- Capture schematic manufacturing documentation
- Automate system information such as schematic designs and virtual prototypes
- Determine the quickest path for manufacturing, cost, and serviceability
- Ensure design rules and schematic logic rules are enforced through specification-driven design
- Re-use standard symbols, connectors, and fittings in customizable library
- Eliminate the need for physical prototypes with virtual interference checking and automated manufacturability verification
- Enable cost-effective manufacturing through accurate documentation, such as isometric drawings, bend tables, and BOMs
We’d like to share some news with you in our new youtube video we’ve nicknamed the ‘3D Printing Show’. Anthony Bayerl, Director of Marketing, and Lauren Adey, Additive Manufacturing Specialist bring you the latest news in the 3D printing industry.
There are a lot of exciting things happening including new product announcements, tips and tricks, product updates, discounts, and promotions.
Watch our video to learn about the latest additive manufacturing news.
New 3D printer called the ‘Replicator’ makes 3D print in minutes, with almost no wasted material
Stereolithography (SLA) desktop 3D printers, such as the Form 2 from Formlabs, creates 3D prints with photopolymer resin cured with a UV laser and built layer by layer. Structural lattices are created with extra material to ‘fill in’ necessary skeletal-like structures for support to continue to build the part or prototype.
UC Berkeley researchers discovered a new 3D printing technique that transforms liquid on a rotating cylinder to a solid with carefully projected rays of light – without having to waste any extra material in the 3D printing process.
Hossein Heidari, a graduate student at UC Berkeley and co-first author of the work says, “Our technique generates almost no material waste and the uncured material is 100 percent reusable. This is another advantage that comes with support-free 3D printing.”
The researchers named the 3D printer the “replicator” after the Star Trek device that instantly materializes any object. This new technique creates 3D prints in a matter of minutes compared to other techniques that could take hours.
We can’t wait to see where these UC Berkeley researchers take this new zero-waste 3D printing technique!
Creo 6.0 makes software updates to support new lattice structures, build direction, and topology optimization
With the release of Creo 6.0, PTC has updated the additive manufacturing capabilities to design with lattice structures, build direction definition, and slicing. Designing your CAD models with Creo allows you to design, optimize, validate, and run a print-check all in one environment – which means you can send your file straight to the printer when you’re done with your final design. Metal printing capabilities cover around 70% of the metal printers that are sold in the market.
Creo Parametric includes the 3D printing capabilities to directly connect to your printer. These capabilities are included in Creo 5.0 and Creo 6.0.
The Creo Additive Manufacturing Extension includes design abilities such as lattice modeling, advanced beams lattices, custom-defined cells, and defining print build direction. These capabilities are included in the Creo Design Advanced Plus package or you can purchase the extension separately.
The Creo Additive Manufacturing Plus Extension for Materialise includes capabilities to directly connect to metal printers, customize metal support structures, and optimize build direction. These capabilities are included in the Creo Design Premium Plus package or you can purchase the extension separately.
The Creo Topology Optimization Extension includes capabilities to use topology optimization in parts and assemblies and enables geometry reconstruction function. These capabilities are included in the Creo Design Premium Plus package or you can purchase the extension separately.
How to wash your parts & prototypes with the Form Wash
We’ve discussed ways that you can better use the products you already own – this time, we’ve got a tip coming from one of our customers – Jeff Martin, an Application Engineer from Colder Products (CPC) on how to clean your parts and prototypes with the Form Wash. Check it out in our blog here.
New Formlabs 3D Printers: Form 3 and Form 3L
Formlabs has released the Form 3 and the Form 3L! The Form 2 uses the stereolithography (SLA) process whereas the Form 3 and Form 3L uses a process called low force stereolithography (LFS) – meaning that the printers literally use lower forces to create easier support removal and more precise detail and surface finish. Read our blog Formlabs Releases New 3D Printers using LFS Technology to learn more about SLA and LFS technology.
Form 2 Discounts!
The Form 2 desktop SLA 3D printer has dramatically decreased in price (from its previous price of $3499) to $2850. We ARE still selling the Form 2 and will support those that want to purchase an already affordable 3D printer at a more affordable price.
Contact Lauren Adey, our Additive Manufacturing Specialist, to take advantage of these special deals!
PTC has a Creo Parametric Extension called the Piping and Cabling Creo Extension (PCX) that allows engineers and designers to create piping and cabling systems easily throughout the design process. You can work in a 2D schematic or 3D modeling environment to automate the creation of manufacturing documentation.
Starting with a 2D schematic, designers can quickly review wiring routes and connections to avoid errors. If a new wire is needed, this can easily be added in a 2D environment by selecting from a library of standards and creating the connection.
Wiring cabling and piping diagrams in XML formats are supported in the PCX extension and can integrate with PTC Windchill. PCX automatically identifies errors in missing connectors and will prompt you to fix the problem so you can continue routing. Designs are ensured with constant visual feedback to decrease geometry interferences and increase the quality of the end routing design.
Benefits of Creo Piping and Cabling Extension
Watch this webinar replay to see how design documentation is maintained throughout the design process when using PCX extension.
Creo, the shorthand name for Creo Parametric, (formerly known as Pro Engineer) is a powerful and intuitive 3D CAD software optimized to address the challenges organizations face as they design, analyze, and share information with downstream partners.
Developed by PTC, the original pioneers of parametric CAD, Creo is a powerful foundational software supporting an integrated family of product design tools used by thousands of manufacturers worldwide.
The Creo family of design applications, modules, and extension speak a common language, meet the needs of different stakeholders, and truly combine parametric and direct modeling techniques. Creo helps build bridges instead of barriers between you, your ideas, your teammates, your partners, and your customers.
Creo Parametric 3D CAD software can easily be customized and extended through the addition of modules and extensions, but the product family also contains stand-alone purpose build design applications such as Creo Simulate, Creo Direct, Creo Layout & Creo Options Modeler. Each stand-alone app serves a different purpose in the product development process.
From concept to design to analysis, to effectively sharing your information with downstream partners (such as manufacturing and technical publications), Creo is a rock-solid foundation for any design group. It supports the needs of modern manufacturing and product development organizations.
What makes Creo Parametric such a powerful product design and development tool in your company’s quest for a competitive advantage?
There are many unique aspects of the innovative Creo product family – Here are my top 4.
Flexibility
For designers who are involved in multiple phases of the product development process, PTC Creo provides scalable access to the right capabilities. Subscription licensing enables to adjust and right-size their software over time.
For those involved in specific aspects of the product development process, there are apps tailored to meet individual needs. Regardless of your role in the product development process, you can use the right tool at the right time.
Interoperability
All of the products in the PTC Creo family speak the same language. Because of this common language, your data flows seamlessly between different apps. This means no more recreating work as you move through the design process and no more walls to throw your data over.
Combined benefits of both parametric and direct modeling
PTC Creo integrates the power of both 3D CAD modeling approaches into a single system, so you get the power and control of parametric modeling combined with the speed and flexibility that’s only available through direct modeling.
Multi-cad Data Handling
PTC Creo includes an incredible convince ability to work with and edit data from any CAD source. This means no recreating designs because of incompatible data, and no need to ask your partners or customers to change CAD software systems.
Want to learn more about what PTC Creo Parametric 3d CAD software can do for you? Download the Creo Parametric Datasheet or contact us to talk with a technology specialist today!
On November 20, 2018, PTC announced the ~$70M acquisition of an advanced generative design software company named Frustum Inc. Frustum’s technology leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to generate design options in a process called “generative design.” It will be worth your time to follow this acquisition and how PTC incorporates the technology into their flagship offerings. It should be a transformative addition to PTC’s Creo portfolio.
Frustum offers patented desktop and cloud-based engineering software from their headquarters in Boulder, CO. Their software enables engineers and designers to go beyond the limits of their personal experience by leveraging powerful AI capabilities that guide the discovery of high-performance, next-generation product designs.
When asked about the acquisition, Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO of PTC said “PTC is pushing the boundaries of innovation with this acquisition…Creo is core to PTC’s overall strategy, and the embedded capabilities from ANSYS and, later, Frustum will elevate Creo to a leading position in the world of design and simulation. With breakthrough new technologies such as AR/VR, high-performance computing, IoT, AI, and additive manufacturing entering the picture, the CAD industry is going through a renaissance period, and PTC is committed to leading the way.”
Earlier this year PTC announced a strategic relationship with ANSYS. Frustum complements this relationship and will help bring analysis upstream to the very start of the design process. With embedded Frustum and ANSYS capabilities, Creo will be able to recommend design approaches using generative design, guide the user through the iterative design process using ANSYS Discovery Live, and ultimately validate the full product design at scale using the broader ANSYS Discovery suite. With these capabilities embedded in Creo, engineers will have unmatched capabilities to rapidly drive product innovation.
Here is some more information about the acquisition from the official PTC press release…
“This acquisition is a natural step for PTC and its customers,” said Jeff Hojlo, program director, product innovation, IDC. “AI and machine learning (ML) are widely discussed as two of the most impactful technologies of the future. For design, engineering, and R&D, the potential positive impacts of complementing the development process with AI and ML are astounding: lowering cost of quality (which is currently 20-25 percent of annual revenue at the average manufacturer), improving product success rate (which remains very low with more than 80 percent of products failing), and improving time to market and time to revenue by meeting customer needs accurately the first time.”
The Power of Generative Design
With generative design, engineers can interactively specify the functional requirements and goals of their design, including preferred materials and manufacturing processes—and even indicate key design parameters that take into consideration purchasing decisions, manufacturing capacity, supply chain status, and regional-required product variances. The system then uses AI and powerful high-performance computing techniques to present design alternatives for consideration as a starting point or as a final solution. By removing the constraints of human imagination and experience, engineers will be able to interact with the technology to create superior designs and innovative products more quickly.
Generative design is appealing to PTC’s vast customer base as they seek ways to:
- Increase engineering productivity
- Improve innovation and conceptual design exploration
- Develop higher-performance designs that are lighter weight, with improved durability
- Optimize new products for improved manufacturability, reduce material costs, and decrease manufacturing cycle times
- Create complex geometries optimized for additive manufacturing
- Deliver better products faster
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence
Integral to Frustum’s technology is a powerful AI component that learns, evolves, and, ultimately, performs key tasks, including:
- Providing valuable feedback to a designer early in the design phase
- Optimizing designs for multiple objectives simultaneously and offering a designer with multiple novel design alternatives, which enables companies to substantially reduce engineering cycles
- Modifying designs to manage multiple requirements and constraints, physics, materials availability, manufacturing processes, and design objectives
- Automating testing the outcomes of the design with other enterprise insights, including costing, supply chain, and quality data
The Transaction
The transaction closed on Monday, Nov.19, 2018. The acquisition is not expected to add material revenue for 2019 or to be dilutive to the financial guidance PTC provided on Oct. 24, 2018.
Additional Resources
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains statements about future events, including business performance and the effect of the acquisition on our future financial results, the integration and development of solutions, and the expected value of the acquired technology to users. These statements are “forward-looking statements” and actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including that the acquisition may not have the expected effect on future financial results and that the integration of the solutions may not occur when or as expected, and those risks and uncertainties described in PTC’s filings with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
PTC is changing the way Creo Design software is being sold. As of January 1st, 2018 new 3D modeling software licenses for PTC’s core solutions are only available by subscription in North America.
This makes it easier for users to utilize new functionality and keep up with the latest release of PTC Creo Parametric CAD software. It also gives organizations the flexibility to choose a 3D CAD package according to specific needs at a given time, and ensures access to the latest capabilities and premium support.
Changes in PTC Creo CAD Packaging
PTC has retired and consolidated the following CAD packages into one of 4 new tiered PTC Creo Parametric Design packages: Essentials, Essentials Plus, Essentials Premium, Engineer 1, Essentials Team, Engineer 2, Engineer 3, and Engineer 4.
You can see from the table below that Creo Design Essentials (T1) replaces Essentials, Essentials Plus, Essentials Premium, and Engineer 1; Creo Design Advanced (T2) replaces Essentials Team and Engineer 2; Creo Design Advanced Plus (T3) replaces Engineer 3; Creo Design Premium (T4) replaces Engineer 4; and Creo Design Premium Plus (T5) is an entirely new package that becomes the fifth tier for the new Creo packaging.
New PTC Creo Design Packages
With Creo Parametric and its extensions you can create, analyze, view, and share designs using 2D CAD, 3D CAD, parametric design and direct modeling capabilities along with additive manufacturing, model-based definition (MBD), and smart connected design. Every package includes the industry’s most comprehensive set of 3D CAD tools to allows you to design with maximum potential.
Every package comes with the Core Capabilities and the power to publish, share, and create augmented reality experiences right inside of your 3D CAD models. This allows you to add value to your customer experience because they can now visualize your design with AR.
Here’s a breakdown of what is included in each package:
Creo Design Essentials
- Creo Parametric
- Design Exploration Extension
- Flexible Modeling Extension
- Human Factors
- Human Factors Analysis
- Advanced Framework Extension
- Collaboration Extension for Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks
- Intelligent Fastener Extension
- Legacy Data Migration Extension
- Piping and Cabling Extension
- Render Studio Extension
- Mathcad Express
- Simulation Elite (Linear Structural Analysis)
Creo Design Advanced
**includes everything in Design Essentials and also includes:
- Prismatics and Multi-Surfaces Milling Extension
- Advanced Assembly Extension
Creo Design Advanced Plus
**includes everything in Design Advanced and also includes:
- Interactive Surface Design Extension II
- Behavioral Modeling Extension
- Mechanism Dynamics Extension
- Additive Manufacturing Extension – Standard
- Tolerance Analysis Extension
- GD&T Advisor Extension
- Tool Design Extension
- Expert Moldbase Extension
- Mold Machining Extension
- Layout Extension
**includes everything from Advanced Plus and also includes:
- Collaboration Extension for CATIA V4 and V5
- Collaboration Extension for NX
- Simulation Extension
- Fatigue Advisor Extension
- Flow Analysis
- GD&T Advisor Plus
- Production Machining Extension
- NC Sheetmetal Extension
- Mathcad
Creo Design Premium Plus
**includes everything from Design Premium and also includes:
- Advanced Simulation Extension
- Complete Machining Extension
- Flow Analysis Plus
- Options Modeler Extension
- Topology Optimization
- Additive Manufacturing Extension – Plus
For more details on the extensions in each of the new packages, watch our webinar replay, “New PTC Creo Design Packages Overview.”
FAQ on New Packaging
Q: What is the price for existing customers upgrading to the new packages?
A: If you already have a subscription license, then you may upgrade to the new packaging through a contract amendment. If you are still on a perpetual license, then you may convert and upgrade at the same time and pay the subscription conversion price.
Q: Do the new packages contain PTC Windchill?
A: Creo Design Advanced (Tier 2) contains Windchill PDM essentials. Design Advanced Plus, Design Premium, and Design Premium Plus is bundled with Navigate Author, MCAD Data Management I, BOM Management, and Project Management at no increased cost. These three packages will also be available without PDM.
- Q: Do we offer node-locked licenses?
A: We offer a locked license for Design Essentials and Design Advanced only.
Q: Can I still buy Creo extensions that are now bundled in the new packages?
A: Yes, all extensions will still be available to be purchased separately. If you are subscribing to a new package that does not contain an extension that you need, that extension will be available separately.
Q: Are trials for the Creo software available online?
A: Yes, you can download a free 30-day trial here
Q: How would upgrades work if I already have subscription license? Do I pay the difference on the remaining contract?
A: Subscription upgrades are handled through a contract amendment. You would pay the difference between your current package and the upgraded package.
If you have more questions or would like to talk to us about the new Packages and Pricing, then contact us and we’ll give you more information.
Looking to make some major advances in innovation and digital transformation at your company? Check out how PTC Creo is the leading 3D CAD software in the industry.
I’ll start off explaining to you what exactly PTC Creo Parametric is and what it does for your design process.
What is PTC Creo Parametric?
PTC developed a premium parametric and direct computer-aided design (CAD) modeling software called Pro/ENGINEER. Pro/E was rebranded into PTC Creo Parametric and is now the leading product design software in the product development industry. Over 12,000 manufacturing companies worldwide use PTC Creo (Pro/E) software.
PTC Creo software gives you the ability to work with and edit data from almost any CAD source without recreating designs due to incompatible data. Creo provides a robust and scalable 3D CAD product design toolset for all different skill-levels of engineers and designers. With Creo CAD software you can quickly create 3D models of any part or assembly and improve existing designs with comprehensive surfacing capabilities.
PTC Creo Parametric provides 3D capabilities such as:
- 3D Part & Assembly Design
- Automatic 2D Drawing Creation
- Parametric & Freestyle Surfacing
- Assembly Management & Performance
- Sheet Metal Design
- Mechanism Design
- Plastic Part Design
- Direct Modeling (Flexible Modeling)
- Additive & Subtractive Manufacturing
- Augmented Reality
- Multi-CAD
- Collaboration
- Piping & Cabling
- Rendering
- Design Exploration
- Fastener Design
- Advanced Framework Design
- Legacy Data Migration
- Human Factors Design
- Core Simulation Capabilities
How to Download PTC Creo
“I’m already using another CAD software. How do I know PTC Creo is right for me?” Chances are you like to ride the bike before you buy it, right? That’s why PTC allows you to try it out before you decide to purchase. Download a free 30-day trial of PTC Creo here.
PTC Creo Parametric Software is constantly improving
Every version of Creo is better than the last! For instance, when Creo 4.0 was released it included capabilities for additive manufacturing, model-based definition (MBD), and smart connected design that allows engineers to leverage 3D modeling to define individual components and product assemblies. With Creo 5.0 building on the previous release, it contains all of Creo 4.0’s functionality and more!
The Intelligent Mini Toolbar: the mini-toolbar gives you access to relevant options while staying focused on the graphics area.
Customizable Menus: you can now tailor the tool for optimal productivity to customize your own workflow.
Flexible Modeling for Sheet Metal: you can now edit sheet metal bends, bend reliefs, corner reliefs, corner seams, and forms – simplifying designs for faster analysis.
Enhancements to Geometry Manipulation: accessibility to side 2 directly from graphics window when you right-click on a feature without navigating to the dashboard each time; the extrude and revolve tools allow you to specify negative direction values to invert materials for offset geometry; extrude is added to offset to eliminate the step of creating intermediate construction features.
PTC Creo 5.0 includes Topology Optimization, Additive/Subtractive Manufacturing for metal 3D printing, Mold Machining, Flow Analysis, Multi-CAD Collaboration, and improved enhancements with geometry sketch regions, subdivisional modeling, surfacing, sheet metal tools, and volume helical sweeps.
Read more about the newest release in our blog called, “What’s New in Creo 5.0?” or download the data sheet here.
Creo Software – Technology of the Future
When you purchase PTC Creo Software, you have the power to publish, share, and create augmented reality experiences right inside of your 3D CAD models. This allows you to add value to your customer experience because they can now visualize your design with AR.
With Creo Parametric, you also have the power of simulating digital twins within your CAD models to collect real-time data from sensors on a physical product. You can reduce downtime while using this data to find performance issues and schedule predictive maintenance.
As the physical and digital worlds converge, digital transformation starting with the right CAD software is more relevant than ever. PTC Creo software eliminates barriers to innovation and is a solution for product development challenges.
Download a free 30-day trial of PTC Creo to see for yourself how the right CAD software gives you the tools you need to design above and beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.
