develop3d nx 6 supplement web_tcm963-69183

8/2/2019 DEVELOP3D NX 6 Supplement Web_tcm963-69183

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NX 6 reviewThe perfect home for

Synchronous Technology

Paul BrowNiNterviewThe impact of NX 6

and the move to 3D

toolroomteCHNoloGYAdaptive Machining masters

join the Siemens PLM channel .dp3D.c

©X3DmeDia 2008

TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

SIEmENS PLm

SOFTwaRE NX 6

SUPPLEmENT

iNDustrialseCretswHereDesiGNmeetseNGiNeeriNGat Xform



INTERVIEW Paul

Brown

ii SEPTEMBER 2008 nX 6 SuPPlEMEnT WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM

up. But i you’ve got 200 users, then you’re really up against it.It’s pretty clear that it’s not really a viable solution or customers.That’s the initial challenge and that’s what building NX 6 o o the oundations we laid in NX 5 helps us solve.

Then when people start seeing some o the power that theycan have with NX 6, the other topic that comes up a lot is long-term data retention. I’ve had a number o sales people talkingto me about customers who want to discuss this and things likeSynchronous Technology are going to help out with long-termdata retention. Does it mean that we’re opening up and can useSTEP and JT as a data storage mechanism and use SynchronousTechnology as an editing tool when they need to work with thatdata? Now, this doesn’t mean we’ve cracked the long-term dataretention problem, but it’s a step orward.

I you can get to a point where you can do all those edits and getmodels working the way you want, without relying on that historytree, then you’ve got long term data retention partly solved. Andpeople are starting to see it as a good, solid topic. I know whattriggered it or those customers is that one o our competitorshas been talking about how they’re deconstructing databases,which has opened up the whole issue.

aD: we tked t Gigi adii t X Fm ve i Ity(Ed - see pge v) d h he eceives petty dmbdt bt c k ith it d ese cmpets,fetes d the ike, hees befe he s eystggig ith it. Thee e cpe f diffeet gest the sme isse – y’ve gt this iteiget dt dy’ve gt the biity t py ith it t me.

PB: That’s the thing. You’ve got the ability to work with it, to playwith it, to cut and paste geometry, which is something that’s newand really valuable.

aD: It’s c thig. If y k t ht pepe sethese ts f, t f the time it’s esig kedge expetise tht y’ve sed befe. n ith the

InTErVIEw

al DEan: H is nX 6 beig eceived by cstmes?Paul Brown: I you look at the NX 5 release, the tools we putinto it and the messages about Design Freedom that we putout, we made sure that the groundwork was done. This is oneo the most important things or NX 6, because people can lookat it and see that we’re not telling them that they’ve got to learnsomething new. It’s extensions o what you have already and whatyou’ve been aware o, plus there’s all this extra cool stu you cando with Synchronous Technology. We’re not telling users thatthey’ve got to throw away years o experience and years o workusing the system. What we’re saying is ‘Here’s how it works, andit works how you’ve been using it all along.’

We’ve also started getting into conversations about historyree mode and how users can integrate that into their workfow.

There’s been a lot o interest in that, particularly rom peoplewanting to do that upront, quick concept model, then progressa design urther and quickly. What we’re looking at is how youbuild that into the design workfow.

For example, an existing customer - one o the world’s largesthousehold appliance manuacturers - was sceptical ater havingseen the Synchronous Technology launch, but when we sat withthem and explained that it’s not a completely dierent approach,they did a 180 degree turn and thought it was great. Initially,the guys said, ‘So what you’re telling me is that I’ve got all thesedesigners and they’ve got to think in dierent ways.’ We said,‘No, you’ve got all these dierent tools and you can build onknowledge and expertise that they have already.’

aD: D y thik tht this is gig t be theme s nX 6

s t? Tht pepe hve t thik bt excty heeit ts it thei k d pcesses d exctyhee d he they’e gig t mke se f it?PB: Exactly. It’s the question o how do you get this into yourprocess, without completely disrupting it. I you’re a one-seatcustomer and somebody comes to you and says you’ve got torelearn a completely new system and way o working, you’re ed



scpb di ts i nX, th c bt d s it si th istd hi t i d it.PB: The one thing that I will say on the subject o the drag anddrop nature o Synchronous Technology is that customers are

saying, ‘It’s all well and good dragging and dropping geometry,but now you need to show us all the tools that allow us to dothings more explicitly.’ They want to see all o the unctionsor tying down a model to precise dimensions, alignments,constraints and adding intelligence etc. The industry trendor dragging is ne, but there are practicalities that need to beunderstood.

Playing with the geometry is ne, but engineering is a preciseactivity, once I get to a certain point, I want something to be20mm and 20mm exactly. The whole drag and drop thing isinteresting and everyone tends to ocus on it, but you also need toocus and lock things down.

That’s what we nd with customers, is that they are interested,and give the required amounts o oohs and ahhs, but they needthe details. This is the real benet o Synchronous Technology,

giving the user the best o both words, a true hybrid modellingenvironment giving them total design reedom. Users just needto work out the details.

aD: H h th siti pdts d?asid th Schs Tch d dsi d,this s bis t ts t th tb.PB: It’s resonated hugely with our users, who have been waitingor some time, particularly the I-DEAS simulation people, whohave been waiting or NX to catch up. Now, we’ve ticked all thoseboxes (and in many instances we’ve gone much urther thanthe I-DEAS simulation tools) we’re getting people saying, ‘nowyou have a tool or high-end simulation’. One o the down sideswe oten have is an analyst or structural engineer thinking thatthey’ve got to learn the whole o NX, just to create simulation

models. The good news is that with Roles, with the new Headsup UI, it’s much easier to provide them with the tools they need.They now realise that they’ve got all the simulation tools alongwith some NX modelling tools that they need and they can getthe job done. As a result, we’re starting to see a huge buy-in inthe NX user base.

aD: H ds s bs d st ss t – si tcti i spcic s st spts?a th ss ss xisti tch tht i sthi p?PB: I think it’s al l across the board. Yes, there are the strongpoints or us in High-tech and aerospace. We haven’t done asmuch in terms o advanced suracing – but or these customersit’s not as big a deal or those guys. With NX 5, there were a lot o

areas or those users.There are certainly areas such as high tech electronics,

machinery and a certain amount o aerospace. Having said that,there’s always bits in each release or people outside o that andthere’s certainly enough or everybody. The other stu that reallyhas triggered people to version up is the work we’ve done withGeolus. When you get into Geolus, you’re really breaking newground as you’re orcing people to think about new concepts, tothink about geometry organisation and searching. Over the yearsthat we’ve had, we haven’t sold a lot o Geolus, but this is goingto change because its tied into NX and Teamcenter – particularlywith Teamcenter directly available inside the NX interace. Outo our business, probably, 80 or 85% o our sales are now NXplus Teamcenter.

aD: Is tht pp ci t it th nX sid ( Tct psiti) th ti nX dTct s h?PB: Mainly they are taking it as a whole, as a combined solution.

aD: H d th ics ss ’ tti spit p? ath cpis d istis ci t

th uiphics I-ds csts ipt? a bi d?PB: We are breaking new ground. The majority o our NXbusiness comes rom existing customers, both UG and I-DEAS.

However, new customers to Siemens PLM are on the increaseand we expect this to continue as we continue to be rst tomarket with technologies like Synchronous Technology, Geolusand direct Teamcenter integrations.

aD: I thi it’s th t th t t pst thtth t tht CaD sits. I’ t ticicd tht th ths pp tht h’td t 3D. ad I’ cti t cicd th stht h’t d t 3D i t.It’s i t b tht hd s tht’s phps bst t tatds d Sidws t ht t, bcs it’s st ssi di scs t th ss.PB: There’s also the situation that we’ve ound that, or somecompanies, 2D is just enough. On the other hand, or 3D, NX

is still being sold and revenues are still increasing. Do we seethese millions o AutoCAD users focking to move to 3D? Wellnot as much as we used to. The key thing is that the drive to3D has to be more than just getting more modelling done andcreating a 2D drawing rom it – but that’s where a lot o peopleare at present with SolidWorks or Inventor. However, with NX,additional licenses are still being bought by companies looking totake on new projects, developing their use o 3D urther into, sayCAM or CAE, or simply switching 3D sotware due to capabilityor reliability issues.

In the business that we have now, there’s no such thing as agreen eld site. There is or Teamcenter, but there isn’t on theCAD business. Everyone’s got something, whether it’s 2D orwhether it’s an old 3D CAD system. They may not have integratedCAD, CAM and/or CAE, but everyone’s got something.

aD: wht d thi is th bist d? Th’s tht tht th’s ddd cpxitsip b i t 3D. Bt th ds t b bid, d t b b t t s . whtd thi this is? Is it siti, is it chii?Tht’s th thi tht I’ b ti t t –ht dis pp t tht p?PB: I think that it depends on the complexity o the product.I’m not convinced it’s just a route to simulation or example. I you design in 2D, you’re probably ignoring the simulation sidetowards it. I think the bigger drive is mock-up, clearance andcollision detection. I I have a ull 3D model that I can work withwork in a 3D space, that’s the bigger pay back and bigger driver.There’s always the argument or using the same dataset or

downstream things. CAM, I think is another one where there areenough CAM programs around that are ocussed on machiningrom 2D to solve most people’s requirements and they do apretty dammed good job. It’s more about people wanting a morecomplete representation o their products, a more completedatabase o that inormation o their products and that’s morelinked to the mock up area.

.

‘‘ THe real BenefIT ofSynCHronouS TeCHnology ISgIvIng THe uSer THe BeST ofBoTH worDS, a True HyBrIDmoDellIng envIronmenT gIvIngTHem ToTal DeSIgn freeDom.uSerS juST neeD To work ouTTHe DeTaIlS’’

WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM nX 6 SuPPlemenT SEPTEMBER 2008 iii



Migrating

froM

i-DEaS to nX

v SEPTEMBER 2008 nX 6 SUPPLEMEnt WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM

B

ack in May 2001, SDRC and UGS (as it wascaled then) merged under the giant EDScorporation in a billion dollar deal, whichcreated a massive engineering sotware giantto dwar its competitors. SDRC’s Metaphaseand I-DEAS product lines merged with UGS’technologies, like the Unigraphics CAD

sotware and I-Man products to create Unigraphics NX (now NX)

and Teamcenter. Even back then at the time o announcement, thevision was to produce an integrated Unigraphics ‘master series’and carry on with the planned updates to I-DEAS. This was animportant commitment and very unusual to decide on a multi-yearstrategy o merging all the technologies to create a new product.

It’s been an amazing seven years since the merger and now withthe latest version o NX and its innovative Synchronous Technology(ST), the majority o the advanced I-DEAS unctionality isincluded in NX, together with enhanced speed, a contemporaryuser interace and new design unctionality. It appears that manyrms are now opting to make the switch. The question is what’sinvolved? Moving platorms is always a serious commitment andto date Siemens PLM Sotware has provided a range o tools toassist in the migration rom I-DEAS to NX, geometry and datamanagement, and these are now in their second or third revision.

tEaM EnginEEring TEAM Engineering was ounded in 1997 and is one o the longestserving resellers or Siemens PLM Sotware in the UK, sellingboth NX, I-DEAS, and Solid Edge amongst other analysis and datamanagement tools. The company has ofces in Hitchin, (whichit shares with Siemens PLM) where the company’s training andsupport center is located, as well as Livingston in West Lothian.Recently TEAM Engineering is the rst certied reseller to provideI-DEAS to NX migration, training and support in the UK.

We talked with Mark Sharples o TEAM Engineering about themigration process, “We are now at a point where everything that

fEatUrE

you would need is now in NX. Customers can see it’s a lot quicker,easier to use, better architecture and many that have seen the newSynchronous Technology, as well as the new modelling eatures,want to start using that unctionality, especially i they work withPro/E data and want to bring that in and work with it.

Migration LaB

Staples explains that in order to successully migrate, you need tohave the capabilities to map many attributes rom I-DEAS into NX.To do this, TEAM Engineering embarks on a Content MigrationManager (CMM) process which will establish the best way totranser I-DEAS data into NX. This starts by auditing data using anumber o tools which provides eedback on the kind o eaturesthat have been used in the modelling process and establishes whatkind o yield can be expected when the data is brought over.

The powerul tools that TEAM Engineering use also enablesthem to bring across associative drawings. “I I have a drawing o a part, i I br ing that I-DEAS part across to NX, (with or withoutull history), it will even bring across the drawing associated withit,” says Staples condently. This means that it keeps the drawing

relationship with the part and even i the part is changed usingSynchronous Technology, it will still update the drawing.

There are other systems which may import the 3D but risklosing the drawing associativity, which then need additionalmanual 2D edits in AutoCAD i the model changes. TEAMEngineering rebuilds whatever history is stored in I-DEAS intoNX and checks that it’s valid. Some o its customers don’t alwaystake history across, but choose to take the parts as they are andthen use ST to model on them.

Clearly there are signicant data management implications o moving to NX. It may be important to move legacy meta data thatwas stored in I-DEAS Team Data Manager (TDM) across intoTeamcenter. Using the TEAM Engineering migration lab, thebest strategy is dened. It may be the case that some users willchose to move to Teamcenter, opt to keep old data in I-DEAS and

start a new project in NX. I there is a need to re-use data theycan decide to bring that in, as and when, and use SynchronousTechnology to make changes.

I a customer is in the middle o major design phase o aproject it’s probably not prudent to swap data managementsystems, which they may choose to implement when they arestarting a new project. Sharples points out that audits aren’t thereto scare customers, but it’s important to know what problemsyou will encounter with geometry and meta data.

“Teamcenter won’t let you have an entry without a related partnumber, where I-DEAS TDM would let you have something thatdidn’t.” explains sharples. “When you migrate that to Teamcenteryou have to have come up with a part number. We have utilitiesthat go and nd duplicates and parts without numbers to purgeall that inormation – but the customer has to decide how to

resolve it.”Sharples sees the training as equally important. “We advise

on transition training and there are tools that come with theNX product that allow you evaluate how you have modelled inI-DEAS and give you the equivalent in NX.” According to TEAMEngineering, the learning curve is not as steep as it would havebeen with traditional packages like Pro/Engineer or Catia: NXis a lot easier to use so TEAM nds that people move quickly onthis. An I-DEAS to NX course is typically run over just two days.

ConCLUSion

Migrating systems is all about coming up with a plan andas NX now seems to be really appealing to the remainingI-DEAS customers, it looks like Siemens’ previous tools aremature enough to greatly ease the process. For customers on

maintenance, the cross-grade is also ree. TEAM Engineeringhas been trained up by Siemens in the US to implement andadvise on the use o its migration tools in the UK. The initialaudit is ree, together with analysis o a ew test parts to see whatissues may be encountered during the process, prior to agreeingan engagement and mapping out a successul migration to NX. www.team-eng.com



NX marks the

sweet spot

for Xform

for Xorm, design and engineering is treated asthe same discipline, with team members workingon both aspects o a product’s development. Thisis reected in the approach to projects, trainingand tools that are all rened to support thismantra. Founded in 2000, the design rm romReggio Nell’Emilia, Italy has grown using NX

as its tool o choice, now designing a multitude o products rom

compact pressure washers to luxurious mega yachts.Xorm ounder Giorgio Aldini has seen the sotware evolve over

the years and considers NX as key to the majority o the rm’sprojects. “We’ve used NX since the company was ounded, anduse it because o the process we work in – in an integrated waywhere engineering and industrial design is the same,” he says.“Instead o diferent CAD programs at the start o a project, westart with 3D models with all the unctional and technical data.”

For Giorgio, 3D concept exploration is a key actor and therecently introduced synchronous technology (ST) is the bestmodelling improvement, giving designers reedom rom the veryrst stages o the design. “When we are looking or new ideas inthe rst phases o modelling, we can explore diferent alternativesin a ew clicks, by simply dragging geometry,” explains Giorgio.“It doesn’t matter i the product is sculpted by suraces, the Face

Finder in NX can apply modications which respect the geometricconditions o the original model, and it’s done in real time.”

The ability to work without constraints is an importantactor, especially with constantly shiting goal posts during thedevelopment o products; how many times do the original planschange between the original concept and nal product? Giorgioanswers bluntly, “Nobody can count! And when it happens youneed to manage the models, oten trying to orce geometry

●1 With ST the team

at Xform is ableto modify only the

region they need,

bypassing thehistory. Moreover

Xform can be sure

that no othercomponent will be

touched

●2 ST enables Xform

to cut out a portion of a part and reuse in a

completely different

situation

Case stUDY

changes which ght against the creation history.”“ST is the idea that you can build history on demand,” he

continues. “ When you import models rom other CAD systems,or want to erase histories o eatures in your model you areable to modiy the existing geometry that you want, still using

eatures, but not worrying about history.“There are many situations where you can use this. At thebeginning o a project, when you are looking or new shapesand ideas, you generate global changes and modications to thegeometry – the model continues to ollow your requirements inreal time.”

This proves especially useul when working or large companieskeen to make the most o their design archives. Xorm continuesto work with some o the biggest automotive suppliers in Europe,seeing their work emerge on car bodywork and accessories, whereclients are keen to work with existing components to reduce rework.The reuse o data is important in the large-scale production o gardening and power tools, another industry in which Xorm isactive. The concept o part standardisation and reuse emergesas a constant issue or industrial designers, and one that NX6’s

synchronous technology breezes through with new ease.Giorgio is happy to explain that working with NX6 provides the

team with easy access to a project’s history. He says, “When youstart a new project in a large production industry not one productstarts rom scratch – you build rom the bottom up – they wantto reuse so many components. They give you PDM archives orcomponents, but they are without history.

“In creating the product model, you create a geometry o support and links that help you model, but when you start a newproject your customer picks clean les [without history] romtheir archive, so when you need to reuse geometry, or modiy theparts, it’s key that your tool must be able to manage, and ST doesthis very quickly: You can change anything.

“This is a very common situation or people working on verylong projects; you can nd parts that are very well modelled, but

the ‘history’ is so long, and going up and down this takes a longtime. Also the model is completely diferent rom what you mightwant when using it in a diferent context, so you want to be reeand start rom scratch. ST lets you work with or without the storyat the same level.

“With it we can modiy just the region we need, bypassing thehistory. Moreover, we’ll be sure that nothing else will be touched.It also allows you to reuse geometry in a diferent context romwhich it was originally modelled. ST lets you cut out a portion o a part and reuse it in a completely diferent situation.”

At Xorm NX is used entirely, rom concept design through toproduction, so as a tool it has to have an accessible user interace,a actor that NX6 has greatly improved, having been modelledon the input o customers like Giorgio and his team. The teamat Xorm has seen a clear ‘roadmap’ or evolving versions and

improvements that all add up to help designers like themselves.So where would they like to see the next improvements being

made? “Future improvements or me would include integrationwith PDM and the shit on the horizon towards polygonalmodelling,” says Giorgio, expressing his support or urtheruse o the ‘orgotten orm’ o geometry modelling. Yet, as ar asreedoms go, the latest version o NX gives Giorgio and his teamthe ability to work to their mantra as engineers within design.

1

WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM NX 6 sUppLemeNt SEPTEMBER 2008 v

2



ShowerPower

Through NX

SEPTEMBER 2008 NX 6 SuPPLeMeNT WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM

with a turnover o more than £40million and 300 employees, Aqualisahas come a long way since 1977 whenit was ounded to develop the bi-metallic thermostatic shower valve. InMay 2001, Aqualisa was the rst UKcompany to launch a digital shower

(Quartz Digital) with ease o installation, one-touch controls andconsistent temperatures. It produced a second award-winningdigital product line (Axis Digital) eaturing dual switches in 2004and ollowed up in 2006 with a line o wireless and battery-lessremotes that can be positioned outside the bathroom.

Aqualisa specialises in domestic showers. As part o its long-term strategy the company is constantly developing new concepts

to suit dierent sectors o the market, rom the workadayinstaller to the boutique style developer. Aqualisa was, orexample, the rst company to provide an easy-to-install exposeddigital shower in which water fows inside the riser rail.

“In the world o showers we’re quite cutting edge,” says GlennPorter, engineering project manager at Aqualisa. “We are theworld’s leading manuacturer o digital showers, and we werethe rst shower manuacturer to have a truly digital shower inthe market.”

The biggest business challenge or Aqualisa is time to market.“We are always incredibly busy yet we manage to do things thatother companies do not,” asserts Porter.

No LoSS of Legacy daTa

Aqualisa has been using 3D CAD since the mid 1990s. By 2004

it was clear that a major upgrade was needed. “We looked intosimpler and cheaper packages,” says Tracey Nertney, seniordesign engineer. “It was important to us that we could bringover legacy data, so our main criteria was compatibility. The NXdigital product development solution rom the Siemens PLMSotware gave us the option o transerring all our history.”

Aqualisa bought nine seats o NX rom the Siemens PLM

Sotware reseller, Team Engineering. The company alsopurchased 12 seats o Teamcenter, which it uses to manageproduct data. “The support we received was excellent,” saysPorter. “Having people who know our situation is reassuring,”adds Nertney.

NX has become the sotware o choice or each new project. Bythe end o 2007 the last product designed on the old system wascomplete and Aqualisa was ready to bring over ten years worth o CAD data rom dierent systems.

SuPPorTiNg creaTiviTy

“We ound that NX was easy to learn and easy to use, whichmeans that we all got up to speed quickly,” says Nertney. “Thereis oten discussion about which system is easier but all our

users agree that NX is the best. It is more stable and moreintuitive. And the ease o use cuts the time it takes to design.It is twice as quick to create a drawing, or example, especiallywith detailed views. This used to be a two-stage process. Now itis done in one click.”

The design team is nding that assemblies are also quickerand easier to create in NX. “I am working on a ront end at themoment,” comments Porter. “It has taken 30 to 40 hours soar. It would have taken 50 to 60 beore. We can quickly explodean assembly to see all parts and automatically label them orbills o material. It’s so easy; we just press a button to producea balloon.”

The ilux range, which took two years to develop, was the rstull line to be produced using NX. According to Porter, it wouldhave taken our months longer on the old system. “We did not

just develop a controller, we also designed two handsets andspouts with complex curves,” he says. The installer-ocused OptoDigital line was produced in a record-breaking nine months – atask that would have taken a year previously.

“The increased speed o modelling means we can pursuemore ideas in the same amount o time so we can select rom abroader spectrum o ideas,” Porter adds. “Our next product will

caSe STudy



SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE VELOCITY SERIES JUNE 2008 vii

be better because o the exibility NX allows, and we hope thatthe resulting product oering will help grow our market sharestill urther.”

The frst ew products designed in NX have set high standards.O two controllers released in September 2007, one wonCORGI Product o the Year. The other is ilux Digital, a top-o-the-line shower and bath controller with the highest degree o sophistication yet achieved.

OPTIMISINg EXISTINg dATAOne beneft or Aqualisa’s designers is that NX allows themto bring data over rom the various packages they were usingbeore. Much o the data is compatible with NX and so canbe ully integrated into a new design. Even when data is notully compatible it can still be read, and with direct modellingextension (DMX) unctionality, it can be modifed as well.

“DMX allows us to take dumb data and do things like resizeholes and move walls,” Porter explains. “This is especially

useul when we want to reuse components or remodel them.”Aqualisa works with external industrial designers who ocus onthe appearance o a product and may utilize another specialistsystem. DMX modeling enables Aqualisa’s team to accept adesign with complex suracing and take the data orward.

Nertney is pleased with the extra capability that the design teamfnds in NX. “It is really helpul to have the NX strength wizard,”

he notes. “We would have had to purchase this unctionality asan extra within our previous system. The NX rendering moduleis also very useul. NX also has an integral suracing package,

which was an add-on with our previous sotware. We are lookingto work quickly and creatively, leading the market as we go. NXprovides just what we need.”

‘‘dMX (dIRECT MOdELLINgEXTENSION) ALLOWS uS TO TAkEduMb dATA ANd dO ThINgS LIkERESIzE hOLES ANd MOVE WALLS.ThIS IS ESPECIALLY uSEFuL WhEN

WE WANT TO REuSE COMPONENTSOR REMOdEL ThEM’’gLENN PORTER, ENgINEERINgPROjECT MANAgER, AquALISA

Visage Digital showerwith concealed

control detail shot.

The simple on touch

on/off button caneasily be seen as

can the LED, which

ashes to indicatewater is still warming

up; turning to steady

when it has reachedthe user’s pre-

selected temperature



SEPTEMBER 2008 NX 6 SUPPLEMENT WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLM

NX 6rEviEw

i

n the June Edition o DEVELOP3D Magazine therewas a huge splash on the release o SynchronousTechnology within Siemens PLM’s Solid Edgeproducts, but as many will be aware, Edge is not theonly 3D product modelling system within Siemens’product portolio – there’s also the mighty NX. Ourtask this month is to look at the latest release o NX,

how sync tech is being implemented within the higher-end

application set and what else is new.When stripped back to the bare basics Synchronous Technology

is all about allowing you to work with geometry in a history reemodel that retains eature inormation and allows you to workwith your part’s orm on the y – with no recalculation required.On top o this, you have the ability to dene relationships betweengeometric eatures, dimensions and other parameters withouthaving to have the expert knowledge o how a part or assembly hasbeen constructed. The rst thing to note is that within the contexto NX, Synchronous Technology is being implemented as DesignFreedom, conusing I know, but the thought behind it does stackup as in comparison to Solid Edge the way the technology hasbeen built into NX difers greatly, so let’s explore that.

ST iN NX baSicS

ST in the NX environment doesn’t split your working practices.The last ew releases (NX 5 in particular) have seen more andmore direct editing tools built into NX, w ith the system more

capable o consuming this new technology and making it usablewith the existing tools. Essentially, the diference is that youcan ip between History and History-ree mode on the y,within a part, done so you can either keep a trail o everythingin serial sequence or not without changing the actual workdone. What’s key is that you have a much more dynamic wayo creating, editing and interacting with geometry. This lastpoint is something that’s also seen a huge ongoing ocus or

NX – user interaction: so let’s look at where the system is at orthis release.

Geometry is directly manipulated and eatures recognised,such as holes, blends, chamers, and shelling. The point isthat these eatures (with the exception o shells) are not storedin a traditional eature History tree. As you edit, the systemuses a new tool called Active Selection to nd commongeometry, meaning edits to multiple eatures can be made ina single operation.

This allows or the editing o eatures such as holes en masse,but with some intelligence, so that only eatures within youreld o work are edited, rather than making a change andnding you’ve edited a small hole on the other side o a largepart by accident.

One thing that does appear in the eature tree is a shell. This

enables you to maintain wall thickness when working withthe ST-based editing tools, allowing you to take additionalgeometry, paste it into your part, then use the shell ace tocreate and maintain the uniorm thickness – your selection isthe ace that is integral to the part.

This cutting and pasting o geometry is something that’shighly impressive and is reerred to as ‘scrapbook modelling’.Whereas in other systems you might be able to use basic ormso cut/copy/paste, the exibility and lack o dependence onhistory with ST makes this really usable. Geometric eaturescan be cut and pasted within parts or between parts, so eaturesthat need to match, where interaces lie, can be created veryquickly and they remain intelligent, so relationships are movedand copied as well. This type o thing is very subtle, but howoten do you nd that you are recreating the same type o

geometry in diferent parts or even within the same part andthere’s no real way o reusing that data on the y. With thisyou can.

This is really the crux o ST within NX. The system has neverbeen as reliant on History-based modelling processes as othersystems, so the development team has been able to integratethis new eature-based but History-less way o modelling into

rEviEw

●1 There’s been a

huge amount of work done addingintelligence to the NX

mould design tools.

Mould cavities arenow linked back to

CAD data, meaning

design changes canbe propagated to

mould quickly and

automatically. If

you’re working withmulti-cavity moulds,

there are tools to

reduce the upfrontwork, so that mould

cavities are laid

out with sketches,then the actual part

geometry swapped

out when needed

1

» NX6

» SiemensPLM software

Price on application

www.siemens.com/plm



the very core o the system. Essentially, you can work withgeometry to create the orms your need in terms o parts andassemblies, then start to add the dimensions, constraints andother relationships to the geometry to bring higher levels o intelligence. In the NX environment, this intelligence is built

into your product models using DesignLogic and Expressionstools. These are a step beyond simple geometry parameters andadd real design intent and knowledge to your model.

Starting with a basic orm, then using the various tools(dimensioning and constraints) to tidy it up, it creates analised model that conorms exactly to your requirements, butwith the ability to make edits just as you would earlier.

User interaction

The last ew releases have seen the NX UI advance at aphenomenal rate in terms o usability. While that’s a generalterm, what I mean in this instance is two things. Firstly, theunderlying architecture o commands and operations werecompletely rewritten in the last release, so many workingmethods and practices are now common and shared between

commands. As a result learning times are cut (as knowledgeo one command gives you an immediate head start with oneswith which you are less amiliar). Taking this ur ther, thepresentation o commands was reworked to provide you witha very clean interace. The majority o commands are drivenrom the same rail-based dialog, which only shows itsel whenneeded. This in itsel is a high productivity booster, but whencombined with work done to make the modelling process muchmore engaging and based on the 3D model rather than thedialog, this means that working with the system is muchmore intuitive.

This release extends the use o ‘on model’ working urtherin several areas. Firstly, the radial toolbars have been

extended greatly. Menus can be accessed in ull (usingthe ALT key), multiple layers o context sensitive

commands are available at the cursor and,when combined with the new ways

o working introduced with

Sync Tech, then you have an extremely intuitive system.There have also been a couple o updates that I think most

users are going to love. Firstly, you can now switch into FullScreen mode, which, with the rail-based toolbars and new at-cursor menus, gives you a huge working area. Alongside thisthe new TrueShade mode displays your geometry with realisticmaterials, shadows, a range o preset lighting conditions andreective oors, all without the need or high-end graphics.

simUlation

Alongside the UI updates and the introduction o Sync Tech,perhaps the biggest area o concentration most likely to exciteexisting users is simulation. For those unaware, NX hasevolved rom the amalgamation o the Unigraphics and I-deasproducts sets, alongside Siemens’ release o NX Nastran. The

combination o the three means that Siemens’ development hashad access to some o the world’s leading simulation technologyand this has been integrated into NX pretty consistently overthe last ew years.

One o the core underlying updates to simulation is the waythat the various components have been restructured or reuse.When conducting simulation tasks you now create three les

that are linked back to the originating data. The SIM lerepresents the loading and boundary conditions, the

FEM le contains all o the work you do to clean upthe model such as abstraction, where eatures are

removed or suppressed or simulation purposes,while the POST le is where you store everythingin terms o result extraction and visualisation.

This means that sections o the process are much

more reusable. In addition, the new Glue Contactoperation allows you to mix and match diferent mesh

types or diferent sections o a single part, so that partsperorm as they would, using intelligent choices. The exampleshown in Figure 2 is a toggle switch which uses deormationto lock the switch into certain positions. Now, while someportions o the component undergo large-scale deormations,the majority do not, so why run the whole thing as a non-

●2 The new NXElectronic Systems

Cooling package

can now simulatecondensation and

dust/particle impact

as well as thecouple ow/thermal

characteristics of an

enclosed electronicssystem

●3 The integration

of Geolus technology

within the core of NX 6 means that

part standardisation

becomes more

efcient, as you cansearch for existing

components that may

suit your application,or can provide basic

starting points for

new design work

●1 Choose a part fromexisting geometry, suchas a sheet or solid body,and copy “Ctrl C” to ClipBoard

●2 Geometry is simplypasted “Ctrl V” intoanother part, sheet orsolid body, from theClip Board

●3 The item is thenmodied to suitrequirements. In thiscase the hole has beenremoved

●4 This can then bedynamically positionedready for inclusion intopart. Notice that it ispositioned off the part

●5 SynchronousModelling “Paste Face”used to add the copiedgeometry. Notice thepowerful way in whichthe geometry adaptsto its new context andreblends

●6 Very quicklygeometry has beencopied from one part,modied for use andincluded in a new one

ST (DeSignFreeDom)workFlow

2

3



iii JUNE 2008 SIEMENS PLM SOFTWARE VELOCITY SERIES

linear (and inherently more complex) simulation. These newtools allow you to set-up the component (with materials andloading conditions), but sub-divide the component into thosethat undergo linear and non-linear deormation. The job runsas a whole and with ease, but you’re conducting what wouldtraditionally be a very complex multi-physics simulation.

The simulation o sheet metal parts is something that manyusers are probably interested in, considering its increase inpopularity these days, but as with many such things the actualprocess o simulating thin wal l thickness parts isn’t quite aseasy as it could be. This area has some attention or this releasewith the introduction o mid-plane modelling tools to assistin making it easier. Mid-plane modelling is a commonly usedmethod o constructing thin walled FEA models. Instead o dening the complex geometry, a thickness value is assigned

to the elements when meshing. Problems arise with complexgeometry where the mid-plane is not readily apparent andgaps occur.

NX 6 introduces tools that allows the user to re-stitch, matchand merge edges, creating a cohesive orm that can be meshed.Some o the tools aren’t associative but the tools get you most o the way there, assuming massive topology changes aren’t made,only a swit clean up.

PROduCT TEMPLATE STudIO

There have been two areas o work that allow or design to beormalised and enables more re-use in a controlled manner.The Product Template Studio allows or the publication o apart’s parameters that drive its design, typically authored withKnowledge Fusion, in a very usable ormat using standard

templates. Taking the parameters, geometry and expressionsthat control part o the selected part, you can then add aninterace or those reusing that data. This can contain links toCAD entities (so highlights are shown on the model) and allmanner o supplementary inormation. This can then be storedwithin the part le, so it is available in the assembly modelling

mode and you can start to build intelligent template driven-assemblies that combine all knowledge o how that productis built up.

CLOSINg ThOughTS

To be honest, we’ve barely scratched the surace o NX 6. Whatwe’ve done is look at the updates which resonated most. Whatshould be clear is that NX is continuing on a very aggressivedevelopment schedule that has continued over the last coupleo years. The NX 5 release saw building blocks introduced (interms o Direct Editing) which now make so much more sensein the context o the Synchronous Technology release. Whatwe have now is a system that is very interesting in terms o modelling approaches.

For me, the introduction o Synchronous Technology withinNX is much more exciting than Solid Edge. The reason or thatis that NX has always allowed you to work with a much widerselection o modelling methods and has always supported theability to intelligently link your part geometry to your designintent at a very granular level. This release sees this heightened.

Everything seems to be working in a much more connectedmanner. From the outset o the design process, the updateswith Geolus technology mean that you can reduce your designoverheads by making it easy to nd components that canbe reused as is, or adapted to a new purpose. The new SyncTech based modelling tools then give the ability to model in amuch more exible and ree manner, alongside the traditionalparametric tools, as well as the surace-based modelling toolsthat have been a mainstay o NX or years. Then there’s alsoSimulation, which is really impressive.

With the NX Nastran solver as the oundation technology,Siemens is doing a great job o allowing you to take advantageo some pretty advanced simulation tools right at the designstage o the process and doing so in a manner that most userscan take advantage o.

Next up there’s production and manuacturing. NX hasalways had a rock solid reputation in machining and moulddesign circles, purely because it’s one o the rare systems thathas combined advanced CAM unctionality with supremelycapable modelling tools adapted or mould and die design.

NX doesn’t seem to get much in the way o coverage thesedays, but when you sit down, take it all in and look at what’sbeen accomplished over the last ew years, it’s clear that i you’relooking to adopt a product development and manuacturingsystem that really can cover everything rom conceptualisation,right through to production and beyond, then NX is a seriouscontender. The introduction o Synchronous Technology meansthat the pain associated with learning a new design system iseased somewhat and that should certainly drive new adoption.Those evaluating 3D tools are oten scared of NX because o

its sheer size. However, when stripped back to its ability tointelligently create a 3D model o a product in development andcapture everything that relates to that process, then it’s amongstthe best systems currently available. When you realise thatyou have the ability to work in a single environment to take aproduct to market, then it becomes even more compelling.

One of the most impressive, butseemingly small updates whichI doubt gets much airplay is theintegration of Geolus technologywithin the core of NX 6. For thoseunaware of it, Geolus is a 3D shapesearch technology that SiemensPLM acquired some time ago. The

core concept is that 3D shapes canbe distilled into a series of vectorsthat describe a part’s form andgeometry. Working on that basis,you can then use a number oftools that allow you to search forcomponents that match specicsearch criteria.

Now, that’s sounds somewhat

cryptic doesn’t it, but think of itthis way: When you’re designing acomponent then you’re typicallygoing to have a rough idea ofwhat that component is goingto look like. So, before you startdesigning in anger, you sketch outa rough shape of its form, then

use the Geolus search tools (whichare integrated directly into theinterface) to nd components thatare similar, both in terms of theusual search strings such as partnumber, classication (if you’reusing Teamcenter), but also tond parts which match in termsof geometry.

Now, this gives you a couple ofbenets. Firstly, if you’re lookingfor standard components, thenthis will bring them up and youcan see if those parts can servethe purpose you’re looking for,maybe with some adaptation ofparts around it. This also reduces

part count and inventory as you’reusing existing parts which havea traceable history, and are pre-approved and perhaps signed-off.In addition, you may nd similarparts, but with some quickredesign, these can be adaptedto the purpose – meaning thatalthough you’ll have a new part

number and the usual approvalsin place (if that’s how you work)you’re working on existing data andreducing actual design time. Whencombined with the ease of adaptingexisting geometry that theintroduction of Sync Tech brings,then you should see that the time

and effort savings this combinationrepresents is huge.Finally, it also works with non-

NX data too, so JT, IGES, STEP aswell as data from other systemssuch as Catia and SolidWorks canbe included in the searches, soyou can also nd supplier designcomponents.

INtEgratEd3d sEarchwIthgEolUs

The new meshingtools within NX 6

allow you to mix and

match mesh types.Here, a standard

mesh is used for the

central component

of the button, butthe portion of

the design which

undergoes non-linearbehaviour (through

deformation) is

meshed to allow it tobe simulated correctly

x sEPtEMBEr 2008 NX 6 SuPPLEMENT www.sIEMENs.coM/PlM



ToolRoomTechnology(TTl)

T

oolroom Technology Limited or TTL as they areknown to those in the know, are a name amiliarto many that operate in the machining world.Based in Haddenham, Oxordshire the companyhas built a reputation amongst the elite in themachine world or providing a high level o expertise across many acets o the metal cutting

world. Much o TTL’s experience revolves around the concept o

“Adaptive Machining” so let’s explore that a little urther, thenlook at how this ties into its new relationship with Siemens PLM.

Adaptive Machining has been developed at TTL to solve somekey issues that are ound in the aviation, power generation andmarine industries and they relate to variable geometry. Whensuch products are in service, it’s very common or the ormo the components to change with time as they undergo theextreme loading and working conditions they typically operatewithin. As a result, the ‘in use’ components can be dierentrom the ideal CAD geometry rom which they were initiallymanuactured, i geometry was even used in their development.This can cause serious issues when maintenance and repair ismade, as you can’t machine according to the nominal CAD databecause o these dierences. What adaptive machining does, issolve the problem by providing a closed eedback loop where the

parts are reverse engineered, then the tool-paths are adapted to

the physical orm o the part , rather than the ideal geometry.Not surprisingly, TTL has mastered the creation o these closed

loop systems, in a ully automated production environment. Interms o the benefts to an organisation working with these typeso problems, it’s clear that there are signifcant costs savings to

be made. An example quoted by TTL shows that within the GasTurbine industries typical cost savings or repair or manuactureo any given part can be in excess o 50%. This is achieved by thecreation o an intelligent system which adapts to the orm o a partand provides signifcant reductions in not only cycle time to aectrepairs, but also to remove many o the non-conormance andlabour costs by eliminating handwork and human error. To createsuch systems, TTL has become a master o a couple o dierentcore technologies, which when combined, provide its customerswith a pretty much bespoke system or ulflling this kind o work.

One is the ability to machine complex suraces, whether that’sa turbine blade, or to recreate the precise orm o components orpharmaceutical processing machinery. To support this, it’s prettyclear that you need a solid understanding o complex machiningin true simultaneous fve axis.

The other core technology and expertise at TTL is in the feldo Reverse Engineering. When you’re working with variablegeometry, then the ability to capture the actual orm o thecomponents you’re working on is essential. Over the years,TTL has built up a comprehensive knowledge o the reverseengineering world and uses the hardware and subsequent sotwarethat allows you to adapt toolpaths to accommodate the variation ina part’s orm, using a variety o contact and non-contact devices.O course, while mastery o disparate technologies is one thing,the real experience and knowledge at TTL is held in the abilityto mix these two technologies together, along with fxturingand sotware development, to ensure that the system underdevelopment can do the job.

So, how does this relate to Siemens PLM sotware? The answeris that TTL has just signed up as a technology partner or

Siemens PLM. The background to the deal, rom speaking to theteam in Thame, is that they are constantly looking to improvewhat they do and ensure that the platorm technologies they usecan provide the tools they need, both now and in the uture. Withthis in mind, TTL has engaged with Siemens to adopt NX as itsplatorm o choice or both geometry handling and machining.Alongside this, the company has signed up to become a reselleror Siemens PLM solutions, including NX and Teamcenter.With TTL’s expertise in production proven machining and thehandling o complex geometry or the machining world, itlooks like it’s a relationship that not only provides TTL with thecore platorm they need to continue their work in the adaptivemachining world, but also one that has the potential to provideusers with a sound source o advice and expertise when lookingto adopt Siemens’ tools or production.

www.ttl-solutions.com

WWW.SIEMENS.COM/PLMnX 6 SUPPlemenT SEPTEMBER 2008 xi

FeATURe



GREATER POWERS

NX 6

Flexibility NX 6 can reduce cycle time by 40%. Working with ANY

data in almost every CAD format, it reduces machining time and

improves analysis.

Strength NX 6 handles complex problems. It can reduce design

time by 15% and physical prototypes by 30%, while improving

machine tool utilisation by 15%.

Coordination NX 6 can deliver a 20% faster product development

cycle time through its process efciency – accelerating time

to market.

Productivity NX 6 works using YOUR current process. This can

help you to halve training time and increase productivity by 20%.

Confdence Better views and processes make better products.

NX 6 makes that happen, through world-class solutions from

Siemens PLM Software.

© 2008. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved. Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. NX is a registered trademark of Siemens ProductLifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks used herein are the property of theirrespective holders.

Gain greater powers for your product development process with NX 6.

Visit www.siemens.com/plm/nx6 for more information.

develop3d nx 6 supplement web_tcm963-69183

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