Hall saw that the organic shape would have led to costly machine work to create it in the usual way, but he was using the generative approach with the goal of 3D printing. The creation from Solid Edge Generative Design tool is a single-piece assembly that is lighter than the original. But most current CAD systems use boundary representation, or B-rep, models, which serve as an exact mathematical model of a 3D part. That method allows for the curved, shapely parts that don’t follow typical geometrical lines. So do the handheld or large instruments that scan a part to be reverse engineered. The stereolithography method that 3D printers call upon to print parts uses the mesh method. It’s important to know that the 3D CAD models returned through generative design use a mesh based 3D geometry representation, in which mesh that looks like a net made of flat triangles defines the model. After viewing results, engineers may find they need to modify their inputs and run another generative design study.
#Solid edge cad models software#
While generative design software narrows the field, the engineer controls the final decision.
As we’ve seen, they need to understand design requirements, set design criteria, and go through the returned designs comparing optimized models in order to select the design that best meets their needs. While the process takes advantage of advanced software and computing power to optimize designs, engineers are still vital to the process. It finds and then presents the best of the bunch - the most optimized models based on inputs - to the engineer. The longer a simulation runs, the higher quality the results.īehind the scenes, the software is using an approach called topology optimization, which uses finite element methods to analyze hundreds of potential design solutions. The engineer can also choose how long the design tool will run. Solid Edge’s generative design software automatically generates design alternatives that meet all the engineering inputs. Plugging pedal specs into Solid Edge’s generative design tool, including the instructions for the part to be made from a single-piece assembly, resulted in the program delivering this solution.įrom there, engineers press go. If they don’t feel any of the returned designs meet their standards, they can adjust inputs such as the targeted decrease in weight of the component, and cue the generative-design system to start again. Engineers are involved at the beginning and at the end of the design process. By calling upon advanced software and computing power the system runs through many possibilities based on the engineers’ design specifications and then presents the optimized design to the engineer. The generative technique is a completely different approach to design. And they can evaluate hundreds of viable options rather than a single design. With it, engineers can design an optimal solution without using multiple CAD operations. Perhaps you’ve heard some rumblings about generative design though you’re not sure exactly what it is, how it differs from a traditional design approach, or why more companies are investigating this new design method. Parts with shapes taken from nature can be printed with 3D printing after they’ve been designed with the generative process. It also speeds product time to market, creates single-body parts and parts in organic shapes that couldn’t be designed or manufactured in the past. Generative Design turns the traditional design approach on its ear, reducing part costs-often by reducing part weight. You can find out more details about the competition here and at the end of the article.) Let us know about your toughest component design problem and how you think Siemens Generative Design software could help you tackle it. Innovative products at the click of a button! (Design World is hosting a Generate Ideas Component Design Contest that you can enter. These unique pieces with attractive appearance stand out from the competition. Parts with curved lines and with shapes taken from nature, shapes that twist and bend, and that can be printed with 3D printing after they’ve been designed with the generative process. Generative design turns the traditional design approach on its ear and, in doing so, reduces part costs-often by reducing part weight–speeds product time to market, creates single-body parts and parts in organic shapes that couldn’t be designed or manufactured in the past. When Siemens added generative design capabilities into its Solid Edge 3D CAD modeling system in 2017, it opened the door for engineers to design optimal parts that meet all their specifications faster than ever before.