TriMech Blog

3D scanning is a powerful tool for designers and engineers. The advantages are clear for many applications when a tool, like the Artec Space Spider, is used to take full color, 3-dimensional scan data of existing objects. Scans like the drill below could be used to reverse engineer the drill’s geometry to create bracketry, packaging material or even can be used to create a new and better version of the same part. Yet many engineers do not consider the power of a 3D scanner as a tool for a Quality Assurance (QA)/Quality Control (QC) application.

As a Pro|e-to-SOLIDWORKS convert, one of the first things I noticed that was vastly different between the platforms was the community. SOLIDWORKS users are simply more numerous, passionate and vocal. This is part of what makes SOLIDWORKS such a great platform! This passion for, not only the products we develop, but for the software itself - drives the direction of the development team which in turn brings hundreds of enhancements to an already feature-rich platform every year.

Something that I always find interesting when speaking with fellow users, whether at a SOLIDWORKS User Group Network (SWUGN) or at their workplace, is their policy on upgrading to the latest release. Many clients I interact with tell me that they only upgrade when Service Pack 1 (SP1) has been released, or SP3, or even as late as SP5! Let’s look at six reasons why you shouldn’t wait to upgrade to the latest version of SOLIDWORKS.

For those of you who have used Weldments for frame design and extrusions in SOLIDWORKS, you're probably aware of how easy they are to work with and create. However, you may not be aware that there are literally thousands of profiles that you can download for free directly in the software. 

>> Watch our On-Demand Webinar, Weldments Tips & What's New

SOLIDWORKS 2019 is right around the corner! We tuned into the live streaming event this September and got a peek of all the changes, capabilities and performance updates the upgrade is going to bring. We've tried to compile a complete list of Launch-Day links and resources in one place to make it easier for you to find all the highlights and details. 

3D printing has come a long way from where it started. It has made so many advances that it can even help save people's lives. Currently, Stratasys offers (3) different materials that have either been tested by the raw material manufacturer, or by Stratasys, and have some level of compliance.

Many people deal with importing models and translating data back and forth between SOLIDWORKS and other software on a daily basis. Requesting the proper file format for this move is imperative, but can be overwhelming. Read our blog to discover how to avoid errors and learn about the different options. 

The question comes up all the time, "How can I model a knurled surface in SOLIDWORKS?"

This week's Product Story showcases  Lumenium LLC. and their use of Desktop Metal Solutions.

Lumenium LLC. develops an innovative family of internal combustion engines. The Inverse Displacement Asymmetrical Rotational (IDAR) engine is a novel and totally singular design for producing powerful, efficient, internal combustion.

In SOLIDWORKS CAM and even CAMWorks, you may have noticed the "Machine Post Processor" tab has a big blank white space in the bottom of the user dialog. 

3D printing processes are easy to implement and offer a wide variety of materials to support a part’s requirements while eliminating cost, lead time and design barriers to adopting manufacturing aids on the shop floor. 3D printed jigs and fixtures open up new possibilities for manufacturing-floor productivity, with fast and nearly labor-free production that doesn't require the overhead of highly skilled CAM programmers and machinists.

Diving into a new system can be nerve-racking, especially when it impacts your data and files. Even with trepidation, we know that having a product data management system, such as SOLIDWORKS PDM, is essential to business. We want to help ease some of the stress by providing you with five of our traits for a successful data management deployment.

SOLIDWORKS makes it easy for engineers to design in 3D. But once the design is complete, we have to manufacture the parts, ensure they meet quality standards and assemble the product. Assembly fixtures and molds need to be designed, assembly guides have to be created for the manufacturing floor and parts have to be checked against the engineering drawings.