Manufacturing companies are driven by increasing pressure to develop innovative products in shorter time frames, while maintaining high levels of quality. Even with mature, capable 3D CAD technology, many companies have failed to significantly improve their design processes, and the benefits of lower costs and shorter cycle times remain elusive.

Transformation of product development begins with the design process, which fuels the entire product lifecycle – from simulation and analysis through tooling design, manufacturing, assembly, service and support.

Next-generation design technology

NX from Siemens PLM Software delivers next-generation design tools and technologies that help companies transform product development. Leading-edge design tools work in the context of the total development effort, fully integrating design with the other disciplines that bring products to market in a unified, managed environment.

NX design tools are superior in power, versatility, flexibility and productivity. From innovative Synchronous Technology that unites parametric and history-free modeling to NX Active Mockup for multi-CAD assembly design, NX delivers breakthrough technology that set new standards for speed, performance, and ease of use.

Using Simulation to Make Faster, More Informed Decisions

Effective use of digital simulation can help project managers reduce many downstream costs and risks. Often referred to as computer-aided engineering, or CAE, simulation enables engineers to understand, predict, and improve product performance digitally. More design concepts can be explored, which in turn reduces direct costs associated with expensive physical prototypes and enables faster, more informed decisions. The result is better performing products and higher margins.

The keys to maximizing the value of simulation applications are to use them both as early as possible and then throughout the development process. To this end, Siemens PLM Software offers a comprehensive suite of Digital Lifecycle Simulation solutions designed to meet the needs of multiple users within any engineering enterprise.

NX Lifecycle Simulation delivers:

• Reusable processes and knowledge-driven CAE as a unified part of the NX Digital Product Development environment
• Scalability and consistencybased on high-performance CAE technology
• Industrial-strength productivity where CAE results are “current and in the design loop”
• Intelligent multi-CAD geometry idealization • capabilities for CAE which automatically update as the design changes
• Multi-discipline solutions through integrated multi-physics, multi-discipline FEA and CFD solvers, and design-integrated multi-body motion simulation
• Simulation process and data managementacross a global organization and virtual supply chain for managing CAE models, results, reports and CAE “best practice” processes
• Open support for industry standard CAD and CAE data exchange formats: Parasolid, IGES, STEP, STL, UNV, NBD, XML; standard 3rd party CAE software integrations including ANSYS, ABAQUS, LS-Dyna and MSC NASTRAN; and customizability for in-house solutions
• Global design collaboration using JT for lightweight visualization

Shorter product development cycles are the primary driving force in manufacturing. Continuous innovation and change in designs require more and faster development of numerical control programs, molds, tools and dies required to manufacture the product. Rapid technology change is increasing the complexity of the tools and processes used in manufacturing, and new methodologies are breaking down the walls between design and manufacturing operations.

As the world leader in computer-aided manufacturing, Siemens PLM software helps companies meet the challenge with leading edge solutions. More than point solutions for discrete production tasks, the NX suite of manufacturing software links design and manufacturing to improve productivity throughout tooling and fixture design and NC machining processes.

Advanced technology in NX tooling solutions automates and accelerates the development of molds, dies, and fixtures for higher quality, lower cost and faster turnaround. For machining, NX delivers the range and depth of CAM performance that maximizes returns on investments in advanced machine tools. Linked with proven data and process controls, NX helps companies manage information to improve productivity and collaboration in manufacturing operations.