Category: Technology

What’s new in the SOLIDWORKS 2018 release?

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1SOLIDWORKS, a CAD software, assists in creating solid models (both 2D and 3D) in a simple, fast and cost-effective manner. The prime benefit of using SOLIDWORKS is the ease to use, simple graphics UI and highly user-friendly. The software provides features such as solid modeling, toolbox, motion, circuit works, e-drawings, and DWG editor.

SOLIDWORKS World is a platform where the attendees meet the SOLIDWORKS partners and share the products that the SOLIDWORKS customers design. The SOLIDWORKS WORLD 2017, gave a lot of surprise to the SOLIDWORKS fans. The team previewed a few new features and enhancements coming in the year 2018. The modifications included Assemblies, Fabrication, Sketching, PDM, 3D Interconnect, and Generative Design.

Sketching      

There were a few mind blowing enhancements in sketching. Some of them are as follows

  1. Mirror 3D Sketch Entities: In a 3D sketch, the user will have the ability to mirror the entities of the sketch.
  2. Sketch Planes as Symmetry Reference: A plane can be used as a symmetry reference to mirror 2D and 3D sketch entities.
  3. Pen Sketching: With Windows 10 touch screen devices, the designers will have the ability to draw contours by freehand using a stylus or a pen.

Assembly

With the enhancements in Assembly, SOLIDWORKS 2018 will definitely improve the performance of the users.

  1. During mate, the ALT key can be used to hide the surfaces.
  2. The 2018 release of SOLIDWORKS will have 12 mouse gestures.
  3. There is a new dialog for performance.
  4. The new release will feature a new progress bar for assembly.
  5. A new home screen will make assembly even more interesting.
  6. Large Assembly
    • Mate and insert graphic components easily.
    • Revert the data to graphics for better
    • The ability to off the scenery (graphics data).
    • Set multiple objects to be resolved in a Large Design Review.

3D Interconnect

  1. Custom properties.
  2. Ability to preserve sketches and curves.
  3. Updating neutral files is supported.
  4. The new release will support IGES, ACIS, STEP, and JT.

Fabrication

  1. New slot and tab feature works in parts, multi-body parts, and assemblies.
  2. Drawing revision table with SOLIDWORKS PDM bi-directional communication.

Generative Design

  1. SIMULATION view in SOLIDWORKS Integration.
  2. Manufacturing Controls
  3. Multiple Objective support

These are just the preview of some of the modifications. The list of new features and modifications will be known only after the release of the product.

What Are The 7 Tech Trends That Will Dominate In 2017?

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The power of technology in 2016 was astounding. Right from the power to retrieve any information to communicate with others through the shortest device that fits in our pockets. We have already seen many advances in the field of Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Automobile, etc. Since, the technological innovations have taken over the consumer market by a storm, remain eager for what 2017 has in its store for you:

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

No wonder, AR, and VR were witnessed as big hits in 2016. We have an example as Pokemon Go, a smartphone based Augmented reality game that has witnessed  100 million downloads. Since then the market is paving its way towards AR and VR-based applications and devices. 2017 is expected to show great jumps in the field of AR/VR in the global markets.

Machine Learning 

Machine learning will enter almost every consumer application and suggest products based on prior purchase to improve the user experience. Therefore, in 2017, machines will learn, adapt, and act in an autonomous mode instead of executing on some pre-defined instructions.

Autonomous Cars

3The merger of various IOT devices has made it possible for the car makers such as BMW, Tesla, and others to make driver-less cars. 2017 shall also look towards the advancement such as car-to-car communication, cars talking to each other, traffic information and accident related information.

 

 

 

Smart Home Tech 

We are not living in smart homes yet but have been hearing about Internet of Things in the home space for many years. However, with the big technological players such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook who will be entering the domain shall help in witnessing commercialization of smart homes.

Services On Demand 

Premises of phone apps that the startups have built such as cab services- “Uber”, food delivery services- “Food Panda”, and ability to book places of stay- “Make My Trip” is nothing but the way technology is blessing us. It is expected to see some more advancement in the stream of apps that are going to benefit in an extraordinary way.

Automation  

Automation can relate with robotic journalists that we have witnessed and will soon make the leap towards the practical type of articles, simplifying the human-exclusive tasks. Therefore, automation combining with machine learning will improve everything faster and will turn 2017 as a landmark year.

Physical-Digital Integrations 

Mobile devices have already gifted us a pleasure to view and purchase things online. Exaggeration to such technology, we might experience the integration of physical and digital realities. The online brand we see today might add attractive features such as store maps, dash buttons, and product trails in 2017.

What are the Six Home Building Technologies of the Future?

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Technology seems to overpower our lives today and is likely to scatter in all sectors. Not only digital business but also residential construction is adopting technologies in a quick way. It is hard to find someone who is not using technology in order to comprehend routine tasks. Therefore, you can find engineers and builders to be using technology to its full potential. The future construction industry might incorporate the following technologies

  • Drones

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The drones are assumed to be small and remotely controlled copters. However, these flying vehicles also have auto-pilot feature. They not only possess the capability to transport materials but also have the ability to carry humans. The future drones are expected to have a high level of intelligence with fully robotic functionalities and capability to do real work.

 

  • Autonomous Trucks

By the year 2040, the autonomous trucks are expected to change the home building experience completely. These trucks will auto-load, auto-dispatch, and auto-offload. Daimler has already started testing self-driving trucks. The test showed that autonomous trucks reduced 7 percent of fuel consumption and consumed less road space.

  • Robots

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Robots have already started taking over some of the industries, and it will soon take over the construction industry too. With the use of construction robots, the need for the human crew to complete hard labor work will easily get eliminated. Haridon X, a robot is expected to be commercially available very soon. It has the capability of laying 1000 bricks approximately in just one hour.

 

  • 3D Laser Scanning

3D laser scanning will play a very important role in the construction industry. The technology could help in site planning, real-time structural analysis and much more. It wouldn’t be a surprise of the 3D laser scanning technology replaced the building inspectors.  Incorporating this technology will improve design, security, and cost.

  • Augmented Reality

According to experts, the wearables for augmented and virtual reality will reduce in size and could be as small as contact lenses. This technology will help you inspect job sites from almost anywhere as it will create full-scale and true-life models.

  • 3D Printers

China successfully 3D printed homes and large-scale structures in 2015. By the year 2040, the construction industry might witness 3D printers, printing almost everything. This technology has attracted the industry because it has the capability to print new shapes, reduces cost, and allows remote construction.

The above technologies are expected to replace time consuming man resource completely. With the rapid growth in the technology, it is impossible to predict what new technology might change the future of construction.

Worldwide CAD Trends 2016

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The Business Advantage Group – the IT, software and telecom industry research specialist, announced its Worldwide CAD Trends 2016 Survey, specific to Concurrent Engineering. The survey results are based on responses from CAD users, Designers, Engineers, Professionals including managers and senior executives.

Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a method of designing and developing products, in which the different stages run simultaneously, rather than consecutively. It decreases product development time and also the time to market, leading to improved productivity and reduced costs. For Concurrent Engineering the growth predicted in the 2015 report did not materialize – usage has remained flat (19%-18%) through 2015. Users continue to rate its Importance highly – it is the 6th most important CAD trend from the survey. However users continue to predict growth – 33% this year (from 18% to 24% usage) and 72% within 5 years (from 18% to 31%).

Awareness of Concurrent Engineering is 52% in large companies, 45% in medium sized companies and 39% in small companies. Similarly, Usage is highest in North America (21%) compared to EMEA (16%) or APAC (14%). The leading reason given for not using Concurrent Engineering was incompatibility with existing systems which is obviously a prerequisite for multiple users working on a single model real-time.

The top 10 leading software tools by market share are listed below. The highest market share for a single software solution is just 12% and there is no clear market leader, although from a vendor point of view Autodesk leads with 5 of the top 10 software solutions!

• Design Review 12% (17% of Autodesk users also use Design Review)
• Vault 11% (16% of Autodesk users also use Vault)
• Navisworks 11% (mainly in AEC at 21%, 15% of Autodesk users also use Navisworks)
• Windchill 8% (mainly in manufacturing at 12%, 42% of PTC CAD users also use Windchill)
• A360 8% (mainly in AEC at 12%, 11% of Autodesk users also use A360)
• Teamcenter 7% (mainly in manufacturing at 14%, 42% of Siemens CAD users also use Teamcenter)
• ProjectWise 4% (mainly in AEC at 7%, 38% of Bentley users also use ProjectWise)
• Buzzsaw 5% ( 7% of Autodesk and 6% of PTC users also use Buzzsaw)
• Enterprise PDM 4% (mainly in Manufacturing at 6%, 12% of Dassault users also use Enterprise PDM
• ProjectWise 4% (mainly in AEC at 7%, 38% of Bentley users also use ProjectWise)

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Image courtesy: www.business-advantage.com

Need for Technical and Vocational Skill Development in Africa

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The term Technical and Vocational skills Development follow the 1997 UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education definition, which is education and training to “acquire the practical skills, know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation, trade or group of occupations or trades.” Africa has roughly 200 million people aged between 15 and 24 that are required to be trained to develop skills so that they are either employable or can start their own enterprises. In order to train and modernize their technical labour pool for rapid industrialization and national development, African countries need to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The skills shortage is a priority that the Africa’s leadership in various sectors will need to address urgently, otherwise the country would be forced to ease restrictions for foreign workers to be able to meet the human resource requirements. Education and skills can open doors for economically and socially rewarding jobs and can seek growth for small-scale unofficial enterprise. The development of job-related skills therefore, should be a part of Africa’s human resource strategies and its poverty-reduction strategies.

 

Characteristics of Technical and Vocational skills Development systems:

TVET delivery systems are placed to train the skilled and efficient entrepreneurs that Africa needs to create wealth and thus emerge out of poverty. It can respond, not only to the requirements of different types of industries, but also caters to the needs of the learners from different sections of the society, and prepare them for a meaningful and supportable life while giving them employment.

 

The Impact of Technical and Vocational Training in Africa at present:

With the turn of the century, a fresh awareness of the analytical role played by TVET in economic growth and national development has been perceived by policy makers in many African countries and within the international contributing community. In its poverty reduction strategy document, Cameroon for example intends to develop vocational and professional training to promote union into the labour market; Cote d’Ivoire talks about strengthening vocational training; Ghana has associated vocational education and training with education of the youth and the development of technical and business management skills; Lesotho and Rwanda focus on linking TVET to businesses while Malawi emphasizes that it is required to promote self-employment through skills development. Other countries that have prioritized TVET initiatives in their national development policy documents including Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia. Below is a graph showing the decrease in unemployment rate from January, 2014 to January,2015 from the data collected by Federal Reserve Bank.

The Education minister of Rwanda in Africa, Musafiri stated that expanding the training for technical and vocational skills development will bring innovative solutions to various challenges in the country which is its top priority requirement. The growing youth population of Africa comes with high energy, creativity and talents and the time has come to be able to utilize it by the development of their technical and vocational skills.