Tuesday, December 31, 2013

PTC Acquires Internet of Things Platform Provider ThingWorx

http://www.ptc.com
NEEDHAM, MA, Dec 31 - PTC (Nasdaq: PTC) announced it has acquired ThingWorx, creators of an award-winning platform for building and running applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), for approximately $112 million, plus a possible earn-out of up to $18 million. The acquisition of ThingWorx positions PTC as a major player in the emerging Internet of Things era.

The ThingWorx acquisition extends PTC's strategy by accelerating its ability to support manufacturers seeking competitive advantage as they create and service smart, connected products. As part of PTC, ThingWorx will continue to help customers in a wide range of industries seeking to leverage the IoT, including telecommunications, utilities, medical devices, agriculture, and transportation, as well as an emerging partner network of IoT-enabled service providers.

According to a recent research report Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy (May, 2013) from the McKinsey Global Institute, the Internet of Things has the potential to create economic impact of $2.7 trillion to $6.2 trillion annually by 2025. The firm believes perhaps 80 to 100 percent of all manufacturing could be using Internet of Things applications by then, leading to potential economic impact of $900 billion to $2.3 trillion, largely from productivity gains. For example, with increasingly sophisticated Internet of Things technologies becoming available, companies can not only track the flow of products or keep track of physical assets, but they can also manage the performance of individual machines and systems.

In the IoT era, PTC's customers are bringing to market increasingly smart and connected products which can generate value in new ways as streams of real-time operational data are captured, analyzed, and shared to deepen a company's understanding of its products' performance, use, and reliability. PTC will use the ThingWorx platform to speed the creation of high value IoT applications that support manufacturers' service strategies, such as predictive maintenance and system monitoring, in complement to PTC's existing service lifecycle management (SLM) and extended product lifecycle management (PLM) solution portfolio. With ThingWorx, PTC will also now offer its customers a means to establish a secure, reliable connection to their products as well as a platform to rapidly develop applications for maintaining and operating them - and ultimately for finding ways to create new value from them.

"All aspects of our strategy to date have centered on helping manufacturing companies transform how they create and service smart, connected products," said PTC president and CEO Jim Heppelmann. "For manufacturers today, it is clear to us that improved service strategies and service delivery is the near-term ‘killer app' for the Internet of Things and this opportunity has guided our strategy for some time. With this acquisition, PTC now possesses an innovation platform that will allow us to accelerate how we help our customers capitalize on the market opportunity that the IoT presents."

The opportunity, however, goes well beyond this immediate pragmatic application. Industries of all types are poised to see disruption from the Internet of Things and the expanding networks of connected sensors and devices, and a growing ecosystem of ThingWorx partners is forming to capitalize on this growth. As part of PTC, ThingWorx intends to continue serving this diverse market with senior management continuing to focus on its current path.

"At ThingWorx, we share PTC's vision for helping organizations fundamentally leverage the connected world," said Russell Fadel, CEO and co-founder, ThingWorx. "We believe all industries, but especially manufacturing, will be transformed in the Internet of Things era. We are excited to pursue this broad set of opportunities with the resources and proven solution portfolio that PTC provides."

The acquisition is expected to add more than $10 million of revenue over the next 12 months, with $5 million to $7 million of revenue in FY'14. As a result of cost synergies and investment plans for ThingWorx, PTC still expects FY'14 non-GAAP EPS of $2.00 to $2.10. PTC drew $110 million from its credit facility to finance the transaction.

PTC to Conduct Investor Conference Call

PTC management will host a conference call to discuss this acquisition.
  • Topic: PTC Acquires ThingWorx Conference Call
  • When: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. ET
  • Dial-in: 1-800-857-5592 or 1-773-799-3757
  • Call Leader: James Heppelmann
  • Passcode: PTC
  • Webcast: www.ptc.com/for/investors.htm
  • Replay: The audio replay of this event will be archived for public replay until 4:00 p.m. (CT) on January 10, 2014 at 1-800-308-7859 Passcode: 7289. To access the replay via webcast, visit www.ptc.com/for/investors.htm.

About PTC

PTC (Nasdaq: PTC) enables manufacturers to achieve sustained product and service advantage. The company's technology solutions transform the way products are created and serviced across the entire product lifecycle - from conception and design to sourcing and service. Founded in 1985, PTC employs over 6,000 professionals serving more than 27,000 businesses in rapidly-evolving, globally distributed manufacturing industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ptc.com.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Hagerman Launches Buy One Get One Free Autodesk Seat Promotion

http://www.hagerman.comDec 28 - Hagerman & Company, Inc., launches "Buy One Get One Free New Seat Promotion" of select Autodesk products. Customers with two valid R14-2007 licenses of select Autodesk products can purchase a new Autodesk product and receive the second license of the same product for FREE!

For detailed information about this offer, click here.

Note: *Offer expires on January 24, 2014.

About Hagerman & Company, Inc.

Hagerman & Company, Inc. is a Value Added Reseller/System Integrator (VAR/SI) and Consultant. The Company is a large software supplier to manufacturing companies, industrial design firms, AEC and civil design firms, and the government. In addition Hagerman & Company provides expert training, support and consulting services.

Hagerman & Company's products and services encompass three broad lines of business; namely, CAD/CAM, Consulting Services, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). In addition the company both sells and supports the hardware, operating system, network, and Internet technologies and platforms that underlie these systems. For more information, visit http://www.hagerman.com.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Autodesk Issues Marking Menu Hotfix for AutoCAD Electrical

www.autodesk.com
Dec 26 - This hotfix resolves a gesture issue with marking menu. Sometimes, if the product is activated with a standalone license, gesture in marking menu does not work correctly. To download, click here.

Note: * This hotfix applies to AutoCAD Electrical 2014 SP 1.1.

Autodesk Issues Terminal Strip Editor Hotfix for AutoCAD Electrical

www.autodesk.com
Dec 26 - This hotfix resolves a performance issue with Terminal Strip Editor. Like, in some projects, Terminal Strip Selection dialog box takes significant time to launch. To download, click here.

Note: *This hotfix applies to AutoCAD Electrical 2014 SP 1.1.

Zuken Introduces E3.EDM for Electrical, Fluid Design

www.zuken.com
MUNICH, Germany and WESTFORD, MA, USA, Dec 26 - Zuken has introduced the first data management solution specifically designed to manage E3.series design data in its native format. E3.EDM (Engineering Data Management) builds on Zuken's E3.series and CONTACT Software's CIM DATABASE EDM platform to provide data and process management integrated into E3.series for wire, harness, cable, control system and fluid design.

E3.EDM is the first solution that enables native data management of E3.series data, thereby empowering electrical and fluid design processes in key areas.

One of the first E3.EDM is implemented by Faymonville, a European manufacturer of special vehicles

Faymonville, a European manufacturer of special vehicles, is implementing E3.EDM - first as part of a pilot program: "We are convinced the capabilities offered by native management of our electrical and fluid design data will bring significant improvements in our change and variant management process, and in the re-use of existing designs", said Roland Fuhrmann, Head of IT at Faymonville.

Electrical and fluid design have specific requirements for data and process management that, until today, have not been covered by existing engineering IT solutions. E3.EDM closes a significant gap in the engineering process and thus helps boost productivity and design quality.

For electrical engineers, the data and process management capabilities of E3.EDM are a seamless extension to the existing E3.series work environment. By using the native E3.series data model, designs are managed on a sheet and device level, enabling engineers to work the way they prefer to work, rather than adapting their work process to the EDM tools. Also, engineers can immediately see which parts are being used in which design.

Project managers benefit from integrated engineering workflow support, resource management and project management capabilities. IT managers are provided with a solution which can be integrated into their existing PLM and ERP systems, and is scalable to the unique and dynamic requirements of each company.

E3.EDM has been developed by Zuken Contact GmbH & Co. KG., a joint venture formed specifically for developing engineering data management software solutions. E3.EDM is sold and supported exclusively by Zuken. The initial release of E3.EDM is available in December 2013.

For more information about E3.EDM, visit www.zuken.com/e3edm.

About Zuken

Zuken is a global provider of leading-edge software and consulting services for electrical and electronic design and manufacturing. Founded in 1976, Zuken has the longest track record of technological innovation and financial stability in the electronic design automation (EDA) software industry. The company's extensive experience, technological expertise and agility, combine to create world-class software solutions. Zuken's transparent working practices and integrity in all aspects of business produce long-lasting and successful customer partnerships that make Zuken a reliable long-term business partner.

Zuken is focused on being a long-term innovation and growth partner. The security of choosing Zuken is further reinforced by the company's people - the foundation of Zuken's success. Coming from a wide range of industry sectors, specializing in many different disciplines and advanced technologies, Zuken's people relate to and understand each company's unique requirements. For more information, visit www.zuken.com

About CONTACT Software

CONTACT is a leading provider of open standard software for collaborative product development. Founded in 1990, customers benefit from long-standing industry experience, clear focus and outstanding technology. CONTACT's technology and application components are designed to ideally match the special requirements placed on collaborative product development and the innovation process. Enterprises and users benefit from faster time-to-value, more reliable data and processes, improved management capabilities, compliance-in-process and cost-efficiency.

In the last 10 years, CONTACT has successfully completed more than 900 industrial projects in the sectors automotive, mechanical and plant engineering, high-tech, and public infrastructure. CONTACT is dedicated to continuously match the needs and requirements of its customers and to safeguard their investments, testified by a high rate of long-term customer partnerships. For more information, visit www.contact-software.com.

ESI Releases Visual-Environment 9.0 Multi-Domain Simulation Platform

http://www.esi-group.com
PARIS, France, Dec 26 - ESI Group, pioneer and world-leading solution provider in Virtual Prototyping for manufacturing industries, announces the launch of Visual-Environment 9.0. ESI's multi-domain simulation platform hosts most of ESI's Virtual Prototyping solutions, and is open to third party technologies. ESI's platform enables industrial users to automate all their Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) processes from Computer-Aided Design (CAD), through pre- and post-processing, modelling, simulation and visualization, to reporting in any CAE domain; all in a unified environment.


Connecting ESI solutions while supporting third party applications, Visual-Environment 9.0 is the obvious choice to support the simulation of the manufacture and assembly of existing and future products, and to enable concurrent engineering and optimization across multiple domains including Crash, Safety, NVH, Energy, Heat Treatment, Flow, Electromagnetics, CFD and more. It helps industrial organizations to maximize their use of CAE in order to achieve greater productivity in their engineering processes and supports their quest for innovation.

"Visual-Environment's wide range of functionalities across different solvers, implemented for pre- and post-processing applications, turn this software solution into an efficient and valuable tool within the development process of restraint systems and its components at TAKATA," Axel Heym, Manager Numerical Simulation Global Engineering, TAKATA AG, Germany.

Current platform users will welcome the significant performance improvements in display that Visual-Environment 9.0 exhibits: the operational speed for viewing and manipulating models is increased manifold, especially for huge models (exceeding 10 million elements).

The new version comes with a local database that can automatically synchronize with local servers, and work along VisualDSS, ESI's Decision Support System for managing simulation content and to increase workflow efficiency and productivity.

Other improvements in Visual-Environment 9.0 include Visual-Cast, the first complete release of ESI's user environment dedicated to pre/post processing, meshing, modelling, set-up and handling for ESI's ProCAST.

Adding to the existing environment supporting ESI's CEM Solutions for simulating electromagnetic compatibility, Visual-Environment 9.0 now also supports advanced electromagnetic scattering, antenna placement and RADAR signature analysis. It now offers a fully-integrated environment for all CEM needs.

Keeping up to date with the growth of ESI's solution portfolio, Visual-Environment 9.0 now introduces new CAE domains, launching Visual-CFD for simulating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with the widely used open source code OpenFOAM. This new dedicated OpenFOAM environment has been conceived to bring the benefits of this open source code to industrial purposes.

With the ambition to fully integrate ESI's complete Composites Simulation Suite, Visual-Environment 9.0 also supports the analysis of complex manufacturing-induced shape distortion in composite materials.

The release also provides a first integration seat comfort evaluation, as featured in ESI's dedicated end-to-end solution, Virtual Seat Solution.

Several months ago ESI launched their customer portal, myESI, to provide users with direct access to materials, information and useful tips & tricks. Today, Visual-Environment users can connect to the myESI portal to download the latest User Manuals, register for trainings across the globe, and access technical notes delivered by the ESI technical team.

For more info about Visual-Environment, visit www.esi-group.com/visual-environment

About ESI Group

ESI is a pioneer and world-leading provider in Virtual Prototyping that takes into account the physics of materials. ESI boasts a unique know-how in Virtual Product Engineering, based on an integrated suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications. Addressing manufacturing industries, Virtual Product Engineering aims to replace physical prototypes by realistically simulating a product's behavior during testing, to fine-tune fabrication and assembly processes in accordance with desired product performance, and to evaluate the impact of product use under normal or accidental conditions. ESI's solutions fit into a single collaborative and open environment for End-to-End Virtual Prototyping. These solutions are delivered using the latest technologies, including immersive Virtual Reality, to bring products to life in 3D; helping customers make the right decisions throughout product development.

The company employs about 1000 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 40 countries.

ESI Group is listed in compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris. For more information, visit www.esi-group.com.

ANSYS Licenses Datakit Translation Technology

LYON, France, Dec 26 - Datakit, a leading CAD Data Exchange Company announces that ANSYS, a global leader and innovator of engineering simulation software, has licensed Datakit translation technology for inclusion in ANSYS translation products.

ANSYS is using Datakit technology to extend the range of CAD formats supported and improve translation capabilities in the ANSYS geometry interface offerings. New geometry interfaces for JT and CATIA V6 leveraging Datakit technology were introduced with the ANSYS 15.0 release in December. These are standalone interfaces that may be used without a locally installed CAD system.

"We're very excited to have ANSYS license our data exchange technology," said Francis Cadin, CEO of Datakit. "Datakit is committed to providing the best in translation technology for CAD/CAM/CAE software vendors and ANSYS selection of Datakit technology reflects the quality of technology and support we have achieved based on this commitment."

About ANSYS, Inc.

Founded in 1970, ANSYS employs more than 2,500 professionals, many of them expert in engineering fields such as finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, electronics and electromagnetics, and design optimization. Headquartered south of Pittsburgh, U.S.A., ANSYS has more than 75 strategic sales locations throughout the world with a network of channel partners in 40+ countries. For more information, visit www.ansys.com.

About Datakit

Datakit is a private held and leading company founded in 1994 specialized in CAD data exchange solutions and services. It offers stand-alone converters, plug-ins and SDK that import, analyze and export models. Datakit exposes a wide range of geometrical and semantic data through its various range of products. It also provides services that aid in the migration of CAD databases and help customers choose the best data transfer solutions. It works closed to the Independent Software Vendors that currently integrate its CAD Data exchange solutions as components to their own software. For more information, visit www.datakit.com.

SpaceClaim Opens Office in Boulder, Looking for Software Professionals

http://www.spaceclaim.com
CONCORD, MA, Dec 26 - SpaceClaim, the leading provider of flexible, easy to use 3D modelling software for engineers, announced it has opened a location in Boulder, Colorado. The office and staff in Boulder will be dedicated to software development including core geometry development, research and building new products.

SpaceClaim provides 3D modelling software that allows any engineer to work in 3D without having to learn complex CAD software. By providing users with tools to create, import, clean up, edit and share nearly anything in 3D, SpaceClaim has become the source of trusted software for experts in product design, analysis and manufacturing that don't have the time or the inclination to also become experts in CAD.

"Boulder, just like Boston, has a rich history in engineering and design software. Some of the industry's most important innovations came out of Boulder, and it is still home to landmark companies providing software for engineers," said Chris Randles, CEO of SpaceClaim. "Boulder has outstanding resources and a well-educated community of software developers, provides a famously healthy environment for start-ups and consistently ranks high in best places to live surveys."

SpaceClaim's office in Boulder is now open and the company is currently seeking software professionals interested in creative development of 3D modelling software. For more information, local candidates visit here.

SpaceClaim was founded in September 2005 to create solutions that would enable engineers to leverage 3D design to innovate, win more business, and get products to market faster. Since then, SpaceClaim has become the leader in 3D Direct Modelling solutions for rapid concept design and geometry manipulation, with adoption rates within engineering, product development, and manufacturing companies soaring. Customers include three of the world’s largest auto makers, and industry leaders across aerospace, medical devices and machine tool manufacturers.

SpaceClaim's world-class board and management team combines deep experience in 3D and design software - including the inventors of feature-based modelling - with proven track records in successfully bringing new design software to market. The company is backed by top-tier venture capital firms including Borealis Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, and North Bridge Venture Partners.

About SpaceClaim Corporation 

SpaceClaim, the leading provider of 3D Direct Modeling software, develops the best direct modeling solution for engineering and manufacturing. SpaceClaim's acclaimed software is easy to learn and use and is completely CAD-neutral. It enables engineers and other manufacturing professionals to rapidly create new designs or manipulate and edit existing 2D and 3D geometry, without the complexity of traditional CAD. Customers include Toyota Motor Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Nokia Siemens Networks, Bosch, TE Connectivity, BorgWarner, Medtronic, Lotus Cars, Sharp, Ford Motor Company, LG Electronics, Eaton, K2 Medical Systems, Emhart Glass, GE Aviation, Carl Zeiss, General Dynamics, and the U.S. Navy. SpaceClaim is privately held and backed by Borealis Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Needham Capital. For more information, visit www.spaceclaim.com.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Algoryx Offers 'Dynamics for SpaceClaim' Simulation Module

http://www.algoryx.se
UMEA, Sweden and CO, MA, USA, Dec 23 - Algoryx Simulation AB, a leading provider of interactive physics simulation solutions, and SpaceClaim, the leading provider of flexible and affordable 3D modelling software for engineers, announced Dynamics for SpaceClaim, a new real-time multi-body simulation module for SpaceClaim Engineer that brings interactive physics to the everyday work of engineers and designers.

Dynamics for SpaceClaim by Algoryx brings 3D models to life with physics-based motion dynamics powered by Algoryx' real-time physics engine, AgX Dynamics. Dynamics for SpaceClaim adds value to the entire design process, from conceptual studies to detailed mechanical analysis. Further, when used with Luxion KeyShot, the same simulations can also be used to produce high impact photo-realistic product videos for design reviews, sales and marketing.

"The market has never seen dynamics that can be built this easily and provide this much visual information regarding the physical performance of their work," said Frank DeSimone, VP of software development for SpaceClaim. "Algoryx's AgX physics engine provides outstanding compute performance, and the company's novel approach to physics is very much in keeping with our philosophy of helping engineers perform advanced tasks in 3D without special training. In minutes, users will be able to see how their designs will function in the real world, potentially saving them hours of engineering."

"We provide compute performance and a user experience that help engineers use simulations in their everyday work. Much of our focus is on the creative engineering process and solutions that enable designers, engineers, sales and marketing professionals to work much closer together," said Anders Backman, CTO and co-founder of Algoryx.

Key features include:
  • Joints and contacts are automatically detected from the SpaceClaim models
  • Based on discrete variational Lagrangian mechanics, documented in more than 20 scientific publications, and validated in numerous industry applications
  • Very fast simulation, even for large systems with thousands of bodies and contacts
  • Highly parallelized for modern multi-core architectures with market leading solvers
  • Sequence editor for configuration of motors and events
  • Plotting tools for analysis, or data export to third party tools
  • Simulations can update and replace the original model, and be used for modelling
  • Export simulation to Luxion KeyShot for high-impact product videos
  • Export models and simulations to Algoryx' runtime environments for use in simulators, or for co-simulation with other CAE tools
Availability 

Dynamics for SpaceClaim is immediately available for evaluation and purchase from all SpaceClaim resellers globally. For more information, visit http://www.algoryx.se/dynamics-for-spaceclaim/.

About Algoryx Simulation AB 

Algoryx was established in 2007 and has quickly positioned itself as a leading provider of industrial-grade real-time physics simulation to the global training simulator market. Algoryx' history goes back much further however, to the mid 90's when the founders of Algoryx created the very first human-in-the-loop-simulators for heavy ground vehicles utilizing real-time physics simulation fully integrated with 3D graphics. This was also when the term "physics engine" was coined for the software framework that encapsulates these technologies. AgX Dynamics is today the leading real-time physics engine for the global simulator and simulation market, in particular for the off-shore, maritime, automotive, robotics, and mining markets. Partners and clients include e.g. Kongsberg Maritime, Oryx Simulations, Cargotec, D R&D Canada, Atlas Copco, Volvo, ABB, Siemens, Daewoo, Komatsu, LKAB, OSC, SMSC, NTNU, Fugro, Tree C, and SEA. For more information, visit www.algoryx.se.

About SpaceClaim Corporation 

SpaceClaim, the leading provider of 3D Direct Modelling software, develops the best direct modelling solution for engineering and manufacturing. SpaceClaim's acclaimed software is easy to learn and use and is completely CAD-neutral. It enables engineers and other manufacturing professionals to rapidly create new designs or manipulate and edit existing 2D and 3D geometry, without the complexity of traditional CAD. Customers include Toyota Motor Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Nokia Siemens Networks, Bosch, TE Connectivity, BorgWarner, Medtronic, Lotus Cars, Sharp, Ford Motor Company, LG Electronics, Eaton, K2 Medical Systems, Emhart Glass, GE Aviation, Carl Zeiss, General Dynamics, and the U.S. Navy. SpaceClaim is privately held and backed by Borealis Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Needham Capital. For more information, visit www.spaceclaim.com.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

TDM Solutions Releases RhinoMold 4.0

TDM Solutions announces the release of RhinoMold 4.0 to analyze plastic parts and/or design injection molds in Rhino.

RhinoMold offers mold operators and engineers the possibility to design and analyze molds rapidly and precisely. A set of tools to facilitate accurate analysis of plastic parts and enable the professional construction of molds.

For detailed information about RhinoMold, visit www.tdmsolutions.com/rhinomold.htm.

SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Office Integration Beta 2.0 Available

www.solidworks.com
Dec 22 - SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Office Integration beta 2.0 available for download on the customer portal and VRC. The new "Beta 2" version has many improvements over the previous Beta 1 release.

To download, log into the SolidWorks Customer Portal at https://customerportal.solidworks.com.

Note: *Uninstall the old version before installing the new one as it will not upgrade an older version.

EOS, 3D-Micromac Establish 3D MicroPrint GmbH

http://www.eos.info
KRAILLING, Germany, Dec 22 - 3D-Micromac AG in Chemnitz, a leading provider of highly efficient laser micromachining systems, and EOS GmbH, a technology and market leader for design-driven, integrated e-Manufacturing solutions in additive manufacturing, are bringing their respective technological know-how in the area Micro Laser Sintering technology (MLS) into a new corporation. The goal of establishing 3D MicroPrint GmbH was to advance the development and commercialization of the new MLS technology, and to identify and establish more solutions in the field of micro technology.

3D-Micromac AG and EOS GmbH have been developing the Micro Laser Sintering technology together since 2006. The first system successfully began operation at a German research institute already in this year.

Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder and CEO of EOS GmbH remarks: "Demand for very small parts which are difficult to manufacture using conventional processes is rising tremendously. Micro Laser Sintering provides solutions for three major trends: individualisation, functional integration, and miniaturisation." Joachim Göbner, one of the business managers of 3D MicroPrint, adds: "Working with layer thicknesses of ≤ 5 µm, focus diameters of ≤ 30 µm and powder particle size of ≤ 5 µm, the MLS technology opens up new dimensions. With MLS it is even possible to produce moveable component assemblies."

Tino Petsch, CEO of 3D-Micromac AG continues: "Our timing is virtually perfect. The current 3D printing hype shows that our investment in the development of Micro Laser Sintering systems was exactly right. Together we now offer a trend-setting solution that opens up new approaches in product development and manufacturing for our customers."

Joachim Göbner, formerly project head MLS at EOS and head of the technical centre Chemnitz, and Tino Petsch, CEO of 3D-Micromac, were appointed as business managers of 3D MicroPrint. The company's headquarters is located in Chemnitz.

3D MicroPrint has already moved into new premises on the Chemnitz Smart Systems Campus. The new location brings a major expansion of production space. Development and service capacities are also being expanded.

3D MicroPrint GmbH Contact Info

3D MicroPrint GmbH
Technologie-Campus 1
09126 Chemnitz
E-Mail: info@3dmicroprint.de
Web: http://3dmicroprint.de

About 3D-Micromac AG

Since its foundation in 2002, 3D-Micromac AG has become one of the international market's leading suppliers of highly efficient laser micromachining systems as well as innovative coating and printing technologies. Stand-alone systems as well as entire production lines can be offered and are used, for example, in medical technology, semiconductor processing, photovoltaics, or the production of flexible electronic components. In addition, 3D-Micromac is your competent partner for developing new technologies and processes or customized systems. For more information, visit http://www.3d-micromac.com.

About EOS GmbH

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Germany, EOS is the technology and market leader for design-driven, integrated e-Manufacturing solutions for Additive Manufacturing (AM), an industrial 3D printing process. EOS offers a modular solution portfolio including systems, software, materials and material development as well as services (maintenance, training, specific application consulting). As an industrial manufacturing process it allows the fast and flexible production of high-end parts based on 3D CAD data at a repeatable industry level of quality. As a disruptive technology it paves the way for a paradigm shift in product design and manufacturing. It accelerates product development, offers freedom of design, enables the optimization of part structures, and enables lattice structures as well as functional integration. As such, it creates significant competitive advantages for its customers. For more information, visit www.eos.info.

MICROMINE's Pitram to Integrate with Carlson Machine Control Solutions

http://www.carlsonsw.com
PERTH, Australia, Dec 22 - MICROMINE, a leading provider of intuitive software solutions and services to the global exploration and mining industry, has formed a new strategic partnership with Carlson Machine Control, a division of Carlson Software Inc.

As part of the partnership, Pitram, MICROMINE's Mine Operations System for underground and surface mines, will be integrated with Carlson’s machine control solutions. The objective of the integration is to enhance Pitram's machine guidance and fleet management capabilities for surface mines.

Pitram is an essential and proven system for the management, control and process improvement of mining operations. Pitram can be used to record, manage and process mine site data related to equipment, personnel, locations and materials. The system provides an overall view of the current mine status and increases clients' control over their operations. Pitram's analytical tools help mine controllers and engineers to identify operational constraints, leading to increased production through improved utilization of existing resources.

Introduced to the market in 1997, Carlson's machine control solutions have a solid history of machine guidance in the construction, mining, landfill, dredging and 3D drilling markets. Through the provision of hardware and software for High Precision GNSS guidance, Carlson ensures heavy mobile equipment is operated precisely and according to design, eliminating inefficiencies and unnecessary costs and increasing safety.

The integration between the two systems will increase Pitram's surface fleet management capabilities by providing high precision machine guidance. Equipment operators will be able to perform activities such as drilling, excavation and loading more precisely, ensuring objectives are achieved more efficiently.

"MICROMINE's partnership with Carlson will provide significant benefits to both existing and future Pitram customers globally," says Kevin Fitzpatrick, MICOMINE CEO. "Through the introduction of machine guidance within Pitram, we are strengthening the solution's fleet management capabilities.

"MICROMINE is looking forward to working directly with Carlson and to integrating and developing new solutions not only with Carlson but also with the company's extensive dealer channels in selected regions," he adds.

Randy Noland, vice president Marketing and Business Development, Carlson, notes, "The alignment of Pitram and Carlson's Grade machine control solutions opens new doors for both companies, particularly within emerging markets that have demonstrated a need for sophisticated mining technologies."

The synergies between the two leading companies extend beyond their technology offerings. MICROMINE and Carlson have similar histories. Bruce Carlson, a surveyor and civil engineer, founded Carlson Software in 1983 to provide solutions for surveyors and the civil market. Graeme Tuder, MICROMINE’s managing director, also a surveyor by trade, founded MICROMINE in 1986 with the aim of providing leading solutions to the mining sector.

Since their establishment, both companies have experienced significant growth and international expansion, and now provide a diverse suite of solutions widely regarded by the mining sector as the most advanced offerings available. The partnership between MICROMINE and Carlson will further reinforce this outstanding reputation.

About MICROMINE

MICROMINE is a leading provider of intuitive software solutions and services for the exploration and mining sector. MICROMINE's integrated suite of solutions covers the entire mining process, from exploration through to mine production.

MICROMINE understands the software and consultancy needs of operations around the world. Located in 24 of the world's major mineral producing capitals, our teams are close to clients' operations. This means MICROMINE can provide local support in the client's own language and time zone.

MICROMINE's intuitive solutions are delivered by mining and software specialists who understand the software and how it can be integrated into an operation for maximum results.

About Carlson

Founded in 1983, Carlson Software specializes in CAD design software, field data collection and machine control products for the land surveying, civil engineering, construction and mining industries worldwide, providing one-source technology solutions from data collection to design to construction. Carlson Software's renowned dedication to customer service is unique in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.carlsonsw.com.

CADprofi 10 CAD Add-on Available

http://www.cadprofi.com
RADOM, Poland, Dec 22 - CADprofi announces the availability of the new version of its CAD add-on, CADprofi v10.

New improvements in CADProfi 10 includes:

  • CADprofi Architectural - new furniture and equipment categories
  • CADprofi Architectural - extension of evacuation, safety and fire safety symbols
  • CADprofi Electrical - extended library of modular apparatus
  • CADprofi Electrical - new modular apparatus layer
  • CADprofi Electrical - multivariant symbols for changeover switches
  • CADprofi Electrical - installation boxes schemes
  • CADprofi Electrical - linear lighting
  • CADprofi Electrical - changes in frames and tables
  • CADprofi Mechanical - improved designing of apparatus
  • CADprofi Mechanical - new standards in apparatus library
  • CADprofi Mechanical - extended content of the steel profiles library
  • CADprofi HVAC & Piping - extended catalog of pipes
  • CADprofi HVAC & Piping - extended library of armature views
  • CADprofi HVAC & Piping - additional symbols
  • CADprofi HVAC & Piping - extended functionality of P&ID symbols
  • "Visualization" of inserted objects, such as pipes, armature, steel profiles
  • Possibility to expand the object database with user products
  • Improved symbols search
  • Possibility to add your own translations
  • New system to design lighting protection
  • New library of Hager products
  • Grundfos MAGNA3 pumps
  • Update of manufacturers' libraries: Lovato, Legrand, WILO, Salmson, KSB, EMB, Reflex, ETI, Vaillant
  • Adjustment to work with latest CAD programs, including: AutoCAD 2014 SP1, ZWCAD+ 2014, GstarCAD 8, BricsCAD V14, progeCAD 2013 (v. 13.0.18), 4MCAD V14, ArCADia-IntelliCAD (7.2.336 and 7.2.500 beta).
To know more about CADprofi 10, click here (pdf).

About CADprofi

Founded in Poland in 1996 CADprofi, now has two offices in Poland and Germany. CADprofi is an international company engaged in the development of CAD applications working in the AutoCAD environment (and other Autodesk products), BricsCAD, GstarCAD, progeCAD, ZWCAD, IntelliCAD and others. Its CAD applications are available in 22 languages and it also has a well-developed reseller network throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.cadprofi.com.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max Beta Build Available

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Dec 21 - Chaos Group announces the availability of a new V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max beta build. The new beta build comes with the much anticipated intuitive skin shader that makes it easier for artists to create complex, layered skin. The Intel Embree ray caster has also been updated to version 2.0 in the new beta build.

To know more about new features and improvements, click here. (pdf)

To download V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max beta build, visit download page.

For more information, visit http://www.chaosgroup.com.

Friday, December 20, 2013

IMSI/Design Offers TurboSite Pro, Plus v2 with Subscription Payment Options

www.IMSIdesign.com
NOVATO, CA, Dec 20 - IMSI/Design, a pioneer in mobile solutions for AEC, introduced TurboSite Pro v2 and TurboSite Plus v2, extending the TurboSite family of products and adding a subscription payment option to the line-up.

Recently awarded 2013 AIA National Convention's "Best of Show," TurboSite now has a product and payment option that will fit any size organization, from the very largest to single-person shops.

TurboSite Plus, aimed at small-to-medium sized shops, boasts an unlimited number of GeoMarks, allowing architects, engineers, and construction professionals to fully document findings in the field with photos, videos, dictation, and text notes. A field report can be immediately shared electronically in a variety of ways, including PDF, HTML, and using free TurboSite Standard as a reader. A user can also print a customized report and distribute hardcopy the traditional way.

TurboSite Pro adds additional capabilities important to enterprise AEC, such as 3D PDF viewing and markup, real-time Facetime and Skype conferencing, extended interoperability with dozens of industry standards applications, and a wider selection of powerful viewing options.

About TurboSite

TurboSite turns mobile devices such as Apple's iPad or iPhone into a first-of-its-kind field reporting tool, cutting up to 80% of the burden of traditional site inspections and completely automating the field reporting process.

No more lugging plans into a building, they're right on your iPad or iPhone. GPS or SPS knows where you're at in your plan. At any spot you can create a correctly geolocated GeoMark and, using the built-in camera, take as many photos, videos, dictation, and text notes that you want. Redline a drawing with powerful markup, dimension, and inquiry tools, or have a real-time video conference via FaceTime or Skype from directly in your building plan (Pro version only). Immediately share your report electronically with your entire design and construction team at the touch of a button... or instantly print a customized PDF report and distribute hardcopy. Either way, creating a field report has never been so easy.

Availability and Pricing 

TurboSite Plus v2 for iPad and iPhone is available now. Subscription pricing starts at $4.99 per month (introductory special, regularly $9.99 per month) or $99 per year. TurboSite Plus can also be purchased for $199.

TurboSite Pro v2 for iPad and iPhone is available now. Subscription pricing is $29.99 per month or $299 per year. TurboSite Pro can also be purchased for $499. (As an introductory special, owners of TurboSite v1 can upgrade to TurboSite Pro v2 for no charge at this time.)

To subscribe to either TurboSite Plus or Pro, download free TurboSite Standard through the Apple App Store, then select a monthly or annual subscription plan through In-App Purchasing. For more information, visit www.TurboApps.com.

About IMSI/Design

IMSI/Design is a pioneer in mobile solutions for the AEC (Architectural, Engineering, and Construction) industry and the global leader in retail CAD (Computer Aided Design). With over 16 million products distributed since 1988, IMSI/Design products include the award-winning TurboCAD, TurboViewer, TurboReview, TurboSite, and TurboFloorPlan families of precision design applications for mobile and desktop. For more information, visit www.IMSIdesign.com.

JSOL Electromechanical Analysis Tool JMAG Available for HyperWorks

http://www.altair.com
TROY, MI, Dec 20 - The Altair Partner Alliance (APA) announced that the electromechanical analysis tool JMAG, from JSOL, is now available to all enabled HyperWorks users. JSOL is an important addition to the APA, creating many new opportunities for multi-physics solutions alongside the HyperWorks suite to further improve the offering. JMAG's electromagnetic analysis capabilities are applicable to the automotive, home appliance, digital equipment, factory automation and electric power industries, among others.

"JSOL is very excited to have the opportunity to work with Altair through the Partner Alliance," said Takashi Yamada, Ph.D., Manager of the Electromagnetic Engineering Department at JSOL. "We hope that together we can introduce JMAG's technology to Altair's customers and expand the electromagnetic analysis capabilities of the program."

With its excellent 30 year track record, JMAG efficiently captures and evaluates complex physical phenomena inside machines, helping to improve the manufacturing process. By using the latest techniques, JMAG is able to accurately model complex geometries, material properties and other phenomena associated with electromagnetic fields to perform the most precise analyses. Through an open and user-friendly interface, new and experienced users can achieve higher productivity by having the capability to perform different analyses from one consistent place.

"I am very pleased that JSOL decided to enter the APA with the JMAG product," said Detlef Schneider, Altair's Senior Vice President, Solver Products. "The emphasis of the JMAG development on accuracy and speed fits very well with the Altair solver development philosophy and brings a number of new multi-physics solutions to Altair customers. We will continue to enhance the coupling between JMAG and Altair HyperWorks products to provide high-end and seamlessly integrated solutions to our customers worldwide to solve large scale multi-physics tasks."

JMAG also offers high speed processing, essential to help manufacturers continue to produce highly efficient and integrated products. The highest efficiency only can be achieved through accurate analysis that includes every detail of a design, since even a small detail can impact product performance. By providing a faster solver, JMAG allows for more effects and phenomenon to be included in a calculation within a limited amount of time in the design process. This results in a more accurate analysis and ensured validity of a design by allowing the user to explore and verify multiple design concepts by applying a number of combinations of parameters.

Available for the last 12 years, Altair's innovative unit-based licensing system allows HyperWorks users customizable access to a growing portfolio of applications, optimizing their return on investment (ROI) by making more than 28 Altair developed applications available by use of a single pool of recyclable HyperWorks units (HWUs).

After experiencing this original licensing model's success, Altair offered the opportunity for third-party companies to run their own applications under this unit-based system, a collaboration now known as the Altair Partner Alliance. The overall flexibility of these HWUs empowers users via access to the largest, most complete suite of CAE applications available. The ROI increases for users each time a new application is added to the offering, since any of the partner programs can be accessed using the same leased HWUs they are already using to run HyperWorks. This makes more than 55 additional applications available at no incremental cost or long-term commitment.

HyperWorks users can download JMAG at www.altairalliance.com/jmag

About JSOL Corporation

The JSOL Corporation is a total IT service provider, offering high-quality IT services. Adding the all-round strength of the NTT Data Group, the JSOL Corporation can offer even more adaptable and specialized solutions to the technological and business know-how accumulated in a wide range of fields since the days when the JSOL Corporation was a division of the Japan Research Institute.

Expanding its business in the field of computer aided engineering; the JSOL Corporation has established the JMAG Group, a worldwide network of sales, support, marketing, development, and technical partners, aiming to deliver JMAG as the leading-edge simulation technology for the design and development of electromechanical machines. JMAG has supported a wide-range of companies, universities, and research institutes around the world in furthering the design and development of their unique products and research since its conception in 1983. For more information, visit www.jmag-international.com.

About Altair

Altair is focused on the development and broad application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance. Privately held with more than 2,000 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA and operates more than 40 offices throughout 20 countries. Today, Altair serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. For more information, visit www.altair.com.

About the Altair Partner Alliance

Altair's HyperWorks platform applies a revolutionary subscription-based licensing model in which customers use floating licenses to access a broad suite of Altair-developed, as well as third-party, software applications on demand. The Altair Partner Alliance effectively extends the HyperWorks Platform from more than 20 internally developed solutions to upwards of 50 applications with the addition of new partner applications. Customers can invoke these third-party applications at no incremental cost using their existing HyperWorks licenses. Customers benefit from unmatched flexibility and access, resulting in maximum software utilization, productivity and ROI. For more information, visit www.altairalliance.com.

Sentakia Database for MagiCAD Heating & Piping Updated

http://www.magicad.com RAUMA, Finland, Dec 20 - The new Sentakia database for MagiCAD Heating and Piping includes towel dryers..

To download Sentakia database, visit MagiCAD.

For more information about Sentakia Oy, visit www.sentakia.com.

Note: *Requires MagiCAD 2012.11 or later.

3D Systems to Acquire Xerox’s Oregon Solid Ink Engineering, Dev Teams

http://www.3dsystems.com
ROCK HILL, SC and NORWALK, CT, Dec 20 - 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) and Xerox (NYSE: XRX) announced a transaction designed to leverage both companies' 3D printing capabilities to accelerate growth and cement leadership positions. 3D Systems entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Xerox Corporation's Wilsonville, Oregon product design, engineering and chemistry group and related assets for $32.5 million in cash. Both companies expect the transaction to close before the end of 2013, subject to fulfilment of certain customary conditions. This agreement expands the decade and a half long collaboration between the companies, that already produced 3DS' best selling ProJet series 3D printers.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with an innovative partner of the calibre of Xerox and expect that acquiring some of the Xerox Wilsonville engineering team, together with their state-of the-art development labs and selected licensed IP, will catapult our 3D printers' development and manufacturing capabilities forward," said Avi Reichental, 3D Systems' President and CEO. "This bold step is consistent with our belief that we must act quickly and decisively to extend and cement our marketplace leadership position by taking full advantage of the window of unprecedented opportunity in front of us."

"This deal takes advantage of Xerox's world-class capabilities and expands our relationship with 3D Systems in the exciting and dynamic 3D printing industry," said Kevin Warren, President of Xerox Strategic Growth Initiatives. "It emphasizes how we are leveraging our expertise while we continue to evolve our business model and pursue strategic growth opportunities."

As part of this agreement, 3DS expects to add more than 100 experienced Xerox engineers and contractors specializing in product design and materials science to its global R&D team and immediately begin to operate its own facility within the Xerox Wilsonville campus. Xerox will maintain ink and print head development resources along with research relevant for digital printing and the 3D markets. In connection with this strategic investment, 3DS expects to progressively increase its annual R&D expenditures by approximately 75% to 100% over the next few years as it completes certain Xerox related engineering services commitments and fully leverages its expanded capabilities.

"The stronger our marketplace leadership, the more powerful our economic model becomes," continued Reichental. "Simply put, a solidified position translates directly to higher revenue, higher profitability and greater earnings power over time and we are willing to sacrifice short term earnings to get there faster."

About 3D Systems Corporation

3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D printing centric design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced on-demand custom parts for professionals and consumers alike in materials including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. The company also provides integrated 3D scan-based design, freeform modelling and inspection tools. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, prototype or produce real parts, empowering customers to manufacture the future. For more information, visit www.3DSystems.com.

About Xerox

Since the invention of Xerography 75 years ago, the people of Xerox have helped businesses simplify the way work gets done. Today, we are the global leader in business process and document management, helping organizations of any size be more efficient so they can focus on their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., more than 140,000 Xerox employees serve clients in 160 countries, providing business services, printing equipment and software for commercial and government organizations. For more information, visit www.xerox.com.

Over 1200 Attend CD-adapco's STAR Asian Conferences

http://www.cd-adapco.com
NEW YORK, USA and LONDON, UK, Dec 20 - CD-adapco, the largest privately held CFD-focused provider of Computer Aided Engineering software, just wrapped up its successful STAR Asian conferences. These regional conferences were held in Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia and India with each attracting a record breaking attendance, with over 1,200 engineers travelling from across the whole of Asia to participate in the events.

The STAR Chinese Conference was the newest event added to the regional conference series. CD-adapco opened their office in Shanghai just a few months prior to the event and was pleased they were able to so quickly support over 300 attendees. "This year's regional STAR conference success shows our ongoing dedication to the global simulation community," said Bill Clark, CD-adapco's Executive Vice President. "We had leading companies from all major industries speaking and in attendance. We are not only building a well-established international base of customers, but also connecting our globally dispersed customers through these events."

Commencing the 2014 CD-adapco conference season is the STAR Global Conference 2014 being held in Vienna, Austria. This event is the company's global conference attracting attendees from their worldwide community. This exclusive three day event will take place on March 17-19, 2014. For more information, visit www.star-global-conference.com

The theme of this year's event is "Simulating Systems" and registration includes the keynote presentation, over 120 industrial presentations, 36 industry specific sessions, technology demonstrations, and a free full day of training for every attendee. CD-adapco received well over 150 abstracts from all over the world. Two additional tracks have been added to the conference agenda in order to give attendees a truly all-encompassing selection of engineering simulation sessions. The finalized full packed agenda will be announced in early 2014.

In addition, the STAR Global Conference 2014 is the official launch event of STAR-CCM+v9, which will be the latest version of CD-adapco's flagship engineering software tool.

About CD-adapco

CD-adapco is the world's largest privately held CFD focused CAE provider. Our core products are the technology-leading simulation packages, STAR-CCM+ and STAR-CD. The scope of our activities, however, extends well beyond CFD software development to encompass a wide range of CAE engineering services in fluid dynamics, heat transfer and structural engineering. Our ongoing mission is to "inspire innovation and reduce costs through the application of engineering simulation software and services."

A privately owned company, CD-adapco has maintained 17% organic year-on-year growth over the last 5 years. CD-adapco employs 750 talented individuals, working at 30 different offices across the globe. For more information, visit http://www.cd-adapco.com.

Siemens to Acquire Germany's TESIS PLMware

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com
NUREMBERG, Germany, Dec 20 - Siemens has entered into an agreement to acquire TESIS PLMware, a recognized leader in the integration of product lifecycle management (PLM) software with other enterprise applications. The acquisition will further enhance Siemens' industry software portfolio. TESIS PLMware helps customers improve IT costs and efficiency by providing a proven solution for the integration of Siemens' Teamcenter software with the world's leading ERP systems and other enterprise applications such as MES, CRM and SCM. TESIS PLMware will, after closing, be assigned to Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division. The agreement includes the acquisition of Munich based TESIS PLMware GmbH and its US business. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

Enterprise software integration, particularly PLM/ERP interoperability, is critical to achieving the seamless and efficient flow of information exchange companies require to keep costs in control and remain competitive. With the acquisition of TESIS PLMware, an important partner of Siemens PLM Software since 1992, Siemens is helping ensure that its customers will continue to seamlessly assimilate the Teamcenter PLM portfolio into their global product development and manufacturing environments.

"Siemens is committed to delivering best in class solutions that help our customers, and the next generation of manufacturers, efficiently bring innovative products to market," said Chuck Grindstaff, president and CEO, Siemens PLM Software. "With the acquisition of TESIS PLMware, Siemens is further expanding its portfolio of industry software. With stable and proven interfaces to the world's leading ERP systems, our PLM solutions are completely integrated into the enterprise software architecture of our customers. This makes them faster, more efficient, more flexible and more cost effective. Today's announcement is another important execution step in our strategy of focused acquisitions in the area of industry software."

About TESIS PLMware

TESIS PLMware, a member of the TESIS group, was founded in 1988 as a consultancy and software company that helps medium and large manufacturing companies worldwide create integrated PLM landscapes and highly efficient product development processes. For more information, visit http://plmware.tesis.de/.

About Siemens Industry Sector

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world's leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the Sector enhances its customers' productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Divisions Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services as well as the Business Unit Metals Technologies. For more information, visit http://www.siemens.com/industry.

3D Systems Acquires Village Plastics

http://www.3dsystems.com
ROCK HILL, SC, Dec 20 - 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced the acquisition of Village Plastics Co., a leading manufacturer of filament-based ABS, PLA and HIPS 3D printing materials. Through its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Norton, Ohio, Village Plastics delivers the highest quality, precision 3D printing filaments. 3DS plans to immediately integrate Village Plastics materials and manufacturing technologies to accelerate its development of advanced filament-based materials for its growing Cube and CubeX 3D printers. Additionally, the company plans to support all of Village Plastics’ existing customers by providing full access to its complete portfolio of design-to-manufacturing products and services.

"Village Plastics brings significant filament-based material development know-how and large scale manufacturing expertise that are vitally important to our Cube 3D printer consumer and prosumer growth initiatives," said Avi Reichental, President and CEO, 3D Systems. "With the Village team on board, we expect to be able to enhance the profitability of this growing category and fast track the delivery of new high-performance filament-based products for the benefit of our users worldwide."

About 3D Systems Corporation

3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D printing centric design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced on-demand custom parts for professionals and consumers alike in materials including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. The company also provides integrated 3D scan-based design, freeform modeling and inspection tools. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, prototype or produce real parts, empowering customers to manufacture the future. For more information, visit www.3DSystems.com.

About Village Plastics 
 
Village Plastics Co. is a precision manufacturer of thermoplastic 3D printing filament. The company offers an extensive product line and possesses manufacturing capabilities to extrude custom sizes, shapes and profiles to meet customer requirements for extruded products. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is located in Norton, Ohio, with completely customized extrusion lines. Combined with in-house tooling capabilities, the company can provide cost-effective extrusion solutions. Delivering near perfect consistency, monitoring with laser micrometers gives Village Plastics Co. an absolute edge over the competition by providing a superior level of precision and quality at competitive prices. Village Plastics Co. is a family-owned and operated business dedicated to exceeding customers' expectations. For more information, visit www.villageplastics.com.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

MSC Releases SimXpert 2013 for CAE

 www.mscsoftware.com
NEWPORT BEACH, CA, Dec 19 - MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, announced the new release of SimXpert 2013. The new capabilities in this release provide engineers with improvements in both performance and ease of use for integrated multidisciplinary analysis and simulation process automation.

Highlights of SimXpert 2013 includes:

Performance for Engineering Simulation

Performance improvements deliver significant productivity gains to engineers. Key enhancements include:
  • New Graphics Display Manager, which provides graphics rendering and picking services, serving as a bridge between SimXpert and graphics engine. Improvements have helped speed up tasks like rendering, highlight and picking, camera based view manipulation and animation by an order of magnitude.
  • Performance of a curve imprint on surface, often used to control mesh, has been improved significantly.
  • Report Tool in the Motion Workspace has been improved to provide better performance and reduced file size. The database size has been reduced by about 90%, Python model size by about 85%, while improving simulation speed by 25%.
  • MSC Nastran Bulk Data File (BDF) import performance speed has been improved by 30%.
Ease of use for Contact Modelling

The contact set up has been revamped for ease of use and efficiency so it's easier to create contacts in complex models. Enhancements include:
  • Contact body creation, which is the fundamental step in contact analysis, has been made easier. Contact bodies can now be automatically created based on parts, groups, materials, properties, and regions, simplifying the contact set up, saving significant time especially when a large number of components are involved.
  • Contact pair creation is also automated by creating the pairs based on vicinity search. Automatic creation of default contact parameters also improves efficiency, while retaining flexibility required in contact analysis setup.
  • Easier navigation through model browser and graphical selection provides quick access to any of the property setts and contact pairs.
  • Initial check runs to help identify initial penetration or other contact related problems early in the analysis.
  • Contact pairs organized based on contact groups, helps for easier visualization especially when a large number of components and interactions are involved.
DLM (Double Lattice Modeling) Support for Aeroelasticity

With the DLM support for aero modeling in SimXpert, the structural and aero models can coexist and be organized in the model browser. Enhanced visualization of MSC Nastran aero panels and global/local verification of splines helps users ensure model efficacy.

Other enhancements include support for import and export of CAD files in JT format (BREPS), and monitoring of multiple jobs from within SimXpert. All of the improvements in this release are designed to provide a rich, easy to use, and productive experience for engineers.

For more details about the new release, watch the on-demand new release webinar at http://bit.ly/1bBoRfG.

About MSC Software

MSC Software is one of the ten original software companies and the worldwide leader in multidiscipline simulation. As a trusted partner, MSC Software helps companies improve quality, save time, and reduce costs associated with design and test of manufactured products. Academic institutions, researchers, and students employ MSC's technology to expand individual knowledge as well as expand the horizon of simulation. MSC Software employs 1,100 professionals in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.mscsoftware.com.

Tech Soft 3D Acquires tetra4D

http://www.techsoft3d.com
BEND, OR, Dec 19 - Tech Soft 3D, the leading provider of engineering toolkits and exclusive developer of Adobe's 3D PDF technology announced the acquisition of tetra4D, the world's largest provider of 3D PDF technology to the end user market, and its line of 3D PDF products, including 3D PDF Converter - the world's only solution for converting native 3D CAD data into rich, interactive 3D PDF documents from within Adobe Acrobat.

Through this acquisition, Tech Soft 3D will begin working directly with regional resellers, current Tech Soft 3D HOOPS customers, and end users to expand and improve its suite of 3D PDF-related offerings. Specific announcements regarding plans will be forthcoming in the near future.

"The team at tetra4D has done an excellent job of driving global awareness and adoption of 3D PDF Converter as the de-facto solution for document-based 3D collaboration in both the enterprise and supply chain market," said Tech Soft 3D VP of Corporate Development, Dave Opsahl. "As the adoption of 3D PDF continues to grow so dramatically within enterprises, we felt the time was right for us to expand our reach in the marketplace. The acquisition of tetra4D will allow Tech Soft 3D to quickly get close to enterprise customers and innovate to meet their needs. We look forward to building direct relationships with customers and integrating their ideas into future releases."

"In 2010, Adobe made the right call outsourcing the continued development and delivery of 3D PDF to seasoned professionals in the PLM industry," stated Greg Baker, President and Co-founder of tetra4D. Baker added, "My tetra4D team rapidly built a profitable global business around 3D PDF Converter, fueled by a strong belief that 3D PDF is the best possible solution for 3D collaboration in the enterprise. Our development partner, Tech Soft 3D has the resources and expertise to take 3D PDF Converter to the next level and exceed customer expectations. I am excited to see tetra4D take the next step in its growth trajectory as an integral part of Tech Soft 3D, and look forward to the future."

Current pricing and sales channels will not see changes now or in the foreseeable future. All tetra4D support channels will remain active and all website, sales, email, and phone support will continue to be accessible through normal channels. More information is available at www.tetra4d.com.

About 3D PDF Converter

3D PDF Converter is the world's leading solution for converting native 3D CAD data into rich, interactive 3D PDF documents, including full support for accurate BREP geometry and product manufacturing information, also called PMI. Only 3D PDF Converter and Adobe Acrobat together allow you to control whether recipients of your 3D PDFs can measure, section, comment on or export 3D data from both Acrobat and the free Adobe Reader. Because Adobe Reader is installed on 98% of desktops worldwide, anyone who needs to view your 3D data already has all the software they need.

About Tech Soft 3D

Tech Soft 3D is the leading global B2D provider of engineering solutions that help software teams deliver successful applications. Established in 1996 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, Tech Soft 3D has offices in California, France, England and Japan. The company’s product portfolio powers nearly 500 applications globally and includes the HOOPS suite of software tools, 3D PDF solutions and Autodesk OEM products. For more information, call (541) 383-4126 or visit http://www.techsoft3d.com.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Delcam Releases PartMaker 2014

http://www.delcam.com
BIRMINGHAM, UK, Dec 18 - Delcam's PartMaker Division has released PartMaker 2014, which marks the introduction of Delcam's Vortex high-efficiency strategy for area clearance into the PartMaker CAM suite. Other enhancements in the 2014 version include improved back-turning and 2D pocketing functionality, support for additional tool types and faster programming of lead-in and lead-out moves, and a new NC program viewer among other improvements.

Vortex is Delcam's newest proprietary high-speed roughing technology. Vortex controls the maximum engagement angle of the cutter in the material, such that the angle calculated for the programmed step over is never exceeded, even in internal corners. This allows for optimal cutting conditions to be maintained throughout the toolpath.

By controlling the maximum engagement angle and the load on the tool, Vortex can take deeper cuts than traditionally used in roughing operations. Depths of cut up to the full flute length enable maximum material removal rate from solid carbide tooling and reduce machining times by up to 70%. Vortex is available as a free upgrade to licensees of PartMaker's Advanced Surface Machining (ASM) module that are on maintenance.PartMaker 2014 includes improved functionality to support the automated programming of back-turning tools. These tools are used across a wide variety of small-part turning applications, particularly in Swiss machining. With their unique geometry and cutting characteristics, back-turning tools can eliminate the need for multiple tools and so can reduce cycle time and improve surface finish.

However, given the multiple included angles and programmable radii found on these tools, they can present toolpath calculation challenges. PartMaker 2014 overcomes these challenges with a unique, proprietary method for automating programming with back-turning tools on both the inside and outside diameter of turned parts.

Another area that has been improved is 2D pocketing. This more powerful functionality allows for more efficient and intelligent material removal from 2D pockets. The raster finishing strategy in PartMaker ASM has also been enhanced, resulting in less fragmented toolpaths without overlaps when machining highly complex shapes, thus improving part surface finish. Removing overlaps also has the added benefit of reducing cycle time by preventing over-machining of parts and by minimising lifting of the tool.

PartMaker 2014 lets users enter lead-in and lead-out moves faster than ever before for both turning and milling operations. The lead-in and lead-out dialogs have been combined into one form where values can automatically be copied from lead-in moves to lead-out moves, or vice versa. This productivity enhancement speeds up programming, reduces mouse clicks and decreases the chance of making an error.

A new option to make programming of more complex machines much easier is the NC Program Viewer function. This allows improved analysis of the NC code generated by PartMaker to help achieve optimum productivity from the machine. It also includes unique functionality for automatically aligning "wait" or "sync" codes for multi-channel machines.

By simply clicking the "Align Wait/Queue Commands" button, the user can quickly see which processes are being executed simultaneously across a multi-channel CNC program and so identify opportunities for a more efficient sequence of operations. This functionality can be applied automatically to a broad spectrum of combinations of machine controls with multi-axis turn-mill machines and Swiss-type lathes.

PartMaker’s extensive tool database now includes explicit selections for tapered end-mills as well as neutral turning tools and back-turning tools. Additionally, the software now automatically gives users the option to choose between a flat-bottom, bull-nose or ball-nose end-mill when creating a new end-mill. The use of back-turning tools and tapered end-mills is available as a free upgrade to maintained licensees of PartMaker's Advanced Tools option.

To know more about PartMaker 2014, with videos demonstrating the new functionality, visit www.delcam.tv/pmk2014/lz

For further information on Delcam's PartMaker CAM software, visit www.partmaker.com.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

TraceParts Opens Office in UK

http://www.traceparts.com
SAINT ROMAIN, France and MAIDSTONE, UK, Dec 17 - TraceParts, one of the world leaders in 3D marketing solutions, today announced the creation of TraceParts UK Ltd to further expands its activities into the UK. With other sites located in USA, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey, TraceParts UK will help support the fast growing need for publishing 3D content coming from component manufacturers and industrial distributors in the UK and Northern Europe.

"Our strategy of being located close to our customers proved to be successful and we needed to complement our support to Northern Europe. There is no doubt that our geographical coverage will increase substantially in a near future" commented Etienne Mullie, founder and CEO, TraceParts.

"With a forecast for 2014 of over 2 million registered designers and engineers onto the TraceParts online platforms, TraceParts 3D marketing solutions are just about to become one of the most effective B2B marketing tools for generating high quality leads. TraceParts value proposition gives the opportunity to component manufacturers and distributors to promote their products right at the design stage giving them a unique competitive advantage compared with other traditional prospect acquisition methods" says Gabriel Guigue, Managing Director, TraceParts .

About TraceParts

TraceParts Inc. is a 3D online product marketing company offering progressive business solutions through powerful web based products and services. TraceParts helps customers improve marketing efficiencies by increasing the value of their existing digital product data. The TracePartsOnline.net CAD portal is freely available to millions of CAD users worldwide. For more information, visit www.traceparts.com.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Japan's Hitachi Rail Selects PTC Windchill

http://www.ptc.com
NEEDHAM, MA, Dec 15 - PTC (Nasdaq: PTC) announced that Hitachi, Ltd. Rail Systems has selected the PTC Global Product Development Solution based on proven PTC Windchill technology as its single enterprise platform for global product development throughout its railway vehicle engineering and manufacturing business. Hitachi, the only railway systems integrator in Japan, designs, manufactures, and services railway vehicles, traffic control and signal systems, and railway facilities/equipment for railway companies. Hitachi's strategic alignment around the PTC solution will help the company drive product development innovation and success in an intensifying global competitive landscape.

After being awarded a contract to deliver 600 railway cars and well over two decades of maintenance support for the Intercity Express Program in the U. K., Hitachi decided to build a production facility in the U.K. to produce the vehicles locally. Hitachi recognized that it needed a world-class PLM solution that would provide a unified, consistent view of all product data to meet its innovation and quality goals for the new center. Additionally, the limited availability of external resources with traditional Japanese craftsmanship skills to support development of its custom-ordered railway vehicles elevated Hitachi's need to automate its product development processes and enhance its production environment.

Further, because its engineering team works in a multi-CAD environment using both 2D and 3D CAD tools, Hitachi needed a system with the flexibility and broad capabilities to manage heterogeneous CAD data. The company also required the capability to manage the engineering bill of materials (eBOM) and the manufacturing bill of materials (mBOM).

The implementation of the PTC solution has increased Hitachi's visibility into daily workload on the shop floor by improving the accuracy of Bill of Material (BOM) information. As such, part inventory levels and component and materials procurement processes have been optimized. The Hitachi manufacturing team is now able to create more accurate plans, and has reduced its production lead-time, from component order through car assembly completion, by 20%. "PTC Windchill helps companies better manage their bills of materials and product configuration as well as heterogeneous CAD data. In addition, the product provides intelligent workflow that automates mundane tasks within and across development sites, ensuring the highest levels of quality and consistency, and driving continuous product and process innovation," stated Peter Bilello, president, CIMdata.

Hitachi has expanded its use of the PTC solution to manage multiple configurations of its railway cars, enabling the company to flexibly support customer requirements. The company expects that the workload of its design engineers also will be substantially reduced as adoption of the PTC solution further accelerates. In addition, Hitachi plans to improve the accuracy of its manufacturing process and cost management by placing the scalable PTC solution at the center of the UK Intercity Express Program.

"We needed a system that would help us enhance our production environment and, at the same time, enable us to automate production processes and be less reliant on human resources," said Takashi Kadohiro, Manager, Business Reforms Promotion Department, Kasado Works, Hitachi Rail Systems. "As the core of our product development platform, the PTC Global Product Development Solution has allowed us to manage all of our CAD data in a single repository, improving our workflow and process automation."

"Process improvement is pivotal to supporting product development and services, and ultimately to helping drive business success," said Mark Hodges, Divisional General Manager, PLM Segment, PTC. "We are pleased to expand our relationship with Hitachi to support innovation, drive efficiencies throughout its product development processes and ultimately increase its competitive advantage."

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) totaled 9,041 billion yen ($96.1 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, power systems, construction machinery, high functional material & components, automotive systems and others. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.com.

About PTC

PTC (Nasdaq: PTC) enables manufacturers to achieve sustained product and service advantage. The company's technology solutions transform the way products are created and serviced across the entire product lifecycle - from conception and design to sourcing and service. Founded in 1985, PTC employs over 6,000 professionals serving more than 27,000 businesses in rapidly-evolving, globally distributed manufacturing industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ptc.com.