West Michigan SolidWorks User Group Logo Contest

Here's some exciting news from the West Michigan SolidWorks User Group!  They are holding a contest for their new logo.

Rules of the contest:

• At least some feature or the entire logo must be created using SolidWorks
• The logo MUST include "WMSWUG"
• The logo must be submitted as a graphics file, i.e, JPEG, BMP, PNG, etc.
• Submit your logo entry to jason@rocksolidperspective.com or fred@aromech.com
• Entry deadline is June 25, 2011
• You may submit up to three logos per person

Entries will be collected and placed anonymously into one document.  The document will be sent out to the group and votes will be cast before the July meeting.

The winner will be announced during the July 8th meeting and a prize will be awarded. 

Some helpful links from the WMSWUG March meeting:

• Forums Tips & Tricks
• Hidden Commands from Forums
• SolidWorks Lessons Link

Miami Valley SolidWorks User Group Meeting

The next MVSWUG meeting has been announced and will take place:

Date:  May 19, 2011
Time:  5:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Gander Mountain

8001 Old Troy Pike

Huber Heights,OH 45424

(937) 236-9786

GPS Coordinates:

Latitude: 39.8719024

Longitude: -84.1454582

Agenda

• 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm:  Registration, food and networking
• 5:45 pm - 6:00 pm:  Opening remarks
• 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm:  Avelino Rochino Certification Program Specialist will talk about the Expert test.  Then about the Weldments exam and there will be a lesson on Weldments.
• 7:30 pm - 7:45 pm:  Break
• 7:45 pm - 8:15 pm:  Q&A
• 8:15 pm - 8:30 pm:  Discussion about next meeting, wrap up and giveaways

To RSVP for the meeting, please send an email to Randy Adams at ovapres@yahoo.com.

View Manipulation

Let's say you've completed your model or perhaps still working on it, and you want to change the Front View of your model to be the Top View? You've decided that there is a better way to view your model but you need to change the view orientations - what can you do?

With a few simple mouse clicks you can re-arrange all the view orientations!

I have a model of a coaster here and I want to change the Top View to be the Front View...

This is my current Front View...

Hitting the Space Bar on the keyboard brings up the View Orientation tab. I position my model so that the view I'm looking at is oriented into the position I want - in this case the view I want to be my new Front View. I select FrontSECOND icon along the top row as I have below, and then select the

SolidWorks then sends me a note warning me about the change I'm about to make...

Selecting YES sets the change and all my views are changed!

DriveWorks - Automatic for the People

Earlier this month, DriveWorks hit the headlines of Develop3D's March issue to celebrate 10 years of design automation.  Al Dean, editor of Develop3D, talked to DriveWorks CEO Glen Smith, and Vice-President Maria Sarkar, about design automation software, the last decade and the future of DriveWorks and where its headed.

DriveWorks develops software that assists in automating product design based on a set of rules, either at a local workstation level, or wider scale across an enterprise.

Read Al Dean's article in its entirety at http://develop3d.com/profiles/automatic-for-the-people.

MOKA SolidWorks User Group Meeting Announcement

These guys are really on top of things, as soon as one meeting concludes, the next one is planned!  The Missouri/Oklahoma area has a great user group leader in Brian Long. 

Date:  May 3, 2011

Time:  4:45 pm - 8:00 pm

Location:  Southwest Missouri Bank Community Building, 801 South Duquesne Rd., Joplin, MO 64801

Agenda

• 4:45-5:00 pm:  Registration and Networking
• 5:00-5:30 pm:  General Discussion
• 5:30-6:00 pm:  Break, Food and Networking
• 6:00-7:30 pm:  Presentation, Main Topic "Best Practices"
• Guest Speaker:  Wayne Tiffany is coming all the way from Kansas City to speak on SolidWorks Best Practices.  Wayne is a Senior Design Engineer at Automatic Systems, Inc., in Kansas City.  He is currently the CAD Manager for SolidWorks at ASI and has more than eight years of SolidWorks experience designing custom machinery for the conveyor and automotive industries.  He is the current president of the Kansas City SolidWorks User Group, and is a Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP.)
• 7:30-8:00 pm:  Wrap-up, Discussion about next meeting, door prizes

Mark you calendars and plan on attending.  Talk to your co-workers and suggest they attend.  To RSVP for the meeting, please visit the SolidWorks Forum and fill out the form.  Brian will need a head count for refreshments.

Weldment Groups

A group is a collection of related segments in a structural member.

You configure a group to affect all its segments without affecting other segments or groups in the structural member.

Types of groups are:

Contiguous

A continuous contour of segments joined end-to-end. You can control how the segments join to each other. The end point of the group can optionally connect to its beginning point.

Parallel

A discontinuous collection of parallel segments. Segments in the group cannot touch each other.

• You can define a group in a single plane or in multiple planes.
• A group can contain one or more segments.
• A structural member can contain one or more groups.
• After you define a group, you can operate on it as a single unit. Use the Structural Member PropertyManager to:

• Specify the corner treatment for the segments in the group.
• Create weld gaps between segments to allow space for weld beads.
• Mirror the profile of a single group.
• Align, rotate, or translate the profile of a group without affecting other groups in the structural member.

Mechanical Designer/Engineer, SolidWorks Needed in Madison, WI

Pipers Mechanical is seeking a 3D CAD Mechanical Designer/Engineer, proficient in SolidWorks for a full-time position.

Pipers Mechanical is a growing, successful process piping mechanical contractor on the far west side of Madison, Wisconsin, looking for one or more capable mechanical designers who can perform 3D modeling of existing and new piping systems.

Required Skills

• Experience with AutoCAD, SolidWorks and/or other 3D modeling software (SolidWorks preferred)
• Ability to work successfully on a team including other modelers, projects managers and customers
• Self Motivated - must be able to make progress with limited oversight
• Will occasionally need to visit customer sites
• Valid drivers license

Desired Skills

• At least one (1) year experience in modeling/routing piping, ductwork and equipment
• Basic understanding of computers and IT

Salary Range

• From $30-$50K depending upon skills and experience

Pipers Mechanical offers competitive pay and benefits including healthcare, dental coverage, and simple IRA.  Please submit resume or qualifications via email to:  carols@pipersmechanical.com.

LogoPress3 Software for Die Design featured in MetalForming Magazine

Accurate Die Design Inc., North American distributor of Logopress3 software for die design, is featured in the February 2011 issue of MetalForming magazine. 

After a short history lesson on die design, this cover page article gives the reader some insight into where 3D die design software is today. Finally, it offers the opinion that since dies are typically quite different from one another, it is important for the designer to have the flexibility to control the software and suggests that the software should not control the designer.

You can click here to watch a Logopress3 Tool Animation and Dynamic Interference Detection video of the die shown on the cover of the magazine operating on the designer's computer screen as if it was in the press.

Learn more on the Accurate Die Design website:

• Videos, publications and lots more
• Tips and Tricks Knowledge Base

FISHER/UNITECH is a reseller of the Logopress3 suite of products which includes Logopress3 BLANK, Logopress3 Tool Design and Logopress3 Unbending. 

FISHER/UNITECH Exhibits at Precision Machining Technology Show

Don't miss us in Booth #1018 at the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio, April 19-21, 2011.

We'll demonstrate the capabilities of the Dimension Elite 3D Printer, ideal for printing intricate 3D product mockups and functional models of parts such as medical devices and precision instruments.  The Dimension Elite uses ABS production-grade thermoplastic, printing models from the bottom up with precisely deposited layers of modeling and support material.  Models don't need to be cured; they are solid right out of the machine.  A water-based solution removes support material to complete the detailed design.  Models can then be drilled, tapped, sanded, and painted.

Also in our booth, learn how the SolidWorks family of design products allows you to focus on innovation, while increasing productivity and improving collaboration, all at a low cost of ownership.  We'll demo SolidWorks solutions for 3D CAD, design validation, product data management, and documentation.

The biennial PMTS is an international gathering of manufacturers, suppliers and end users of products and services dedicated to the production of precision machined products and turned parts.  The 2009 show hosted nearly 3,000 attendees from the automotive, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense, medical and consumer products industries.

Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS)

April 19-21, 2011

Greater Columbus Convention Center

Columbus, Ohio

SHOW HOURS:

• Tuesday, April 19th, 10:30 am - 5:00 pm
• Wednesday, April 20th, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
• Thursday, April 21st, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm

Visit the show website

Register online and save $20

MOKA SolidWorks User Group Meeting

Mark your calendars for the next Missouri Oklahoma Kansas Area SW meeting coming up in May.

Date:  May 3, 2011
Time:  4:45-8:00 pm

Place:  Southwest Missouri Bank Community Building
801 South Duquesne Rd., Joplin, MO  64801
(one building south of the bank, East side of the road)

Agenda

• 4:45-5:00 pm:  Registration & Networking
• 5:00-5:30 pm:  General Discussion
• 5:30-6:00 pm:  Break, Food and Networking
• 6:00-730 pm:  Presentation Main Topic:  Best Practices
• Guest Speaker:  Wayne Tiffany is coming all the way down from Kansas City to teach the group SolidWorks Best Practices.  Wayne is a Senior Design Engineer at Automatic Systems, Inc., in Kansas City.  He is currently the CAD Manager for SolidWorks at ASI and has more than eight years of SolidWorks experience designing custom machinery for the conveyor and automotive industries.  He is the current president of the Kansas City SolidWorks User Group, and is a Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP.)
• 7:30-8:00 pm:  Wrap-up, discussion about next meeting, door prizes

Refreshments:  The menu has not been set, so if there is something you'd like please make a suggestion.

Please visit the MOKA website to register for the meeting.

Central Indiana SolidWorks User Group Meeting Announced

The next CISUG Meeting has been scheduled!  Mark your calendars for:

Date:  Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Time:  4:30 pm
Location:  Dorel Juvenile Group, 2525 State Street, Columbus, IN  47201

Register Now

Park in small lot, off Cherry Street, on the west side of the facility.  Enter the doors that are closest to the parking lot.

Agenda

• Joint meeting with New Albany SolidWorks User Group
• "Are you interested in become a CSWP?" by Bryan Ray, New Albany Leader
• Dinner:  Sponsored by SWUG Corporate
• Technical Presentation:  "Managing Your Hardware for Best Performance," followed by Tips & Tricks
• Door Prizes, followed by a Dorel plant tour

CAD/CAM SLAM! CAM for SolidWorks Webcast

Don't miss your opportunity to see the first ever webcast from SolidWorks that covers the advantages of using an integrated CAM solution for programming your CNC equipment directly inside SolidWorks.

When:  Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Time:  11:00 am ET, 10:00 am CT
Live Internet Webcast

See live examples of:

• How SolidCAM, one of the leading CAM systems available today, proves that to be the leader they must go beyond being the most powerful and easiest to use - they must be integrated into SolidWorks
• The familiar SolidWorks Interface and how it can be used for CNC programming and slashing the CAM learning curve
• Ending the frustration of file importing and non-native design models
• The advantages of automatic tool path updates when the design model is changed
• iMachining, the most innovative and advanced tool paths that cut cycle times in half, save tool life and end the speeds and feeds "guessing game"

• A real-life mold maker tells his story about why he uses SolidCAM.  Hear first hand from Scott Neill, on how he uses SolidCAM's integrated solution to make his own company a success.  Scott Neill spent 33 years in the machining business and he's been on both sides of the manufacturing industry.  He's worked at an engineering R&D manufacturing lab as well as spent many years as a master machinist at job shops and mold and die houses.  He is now the owner of Manufacturing Services where he puts his experience to use.  Introduced to CAM in 1990, Scott has a rich, detailed background with numerous CAM packages.

In this special CAD/CAM series, SolidWorks will present world-class CAM solutions that are fully integrated into SolidWorks to help you reduce product manufacturing costs, shorten lead times and increase throughput and yield. 

Click here to register

Beta Testers Wanted for SolidWorks n!Fuze!

SolidWorks n!Fuze! was first introduced at SolidWorks World 2010, when it was called Product Data Sharing.  Advancements in the product were shared two months ago at SolidWorks World 2011, and it will be available for purchase in the coming months.

n!Fuze! has already completed the initial private beta, and SolidWorks is looking to expand the tester pool for the next round of testing.  If you're interested in getting an early look at n!Fuze! and doing some beta testing, please click on the link below to complete the survey and get started.

Sign up for SolidWorks n!Fuze beta

If you want to learn more about SolidWorks n!Fuze! check out this blog post from February 8.

FISHER/UNITECH Participates in Direct Part Manufacturing Workshop

FISHER/UNITECH will exhibit in a Direct Part Manufacturing Workshop, March 29-30, 2011.  The workshop is sponsored by the Midwest Chapter of SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering) and will be held at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio.

Direct Part Manufacturing Workshop
March 29-30, 2011
Wright State University, Student Union, Fairborn, OH
View Directions

This two-day workshop will feature the latest trends and technologies for direct part manufacturing (DPM) for the military, aerospace and other high-performance industries.  DPM is the process of going directly from an electronic representation of a part (CAD model) to the final product via additive manufacturing.

FISHER/UNITECH provides the full line of Stratasys FDM system, offering advanced capabilities to produce very large complex parts for production.  Companies using a Fortus FDM system for DPM save time making jigs, fixtures and production parts by reducing their assembly tool manufacturing time 50-85%.  Fortus systems are used for DPM in low volume production, complex part design, and for bridge tooling or bridge-to-manufacturing scenarios.  Companies like Akaishi, Digital Mechanics, BMW, Diebold, and ScriptPro save money manufacturing parts with a Fortus FDM machine.

Wright State University will host a tour of its Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory, which employs DPM to fabricate parts for its aircraft.

SolidWorks Crashing? Could be your Graphics.

FYI (in case you didn't know,) most users experiencing ongoing issues with SolidWorks crashing have either an unapproved video card or an unapproved driver. If you are experiencing routine crashing or if your graphics are acting up from time to time then you need to check your card and driver here.

If your have an approved card and driver and are still having problems then it may be that a few tweaks in your card settings will drastically improve your SolidWorks performance. Here's what the process looks like if you happen to have an NVIDIA video card like I do.

To get started simply RMB (right-mouse button) on your desktop and click on the NVIDIA Control Panel. The following window will open up...

Now click on the "Take me there" link to set up the advanced 3D image settings. This will take you to this window...

On the Program Settings tab, under "1. Select a program to customize" pick on "Dassault Dystemes SolidWorks." If you don't see this then be sure to uncheck the box for "Show only programs found on this computer."

That should be all there is to it. If you have done all the above and are still having problems then it's time to take advantage of your SolidWorks Subscription Service and call in the FISHER/UNITECH tech support pros. Happy Modeling.

Update SolidWorks = Update Graphics Card Driver

Just as setting our clocks ahead reminds us to change our smoke detector batteries (if you don't observe Daylight Savings Time, insert your own analogy here), a SolidWorks service pack update is a reminder to check for an update to your graphics card driver.

SolidWorks Rx makes this task a breeze. Simply run SolidWorks Rx from Start Menu, Programs, SolidWorks[year], SolidWorks Tools.

On the Diagnostics tab, the first row of information will be all about your video card and driver. If the card is on SolidWorks' supported card list, then the driver information will be checked, and even an update button provided, as needed. If your card is not supported, you may still want to go directly to the manufacturer's website and see if an updated driver is available.

If you're considering a new computer or video card, a complete list of currently supported cards and drivers can be found here: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html

Display States in SolidWorks

Every month Cadalyst online features what they call their Solid Thinking Tutorial (not to be confused with solidThinking industrial design software, trust me, we were scratching our heads for a minute!)

I'm proud to announce our veteran SolidWorks application engineer, Scott Slovik, based in our Schaumburg, Illinois office, is featured this month with his article entitled "Display States in SolidWorks." 

A snippet of the article is featured below, you can read the remainder online at Cadalyst.com.  Way to go Scott!

Solid Thinking Tutorial: What are display states, and how can you use them with parts and assemblies?

Experienced SolidWorks users know that configurations are a key component of the software. A few years back, SolidWorks added functionality called display states to help users improve efficiency and better manage their designs.

The main difference between a display state and a configuration is that a display state only controls changes in graphical information, whereas a configuration can control dimensional changes and the suppression state of features and parts. Display states can add or remove appearances on faces, features, bodies, or entire parts. This can be very useful by highlighting important faces for special manufacturing operations, or documenting post-manufacturing operations like painting or powder coating. Display states can hide or show multiple bodies or parts within assemblies, and you can change the display mode of those bodies or parts. (Display mode is the option of shaded with edges, shaded, HLR, HLV, or wireframe.) Additionally, you can control the transparency of any specific feature, body, or part model you select.

[Read More]

SolidWorks 2011 SP3 (EV) Available

SolidWorks 2011 SP3.0 EV (Early Visibility) is available for download - This service pack is now available to Subscription Service customers. Link

Product Engineer Needed in Farmington, MO

Little Tikes Commercial has an excellent opportunity at its Corporate Headquarters, located in Farmington, Missouri, for a Product Engineer.

Product Engineers are required to engineer new products after conceptual design through production as part of a cross-functional New Product Development Team.  This entails all steps from initial concept, prototyping, detailed engineering, approval of the first run parts and in-field support.  It also includes supplying information needed for production of specifications and field assembly instructions.  Product Engineers must take ownership of the assigned projects and complete them in an expedient and professional manner.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Develops high quality, innovative playground and park products after conceptual design to production
• Estimates costs and achieves cost estimates in final production
• Orders and approves patterns, molds and initial production runs
• Report writing and record keeping as required by ISO procedures, legal department and management
• Maintains accurate document filing system (printed documents, drawings, and electronic files)
• Addresses design related customer concerns
• Provides necessary paperwork for patent applications

Education and Experience

• BS in Engineering
• Demonstrated project management skills and a proven ability to manage projects to timely completion
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team environment
• Demonstrated strong conceptual and problem solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent computer skills that must include SolidWorks, AutoCAD and Microsoft Office
• Prefer experience in rotational molding technology and steel fabrication
• Knowledge of international safety standards for playground equipment is an asset

Little Tikes Commercial, part of the PlayPower, Inc., family, is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Please forward resume to eric.clowdus@ltcps.com or fax to 573-760-7451, attention R&D Department.

Job Opening in Ottawa, Kansas

Harshaw Research is looking for an engineer for potential contracting work.  The company often has small jobs (CAD or physical prototypes) available.

If interested, please contact:

Karen L. Reynolds, Communications Secretary

on behalf of Dale J. Ream, Owner and President

Harshaw Research, Incorporated

210 W. Tecumseh Street

Ottawa, KS  66067-1968

785-242-9500 (P)

785-242-3308 (F)

http://www.harshawresearch.com/

Kansas City SolidWorks User Group Meeting - Next Week

The next Kansas City SolidWorks User Group (KCSWUG) Meeting will be held:

Date:  Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Time:  6:30-9:30 pm

Location:  Automatic Systems, Inc., 9230 E. 47th Street, Kansas City, MO  64133.  Phone:  816-356-0660.

Main Topic:  A Guide to the Property Tab Builder

Guest Speaker:  Brian Long, M.O.K.A SWUG Leader

Presentation Level:  Intermediate

If you know something about the Property Builder, come find out what you don't know.  If you know nothing about it, come find out what you've been missing!

Benefit: Gives the user a deeper understanding of custom properties and what can be accomplished using them.  Provides a standardized data set for your SolidWorks files.

Abstract:  Users will get an explanation of SolidWorks properties and custom properties.  You will learn the process needed for creating a property tab builder template and how to use that within SolidWorks to help automate drawing creation.

Biography:  Associate Degree in Computer-Aided Drafting, CSWP 5+ years, mechanical design/welding/fabrication 10+ years

Did you attend SolidWorks World this year?  If so, please plan on sharing some of your experience with the group.  The SolidWorks World presentations are now available online here.

Please RSVP for the meeting via email to Wayne Tiffany at:  wayne.tiffany@asi.com

Windows 7 SP1 and SolidWorks

Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 (both x86 and x64) was released on Feb 22, 2011.  This service pack is not officially approved for SolidWorks.  This includes the upcoming release of SolidWorks 2011 SP3.

According to SolidWorks:

Windows 7 SP1 was recently released by Microsoft. Due to an unfortunate timing coincidence, we will not be able to officially qualify Win7 SP1 for use with SolidWorks 2011 SP03, which is due to be released soon.

If you are on SolidWorks 2011 SP03 or earlier, we recommend testing Win7 SP1 in your own environment (network, PDM, add-ins, graphics cards/drivers, anti-virus, etc.) before deploying it on production or mission critical systems.

Early indicators on our internal Win7 SP1 tests are tracking healthy so far, and barring any major unforeseen issues, we expect to announce support for Win7 SP1 with SolidWorks 2011 SP04.

Notes:
1. Win7 SP0 will continue to be supported for the lifecycle of SolidWorks 2011.
2. SolidWorks 2010 will not be officially qualified for use with Win7 SP1. You may certainly install Win7 SP1 for use with SW2010 and report any issues found, but those issues will likely be fixed only in SW2011 SP04 or later.

-- https://forum.solidworks.com/community/administration/hardware_and_os/blog/2011/02/28/solidworks-and-windows-7-sp1

If you have updated to Windows 7 SP1 and are experiencing issues with SolidWorks, please contact us.  The more information we submit to SolidWorks, the better SP4 will be.

Please go to support.funtech.com to submit a case.

Thank you,

Dan Wiggins

Come Hear the CSW-Experts at the Next NEOSWUG Meeting

Come hear local CSW-Experts tell all the secrets of Weldments and PhotoView 360 at the next meeting.

Our own Tonia Lauer will be presenting Weldments, with all its functionality, including sheet metal bodies with other weldment body types.

Jordan Tadic, from 3DVision Technologies, will be presenting PhotoView 360. 

When:  Monday, March 21, 2011

Where:  Furnace Run Metro Park, 4955 Townsend Rd., Richfield, OH  44286

Topics:  SolidWorks Weldments and PhotoView 360

Agenda:

• 5:30pm    Food & Networking
• 6:15pm    Group News & Announcements
• 6:30pm    SolidWorks Weldments
• 7:30pm    Break
• 7:45pm    PhotoView 360
• 8:45pm    Clean Up & Adjourn

RSVP – NEOSWUG

Visit the NEOSWUG website

Two SolidWorks Contract Positions Available

Two SolidWorks contract positions are available for the right candidates at a company located 30 minutes south of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Daily responsibilities for the position(s) include initial design, development and maintenance of production prints while communicating with various external and internal customers.

Sheetmetal experience, particularly within an automotive-related industry would be a big plus.  This is approximately a four month assignment and will go permanent for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Proficient with SolidWorks
• CSWA Certification a strong plus
• Previous design/detailing within the automotive or RV industry
• Sheetmetal design experience
• Good written and communication skills

If interested, please contact:

Arlene Johnson x146 or Shannon Breed x126 at:

TechniPower, Inc.
800-898-5154
ajohnson@technipower.com
sbreed@technipower.com
www.technipower.com

3DVIA Composer 2011x Ambient Occlusion & Per Pixel Lighting

One of the great new enhancements in 3DVIA Composer 2011x is the addition of Ambient Occlusion and Per Pixel Lighting. At a high level, these two new options provide a deeper level of realism to the high resolution outputs from Composer.

Take a look at this comparison:

Notice in this image on the right, how the metal parts look very plastic and shiny. This would have been a very typical image from Composer 2011.

In comparison, in the second image on the right, notice the shadows cast by the surrounding parts and geometry (Ambient Occlusion) and better handling of the reflections (Per Pixel Lighting) make the parts look more life like.

These properties can be document specific or can be on all of the time. To enable them for a specific image capture, browse to the bottom of the Viewport properties and select these options.

To set the option to have these rendering effects on all of the time, browse to the 3DVia Composer Application Preferences and select the Viewport settings. Here, you can enable both for Real Time.

Take advantage of this great new enhancement!

CAD Operator Position Open in Jasper, Indiana

Dubois Machine Company is a manufacturer or Industrial Coating and Curing Equipment.  They have an immediate opening for a CAD Operator.

This is a full-time position.  Interested candidates should include salary requirements with resume.  Wages will be based on the potential candidates qualifications.  Please email resume to:  briana@duboisequipment.com.

Responsibilities Include:

• Working with Mechanical Design Engineers to generate drawings with AutoCAD and SolidWorks
• Produce assembly and detail drawings of equipment for manufacture and assembly
• Check drawings and update as required for dimensional accuracy, completeness and content
• Maintain and update drawing files
• Revise and update existing drawings
• May assume the lead task role on small projects

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• One year of drafting experience with AutoCAD and/or SolidWorks
• Experience with 3D drafting software preferred
• Understanding of tolerances and allowances
• Self starter, self motivated and team player
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook)

For company information please visit http://www.duboisequipment.com/.

SolidProfessor "Game Day" Webinar Coming Up

 

Who Should Attend? CAD/Engineering managers, training coordinators, HR managers or anyone who is responsible for improving SolidWorks use.  Applies to teams with five or more SolidWorks users.

When?
Thursday, 3/10/2010 - 12:00 PM EST

Why?
Many companies using SolidWorks today are continually challenged with keeping up to speed with the many SolidWorks capabilities, as well as ongoing updates and annual product improvements.  SolidProfessor Enterprise provides a solution by allowing company administrators to provide a comprehensive SolidWorks education resource to individual users, while tracking usage and retention.

SolidProfessor is a long time SolidWorks solution partner who creates on-demand SolidWorks instruction.  Attend this webcast to learn more.

Click here to register.

West Michigan SolidWorks User Group Meeting Announced

The next WMSWUG meeting will be held:

Date:  Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
Time:  5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location:  Haworth Inn, Holland, MI

It's that time again!  Attend the next meeting for food, networking opportunities, two presentations and SolidWorks giveaways.  See details below.

Agenda

• Dinner/Networking
• Opening Announcements
• SolidWorks World 2011 Review (Dean Anderson, Wolverine World Wide, Inc.)
• Break/Networking
• Tips & Tricks (Jason Raak, JMS Incorporated)
• SolidWorks Roundtable (time permitting)
• Closing Remarks/Giveaways/Networking

To RSVP for the meeting, please send an email to:  fred@aromech.com.

SolidWorks World 2011 Conference Proceedings Now Available

Be sure to take full advantage of this year's proceedings site. Watch breakout session videos, download breakout session PowerPoints and check out photos from this year's event. Also, view the 2011 highlights video and videos from general session each day.

Visit the proceedings site here

What's Next?  Get geared up for SolidWorks World 2012 in San Diego!

SolidWorks World 2012
February 12-15, 2012
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California

Bridging the Gap Between SolidWorks and Your Electrical and Fluid Designs

Design rework can cost you time and money.  And going back and forth between different design departments takes time.  The seamless integration between E³.WireWorks and SolidWorks allows engineers to focus on their primary roles, and at the same time, take advantage of integrated toolsets to work on cross-over areas, such as panel, harness and piping design.

In this webinar, we’ll show you how E³.WireWorks and SolidWorks together can help you maximize your design space, cut down on iterations, and produce more accurate designs in less time.

Date: March 16, 2011
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm Eastern time

Register now, as space is limited.

Who should view:

• Electrical Designers constrained by mechanical design requirements
• Fluid Engineers working closely with the Electrical and mechanical design teams
• MCAD Engineers who interface with ECAD and Fluid departments
• Product Engineers who oversee electrical, fluid and mechanical design

What you'll learn:

• How to improve collaboration between Mechanical, Fluid and Electrical engineering.
• How to reduce design cycle time by minimizing iterations between design departments.
• How to maximize the efficient use of available space in an electro-mechanical assembly.
• How to use EPDM to manage entire projects in a common environment.

Presenters:

• Patrick Hackney, E³.series Product Specialist
• Geoff Lydon, E³.series Solutions Manager

Be sure to register early as space is limited.

REGISTER HERE

Creating SolidWorks Models from New IGS Sources

It's long been known that SolidWorks can create models using the transfer format IGS, but did you know that you can export IGS files from such programs as Compress? Compress is a product from CodeWare that's used for developing pressure vessels and heat exchangers and can output models in the IGS format. These models can be imported into SolidWorks directly saving huge amounts of time!

Simply open the IGS file and run the import diagnostics to automatically repair any faces or repair any gaps.

Then, if you are using either SolidWorks Professional or Premium, you can develop a complete design tree by using FeatureWorks!

If you are using an analysis software such as Compress to design pressure vessels or similar products, see if they can output the calculated results in a format that can be imported into SolidWorks and save the re-draw time!