NX Tip of the Week - May 30, 2014

NX - Finding Assembly Constraints Associated to a Particular Component

• We can determine if a part is Fully Constrained, Partially Constrained, or Unconstrained by looking at the Position column in the Assembly Navigator:

• You can see all the Assembly Constraints under the Constraints area. However, this list is all of the constraints in the assembly. The more components, the more constraints:

• I like to use the Dependencies group to see my constraints associated with a particular component. Make sure you also turn on the Detailed View button. This will allow you to select a particular component and see only the constraints associated to it: 

• If you go and edit or create Assembly Constraints, you can click the back arrow to get back to the previous window:

• In NX 8.0, the Constraint Navigator was added:

• You can sort/group the Constraints in different ways. For our discussion here, choose Group by Components:

• I can now select the component in question and branch open to see the Assembly Constraints in question:

• To summarize, we can use the Constraint Navigator starting with NX 8, to help find Assembly Constraints associated with a particular part.  You can also branch open the Dependencies group and select Detailed View to see those constraints. 

Click HERE to watch this demonstrated in the video:

Brandon Carter
Senior Application Engineer
Ally PLM Solutions, Inc

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Food processing machine maker achieves 63% design productivity gain

Reading Bakery designs better with Solid Edge. Detailed drawing production time was reduced from 3.2 hours to 1.2 hours and designers produced three times as many drawings the first year as it had using its old 2D CAD. With Solid Edge’s built-in data management system, about half of all employees (manufacturing, purchasing, sales, CNC shop) can access current design data.

Learn how

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=30213&ComponentTemplate=1481

Try Solid Edge for free

http://allyplm.com/solidedgetrial/

Solid Edge Tip of the Week - May 23, 2014

Solid Edge - Create and Verify Motion with Solid Edge Assembly Tools

Did you know Solid Edge Assembly has many tools to create and verify motion? Ally PLM Application Engineer, Matt Johnson, hosted a break out session at Solid Edge University 2014 to review these tools in detail. 

For example, you can use a Visual Basic Function to drive Solid Edge Assembly Motion.  From the Solid Edge Variable Table, you can add a Visual Basic Function. This can be an actual Function or a Sub Routine. Of particular interest, in the assembly is the ability to use a Sub Routine to edit multiple variables at one time and therefore emulate real motion occurring at a given time. Starting at 25:20 in the video, Matt discusses this topic in detail or to view his recorded session in it's entirety, click HERE.

Matt Johnson

Application Engineering Team

Ally PLM Solutions, Inc

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Packaging machine manufacturer achieves 70% reduction in product development time

Uflex Engineering designs better with Solid Edge. The company designs and manufactures printing, packaging and converting machines. The engineering division also achieved significant financial benefits, reduced design errors and rework, delivered more accurate cost estimates and lowered the price of its machines.

Learn how
http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=123176&ComponentTemplate=1481

Try Solid Edge for free

http://allyplm.com/solidedgetrial/

How to import your existing Technology Database after installing a new version of CAMWorks for Solid Edge

When upgrading to a new version of CAMWorks for Solid Edge or installing a Service Pack, it is important to know that you can import your existing Technology Database.  During the installation, CAMWorks automatically creates a backup copy of your existing Technology Database and then installs the new “Out of the Box” Technology Database.  Here are the steps to import your existing Technology Database:

1.  Go into "Maintenance" from the main page:

2.  Use the "Import Database" option:

3.  Ensure that Solid Edge is not running and then click "Next":

4.  Browse to the techdb.mbd file that CAMWorks automatically backed up during installation.  This will be located as shown below:

                                                 C:\CAMWorksForSolidEdgeData\CAMWorks2014x64ForSolidEdge\backup\english\backup_01 

5.  It is a good idea to backup the “Out of the Box” techdb.mbd file.  Then click “Next”:

6.  Click "Import" to import your existing Technology Database:

7.  Click “Finish” and then open Solid Edge and verify that your existing Technology Database information is active:

Chad Varney

Application Engineering Team, Ally PLM Solutions

Solid Edge Tip of the Week - May 19, 2014

Solid Edge - How to Create a Perforated Tube

A lot of consumers have questions regarding how to create a perforated tube in Solid Edge.   

• When creating a perforated tube, start with a Contour Flange. The curve needs to be open even if by less than 1 degree when making a tube:

• Unbend the flange so a hole/cut out pattern can be placed on the part by selecting Bend then Unbend:

• Rebend the part to create the perforated tube by selecting Bend then Rebend: 

Ben Roll
Application Engineering Team
Ally PLM Solutions, Inc

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Material handling systems provider cuts development time 20%

Cybernetik Technologies designs better with Solid Edge. Synchronous technology is also credited for cutting costs by 20 percent through higher design accuracy. Design errors dropped by nearly 30 percent and Cybernetik was better able to convey design concepts and wins new customers.

Learn how

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=143187&ComponentTemplate=1481

Try Solid Edge for free

http://allyplm.com/solidedgetrial/

Ally PLM presentation on Assembly Motion at SEU 2014

Listen to Matt Johnson's Solid Edge Assembly Motion video which was presented at Solid Edge University 2014!

Learn about creating and verifying motion in Solid Edge assemblies, checking for interferences and collisions and how we create keep-out zones.

Matt Johnson is an application engineer at Ally PLM and has 10 years of Solid Edge experience.

Try Solid Edge for free

http://allyplm.com/solidedgetrial/

Learn more about Matt Johnson and Ally PLM 

Tracy Tijan

Ally PLM Solutions

Now Available - CAMWorks for Solid Edge 2014 SP2 Release

Download CAMWorks for Solid Edge 2014 SP2 Release which includes enhanced capabilities and reduces your programming time. Assembly Mode Machining functionality allows the users to program multiple parts in one set up. CAMWorks for Solid Edge provides a virtual representation of machine components, clamps, and fixtures known as "Tombstone Machining" allowing the users to avoid these elements while programming.

Detailed tutorials are also available within CAMWorks for Solid Edge by clicking CAMWorks Options > Help Manual > Mill_Assemblies_Tutorial file:

Click HERE to learn more about CAMWorks for Solid Edge and how to apply it to your everyday work operations.

Request a quote for CAMWorks for Solid Edge.

Tracy Tijan
Ally PLM Solutions

Solid Edge Tip of the Week - May 9, 2014

Solid Edge - How to Use Engineering Point Data

How do you use engineering point data from tools like Mathcad or Matlab in the form of an .xls file to generate a 2D/3D Curve in Solid Edge?

Solid Edge has a command “Curve by Table”:

 

You can use this command to generate a curve from point data. The input required by this command is an Excel spreadsheet containing point data. 

This is an example of the excel file with co-ordinates of the points. Please note your Columns A, B and C correspond to the X, Y and Z co-ordinates of the points. In this example, I want a 2D Curve in an X-Y plane. That is why the C column is all zeros. The excel file I used to create the sketch has around 10,000 point data: 

Resulting 2D curve: 

Navjot Gill
Application Engineering Team
Ally PLM Solutions, Inc

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Think you’re a Solid Edge expert? Take our Solid Edge Challenge and you could win a $100 Visa gift card! Get ready for Solid Edge certification at SEU2014!

Take the Ally PLM Solid Edge quiz and you could win a $100 Visa gift card by getting the highest score in the least amount of time!

Prepare for Solid Edge certification at Solid Edge University 2014 and challenge yourself by clicking on the link below to take the quiz now! You'll need to create an account but it's quick and easy. Enter by C.O.B. Monday, May 12th.

https://training.allyplm.com/mod/quiz/view.php?id=50

Ally PLM will contact you by Monday, May 19th if you are our winner. Good luck!

Ally PLM Solutions

Bakery equipment manufacturer shrinks design time 50%

AMF Canada designs better with Solid Edge. With design time down 50 percent, other results included a key reduction and near elimination of sheet metal rework. Assembly times dropped 20 percent and the food processing machinery company was able to meet critical delivery times.

Learn how
http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=30590&ComponentTemplate=1481

Try Solid Edge for free

http://allyplm.com/solidedgetrial/

Performance Improvements with ST6 MT6 for all Solid Edge Insight and TC Users

Hi all Solid Edge Insight and TC users,

There are performance improvements made with ST6 MP6 that I wanted to share with you.

Limited Update and Limited Save (must be requested for ST6 but will come standard with ST7):

You need to request the add-in (email Madison.rye@allyplm.com with request for 64 bit only and I will request permission from Siemens).  You will get a link to download the add-in (64 bit) that delivered the ST6 UI to get access to this functionality in ST6 MP6.

For each client this add-in needs to be loaded and registered by the following procedure:

Copy the contents of the downloaded zip file into the Program Files\Solid Edge ST6\Program folder (or wherever you loaded Solid Edge if not loaded to the default location).
Locate the file registerLimUpdate64R.bat (one of the files copied into the Program folder in step #1) and double click it.

This will register the Add-In so Solid Edge can see it.

The add-in will make available the following UI located in the Large Assembly tab (which should be newly created by the Add-In).

Assembly features – Fix to increase performance if you use many assembly features:  

After MP6 is installed, please add the following registry key…

In order to realize this fix in ST6 MP6 and forward, you have to add 'MembassyBindOnce' as new DWORD (32-bit) value in the registry [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Unigraphics Solutions\Solid Edge\Version 106\DEBUG] hive.  To turn it ON or enable these fixes, its value has to be set to 1.  0 turns it OFF or disables these fixes.

Reverse Property sync: 

Make sure this is on by checking after loading ST6MP6 … 

The dll provided in the fix does this by creating registry key enableInsightRPS = 0 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Unigraphics Solutions\Solid Edge\Version 106\SolidEdge_Insight 

O is so it does not do reverse prop synch saving time on the download

1 is so that it does do reverse prop synch taking more time on the download

Thanks,

Madison Rye, Application Engineering Manager at Ally PLM 

Solid Edge Tip of the Week - May 5, 2014

Solid Edge Help

The Solid Edge Help is a very useful tool for users who are just starting to learn Solid Edge or for someone who may have forgotten how to use a certain command.

To quickly access more information on a command that is active, all you have to do is press F1 to bring up the help for that command. The other way to access help on a certain command would be to hold down the Shift key and then press F1. This will put a question mark next to your cursor and you are able to select any command in the ribbon that you want help with: 

The default behavior for the Help in ST6 is to open in a web browser. I find this extremely helpful as I can quickly copy the URL of whatever topic I was looking at and share it with anyone that has access to the internet. If you don’t have access to the internet or like the local help better, you have the option to switch the way Help is displayed. To change this setting go to the Solid Edge Application Button – Solid Edge Options – Helpers Tab and scroll to the very bottom. There is an option here that says “Use my web browser to display help”:

 

One of the reasons I like using the local help is the Favorites tab. After searching for help on a command, I can go to the Favorites tab and press the Add button at the bottom of the window. Whenever I come back into Help I can access my favorites and find the information I need quickly and easily:  

Ben Weisenberger
Application Engineer at Ally PLM Solutions