Partner Pavilion at SWW2019 – Partners in Progress
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
The Partner Pavilion at SolidWorks World is the place where one can experience how products are built in real time.
Traditionally the Partner Pavilion is buzzing with activity from the previous day at the SolidWorks World event and it was no different at the 2019 edition in Dallas earlier this year. About 80 companies – all using SolidWorks in their processes – exhibited at the Partner Pavilion, using the opportunity for connecting with the 6000 plus CAD professionals attending the annual conference. This is the place where the action is, where new technologies are launched and demonstrated and one can also experience some thrills at the Gaming Lounge. The exhibiting companies range from those specialising in computer aided manufacturing (CAM), computers and hardware, design and drafting, ERP, extended reality (XR), PDM/PLM, graphics accelerators and rapid prototyping (3D printing) among others.
French XR specialist SpeederNet demonstrated how to quickly and simply create web diffused 360°/VR experiences using Speedernet Sphere and SolidWorks software. Speedernet Sphere is an innovative 360°/VR solution offering an accessible and simple approach that allows businesses to easily create 360°/VR and then visualise their creations directly on the web. Total, Airbus, Air France, L’Oreal, Sanofi, Danone, Saint Gobain are just some of the major corporations already using Speedernet Sphere to create web VR experiences.
CORTIME, a Danish company, unveiled its SolidWorks-embedded robust design exploration and data analysis tool. Robust design is used to determine the impact of controllable and uncontrollable factors on design. What it does is conduct sensitivity analysis to reduce design complexity, helps design optimisation to find the best solution, and also predicts design failure, resulting in a shortened development cycle. While CORTIME is presently exclusively integrated into SolidWorks (including SolidWorks Simulation), but it can also be integrated into software from other vendors.
At the XR Zone HaptX Inc showcased the HaptX Gloves Development Kit that seeks to transform VR training and design. These gloves are an industrial-grade product for advanced simulation in virtual reality, empowering professional VR users to develop simulations with realistic touch feedback and natural interaction for the first time. When combined with a VR headset, HaptX Gloves revolutionise human-machine interaction, enabling users to feel virtual objects with unprecedented realism. They also offer a safe, cost-effective, and flexible alternative to live training.
The various CAM companies had their offerings for designing of complex parts for machining with the correct tool paths. With all the tools for design and validation, there is also the matter of the proof of the pudding – the actual manufacturing, which was also on display at the Shop Floor. Here there were actual CNC machines demonstrating the real thing – the process of manufacturing with the shop floor experience. Since not all parts can be manufactured on machine tools, there was also a 3D Printer at the Shop Floor manufacturing complex parts.
In fact Additive Manufacturing or Rapid Prototyping was a big component of the Partner Pavilion with all the big names like Stratasys, 3D Systems, Desktop Metal, Big Rep, FormLabs and Ultimaker among others, in attendance.
Perhaps the most remarkable was RIZE, which a few months ago had launched XRIZE, the world’s first desktop industrial 3D printer for creating vibrant, full-colour functional parts with minimal post-processing. With zero harmful emissions, using only safe, recyclable materials and with minimal pre- and post-processing, RIZE provides engineers with a safe and easy additive manufacturing experience that will drive adoption and sustainably accelerate innovation among all users. During the SWW2019, RIZE also announced that it has formed strategic business partnership with Dassault Systèmes, which enables RIZE and SolidWorks users worldwide to drive faster inclusive and sustainable innovation by leveraging the power of latter’s design software and RIZE’s voxel-level additive manufacturing, all in one place. “We are delighted to partner with them to ensure that every part that is designed in SolidWorks comes with a haptic experience that enables everyone in the value chain to collaborate, communicate and innovate,” said Andy Kalambi, President and CEO of RIZE.
SolidWorks Education – Teach Them Young
Yet another highlight of the Partner Pavilion at SWW2019 was the introduction of the Education Zone Product Showcase. In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, getting students hooked at an early age makes sense, equipping them with the right tools at the right academic stage. Education has always been accorded an important place in SolidWorks scheme of things – the company has a strong association with educational institutions globally. According to Marie Planchard, Director, Education & Early Engagement at SolidWorks, an estimated 10 million students globally use SolidWorks, besides 1000 FabLabs, and the company sponsors several competitions globally for the student community.
While there are several teams from colleges in the USA regularly participating in various competitions like the SAE Baja Team from Baylor University and the Robowranglers Team from Grenville, India has a unique national level product design competition called Aakruti, conducted by SolidWorks since 2015. While the inaugural year had 703 teams with 2 students each from 129 colleges from 17 states, in 2018 the figures were 1120 teams, 2240 students from 218 colleges from 24 states! Normally only the winners and runners up are invited to the SolidWorks World event in the USA, but this year, all the 12 finalists were asked to attend the event as a special gesture by, Gian Paolo Bassi CEO, SolidWorks/ Dassault Systèmes. Besides the opportunity of showcasing their efforts at such a prestigious global forum, the students also get job offers. In fact the winners of the previous year were absorbed by the company in India.
“India has the talent,” said Marie Planchard, who narrated how the idea of this competition was germinated when she was travelling in India a few years ago and there was a small competition held for students with support from a customer where the winner was to be offered a job. The competition was held in just three states and so impressed was the customer with the results that instead of the winner alone, the next four runners up were also offered jobs! “This is the connection we are trying to make – from schools to universities and to the industry, to what is going on in the real world, and they have to be really good. There is a lot of talent in India,” said Marie in conclusion.
Captions:
Pix1: A view of the partner Pavilion at SWW2019.
Pix2: The HaptX Gloves revolutionise human-machine interaction.
Pix3: The Shop Floor had CNC machines manufacturing showing live demos.
Pix4: Andy Kalambi, President and CEO of RIZE.
Pix5: Marie Planchard, Director, Education & Early Engagement at SolidWorks, and Kishore Sarvade, SolidWorks India.
Pix6: The finalists of Aakruti 2018 competition who attended the SWW2019.