Siemens' latest Solid Edge software helps engineers design faster

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2015-05-29 09:06:59

The latest release of Siemens' Solid Edge® software (Solid Edge ST8) includes enhancements and new functionality that help users increase design speed and improve their ability to leverage synchronous technology, while providing greater flexibility in choice of platform and purchasing options.

In addition, the full version of Solid Edge ST8 can now be installed on tablets running Microsoft's Windows® 8.1 operating system, giving users more freedom to design anytime, anywhere. In conjunction with the release of Solid Edge ST8, Siemens' product lifecycle management (PLM) business also launched a new Solid Edge App Marketplacesm mobile app. This one-stop shop for add-on solutions that extend the capabilities of Solid Edge will help customers further enhance product development productivity.

"I was very pleased with the enhancements made to the synchronous technology interface in Solid Edge ST8," said Mr Ricardo Espinosa, R&D engineering manager, Kimball International. "These improvements will enable a rapid learning curve, which helps me train interns and temporary help, and get them up to speed quickly. It is clear the Solid Edge development team values its customers and is committed to providing state-of-the-art product development tools."

Improvements to synchronous design intent management, complex sketching and 3D feature recognition enable users to focus on designs, rather than the design tools, resulting in an accelerated modeling process. Flexible modeling incorporating synchronous technology frees the user to intuitively produce realistic, accurate designs faster, reducing time-to-market. Synchronous technology combines the speed and flexibility of direct modeling with the precise control of dimension-driven design.

In addition, simplification of large and complex assembly capabilities in Solid Edge ST8, combined with its ability to accurately simulate and predict kinematic conditions, greatly accelerates the assembly design process and significantly reduces the need for physical prototypes. Solid Edge ST8 also provides extended access to in-product learning tools, online community and the new Solid Edge App Marketplace. These tools and features are all intended to improve performance and fuel greater productivity through an accelerated design process. The choice of purchasing options, including a monthly subscription model, is designed to meet varying business requirements and provide customers financial flexibility.

Solid Edge ST8 also enables users to design more intuitively by providing full support of Windows 8.1 multi-touch interface and its ability to recognize a finger versus a stylus. Full access to design processes on mobile platforms provides location flexibility and further enables innovation and collaboration.

"When talking with users who have been designing with Solid Edge on a tablet, it is clear to me they (Siemens) didn't just port it over. They thought long and hard about how to adapt Solid Edge to a mobile environment, taking advantage of multi-touch and stylus interactions," said Mr Chad Jackson, Research Analyst, Lifecycle Insights. "Those conversations show applications where the users are realizing real benefits in terms of collaborating with suppliers and addressing customer needs on the go. This really addresses modern engineers' needs."

"Solid Edge ST8 significantly enhances accessibility and ease of use," said Mr John Miller, Senior Vice President, Mainstream Engineering Software, Siemens PLM Software. "We believe it is important for our customers to have a choice of how they purchase and deploy Solid Edge. Whether they select a perpetual or subscription license, a desktop workstation or a fully mobile platform, we are able to provide companies of all sizes the right solution for their business needs. As a result, Solid Edge customers are able to design better and realise innovation."

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