times with this new functionality” he continued.

Dr. Ted Lin of AMPS Technologies, developers of MPIC, and meshing technology partner Dr. Mark Beall, President of Simmetrix Inc. says, “For more than three years of development and testing, our team has taken on this task to resolve this well-known problem in CAD models. This new technology gives the user more control over gluing together parts in assembly models with intentional or unintentional gaps for quick design analysis that virtually eliminates the CAD modeling inaccuracy issues that users struggled to resolve in the past.”

About IronCAD

Based in Atlanta, Ga., IronCAD is a leading provider of 3D design productivity solutions that deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction and productivity. Individual components of this solution can be used standalone, complementary within an existing design environment, or can be used together to collaborate effectively throughout the enterprise to extend productivity. IronCAD’s flagship product IRONCAD has won many industry awards for its innovative technology and leads the industry in its ease of use and design productivity. Thousands of customers worldwide use IronCAD to support their success. For more information about IronCAD 2020, visit www.ironcad.com.

NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia, Jan 13, 2020 – LEDAS announced that it develops a lightweight nesting module. Nesting optimizes the locations and positions of parts on sheet metal, before they are cut.

LEDAS expanded its expertise in the area of nesting, and so developed a lightweight module based on genetic algorithms and optimization methods. This toolkit works with standard rectangular sheets, as well as sheets of arbitrary shapes, including circular ones and leftover pieces. In addition to being used in typical applications, such as cutting with water jets and lasers, it can be used in other areas, including 3D printing.

The optimal nesting of parts on sheets is very important for the efficient use of materials to lower costs, and some of the company’s CAM clients asked for a nesting solution. The new nesting module is an affordable option for companies that would like to keep costs low. This code could be the best value for money for small and medium businesses.

The nesting module is one of several LEDAS projects being developed for CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) customers. Some are related to the processing of sheet materials, including sheet metal and composites. LEDAS also has experience with third-party libraries for nesting, which the company formerly integrated into customer’s code and fine-tuned for better results.

About LEDAS

LEDAS is a worldwide leader in providing of research and development services for engineering software market. Choose LEDAS for your CAD software. Begin your consultation by visiting us at www.ledas.com.

TOLLAND, CT, USA, Jan 13, 2020 – Mastercam, CAD/CAM software developed by CNC Software, Inc., is proud to sponsor a competition to inspire students and professionals in the manufacturing arena. The 2020 Masters of CAM Wildest Parts Competition is now accepting entries.

Participating in the Wildest Parts Competition is a great opportunity for instructors and students to get inspired in the classroom and motivated to expand their CAD/CAM abilities by the spirit of competition. Entrants are expected to create high quality parts that either haven’t been done before or add a new twist to an existing concept.

Now until June 30, 2020, entries will be accepted in four divisions:

1. Secondary (1st, 2nd, 3rd) – open to individual students at high school level of education.
2. Postsecondary (1st, 2nd, 3rd) – open to individual students at college/university level of education.
3. Teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd) – open to groups of students at any level of education.
4. Professional (1st, 2nd, 3rd) – open to anyone with professional manufacturing experience.

“Last year we received a lot of amazing and creative parts from students and professionals around the world,” said Peter Mancini, Education Product Manager at CNC Software. “For example, Riley Traver from Van Buren Tech in Lawrence, MI, was the winner in our Secondary division with a Sprinting Spike Base Plate, and Colin May from Erie Community College in Williamsville, NY made an Engine Block for our Postsecondary division. The parts that they submitted blew our minds, and we look forward to seeing what entries are submitted this coming year!”

All entrants receive a Mastercam t-shirt for participating. Winning entries receive cash, $3,000 for first place; $1,500 for second place; and $500 for third place, in addition to certificates of achievement and more. Anyone interested in a manufacturing and design challenge to break the mold, think outside the box, cut outside the lines, and share their creativity is encouraged to enter.

For more information about the Masters of CAM Wildest Parts Competition, visit https://www.mastercam.com/community/competitions/.

ANN ARBOR, MI, USA, Jan 10, 2020 – CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm announces the release of an eBook focused on CGTech’s VERICUT manufacturing program verification solution suite.

Since 1990, CIMdata has provided coverage of the CAM and Digital Manufacturing software market spaces. We are pleased to provide this eBook on CGTech’s manufacturing program verification and optimization solution suite. This comprehensive review highlights enhanced capabilities from CGTech including:

1. Simulation and validation of additive and hybrid manufacturing processes
2. Capabilities to examine composite materials layup processes
3. Optimized toolpath recommendation
4. A physics-based process optimization tool called Force
5. Many other improvements and advancements to the solutions

Mr. Mike Fry states “Additive and more traditional forms of manufacturing are critical in developing new and enhanced products. To support demand for custom products, companies are transitioning to additive and combined additive/subtractive machining strategies and the need for verification capabilities is increasing rapidly. CGTech is leading the way in helping manufacturers use new methods and producing improved manufacturing quality.”

The CIMdata eBook “Next Generation NC Program Operation with VERICUT Version 9.0” is available for download at www.CIMdata.com.

LAS VEGAS, NV, USA, Jan 9, 2020 – CES 2020 – MSC Software Corporation (MSC),  part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, announced Adams-ready VTD, combining industry-leading vehicle dynamics and virtual test drive simulation to accelerate the development of next generation Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and safe autonomous vehicles.

Passenger vehicles can already read traffic signs or detect passing traffic, but these ADAS 2+ functions depend on improved sensor fusion – the process of merging data from multiple sensors to near certainty so electronic systems can make safe decisions. At the same time, future autonomous driving algorithms require realistic test data for research and model training. Launched today, Adams-ready VTD accelerates development by simulating how a dynamic moving vehicle and its sensors will behave in complex road environments.

Using Adams simulation software, automotive manufacturers have validated vehicle dynamics models with road tests to understand a vehicle’s movements and handling. By means of an open interface, it is now possible to ‘drive’ these vehicles in a simulated road environment provided by the Virtual Test Drive (VTD) platform.

Safety system development

ADAS systems must protect people, even in extreme circumstances at the physical limits of the vehicle. Adams-ready VTD simulates a vehicle’s movements based on the road conditions (eg. slope, friction) to determine the vehicle behavior (eg. will a car skid or roll) and evaluate the best course of action (eg. whether to change lane, or how much to brake).

Luca Castignani, Automotive Strategist, MSC Software commented: “Simulation must be accurate to centimeters, not meters, because a split second makes the difference in the most complex of circumstances. With Adams-ready VTD, we have brought software development and automotive engineering together so the industry can move from ‘what should the vehicle do?’ to ‘can the vehicle cope with this command? and develop the next generation of safe vehicles'”

Sensor perception

Accurate information from cameras, RADAR/LiDAR or satellite navigation is relied upon by ADAS systems to make safety-critical decisions. Now the blind spots caused by vehicle-road dynamics can be identified to determine which sensors to rely upon, when. For example, ensuring that a car driving over a speed bump is able to perceive a pedestrian, even if the camera vibrations prevent tracking.

Vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can evaluate how sensors function when subjected to vibrations or changes in orientation, so they can cost effectively develop sensor fusion between road tests. Luca Castignani, Automotive Strategist, MSC Software explaned: “The perception of a camera mounted on a truck cabin can change significantly relative to radar measurements during a braking manoeuvre – so what’s the proximity to the car in front? We are enabling ADAS engineers to develop robust test cases like this to improve confidence in the decisions they make and develop accurate sensor fusion.”

Adams models can now be used directly in VTD 2019.1 using the open Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI), with flexible configuration to simulate any vehicle including trucks with more than 4 wheels and trailers. VTD guarantees synchronicity for robust simulation with Adams at real time, or faster. Companies can now “bring their own AI” using an open interface to insert their driver-in-the-loop into VTD, then test and train their self-driving algorithms in a more accurate simulation with richer data.

VTD 2019.1 supports OpenDRIVE 1.5 and OpenSCENARIO 0.9 interoperability standards and features enhanced LiDAR simulation with more accurate GPU-accelerated ray-tracing and capabilities to simulate surface interaction. It is available for Red Hat Linux 7.3, with optional Docker containerisation of modules to aid the integration of VTD into customers virtual test environments and simplified deployment to cloud or on-premise infrastructure.

About Hexagon | About MSC Software

Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.

Our technologies are shaping urban and production ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.

MSC Software, part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, is one of the ten original software companies and a global leader in helping product manufacturers to advance their engineering methods with simulation software and services. Learn more at www.mscsoftware.com. Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division provides solutions that utilise data from design and engineering, production and metrology to make manufacturing smarter. For more information, visit hexagonmi.com.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 20,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 3.8bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.

IRVINE, CA, USA, Jan 9, 2020 – MecSoft Corporation, the developer of industry leading CAM software solutions, has announced the availability of the following CAM products.

1. RhinoCAM 2020, the latest version of MecSoft’s fully integrated CAM plugin for Rhinoceros 5 & 6
2. VisualCAD/CAM 2020, the latest version of MecSoft’s standalone CAD/CAM product

Release highlights include:

1. New G-code editor module for previewing and editing G-code files
2. New Profile-Nesting module for nesting profile toolpaths
3. New Mill-Turn module for C axis mill programming on a lathe
4. Fixtures – Ability to define fixtures in all CAM toolpaths
5. Numerous features and feature improvements in 2 ½, 3, 4 & 5 Axis machining
6. Simulation – Taper tool holder collision as well as fixture collision detection
7. Other Productivity and User Interface enhancements

Click on the links for a more detailed documentation of What’s New in RhinoCAM 2020 and VisualCAD/CAM 2020.

Free demo software downloads of RhinoCAM and VisualCAD/CAM 2020 can be requested here.

About MecSoft Corporation

Headquartered in Irvine, California, MecSoft Corporation is a worldwide leader in providing Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software solutions for the small to mid-market segments. These solutions include products VisualCAD/CAM, RhinoCAM, VisualCAM for SOLIDWORKS, AlibreCAM and VisualCAMc for Onshape. These software products deliver powerful, easy-to-use and affordable solutions for users in the custom manufacturing, rapid prototyping, rapid tooling, mold making, aerospace, automotive, tool & die, woodworking, and education industries.

For the latest news and information, visit mecsoft.com or call (949) 654-8163.