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3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey, Part 1

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, this year’s 3DEXPERIENCE Forum by Dassault Systèmes had to be re-imagined as a virtual event, just like so many other conferences. At 1 pm EDT on July 29th, nearly two months after the in-person event was meant to have taken place in Florida, the company began the live stream of the Plenary Session for “3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey,” a series of digital programming that replaced the annual North America customer event.

Unfortunately, the webinar seemed to be having issues, which continued on and off over the next two hours of the live stream, so I missed pieces here and there. Technical difficulties happen all the time at live events, too, so the only real difference here was that I couldn’t raise my hand and say, “I’m sorry, the audio and picture cut out, could you repeat that please?” Luckily, Dassault had the webinar up to view on-demand the very next day, so I was able to go back and check out the parts that I had missed.

Erik Swedberg, Managing Director, North America, Dassault Systèmes, got things started with his segment on “Business in the Age of Experience: Challenges and Opportunities for North America,” which focused on manufacturing and supply chains, and why companies looking to transform, some sooner than they’d hoped due to the pandemic, should “invent the industry of tomorrow,” rather than trying to digitize the past or the present.

“Yesterday, businesses focused on automation of the manufacturing system; this is Industry 4.0. Today, many industrials are digitizing the enterprise system. It’s not enough. You need to create experiences. Tomorrow, the game changers will be those with the best developed knowledge and know-how assets. Why? Simple. Because the Industry Renaissance is about new categories of new industrials creating new categories of solutions for new categories of consumers,” Swedberg said.

He mentioned Tesla and Amazon, companies in Silicon Valley working to create autonomous vehicles, and fab labs creating and printing smart, connected objects.

“The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a platform for knowledge and know-how—a game changer, collaborative environment that empowers businesses and people to innovate in an entirely new way,” he continued. “Digital experience platforms for industry, urban development, and healthcare will become the infrastructure for the 21st century.”

Swedberg explained how 3DEXPERIENCE can allow any business to become social, by connecting employee innovation into the system where the company’s products are designed. This was a common theme today, which you’ll be able to see later.

He also explained that, with Dassault’s 13 brand applications—such as SIMULIA, CATIA, and SOLIDWORKS—the company can serve a wide variety of industries, helping its customers on their journey to invent tomorrow’s industry.

“In summation, we are in the experience economy, the Industry Renaissance is here, and world events are accelerating the need for digital transformation. As the world changes, we will partner with you for success,” Swedberg concluded. “We have the people and the insights to help you on your journey.”

Dassault’s Vice Chairman & CEO Bernard Charlès was up next, speaking about “From Things to Life.” He first said that he hoped no one on the live stream, or their loved ones and colleagues, had been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

“We’ve gone through a tough time, all of us. And we are with you, and we are learning a lot also from the crisis,” Charlès said.

Even though I’ve worked from home for nearly four years now, other aspects of my life have been turned upside down in the last few months, and I felt a kind of solidarity whenever the session’s speakers brought up how all of our lives, and our industry, have changed. Charlès also congratulated everyone signed into the live stream on working together, and continuing to innovate, during the pandemic; the continuing health crisis was another theme that threaded throughout the plenary session.

He said that the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is about inclusiveness, “because it means ideas and people connecting.” He shared some of the work that 3DEXPERIENCE users had accomplished during the recent and varied quarantines, such as creating respirators, improving logistics, and working to make the quality of airflow in hospitals better. He said that all of these projects were done on the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud.

“So many of you accelerated the cloud implementation, to be able to work from anywhere, especially from home, during confinement time.”

He mentioned that we are moving from a product economy to an experience economy, and that, in the long run, companies will continue to produce, and maintain ownership of, products and services throughout the life cycle, while their customers will get to enjoy the experience.

“That will accelerate innovation for a sustainable world,” Charlès said.

Next, he talked about a few companies that have been using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for interesting projects, like California-based Canoo, which dreams about refining urban mobility with an electric vehicle that can be used as a service or subscription, rather than being owned by individuals.

In order to create innovation, Charlès said, you need to be sure that your digital platform will work, and Canoo stated that 3DEXPERIENCE hit the mark here, helping to speed things up in the product development process.

He then talked about Arup, a company that’s using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to create a virtual Hong Kong for city planning purposes. Arup is working to make Hong Kong a smart city, and the platform is helping the company in this endeavor; for example, Arup and Dassault just completed a project called the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure Built Environment Application platform…say that three times fast.

Finally, Charlès explained that the role of life sciences is to “protect what we care about,” and said that industry pioneers are coming up with new and different ways to diagnose and care for people. He stated that creating new healthcare experiences is a complex project, because it means converting big data into smart data and simulating real world situations in a virtual world. Luckily, 3DEXPERIENCE can help with this.

“3DEXPERIENCE…is a system of operation, because the platform can help you run your business, and the platform should also help you invent a new business model,” Charlès concluded. “The common values across all the industries we serve is putting the human at the center of everything we do.”

Next, Renee Pasman, Director of Integrated Systems at Skunk Works for Lockheed Martin, provided an overview of using the digital thread, and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, for the product lifecycle, “and how Lockheed Martin is leveraging it to drive increased affordability, efficiency and collaboration throughout the lifecycle.”

“…Our projects cover the entire product life cycle that you might imagine from an aerospace and defense type of program, all the way from conceptual design through modeling and simulation, manufacturing, to sustainment and end of life,” she explained. “And one key part of the Skunk Works culture in the last 75 years has been very close collaboration across all of those areas. What we’ve learned as we have started this digital thread initiative is that by giving our workforce these latest tools, we’ve been able to make that collaboration easier, to be able to make it go faster, to be able to bring data in sooner, make better decisions, see what the impacts are of those decisions, and use that to guide where we are going.”

She explained that the product lifecycle “really starts with design,” and said that by starting this new Near Term Digital Thread/Affordability initiative and giving its workforce the 3DEXPERIENCE tools, Skunk Works has learned that collaboration is faster and stronger, and that we “make better decisions to guide where we’re going.”

We’ve all heard about this issue before—there are two versions of an important product document, and some people update one, while others update the other, and no one has a clear idea of which version is correct and most up-to-date. It’s frustrating to say the least. But Pasman noted that by using the 3DEXPERIENCE product lifecycle management platform, “we’re starting to see efficiency benefits now.”

Pasman also said that the Skunk Works team has learned something “unexpected” with the platform, and that’s the social collaboration it provides, which allows users to “make changes with a level of certainty.”

“We hadn’t necessarily focused on this area, but our teams really used this environment to collaborate better, and found it to be very useful to have all information in that single source of truth.”

Pasman also noted the usefulness of having a life cycle digital twin, as it “allows us to tie it all the way back not just to manufacturing but actually back into design, and making sure the data flows in the digital twin seamlessly.”

“I think if you talk to maintainers or sustainment and users, there’s a lot of time spent putting data into different systems. By making it easier to do that, it allows people to focus on the hard parts of their job, and not just the data entry parts,” she explained. “Collaboration between different areas and getting data flowing is where we see a lot of the benefit from 3DEXPERIENCE, from affordability and product quality perspectives. We’re focused now on how to take the next step in this journey and improve schedule and affordability to fit into the market space that we are working in today. That’s where a lot of the work from our digital thread initiatives have been focused.”

Next up, Craig Maxwell, the Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for Ohio-based motion and control technologies leader Parker Hannifin, spoke about “Simple By Design.” The multinational company has been integrating some of the tools that Dassault has been developing over the past few years, which has been valuable to the company.

“When we look at any enterprise or business, we saw these as opportunities that would manifest themselves as complexity,” he said in reference to the image below. “An average customer experience, which might be the ability to ship on time, with high and consistent quality. Of course, inconsistent delivery would manifest itself as complexity. High cost would be complexity…and then all of this would beget complexity in its many forms.”

GIPI = Global Industrial Performance Index

He said that all of these complexities can add up to new opportunities to take the company on the path to high performance. Maxwell also explained that the company’s traditional simplification efforts had revolved around design and organizational structure, explaining that 80% of any business’s profits and sales come from 20% of its portfolio.

“So by slicing and dicing that, could we eliminate complexity? The answer is a resounding yes,” Maxwell said.

He explained that 70% of a product’s cost is design, while 30% is labor and overhead, like lean manufacturing and the supply chain. The key is to spend less time on L&O, or conventional simplification, and work harder to reduce business complexity in that 70% design range. He said there are hundreds and thousands of decisions made on the L&O side, which, while easier to change, had a more limited impact on the long life cycles of their products.

“There were processes in place that we felt could address that reactively, not proactively,” he said.

With design, the decisions made were “relatively few and quick,” even though they could make a significant impact, because they would be difficult to change, mainly due to expensive tooling.

“We believe that if we can address design complexity, it would enable us to move faster and to grow by taking market share,” Maxwell said.

He explained that the cross-functional team Parker Hannifin set up to address “new” product complexity in a proactive way knew early on that there are two different value streams of Simple by Design.

“New products, for sure, but also core products,” he said. “If you look at where the money is, new products get a lot of attention, but our business is core products…they’re undergoing revisions constantly because our customers are asking for things that are different.”

The team decided to tackle new products first, and spent a lot of time working on design-related objectives, which is where they thought “a lot of the complexity and cost was being created.” He explained that the team wanted to keep the customer at the center of their attention, figure out what their pain points were and what they wanted, and get rid of the things that didn’t add value.

“The first principle of Simple by Design is design with Forward Thinking. With that deep customer engagement, anticipate what your customers are going to ask for in the future,” he explained. “Are there things we can do to the design of the product that, without increasing cost, that will allow us to make changes to it at a later date? The second principle is Design to Reduce, so to reduce complexity, can we reduce the number of new parts that we have, can we reduce the number of new suppliers we have? Can we eliminate proprietary materials that might be hard to come by?

“Design to Reuse – can we reuse parts that already exist? Why do we need to invent new when we’ve already got very similar or exactly what we need released into the system…and then finally, if we do the first three, we should see flow in the factory. We should not see the kind of bottlenecks that we experience today.”

Maxwell said that Dassault comes in with software tools that provide access to data, which “is the big game changer.” He talked about all of the many books and catalogs that were in his office at the beginning of his career, noting that engineers today just can look at all of this information online, because they have access to data. Parker Hannifin estimates that it has about 26 million active part numbers, which is a lot to keep track of, and Maxwell said that roughly 45% of a typical design engineer’s time is spent searching for information.

“So if I had access to the data behind that 26 million part numbers, what would happen? And today, I’m not embarrassed to say that generally we don’t. There’s a lot of things that we do many many times, we’re a very diversified company, we’re global, ” Maxwell said. “It’s not unusual for people to spend their entire career here in the company and not talk to a lot of other operating divisions…outside of the one they work in. So what if I could connect them and give them access to information, what kind of leverage might I enjoy?”

He brought up the company’s usage of Dassault’s EXALEAD OnePart, which can give multiple division access to this kind of information. Maxwell said that this software was used “early on in testing and in value creation,” which was very helpful in finding duplicate parts or component-level parts that already exist in the system, so no one had to create a new part.

Below is a test case he showed of Parker successfully using Dassault tools. FET is an industry-standard 6000 PSI thread to connect couplings, and there are a lot of competitors for parts like this. The company was working to design a new series that was more of a premium product than the original FET.

“We applied simplified design principles,” he explained. “There’s four different sizes, it was bespoke, very distinct from the FET series that was standard. It was fully validated and ready for launch. But it added 147 component parts to the value stream.”

The team focused here, and used the simplified design principles to make the decision to recycle the validated part, and go back to the drawing board.

“Is there an opportunity for us to reuse some of the parts that already exist in the FET series in the new 59 series, but still maintaining the 59 series’ premium features and benefits?”

You can see the results of keeping things simplified above—123 parts were eliminated, while keeping the series at 100% function. The new 59 series shares 90% of its components with the original FET series, and no additional capital was spent on equipment. Costs and inventory went down, and delivery went up, which Maxwell called a “great example of flow.”

Swedberg then introduced Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President, Industry, Marketing, Global Affairs and Workforce of the Future for Dassault Systèmes, who would discuss “How to Transform the New Normal into an Opportunity.”

She opened by discussing how the COVID-19 crisis has changed everything, such as having to stay home and social distancing, and I’m sure we all agreed with this statement. But now we’re entering a new phase of building back after the pandemic, and building back better, as businesses reopen.

“How do you think you managed during COVID?” she asked. “Are you ready to transform, to perform better in the new normal world? Do you know how to become more resilient and therefore be prepared for the next crisis?”

Verzelen discussed some of the stark numbers coming out of the pandemic, such as 53 million—the number of jobs considered to be “at risk” during confinement and quarantine.

“In the 21st century, we have never seen a crisis of this amplitude,” she said. “And when it happens, as industry leaders, there are really two things, two imperatives, we should consider. Ensure the survival of our company, and contribute to the safeguard of the economy.”

There are five actions to take here, and the first priority is to protect employees and make sure they can safely do their jobs.

Verzelen explained that the 3DEXPERIENCE tool SIMULIA can help with this in many ways, such as simulating the airflow in a building’s corridors. She also said that companies can “implore their employees to work from home” without disruption, which is possible thanks to Dassault’s cloud solution.

The second thing necessary to keep your company surviving is maintaining its financial health.

“COVID-19 has affected the liquidity of many companies,” she said. “Less revenue, more costs…and in order to make decisions, you need to be able to build a scenario.”

Online sales can help keep companies afloat during a crisis, and also help maintain the connection to customers. Dassault can help with these as well through its data analytics solutions and digital tools. Adapting your company’s marketing and sales for an online experience is the third way to ensure its survival.

The fourth thing is to safeguard the supply chain. The disruption of one supplier can decimate production all the way down the whole chain, which can include suppliers in locations all over the world.

“During a crisis, it becomes essential to know where the weak points are,” Verzelen said. “This again we can do thanks to digitalization and thanks to data analytics.”

Finally, companies need to help the ecosystem, otherwise it will not survive. Dassault made sure that all of its solutions and tools were readily available on the cloud so that all customers could continue to work to keep the ecosystem going.

But, even though the world is slowly coming out of confinement, Verzelen warns that “it’s not over yet.” The use of automation will likely increase, and e-commerce is skyrocketing in Italy.

“It’s the beginning of a new phase. It’s the beginning of what we call the new normal.”

A lot of decisions need to be made when you’re restarting a business. Again, Dassault can help with this by building scenarios, so companies know the right steps to take, and in what order, to successfully reopen.

“We all have to change,” Verzelen said. “We’re developing new capabilities for employees, and making learning experiences available online to make sure your teams are ready. Returning to business probably means we need to rethink our supply chain, and we know that a contact-limited economy is here to stay. So you should push for e-commerce, and be prepared to work in contact-limited economy.”

She stated that the 3DEXPERIENCE allows companies to “unlock unlimited value,” and help us cope during this new normal.

“There are many ways to be resilient, and all of those ways are linked to innovation and sustainability.”

The paradigm has changed, and we need to be realistic going forward, and focus on sustainability in operations and business models, such as turning to additive manufacturing if your usual supplier can’t get you what you need in time.

“With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform you can create this kind of business model…create more efficiently, design more quickly,” she said.

“In a nutshell, we are going through very difficult times right now…But this crisis can also be seen as an opportunity to rethink what we do, and build back better.”

Finally, Swedberg introduced three additional Dassault panelists for the final discussion: Dr. Ales Alajbegovic, Vice President, SIMULIA Industry Process Success & Services; Garth Coleman, Vice President, ENOVIA Advocacy Marketing; and Eric Green, DELMIA’s Brand Marketing Vice President. These three are in charge of the content for the rest of 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey, as it continues on:

  • “Fueling Innovation for the New Agile Enterprise,” August 26th
  • “Modeling & Simulation, Additive Manufacturing,” September 23rd
  • “Enabling Business Continuity Using the Cloud,” October 14th

L-R: Swedberg, Green, Coleman, Alajbegovic

Green said that three themes would be articulated in these upcoming sessions, all of which will fall under the “sustainable operations” umbrella: data-driven decision-making, leveraging agile success and being agile for success, and business resiliency. Coleman mentioned that the many customer references and testimonials found on the 3DEXPERIENCE site provide many examples of how the platform has helped customers innovate across every industry…even wine-making! Dr. Alajbegovic said that they are “very excited” about the upcoming modeling and simulation sessions and additive manufacturing panels.

“In our sessions, we will look at ways to enable the marriage between modeling and simulation, thus revolutionizing design,” Dr. Alajbegovic said.

It’s not too late to register for 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey, so sign up today to enjoy access to further digital programming from Dassault Systèmes.

The post 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey, Part 1 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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Researchers Run Simulation Tests on Their 3D Printed CubeSat Before LEO Mission

A pair of researchers from Shantou University in China explored designing and manufacturing a CubeSat with 3D printing, which we have seen in the past. CubeSats, which are basically miniaturized satellites, offer plenty of advantages in space exploration, such as low cost, a short research cycle, and more lightweight construction, but conventional methods of manufacturing often negate these. Using 3D printing to make CubeSats can help achieve accurate details as well.

[Image: ESA]

The researchers, Zhiyong Chen and Nickolay Zosimovych, recently published a paper on their work titled “Mission Capability Assessment of 3D Printing Cubesats.”

“With the successful development of integrated technologies, many spacecraft subsystems have been continuously miniaturized, and CubeSats have gradually become the main executors of space science exploration missions,” they wrote.

The main task driving research paper is an LEO, or Low Earth Orbit, CubeSat mission, which would need to accelerate to a maximum of 5 g during launch.

“…the internal operating temperature range of the CubeSat is from 0 to 40 °C, external temperature from -80 to 100 °C,” the researchers explained.

During the design process, the duo took into account environmental factors, the received impact load during the launch process, and the surrounding environment once the CubeSat reached orbit. Once they determined the specific design parameters, ANSYS software was used to simulate, analyze, and verify the design’s feasibility.

PLA was used to make the mini satellite, which is obviously shaped like a cube. Each cube cell, called a unit, weighs approximately 1 kg, and has sides measuring 10 cm in length.

“The framework structure for a single CubeSat provides enough internal workspace for the hardware required to run the CubeSat. Although there are various CubeSat structure designs, several consistent design guidelines can be found by comparing these CubeSats,” the researchers wrote about the structure of their CubeSat.

These guidelines include:

  • a cube with a side length of 100 mm
  • 8.5 x 113.5 mm square columns placed at four parallel corners
  • usually made of aluminum for low cost, lightweight, easy machining

The CubeSat needs to be big enough to contain its power subsystem (secondary batteries and solar panels), in addition to the vitally important thermal subsystem, communication system for providing signal connections to ground stations back on Earth, ADCS, and CDH subsystems. It also consists of onboard antennae, radios, data circuit boards, a three-axis stability system, and autonomous navigation software.

“The adoption of this technology changes the concept of primary and secondary structure in the traditional design process, because the whole structure can be produced at the same time, which not only reduces the number of parts, reduces the need for screws and adhesion, but also improves the stability of the overall structure,” the pair wrote about using 3D printing to construct their CubeSat.

The mission overview for this 3D printed CubeSat explains that the device needs to complete performance tests on its camera payload for reliability evaluation, and test the effectiveness of any structures 3D printed “in an orbital environment.”

The Von mises stress diagram of the CubeSat structure.

In order to ensure that it’s ready to operate in LEO, the CubeSat’s structures was analyzed using ANSYS’ finite element analysis (FEA) software, and the researchers also performed a random vibration analysis, so that they can be certain it will hold up under the launch’s impact load.

“The CubeSat structure is validated by the numerical experiment. During launch process, CubeSat will be fixed inside the P-Pod, and the corresponding structural constraints should be added to the numerical model. In addition, the maximum acceleration impact during the launch process should also be considered. Static Structural module of ANSYS is used for calculation and analysis, the results show that the maximum stress of CubeSat Structure is 8.06 MPa, lower than the PLA yield strength of 40 Mpa,” the researchers explained.

Running in LEO, the 3D printed CubeSat will go through a 100°C temperature change, and the structure needs to be able to resist this, so the researchers also conducted a thermal shock test, which showed an acceptable thermal strain.

The thermal strain diagram of the CubeSat structure.

The team also conducted random vibration simulation experiments, so they could conform the structure of the 3D printed CubeSat to emission conditions. They simulated typical launch vibration characteristics, using NASA GEV qualification and acceptance as reference.

“The specific contents of the experiment include “Harmonic Response” and “Random Vibration”. Two identical harmonic response were performed before and after the random vibration test to assess the degree of structural degradation that may result from the launch load,” the researchers explained.

“This experiment helps us to evaluate the natural frequency of the structure, and the peak value indicates that the tested point (bottom panel) has reached the resonant frequency.”

Pre/Post Random Vibration test comparison between the curves of Harmonic Response.

As seen in the above figure, both the trend and peak points of the two curves are close to each other, which shows that there was no structural degradation after the vibration test, and that the structure itself conforms to launch stiffness specifications.

“As the primary performer of today’s space exploration missions, the CubeSat design considers orbit, payload, thermal balance, subsystem layout, and mission requirements. In this research, a CubeSat design for performing LEO tasks was proposed, including power budget, mass distribution, and ground testing, and the CubeSat structure for manufacturing was combined with 3D printing technology,” the researchers concluded.

“The results show that the CubeSat can withstand the launch loads without structural damage and can meet the launch stiffness specification.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

The post Researchers Run Simulation Tests on Their 3D Printed CubeSat Before LEO Mission appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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University of Stuttgart Investigating Reinforcement of 3D Printed Concrete

The interest in 3D printed concrete continues to skyrocket – after all, who wouldn’t be interested in a solution that could allow for extremely rapid construction of structures like bridges and houses? Researchers are also looking into using 3D printed reinforced concrete, including a trio of thesis students from the University of Stuttgart‘s Institute for Computational Design. For their thesis preparation project, Hosna Shayani, Marie Razzhivina, and Jacob Zindroski published a paper titled “Fabrication strategies for precise application of reinforcement in 3D-printed concrete” that discussed their ReCrete project, which aims to use tailored reinforcement to “expand the design space of 3D printed concrete.”

“Concrete is at a technological crossroad,” the paper states. “The implementation of the material has not relatively changed in the last century in its use, with the exception of the last twenty years. Concrete 3D printing is the answer to the materials advancement for future applications. What we seek in this research is to expand the design space of 3D printed concrete (3DCP) through tailored reinforcement. This would begin to bridge the initial design process closer to its ultimate realization.”

The team’s work falls under digital and physical categories, such as the design process, fabrication of a robotic tool and simulation; they did not look deeply into design parametrization, new materials, or structural performance of prototypes.

They explained the relevance of their topic in terms of:

  • design advancement
  • using concrete to create complex designs
  • 3D printing concrete
  • the potential of 3DCP

“Currently design has two greater purposes it must serve before it can be produced,” the researchers wrote. “With the current capabilities of the tools we as architects can use, we need to be aware of the potentials and understand the expectations of the production of large scale geometries, either through specific geometric creation or optimized designs.”

Topological optimized design. [Source: All3dp]

While we have the tools create a multitude of forms and geometries, the team noted that we have to consider fabrication “at a fundamental level” during development. Concrete has been around for a very long time, and gives designers more freedom than materials such as stone.

“Choosing to work with concrete for our research was partially based on its wide use and high consumption. What we seek is to further optimize the use of the material as it is related to the construction process. Some of the important characteristics of concrete that need to be considered is its intrinsic behavior,” the researchers explained.

Conceptual outlook of concrete 3D printed structure

Concrete is less expensive, and has good compressive strength, but it fails if any tensile force is exerted on it. So the team wanted to explore how to improve the material’s tensile properties, as well as “the optimization and improvement of complex geometric forms.”

“What 3DCP can give the designers is command over how the material is implemented. No longer will molds be the determining factor of complex geometric morphologies. We can now leverage a technology that can begin to assert itself as a more finite process,” the team stated.

“Not only that but if 3DCP becomes a finite process, then you remove the time it takes to complete a project. As a result what could typically take months in production can be completed in days depending on the complexity. The mold, scaffolding, and physical labor is removed. 3DCP is the emancipation that designers need for future construction methods.”

However, as we know, 3DCP is not without its problems – limited to its own buildability angles because of its properties, the material takes longer to set and hold shape, and angles lower than 60° require support material for direct printing.

How the research intends to situate itself.

At the moment, the materials used to reinforce concrete are inmixed or continuous steel rebar, but the researchers are interested in using segmented steel instead, and having it inserted during the 3D printing process itself, as opposed to a post-processing task.

“The method in which we see this being accomplished is through the use of a robotic tool alongside the printing process. Using a typical FDM method this research is attempting to create an all in one operation, of printing while reinforcing. The reinforcement will happen simultaneous to the printing. What we seek from this procedure is the inclusion of tensile elements in the printing process, for the simultaneous mechanism allows for continuous construction without slowing the printing time.”

ETH Zurich’s RockPrint

The researchers listed some examples of 3D printed reinforced concrete currently being worked on by the likes of companies like Apis Cor and Contour Crafting and research institutes such as ETH Zurich.

After looking at these examples, they concluded that their structure for reinforcement should be both segmented and tailored.

“Fragments of reinforcement would ideally be placed into freshly deposited layers of concrete sequentially, allowing the resulting tailored shape to grow at the same pace with the concrete 3D printed shape,” the team explained.

“Segmented reinforcements have a wide variety and considerable potential to be used in construction. Robotic insertion of segemented reinforcement matches perfectly with our fabrication method, because of its additive logic.”

The team used both structural and fabrication reinforcement in their research: the former will improve the structural strength of the concrete structure, while the latter will act partially as a formwork for support purposes and help achieve a greater overhang angle. A particle-based simulation tool was used to figure out how the concrete would behave.

In the paper, the researchers outlined their overall workflow process, which is broken down into three parts – design, particle and structural simulation, and fabrication. For material testing, they used a “ready-mix low pressure spray repair mortar with compression strength of 42.7 MPa and tensile strength of 3.3 MPa.” The first stage of testing required mixing the material with different water ratios to find the best consistency for extrusion; a 15.6 % ratio was determined to have the least amount of slumping. Then they tested the mixture during 3D printing, and looked into the best time to add the reinforcement:

“Regarding reinforcement insertion, we deduced that it should happen within the mixture’s set time of 60 minutes, which we confirmed with an experiment. If performed outside of set time, the insertion disturbed
the extrusion’s structure, resulting in cracking and breaking. “

Wait test between 3D printing layers. Left is 1 min wait between layers, right is 2 min wait time.

They also investigated how they could get a more extreme overhang by reinforcing extruded angles. Their fabrication system was a user input that works with an ABB robot, and they were also able to interface directly between both Grasshopper and Rhino and the fabrication process itself.

“What we see as a potential avenue for us to expand on is applying custom oriented reinforcement to the extrusion. The challenging part is at what length should the reinforcement be and how far can the insertion of the reinforcement go,” the researchers explained. “Another issue is also the degree of angle we can achieve from a fabrication process the insertion of the reinforcement. These constraints help inform what is plausible for a fabrication strategy.”

Opening and Branch. Tested for angles, FEA, and particle simulation

The team also outlined a design library for shapes that could be easily fabricated with their system, and used a high fidelity scanner to verify the accuracy of the 3D printed concrete models. Finally, they created the final demonstrator model: an architectural enclosure which was considered a non load-bearing structure. The researchers were able to finish their research at the Autodesk Buildspace in Boston.

“In production of this demonstrator there were great achievements and shortcomings during the process,” they stated.

“Some of the challenges were the printing system. There were times of over extrusion, because of unstable pressure during the deposition, which caused issues along the printing.

“What we were successful in was the creation of tailoring reinforcement in concrete 3D printing. It was exciting to begin to see the concept start to achieve angles greater than what can currently be produced with traditional concrete printing methods.”

Final demonstrator

They hope that by adding additional technologies, they can improve upon this research even further.

“There is rich territory for this method to contribute to the current state of concrete printing. And 3D printing in general,” the researchers concluded. “The technology is becoming less of a prototyping process and more of a self-sufficient realizing technique.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

[Images by University of Stuttgart research team, unless otherwise noted]

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Dassault Systèmes Announces Extended FDA Partnership, Dassault Aviation Collaboration, Earnings

Dassault Systèmes makes numerous announcements this week, as they continue to lead in partnerships and projects around the world, usually connected to their proprietary 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Currently the FDA has extended their collaboration regarding development of their cardiovascular device review tool for five years. This is meant to offer a completely new process for the medical industry, accelerating diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

The second part of the collaboration is connected with the 21st Century Cures Act, with the creation of a fascinating process—again geared toward improving medical treatment—with the use of virtual patients and simulation for clinical trials.

“Our collaboration with the FDA underscores the relevance and sustainability of digital twin experiences created with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to test devices and drugs in scientific and medical innovation,” said Claire Biot, Vice President, Life Sciences Industry, Dassault Systèmes.  “Enriching technology already well established in regulated industries such as aerospace and automotive, virtual patients support the complex development of therapies for the heart, brain and more by eliminating traditional cost and time bottlenecks.  With this new review process, Dassault Systèmes and the FDA can be partners in the transformative impact of the virtual world on industrial innovation, new treatments and the patient experience.”

The project is multi-faceted, also including a Living Heart simulated 3D heart model meant to function as a ‘source of digital evidence for new cardiovascular device approvals,’ including an in silico (by way of computer simulation) trial meant to decrease the need for testing on animals—or for patients to be involved in trials. Dassault Systèmes expects for this project and innovative digital process to be more efficient and less expensive.

“Modeling and simulation can help to inform clinical trial designs, support evidence of effectiveness, identify the most relevant patients to study, and assess product safety. In some cases, in silico clinical trials have already been shown to produce similar results as human clinical trials,” said Tina Morrison, Ph.D., Deputy Director in the Division of Applied Mechanics, Office of Science and Engineering Labs, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA.  “The FDA continues to encourage research to facilitate the introduction of safe and effective therapeutic solutions.”

Dassault Aviation also continues to push their Next Generation Enterprise platform forward, with six new ‘industry solution experiences’ meant to offer better performance for businesses with streamlined performance and better savings on the bottom line. They will be focused on the following features, based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform:

  • Winning Concept
  • Program Excellence
  • Co-design to Target
  • Ready for Rate
  • Build to Operate
  • Keep Them Operating

With 3DEXPERIENCE, businesses can integrate 3D design, analysis, simulation, and more in one, comprehensive digital environment. Teams can collaborate more efficiently—along with communicating with their entire global supply chain, partners, contractors, and more.

“As we move forward with our digital transformation, we are using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to develop a digital, multi-program approach with easy access to data, especially for program management, procurement and quality processes,” said Jean Sass, Chief Digital Officer, Dassault Aviation. “All of our industrial partners will work in collaboration with their customers on one digital platform. Ultimately, this will enable us to provide our customers with new, innovative flying experiences.”

Dassault Aviation’s Falcon range of aircraft has been in demand for over 50 years, with more than 2,100 of them in service in 90 countries. In the future, these aircraft will continue to be refined for the following:

  • Low fuel consumption levels
  • Low CO2 emissions
  • Comfort and distance features

“The 3DEXPERIENCE platform represents a holistic approach to innovation,” said David Ziegler, Vice President Aerospace & Defense Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “It equips Dassault Aviation with integrated technologies and capabilities to connect all the dots from concept to operations, bring real-world data into the virtual world for analysis and action, build powerful, dynamic value networks of suppliers, and coordinate knowledge, know-how and processes to build their future aircraft.”

Dassault Systèmes has also released their first-half revenue statement, reporting growth in in the double digits—along with reaffirming their financial goals for 2019. These figures offer results for both the second quarter and the first half, ended June 30, 2019:

  • The second quarter shows non-IFRS revenue increasing by 13 percent, and software revenues increasing by 12 percent. According to Dassault Systèmes, these figures are on the ‘high end’ of their financial objectives range.
  • From an ‘organic basis,’ non-IFRS revenue was up 10 percent and non-IFRS software revenue was up 9 percent in Q2.
  • 3DEXPERIENCE non-IFRS software revenue was up 40 percent in H1.
  • Dassault Systèmes and Medidata signed and definitive acquisition agreement on June 12, 2019.
  • Updated 2019 financial objectives target non-IFRS EPS of €3.45-3.50, well aligned with a five-year plan to double non-IFRS earnings per share in 2019.

“We believe the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a critical enabler for innovation and transformation across all major industries where the drive to provide new types of customer experiences and new business models is emerging and accelerating. We see these possibilities across the three spheres addressed by our purpose: Product, Nature and Life and the proof points with our strategic wins across a number of diverse industries over the last two years,” said Bernard Charlès, Dassault Systèmes’ Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our plan to acquire Medidata, announced in June, fits perfectly into our strategy in that regard. As the Life Sciences industry shifts to science-based experience, we believe scientific innovation 2 and industrial performance call for a unified new approach and this is what we have been working towards with our investments in Life Sciences over the past years. The acquisition of Medidata, with its clinical and commercial solutions, reinforces our position as a science-based company by providing the Life Sciences industry with an integrated business experience platform for an end to-end approach to research and discovery, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and commercialization of new therapies and health technologies.

“Thanks to our platform strategy, more companies view us as a strategic partner to help them transform. We were very honored and pleased that Groupe PSA has named Dassault Systèmes a key supplier, and its preferred digital partner for its digital transformation. With Dassault Systèmes as Groupe PSA’s preferred digital partner, the two companies are engaging in a long term strategy with the intent to deploy the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as a key innovation enabler across the group’s activities.”

Dassault Systèmes continues to be a dynamic force also with recent collaborations, acquisitions, and a long and impressive client base continually signing on to adopt the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Dassault Systèmes press release]

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MIT: Automated System Designs and 3D Prints Optimized Actuators and Displays to Spec

Actuators are complex devices that mechanically control robotic systems in response to electrical signals received. Depending on the specific application they’re used for, today’s robotic actuators have to be optimized for a variety of features, such as appearance, efficiency, flexibility, power consumption, and weight, and all of those parameters have to be manually calculated by researchers to find the right design; add 3D printing with multiple materials to make one product and things get even more complicated. This obviously leaves a lot of room open for human error.

But, a team of researchers from MIT – which knows a thing or two about 3D printing actuators – developed an automated system that can design and 3D print actuators that are optimized to many specifications. Basically, this system is completing a task that’s too complex for researchers to do the old school way.

“Our ultimate goal is to automatically find an optimal design for any problem, and then use the output of our optimized design to fabricate it. We go from selecting the printing materials, to finding the optimal design, to fabricating the final product in almost a completely automated way,” stated Subramanian Sundaram PhD ’18, a former graduate student in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

Overview of the specification-driven 3D printing process. The structure of individual actuators (or the arrangement of multiple actuators) is optimized using a multiobjective topology optimization process. The optimization uses the bulk physical properties of the individual materials and the functional objectives as inputs. The generated optimized voxel-based representation of the structure is used by the printer to fabricate the optimized structure using a drop-on-demand inkjet printing process. A rigid acrylate polymer (RIG), an elastic acrylate polymer (ELA), and a magnetic nanoparticle (Fe3O4)/ polymer composite (MPC) are the materials used. The contrast in the optical, mechanical, and magnetic properties is used to simultaneously optimize the visual appearance and actuating forces while generating voxel-level design.

Sundaram is the first author of a paper, titled “Topology optimization and 3D printing of multimaterial magnetic actuators and displays,” that was published in Science Advances; additional authors are former MIT postdoc Melina Skouras; David S. Kim, a former researcher in the Computational Fabrication Group; Louise van den Heuvel ’14, SM ’16; and Wojciech Matusik, head of the Computational Fabrication Group and an MIT associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science.

To show how their system works, the researchers used it to make actuators that show two black-and-white images at different angles. When it’s flat, one actuator shows  a Vincent van Gogh portrait, but tilted at an angle once it’s been activated, the image shifts to Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream.” Another example they created are 3D printed floating water lilies, which feature petals that have actuator arrays and hinges that fold in response to magnetic fields that are run through conductive fluids.

When multiple materials are used to 3D print one product, the design’s dimensionality gets pretty high.

Sundaram explained, “What you’re left with is what’s called a ‘combinatorial explosion,’ where you essentially have so many combinations of materials and properties that you don’t have a chance to evaluate every combination to create an optimal structure.”

Three polymer materials were customized with the specific properties of color, magnetization, and rigidity that were needed to build the actuators, producing an opaque flexible material used as a hinge, a brown nanoparticle material that responds to a magnetic signal, and an almost transparent rigid material. Then, the characterization data is added into a property library, and the system draws from this to assign various materials to fill different voxels. Grayscale images, like the flat actuator which displays van Gogh’s portrait until it’s tilted into “The Scream,” are used as system input.

Panel optimization for both optical and mechanical properties, given a pair of target grayscale images.

Then, through a sort of trial and error process, 5.5 million voxels are “iteratively reconfigured” in a simulation to match a specific image and “meet a measured angle.” If the arrangement of voxels doesn’t portray the target images, both at an angle and straight on, an error signal tells the system which voxels are correct and which need to be changed. For example, if the brown magnetic voxels are shifted, removed, or added, the actuator’s angle will change when a magnetic field is applied, but how this alignment will affect the target image must also be taken into consideration.

A computer graphics technique called “ray-tracing,” which simulates the path of light interacting with objects, was used to compute the appearances of the actuators at each iteration. These simulated beams shine through the actuator at each voxel column, which can contain over 100 voxels. If an actuator is flat, the beam produces a dark tone by shining down on a column with lots of brown voxels. But when it’s tilted, misaligned voxels will be illuminated, and clear voxels may shift into the beam, while brown ones move away, so a lighter tone appears.

“We’re comparing what that [voxel column] looks like when it’s flat or when it’s titled, to match the target images. If not, you can swap, say, a clear voxel with a brown one. If that’s an improvement, we keep this new suggestion and make other changes over and over again,” explained Sundaram.

The MIT system uses ray-tracing to align both light and dark voxel columns in the appropriate spots for the flat and angled images. Eventually, after a few to dozens of hours and 100 million iterations, the correct placement of each material in each voxel is found to generate two images at two angles.

A custom 3D printer with drop-on-demand inkjet technology is used to make the actuator. Tubs of the different materials are connected to print heads with individually controlled nozzles, and the designated material is dropped, layer by layer, into each of the voxels.

According to Sundaram says their work could be a step in the right direction for designing large structures like airplane wings. Actuators that have been optimized for appearance and function could also be used for biomimicry in robotics.

Sundaram  said, “You can imagine underwater robots having whole arrays of actuators coating the surface of their skins, which can be optimized for drag and turning efficiently, and so on.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

[Source/Images: MIT]

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Singapore: Researchers Study Effects of Spatter in Large-Scale SLM Printing

Ahmad Anwar, thesis student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, explores undesired byproducts of 3D printing in ‘Large scale selective laser melting : study of the effects and removal of spatter by the inert gas flow.’ The topic of spatter is usually considered in regard to imperfections, but here Anwar explores such issues in connection with fabrication on the larger scale too—a necessary method that results in hardware of increasing sizes so that larger parts can be made.

Large scale selective laser sintering can be restricted by powder weight, along with other features such as the number of lasers, and powder bed area. For successful SLM printing, Anwar states that the study of spatter particles is necessary. Spatter is notable due to its size and darker color, and effect on 3D printed layers—along with inducing porosity. The goal of the research study was to find out more about effects of spatter on the manufactured parts, analyze how they impacted mechanical properties, and simulate the activity of spatter in 3D printing during inert gas flow.

Anwar also studied ‘suitable ejection profiles,’ as well as what performance would be like without any inert gas flow at all. The researchers used an SLM Solutions 280 HK machine for their experiments and chose argon as the gas of choice for exploring spatter.”

“With respect to the spatter particles on the powder bed, the mass and size distributions were characterized,” states Anwar. “The Stokes (Suk) number was then used as a parameter to observe the gas flow effectiveness in the spatter transport, which accounts for particles suspended in the gas flow. Image processing was also applied in order to immediately characterize the spatter distribution on the powder bed.”

The researchers set up a camera to monitor spatter and then processed them for comparison with the mass distribution characteristics. As Anwar explains, spatter usually occurs during any SLM printing process as such particles are ejected and often accumulating near processing regions or the powder bed. The volume of spatter is also dependent on energy output like:

  • Laser power
  • Scanning speed
  • Layer thickness
  • Hatch spacing

Schematic of spatter ejection from melt pool and its transport by the inert gas flow (green arrows) in the -x direction.

Higher energy input resulted in larger spatter, increased scattering, and greater jetting height. As the researchers experimented with methods to reduce the spatter, they pumped gas into the chamber:

“For the SLM Solutions machines, argon gas is pumped in from the right to the left side (in the negative x direction). There are two reasons for the introduction of the inert gas; Firstly, oxidation of the molten powder needs to be minimized as much as possible. Hence, scanning only starts when oxygen content is below 0.05%. Secondly, during the scanning itself, the flow of gas aids in the removal of unwanted spatter as a result of the ionized metal vapor and plasma plume that exert recoil pressure on the melt pool,” stated Anwar.

The researchers collected 15 samples of spatter, with each one measured and evaluated after being scooped from a deposit area near the outlet.

“The reasons why we chose to collect the spatter at that area are: (i) it is not possible to collect the spatter directly on the powder bed as it is mixed with fresh powder; (ii) it is not possible either to collect the powder blown out of the outlet, as one cannot completely clean the powder collector (gas filter) between runs; (iii) on the contrary, the region near the outlet where the powder is collected in our experience could be cleaned up several times per run, resulting in reliable results; (iv) finally, it can be safely assumed that the quantity of the powder collected near the outlet is proportional to the total quantity blown out of the powder bed and that its composition is similar,” states the author.

SEM images of A: Fresh powder; B: spatter collected near the outlet observed;
C: Single particle of spatter. D: Sample EDS result of single spatter

Simulations were performed to analyze how gas crossflow contributes to moving spatter away from laser-scanned regions. Argon gas was not substantially impressive in removing spatter to the outlet. The researchers also found that increasing gas flow velocity did not reduce the number of particles in the powder bed.

“Interest in large scale AM processes have generated much research on the issues hindering the development of larger machines, and it is no exception for SLM,” concluded the author. “The prospects of manufacturing larger parts for the aerospace and automotive industries are deemed to be very attractive.

“The results reported from the experimental and simulation studies of the spatter particle distribution on the powder bed could prove to be significantly and scientifically beneficial for the development of an optimized inert gas flow system. In the future, such improvements made to remove spatter particles over a larger powder bed area would realize the possibility of producing larger SLM machines capable of fabricating even larger parts than current standards.”

Almost as soon as we realized the miraculous potential of 3D printing and the infinite choices for innovation before us, it was time to start critiquing and improving—and just as the technology is based on a layer by layer approach, its continued progress has been made with one improvement mounting on another. Flaws in 3D printing must be addressed, however, as many parts are relied on for strength and functionality. The study of spatter is important in trying to reduce or eliminate any defects. In other studies, researchers have studied ejecta and its role in causing imperfections, other types of spatter, and have even set up high-speed cameras to study 3D printing in situ. Find out more about the impact of spatter in large scale selective laser melting here.

[Source / Images: ‘Large scale selective laser melting : study of the effects and removal of spatter by the inert gas flow’]

Powder accumulation on left side of SLM Solutions 500 HL build chamber

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3D Printing Pioneer Interview with PADT Co-Founder Eric Miller

In the primordial soup of 3D printing, in the the 1990’s a group of Allied Signal engineers were using simulation and 3D printing to design turbine engines. This group saw the potential that 3D printing had, only a few years after the technology had been commercialized. They formed PADT in 1994. The team bought an SLA 250 and was in business producing prototypes and soon after complex manufacturing and design projects as well. Now the company additionally resells Stratasys equipment, sells and consults on ANSYS software, does 3D scanning as a service and does manufacturing for aerospace companies. The company also has a speciality in designing, developing and producing medical devices. PADT also is rumored to do very high end technically challenging research projects for acronym ridden parts of the US government. PADT today has gone from one of the world’s first service bureaus to a 25-year-old company with 95 employees with its own 44,000 Sq Ft ISO certified site. We interviewed 3D printing pioneer and PADT Co-Founder Eric Miller to find out more about the quarter of a century old company.

How did you get started in 3D printing?

One of PADT’s co-founders, Rey Chu, started the prototyping lab at AlliedSignal.  That introduced him to Stereolithography. When we started PADT in 1994, we knew we wanted to make that technology a foundational part of our business, so we leased a system and set ourselves up as Arizona’s first service bureau

What were some of the problems back then?

Materials were limited, the software was basic, and the machines were not as robust as they are today.  The big issue was just figuring out all the parameters that worked best.

Did you have to wait hours for files to slice?

Indeed, we did.

What types of parts did you make in the beginning?

We had a wide variety of parts from across industries, even early on.  A lot of our early work was enclosures for electronics.

You’ve made over 100,000 prototypes for clients, which one was the hardest?

A pump housing. It was huge and made on an FDM machine, but it needed to be water tight. We could never get it to seal.

What kinds of simulation services do you offer? To whom?

Simulation, just like AM, was a core founding technology for PADT.  We are an Elite ANSYS Channel partner selling and supporting the full line of ANSYS physics simulation tools. Stress, Thermal, Vibration, Heat Transfer, Fluid Flow, Electromagnetics (High and Low), and Multiphysics.

What kinds of products do you design?

A wide variety. We have worked on toys for infants and help redesigned avionics packages.  But for this area of the company, we tend to concentrate on:

1.      Custom rotating equipment like pumps, blowers, and turbines for difficult applications
2.      Medical devices
3.      Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
4.      Packaging of commercial electronics

Many 3D printing services are limited to manufacturing, but you seem to be a one-stop shop?

PADT is about offering a complete solution to companies who design and manufacture physical products.  So, we want to provide them with the tools and services they need to do that better.  In fact, we recently added scanning as a service because customers kept wanting us to add that capability so they could get it done with us since we were already doing so much for them.

What kind of advice would you give me if I wanted to bring a 3D printed medical device to market?

1.      Make sure it is a good idea on its own, with or without 3D Printing
2.      Leverage the advantages of Additive Manufacturing in your design
3.      Get Quality on board from day one, preferably someone that understands 3D Printing. Make sure your manufacturing process is ISO13485 from day one.

If I wanted a 3D printed end use product, what will be some of the pitfalls?

The answer to this question is so part dependent.  But speaking generally surface finish is something you have to learn to live with for most production processes.  Also, the as-built material properties may not be the same as for traditional methods, so make sure you can live with them.  The other issue is post-processing.  Make sure you consider the cost and time for dealing with parts after they leave the system.

What are the things holding 3D printing back?

Honestly, not much.  It is growing at a good pace. Any faster and people might start tripping.  I think the biggest holdup now is that we have not invented the processes or materials that we need for the next leap forward.  High volume 3D printing with minimal post processing is needed the most.

You also do angel investing? In what types of firms?

Initially, in any type of tech company.  Which turned out to be a mistake. Now we only invest in startups that design and manufacture hardware, and in an industry we really understand.  Our three favorite Angel investments are Volumill, high speed machining software; Serious Integrated, a modular touch screen solution for machinery; and StreamDX, a medical device that measures urine flow in men from home… yes, I said urine.

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SOLIDWORKSWORLD 2019: Global R&D Team Discusses New and Improved Features in SOLIDWORKS

Earlier this week, I arrived back home in chilly Ohio after spending a couple of days in Dallas, Texas. But I wasn’t just visiting the Lone Star State to enjoy the warmer temperatures – I was there to attend one of the biggest events in 3D software, SOLIDWORKS World 2019, which was held in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

This was my first time at the event, which was in Los Angeles the last couple of years, and I’d heard a lot of good things about it, so I was excited.

While I missed the first full day of SWW 19, I was off to the races on Tuesday morning. Three different General Sessions were offered during the same time, and I decided to skip ‘New Horizons’ and ‘Design to Profit’ in favor of ‘R&D Futures,’ which promised attendees a preview of “the cutting-edge technologies taking form at Dassault Systèmes/SOLIDWORKS R&D Labs.”

Manish Kumar, Vice President of R&D for SOLIDWORKS, said that a single global R&D team binds together all of Dassault’s 12 brands, and the 6,700 members of this team, who are spread out across 21 nations, are encouraged to work on their dream projects. Kumar said that design is the starting point at Dassault, but posed two questions – is design still the way we learned it? What is its future?

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform by Dassault Systèmes now includes a portfolio of applications in its new 3DEXPERIENCE.WORKS that will put user experience and simplicity at the core. Kumar likened the platform to a story with three chapters: industry renaissance, knowledge and know-how, and the workforce of the future. He explained that these interconnected chapters “are the themes that drive us.”

Kumar shared a personal story about his father, who once nearly missed a flight because, “like any dad, he refuses to seek any additional help,” such as smartphone airline apps that make traveling more efficient by providing helpful things like notifications of gate changes.

“How many of you face the same problem in your day to day life?” Kumar asked. “When you start your design, when you are extremely busy trying to finalize your design, how many times has it happened where someone who is working on the other design – which your design depends on – changed that design and they forgot to tell you? So you’re working off data which is already out of date.

“How are you gathering information? How are you sharing information, and how are you keeping everything up to date? Is it still like a printed boarding pass, which gets outdated right after it was printed, or is it like an airline app which is connected all the time to a single source of truth?”

Having been notified of more than one gate change this week through my airline app, this analogy really speaks to me…and it’s definitely applicable to additive manufacturing.

“We are in a world where technology enables people from all walks of life to share their knowledge and know-how like never before,” Kumar stated.

“What is your expertise? You are creators, you are designers, you are manufacturers, you are dreamers. If you have to share your expertise with the world, how would you share it?

“Our 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a platform for knowledge and know-how. This quest is also the core of our DNA. We at Dassault Systèmes R&D understand that the world is changing and the future is right now.”

Kumar reminded everyone that the current generation is working with technology in ways we never thought possible. While I was learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint in eighth grade, students today are making actual robots…and using 3D printing to do it. A few years ago, I was sitting in a local yogurt shop that had an old typewriter on the counter, which patrons were encouraged to use for fun. A man brought his young daughter up to see it, and after running her finger over the keys, she said, “Daddy, where’s the search button?”

These personal anecdotes popped in my head during Kumar’s talk, both of which prove his point: kids today know that everything is connected.

“Today our kids are growing up in an environment where the global market is accessible to them,” Kumar said. “Our future generation is growing up in an entirely different world…connected to a global world of intelligent machines and computing power.

“So as they become our next generation workforce, we need to be ready for their needs. At Dassault Systèmes R&D, we take all these factors into consideration.”

Kumar then invited six members of the global R&D team onstage to show the audience what the team is working on, and SOLIDWORKS employee Aaron Kelly joined him first.

“24 years ago when I started at the SOLIDWORKS brand, we had the mission to put the power of 3D at every engineer’s desktop,” Kelly said. “We’ve been working on that passionately over that time, but there was one other thing. There was this unwritten promise, and that promise was that we would work together to make products…to build this ecosystem of products that were valuable and got you to get your job done faster and better.

“3DEXPERIENCE.WORKS, to me, is kind of a culmination of that promise.

“I know you’ll work with us together, and I know we’ll continue to make great products, because 3D is not enough – you’ve told us that. 24 years ago, 3D was new, it was exciting, and many of you have adopted it, and you’ve come back to us and said ‘We need more. We need to take our business to the next level, we need more tools.’ And when I think of 3DEXPERIENCE.WORKS…I think of that taking us down a path to smashing down the walls of limitations and gently opening the doors to infinite possibilities.”

Kelly then introduced the other experts from the SOLIDWORKS R&D team, which, according to John Sweeney, just released several hundred new features in SOLIDWORKS 2019, and is currently working to do the same with SOLIDWORKS 2020.

Sweeney discussed some of the team’s multi-year initiatives, such as Sketch Enhancements, and 3D MarkUp, which can now be completed with a mouse. Mesh Modeling now allows for the addition of textures by grabbing a bitmap, dragging it to the correct place, and actually changing the surface of the mesh right then and there. This means it comes right off the 3D printer with that texture.

He also mentioned some big performance initiatives from last year that are continuing into next year, like a telescope model with huge assemblies that can be opened, and edited, in LDR, or Large Design Review, mode. Sweeney also discussed the new Detailing Mode, which gives users access to all project sheets and the ability to complete edits, like deleting dimensions.

Hubert Masson, who works with the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace, talked about how the company helps customers with collaboration, and mentioned two specific applications: 3D Drive, which has to do with file storage and sharing on the cloud, and social media collaboration on the 3D XPoint platform through 3D Swym.

Users can upload files to the cloud with a simple drag and drop from their web browser to 3D Drive.

“In a few seconds, all those files become available and accessible from anywhere – from the web browser as well as right from within SOLIDWORKS,” Masson explained.

You can also drag and drop files in order to add more components to a model, and send the files to other users, who can then work on them from their own devices and send suggestions back and forth, which will remain forever in the cloud as searchable comments. In 3D Swym, groups of people can create and publish social contact, react to it, and share existing content. The application was recently enhanced in order to increase user engagement, so people can now have private conversations on 3D Swym.

[Image: Dassault Systèmes]

Both 3D Drive and 3D Swym are available through iPhone apps, and 3D Drive also offers an augmented reality feature that allows users to get an even closer look at models from their phones. Additionally, you can even make video calls, which Masson demonstrated by calling a colleague in the front row.

Sweeney took center stage again to discuss design applications, and mentioned the recently announced xShape, which allows freeform design on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Then Kenneth Hallberg talked about Dassault’s ENOVIA PLM software, which works to keep things more product-based.

“We’re kind of taking a giant leap with 3DEXPERIENCE PLM Collaboration Services, and next to our 3D Drive solution, which is file-centric, we are delivering an all-embracing environment that supports everything from innovation processes to design and engineering work that spans over and across enterprises,” Hallberg explained.

“3DEXPERIENCE PLM Collaboration Services is connecting not only the SOLIDWORKS desktop users but all of the product stakeholders in a company, no matter what function you have or applications that you’re using.

“In addition to this, we are leveraging the ENOVIA portfolio and we’re providing really strong applications and capabilities for planning work…development work…and finally release activities, like engineering and comprehensive change management.”

Delphine Genouvrier has helped SOLIDWORKS create many simulation products over the years and is currently working with its SIMULIA team.

[Image: Dassault Systèmes]

“Lots of great things are coming for the SOLIDWORKS community, with a strong focus on power, robustness, and intuitiveness, ” she said.

To help customers increase efficiency and innovation, Genouvrier noted that it was imperative to assess product performance early on, with the highest possible fidelity. She explained that now through SIMULIA, users can test out projects with any physics through SOLIDWORKS, which is “completely new” for the community and can be accessed in the cloud through a “unique engineering workflow.” The 3DEXPERIENCE platform makes it easy to share simulation results during design, which can then be reviewed on any device anywhere.

Finally, Trever Diehl introduced the room to DELMIAWORKS, which is the rebranded version of IQMS – a recent acquisition of Dassault’s. Diehl described it as the bridge between designing and executing a product, as it provides all sorts of helpful features:

  • part quoting
  • process monitoring
  • scheduling, order processing, & shipping
  • shop floor integration
  • accounting suite

This helps ensure that your product is actually profitable.

“Think about making cookies,” Diehl said. “You get the dough together, you batch it out onto a baking sheet, you put it in the oven, you take out a batch of cookies.”

The R&D team members also talked about the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace, which makes it easy to collaborate between partner companies to “get your parts made in record time.”

Before the session ended, we got a surprise – the next morning, on the last day of SWW 19 and before the last General Session, the entertaining (and only slightly corny) SOLIDWORKS News Network team, or SNN, would perform a “What’s New” skit to provide attendees with a sneak peak at some of the latest features and platform updates “that even Wikileaks wouldn’t report” coming in SOLIDWORKS 2020.

After a day of interviews and a press conference, both of which I will talk about in more detail later, I spent the evening attending the SWW 19 special event, which was held nearby at a giant entertainment venue called Gilley’s and included everything from horseshoes, trivia, and a photo booth to hearty snacks and drinks, lots of live music and opportunities to meet new people, and armadillo racing…yes, you read that correctly.

The special session the next morning began with Dassault’s Mark Schneider announcing the winners of the Lenovo-sponsored Model Mania Challenge, which pitted users against users and resellers against resellers to see who could model and analyze a part most efficiently, accurately, and quickly.


Then, the six members of the SNN team – Schneider, Mark Barrow, Megan Duane, Michael Steeves, Jeremy Regnerus, and Yan Killy – went into full Anchorman mode, complete with plenty of groan-worthy jokes, to bring the room the latest SOLIDWORKS 2020 updates.

For instance, weatherman Schneider said that a massive approaching deadline could “lead to elevated stress levels” across the entire design ecosystem, and mentioned enhanced features for the Sketch Relations application, which allows users to control curves and will soon be able to make models even smoother with the new G3 Curvature constraint.

Another new assembly function coming is Envelope Publisher, as SW 2020 will include the ability to fill in mass properties for wires and cables; thanks to another new feature, the mass can also be calculated automatically. The team’s sportscaster brought up March Feature Madness, and explained some of the features of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that would make up his top 10 list, including new tools that he was able to use to fix the remote he broke out of excitement over the Patriots’ recent Superbowl win.

One example is the ability to drag freeform primitive surfaces in order to easily customize geometry onscreen. In addition, users can select the Cage manipulator to achieve an alternate perspective for making detailed changes to freeform surfaces, and selection filters offer multiple ways to work with geometry. xDesign is a new browser tool that can use a merge function to knit freeform shapes into solid bodies, Flexible Parts can make any component dynamic, and SW 2020 will also allow you to run simulations and share design data more easily with other team members.

Killy, the team’s undercover reporter, tracked down a major developer to determine their favorite new features. Detailing Mode, which Sweeney mentioned the day before during R&D Futures, was brought up – it lets users quickly open drawings, no matter the complexity or size, without losing any detail, and also allows for annotation. While SW 2019 lets users add markups to past assemblies, SW 2020 takes it a step further with the new Markup view, which lets you choose a writing utensil and add markups directly to the screen of your device, then save, send, and post as a PDF.

Stay tuned for more news from SOLIDWORKS World 2019 – in the meantime, enjoy some of the pictures I took at the event:





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[Images: Sarah Saunders, unless otherwise noted]

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Interview with Ken Welch of Altair on SimSolid Simulation Software for 3D Printing

Ken Welch became the manager of Product Marketing of AutoCAD in 1995. He then rose through the ranks to CEO at the Moldflow Corporation, a simulation software package for injection molding which was acquired by Autodesk. Later he worked at MSC the company that makes Digimat and went on to found SimSolid. SimSolid was acquired by Altair.Altair makes software such as SmartWorks for IoT, SolidThinking which does manufacturing simulation and many other tasks and also the HyperWorks suite that lets you conduct a broad array of CAE simulations.

As track records go Ken’s is pretty incredible. His specialization in simulation means as well that his field of expertise has gone from obscurity to being top of mind in a lot of engineering disciplines. Simulation keeps expanding and simulation firms have set their sights squarely on the 3D printing market. Siemens, ANSYS and Materialise are just some of the companies that are competing for our attention.

Why did Altair acquire SimSolid?  

We acquired SimsSolid because we believe that the technology is truly a revolutionary breakthrough which will have a profound impact on the future of product design. It’s incredibly fast, accurate, and robust and we believe a game changer for our industry. SimSolid is structural analysis software developed specifically for design engineers. It eliminates geometry simplification and meshing, the two most time consuming, expertise extensive and error-prone tasks done in traditional FEA. Moreover, SimSolid can analyze complex parts and large assemblies not practical with traditional FEA and do it efficiently on a desktop class computer. Both fast and accurate, SimSolid controls solution accuracy using a unique multi-pass adaptive analysis.

Additionally, SimSolid is fast. Solution times are typically measured in seconds to minutes on a standard PC. With SimSolid, multiple design scenarios can be quickly analyzed and compared. And, accuracy can be specified on an individual part level allowing a rapid drill down to any level of detail that is required.

Altair is serious about solution accuracy. Others have tried to accelerate the interface between CAD and simulation by degrading the mathematical robustness. It is our feeling that by rapidly moving forward with the methods in SimSolid and expanding them across applications we can have a real effect on how design gets done while maintaining our high standards for computational excellence.

What is the value of simulation?

Rather than learning from expensive trial-and-error processes, simulation is a much more efficient and cost-effective way to optimize the design and production process. Simulation has the ability to help companies avoid the high costs associated with outputting parts that don’t meet quality specifications or that deform on production. It allows designers and engineers to more efficiently iterate on a new or existing product and test in virtual environments without having to create, test in real-world conditions and re-create – ultimately saving the company time and money.

What role can simulation play in Additive Manufacturing? 

To successfully take advantage of the benefits of Additive Manufacturing, a new design and simulation process must be used. It’s not beneficial to simply ‘print’ a current design. New tools and advanced computational power have enabled users to optimize solid geometries for stiffness and weight, and also allowed them to simulate loading conditions and lightweight designs. These new computational tools also give users the opportunity to test how a design will perform under real-world conditions without having to fully create and re-create the product.

How does topology optimization help manufacturing companies? 

In years past, topology optimization was typically run with multiple manufacturing constraints so the final design proposal was one that was close to ‘manufacturable’ using traditional manufacturing techniques like stamping or casting, etc. This in a sense put additional constraints on the design.

Now, with Additive Manufacturing, and the complex geometries that can be built, the shackles are taken off topology – enabling a ‘free’ topology so-to-speak, giving it more autonomy to come up with a design. This greater freedom and a more literal interpretation of the design that’s possible due to Additive Manufacturing, provides a much better position in the design process by generating a more efficient design. This is in stark contrast to simply taking an existing design and 3D printing it.

With the growing interest in Additive Manufacturing, this new design approach has been successfully tried, tested and applied to parts and designs that are being additively manufactured. They include the world’s largest 3D printed part that will fly in space, the world’s first 3D printed bike frame and many others. Through the appropriate use of this technology, all these designs have resulted in significant improvements in terms of performance or weight, or both.

 How much time could your products save me?

SimSolid eliminates the two most time-consuming and expertise extensive tasks of geometry simplification and meshing. These two steps typically take between 30% and 70% of the total modeling and analysis time, so this represents significant process improvement. More important, these tasks represent the bulk of the training requirement for traditional FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Not only is less time required but also less training means that a larger pool of users can take advantage of the benefits that design simulation provides.

If I’m new to topology optimization what do I need to know?

Believe it or not, the concept for topology optimization was introduced by studying human bone-grown. In the 19th century, Julius Wolff created Wolff’s law which stated that “the bone in a  healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which is it placed. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading.” For example, the bone of the arm in which a tennis player holds his/her racket will grow stronger than the non-dominant arm.

Significant research has been done over the years on this phenomenon, however, in the early 1990s, Altair began developing the first commercial application of topology optimization based on various research studies done at universities around the world. In the mid 1990’s Altair released the first commercial version of a topology optimization tool and started selling it to primarily automotive companies. In 1994, this technology called OptiStruct won IndustryWeek’s prestigious “Technology of the Year” award.

Topology optimization has advanced significantly since then, but at its roots it uses the actual load cases that a part or an assembly will incur in its lifetime and helps its users to create the most efficient shape/design to carry that load. These simulation techniques allow customers to design lightweight and performative parts using a simulation-driven design approach. Advances in manufacturing technology also allow these sometimes complex designs to be built using both traditional processes like casting, injection molding, and forging, but also through Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing.

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Thesis Focuses on Using Cooperative 3D Printing with Robots to Improve the Technology’s Scalability

Illustration of the slicing strategy for cooperative 3D printing.

Obviously, the size of your 3D print is limited to the size of your 3D printer…you wouldn’t try and 3D print a building, no matter how small, using a desktop system, right? Jace J. McPherson from the University of Arkansas put it more exactly in the honor’s thesis he wrote and submitted for his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering:

“More specifically, an object cannot be printed if it is wider than the full horizontal movement range of an extrusion nozzle or if it is taller than the maximum height of the extrusion nozzle above the printing surface (i.e., the “print bed”).”

Chunker results with a cylinder and a car model.

According to McPherson’s thesis, titled “A Scalable, Chunk-based Slicer for Cooperative 3D Printing,” print jobs’ size limitations can hinder the technology’s goal of being “fully dynamic.” In the thesis, he focused on the issue of 3D printer scalability – limited by print bed size and use of a single printhead – and lack of manufacturing automation, and the idea of cooperative 3D printing, and a new slicing strategy for this technology, as a combined solution.

The abstract states, “Cooperative 3D printing is an emerging technology that aims to increase the 3D printing speed and to overcome the size limit of the printable object by having multiple mobile 3D printers (printhead-carrying mobile robots) work together on a single print job on a factory floor. It differs from traditional layer-by-layer 3D printing due to requiring multiple mobile printers to work simultaneously without interfering with each other. Therefore, a new approach for slicing a digital model and generating commands for the mobile printers is needed, which has not been discussed in literature before. We propose a chunk-by-chunk based slicer that divides an object into chunks so that different mobile printers can print different chunks simultaneously without interfering with each other. In this paper, we first developed a slicer for cooperative 3D printing with two mobile fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers. To enable many more mobile printers working together, we then developed a framework for scaling to many mobile printers with high parallel efficiency. To validate our slicer for the cooperative 3D printing process, we have also developed a simulator environment, which can be a valuable tool in visualizing and optimizing a cooperative 3D printing strategy. This simulation environment was also developed to export the visualization in a generic format for use elsewhere.”

Large-scale cooperative 3D printing. Many robots cooperate to produce a single object that does not require assembly upon completion. The final product in this figure is a topographical map of the state of Arkansas.

Cooperative 3D printing is made up of multiple independent, free-roaming robot 3D printers that receive instructions on how to print one part, or chunk, of a whole object. The mechanism makes it possible to autonomously complete large print jobs, with no interruptions, in a single piece, without human interaction. The parts are actually 3D printed on top of each other so they’re joined during the process and not after.

(a) Illustration of the chunk’s dimensions and printing limitations on the slope, and (b)a comparison of chunk width with robot width.

“Cooperative 3D printing solves physical scalability with the premise that multiple independent 3D printers can be used to produce a single object. These printers need to “cooperate” to produce objects that would normally exceed the size limitation of a traditional 3D printer. They must have the freedom to navigate a large area, such that their print range is limited only by the size of the print surface, as opposed to a fixed range imposed by the extrusion nozzle’s mechanism. To summarize, assuming the print surface is easy to scale, the potential print size will also be highly scalable,” McPherson wrote.

“This new mechanism also solves time scalability assuming new 3D printers that enter the fray can decrease the overall print time. Given that the number of printers is dynamic, we can quantify the time scalability as a function of the parallel efficiency from using any number of robots.”

The chunker design subdivides 3D models into chunks, which are then split up between the robots for 3D printing. The slicer converts these chunks into print commands for the robots, and the simulator creates a visual, using the slicer commands, that shows how real robots would complete their tasks. It’s important for the simulator to be properly designed, as it’s used to validate the chunker and slicer algorithms – if the simulator is not accurate, the rest of the process isn’t either.

In the rest of his thesis, McPherson describes how the slicer makes it possible to subdivide models so that chunks can be 3D printed in parallel, as well as demonstrating how to scale the slicer for more than two robots for additional degrees of spatial freedom.

“Results show that the developed slicer and simulator are working effectively,” McPherson wrote.

McPherson hopes that this project can help “lay the foundation for scalable Cooperative 3D printing,” which could open up a whole new direction of research for scaling 3D printing, and potentially even “revolutionize the way manufacturing processes are structured.”

“This thesis has presented, in detail, a feasible process for managing ?? 3D printing robots operating in parallel on a single print job, taking into account the geometric constraints, the communication requirements between robots, and the necessary pre-processing needed to properly subdivide a model for chunk-based printing,” McPherson concluded.

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