TriMech Blog

In our previous blog post, we walked through the process of setting up an airflow study over the front of the Thunder Roadster. We used SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to set up a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis to verify that incoming air is adhering to the surface of the car and entering the hood scoop at racing speeds. With the results verified, the next step is to design new inlet components to route as much of that air to the engine as possible to improve performance.

Manufacturing technology seems to catch on much slower than other technological leaps; it’s 2019 and I still train students every month coming from 2D drafting into the 3D world! Is this because of the companies, the designers, the machinists or none of these? There is a huge difference in how a job shop, or even a large-scale production facility, work versus how we think. We’re going to take a look at this much too common disconnect and what options are out there to improve shop communication and efficiency.

SOLIDWORKS is not just a CAD application. The integrated add-ins and supporting applications make it a complete engineering solution. I recently took advantage of these tools to complete a project that has been at the back of my mind for some time. It was a great opportunity to show how to use the SOLIDWORKS integrated platform from design all the way through the manufacturing and post-manufacturing process.  

In our previous blog post, we walked through the process of gathering usable data by 3D scanning the entire outside of Ryan's car. TriMech's Project Engineering Group helped us convert the scanned data into a usable SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD model of the Thunder Roadster. With this model, we'll be able to make, evaluate, verify and even modify the vehicle for ultimate performance!

The main appeal of DraftSight is that it allows users to create, edit, view and mark up any kind of DWG file with a familiar user interface, so transitions to and from a user’s CAD application are quicker. That integration between the 2D and 3D environment is key to what makes DraftSight such a great tool. Since it is part of the Dassault Systèmes family, it can seamlessly integrate with other products like SOLIDWORKS, GEOVIA, DELMIA and many others. With the release of DraftSight 2019, they have added even more integrations to the list, and these are our favorites:

In our previous blog post, “Customizing a Thunder Roadster: Introduction”, you might’ve caught Ryan’s car being scanned using the Artec Eva 3D scanner. Artec manufactures structured light scanners, which are the perfect choice for making a textured and accurate 3D model. 3D scanning is being used more in many industries for reverse engineering and product customization due to the precise results and lowered technology costs. By capturing technological details and data from an object, it is possible to then recreate or improve upon it. In part two of this series, we’ll take a look at how Ryan’s Thunder Roadster was scanned.

At TriMech, our engineers are always excited about the technologies that we offer our clients. From the latest in CAD changes to the newest advancements in additive manufacturing, our goal is to have the best technical staff available. One of the ways that we encourage their advancement is by embracing the use of technologies for personal experiences and professional development.

During this multi-part video series, we are going to highlight one of our Senior Application Engineers, Ryan Zeck. Ryan has been racing since before he was nine years old and has always had a passion for going fast! So for this project we’ve given Ryan access to TriMech’s entire product portfolio to see how we can make his car go even faster. 

Since its first launch in 2010, DraftSight has been designed to help users create/edit DWG files with powerful CAD tools and functionality. This latest release incorporates survey feedback from millions of DraftSight users and adds the most asked-for capabilities and greater functionality. It also shuffles the deck with regards to the old product portfolio and reallocates both old and new features across a new streamlined suite of products. In this blog, we’re going to take a top-level look at these changes and the new normal for the DraftSight product line.

In late 2015, we witnessed an inflection point in the way the world works. This happened when mobile web traffic surpassed desktop traffic for the very first time. Since then, this trend has only accelerated as more things are done on a mobile device from web browsing, photography and even engineering. We are seeing more CAD tasks being done on mobile devices.

We hear a lot about going from concept to design, and with SOLIDWORKS CAD that’s the easy part. But what’s next? What tools do you need to pitch your design and get that first prototype made? In other words, what tools do you need to go from concept to reality?

Once you have your CAD complete in SOLIDWORKS, the three tools that help you make a concept a reality are: SOLIDWORKS Composer, SOLIDWORKS Visualize and SOLIDWORKS Visualize Pro. With these tools you can showcase how your design will look and how it will work, capturing the essence of your idea before it’s even made. The best part is these are all linked to the SOLIDWORKS CAD model, meaning any changes to the model are automatically updated; saving you substantial time and frustrating effort.

All three tools put your model on a stage so you can easily share your designs, but what exactly are the differences? In this article, we break down each of the features of the tools, so you can know exactly why and when to use them.

It is becoming increasingly important for innovative companies to accelerate new product time to market without compromising quality. In order to do this, teams need to easily perform more complex simulations that are reliable, have easy access to validation tools for quick evaluation of designs and be able to share all these results and ideas with other teams. To meet these demands, Dassault Systèmes has introduced SIMULIA Structural Simulation Engineer (SSE).

Decals make all the difference with your models. They are the little details that truly elevate your design from good to great and most models aren’t complete without them. So, what are decals and how do you use them in SOLIDWORKS?