Solidtec sponsors South Australian Motor Racing Services firm Bullet Cylinder Heads

Bullet Cylinder Heads provides a range of services to the racing industry. The latest equipment and software packages allow them to provide services to motor racing unheard of a few years ago. From the supply of performance parts to the design and manufacture of custom billet cylinder heads, Bullet has the capability to deliver. Services provided include:

·         Custom CNC Porting of Cylinder Heads

·         Design and Manufacture of Components

·         Dyno Tuning

·         Engine Design and Assembly

·         Performance Parts Supplies

·         Reverse Engineering

Bullet Cylinder Heads is one of the most technologically advanced Cylinder Head Shops in Australia. Adopting SolidWorks 3D CAD over 5 years ago Bullet provides a service to design and manufacture all custom components in house. From Australia’s only Holden Billet timing cover to the World’s first solid billet 4 cylinder engines. With the assistance of SolidWorks, Bullet has completed the design from concept all the way through to manufacture including providing complete 3D models, drawings and CAM for manufacture.

All Machining CNC programs are created directly from the 3D CAD models via SolidCAM CNC programming suite. SolidCAM is a world leader in integrated CAM solutions and with the press of a button CNC code is created for the state of art DMG 5 Axis Machine. All machining verification is done from directly in the software. Bullet can modify a 3D model to make design changes and SolidCAM will automatically re-generate the program allowing Bullet to be able to change or customise the design quickly.

Bullet Cylinder Heads have purchased a promotional vehicle with the intent to participate in trade show sections of numerous special vehicle events throughout the coming year. This promotional vehicle will accompany display products in their respective section of the trade show areas at these events, with the intent to raise brand awareness for Bullet Cylinder heads and their partners. Solidtec has provided them with top level sponsorship to aid the success of this tour.

Bullet Cylinder Heads rely on Solidtec to provide them with their SolidWorks software, training and support.

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Pierce VS. Coincident sketch relations

This video illustrates the difference between the Coincident and Pierce sketch relations in SolidWorks.

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Solidtec Solutions Sponsor a Winning Design from Access Automation

March 2011 saw the confirmation of sponsorship by Solidtec of Access Automation’s Terra FX Sports Racing car. Access Automation Limited has designed and manufactured a custom sports racing car which competes in the Sports Suzuki Class of the Independent Racing Classes (IRC) Series. The car is called the Terra Fx, being a play on words, as the design utilizes the aerodynamic properties of “ground effect” when an aerofoil is operated in close proximity to the ground.   The project has been used to hone the design and manufacturing skills of Access Automation by developing a highly innovative race car that can successfully compete in sports car racing, even with a novice driver. Essential to the success of the project was the use of SolidWorks 3D CAD software, with which the car was designed and modelled.

The IRC Series that the Terra FX runs in involves 8 race meetings per year which are held throughout race tracks in the North Island.  Further information on the IRC series can be found at www.irc.org.nz.

Mark Galvin, Director of Access Automation is a Mechanical Engineer with wide interests in engineering and technology. Prior to starting Access Automation Limited in 1990 he worked as a research scientist for 19 years with the New Zealand government, first at DSIR and then Industrial Research Limited. He has invented and patented a number of commercially successfully products.

In 1990 he left the government and started Access Automation Limited. The main activity of AAL is the design and manufacture of inclined lifts. They are now the leading manufacturer of such equipment in NZ and also export many systems to Australia and the Asia pacific region. (www.accessauto.co.nz)

“This project has given Access Automation Ltd the opportunity to really push the boundaries with some unusual design and construction innovations as well as having a bit of fun. In our normal line of business of designing cable cars we have to be a bit more conservative” says Mark.

Design Paradigm of Terra FX

The project is very much about design innovation, in particular, the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Previous experiments have shown that the car will generate very high aerodynamic down-forces by exploiting a phenomena called “ground effects” .This is where an inverted aerofoil shape operating in close proximity to the ground amplifies the aerodynamic forces.

In the case of the Terra FX, the main shape of the car is an inverted wing and so it is more correct to consider the project as an inverted aircraft flying close to the ground, rather than a car. From day one, the design paradigm of the project has been to build a wing with wheels, rather than to build a car with good aerodynamics. The concept sketch below shows the main architecture of the car. The three main elements are the central core, the engine side pod and the driver side pod. The central core is both the main structure of the car plus the optimized aerofoil shape.

It is very light, strong and rigid as it is an enclosed box without penetrations. The side pods hang from the central core. These house the driver and engine on the opposite sides of the car. Both these heavy items can be placed close to the ground without compromising the aerodynamics of the car as they are located in a low airflow area between the wheels. This configuration has proven to produce excellent down-force and excellent Down-force / Drag ratios (L/D). The unusual design of the car has proved to be very successful and attracts a great deal of attention at the race track.

General Specification of Prototype
Class of racing: Sports Car
Weight: Dry weight 500 kg
Motor: Turbocharged 1300 cc Suzuki motorcycle eng
Power: 280 Hp
Transmission: 6 speed sequential with paddle shift
Power to weight: 560 Hp/Tonne
Chassis torsional stiffness: 22,000 Nm per degree
Estimated down-force: 300 kg at 100 KPH/1,200 kg at 200 KPH

Racing Achievements for 2010 to 2111 Season
The Terra Fx has raced in 3 of the 5 rounds of the current IRC series.  There is another round to come at Taupo in Easter.  Key results to date are;

Round1, Manfield Motorsport Park, National Meeting, 2 -3 October 2010

• 1st in both scratch races.
• Set new lap record of 1:07.5 for the sport car class (old record was 1:9.0)
• Set fastest time of the meeting for any class.

Round 3, Manfield Motorsport Park, MG Classic Meeting, 13 -14 November 2010

• 1st in 3 races.
• Set fastest time of the meeting for any class.

Round 4, Taupo Race Track, Trans Tasman meeting, 15 – 16 January 2011

• 1st in 2 races
• Set fastest time of the meeting for any class.

“SolidWorks 3DCAD software has been an essential tool in the design and construction of the Terra Fx racing car. SolidWorks was used to define the geometry of the vehicle, investigate suspension options, calculate spring rates, confirm packaging and running clearances and produce developed shapes and laser cutting files for the monocoque structure. SolidWorks has proved to be a truly versatile tool that has made the design and construction of this complex prototype possible with otherwise modest resources” says Mark.

Access Automation have been a customer of Solidtec Solutions since 2009 and can attest to the value of using SolidWorks 3DCAD, and the training and support packages that Solidtec provides. “Solidtec have been absolutely brilliant as a supplier of the software. They offer training courses in our region, their technical support is prompt and of the highest standard and they have been proactive in organizing local user-group meetings which are both informative and a great networking opportunity.”

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Solidtec's Subscription Service proves Valuable for Customers

Solidtec achieved customer service recognition by winning 'Top Reseller Customer Satisfaction - Asia 2010" recently at SolidWorks World, and our customers seem to justify the award as Solidtec has just achieved 'SolidWorks Subscription Service - Over 90's club' for the second year in a row.

This is in specific recognition of the fact that over 90% of our customers have renewed their subscription services with Solidtec.... and they have done so since Solidtec became a SolidWorks reseller in 2009.

As a Solidtec Subscription Service customer, you receive automatic upgrades to the latest versions of SolidWorks software, live technical support, as well as requested software enhancements. You also gain access to the SolidWorks Customer Portal—a web-based hub for SolidWorks resources. The Solidtec Subscription Service Program enables you to focus on what matters most—designing better products by using 3D CAD.

At Solidtec we do things differently when it comes to SolidWorks Subscription.  Rather than deal with a faceless call centre, Solidtec customers can expect to get to know their local Solidtec team members.  We believe that it is because of this relationship and our increased understanding of your business that we are able to help resolve any issues you may have faster.

Contact Solidtec now to experience the difference.......

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HDR Environment images in PhotoView 360

PhotoView 360 uses HDR Environment images to create photorealistic renders. This video explains what these images are, and why they are the default method for lighting scenes in PhotView 360.

These HDR Environment images can be broken down into two components:

• The Environment, which is a 360degree panorama of a scene, which is reflected by the model you are rendering.

• The High Dynamic Range (HDR) image format, which captures more information per pixel than a standard image file, which provides PhotoView 360 with accurate lighting information for the scene

The panorama can be stitched together from a number of ordinary photographs, and the HDR image can be created by combining multiple exposures of the same image – both techniques can be done in image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

You can find all of the default PhotoView 360 HDR Environment images and backgrounds under [Program Files]\SolidWorks Corp\SolidWorks\data\Images\textures\background, where [Program Files] is your default Windows Program Files directory.

While the Basic scenes provide a range of generic photo studio environment images that create clean-looking renders, if you want to create interesting reflections, or an “in-context” shot of your product sitting in front of a realistic scene, you should consider using a custom Environment image that matches the model – e.g. a model of a car should use a road or car park scene, not a kitchen scene.

There are a huge number of resources on the internet for HDR Environment images that cover as many different scenes as you can imagine, most of which you can use in PhotoView 360:

Free HDR resources (not all products listed may be free):

• http://www.openfootage.net/
• http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/archive.html

HDR resources that you must buy to use:

• http://www.doschdesign.com/products/hdri
• http://www.3sixo.net/3sixo_categories.php
• http://www.aversis.be/hdri/
• http://www.lightworks-user.com/hdri_starter_collection.htm
• http://www.sachform.de/

HDR Light Studio is a program for generating custom HDR images of photographic studio set ups:

• http://www.hdrlightstudio.com/index.html

You can find many more HDR Environment image resources, plus detailed instructions for creating your own, simply by searching online.

Once you have your custom HDR Environment image downloaded, you can load it in PhotoView 360 through Display Manager tab >> RMB Scene >> Edit Scene >> Environment >> Browse... to the image location. Then rotate it to suit the model, adjust the floor options, alter the brightness and if you add any SolidWorks lights, you can save the whole shebang as a custom scene file for later use under the Advanced tab in Edit Scene.

Happy rendering!

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Assembly rebuild times and AssemblyXpert

This video illustrates how to use SolidWorks AssemblyXpert and Assembly Visualization tools to analyse rebuild times in your assembly.

AssemblyXpert analyses performance of assemblies and suggests possible actions you can take to improve performance. It also provides you with information about your assembly.

The AssemblyXpert is available in any assembly file and can be accessed from Tools >> AssemblyXpert, or from the Evaluate Command Manager tab.

It performs a number of diagnostic tests in the background, and will present options to correct any issues if they are present (click on the names to view detailed descriptions from the SolidWorks Web Help):

• Display Speed
  
  • Is the display speed too slow during dynamic operations such as moving components or rotating views?

• In-Context Part Performance
  
  • Does evaluating a component during rebuild take too long?

• In-Context Circular References
  
  • Do any components have circular references?

• In-Context Relationship Performance
  
  • Are any components rebuilt multiple times when the assembly is rebuilt?

• In-Context Relationship Conflicts
  
  • Does a sub-assembly component have an in-context relationship to a component that has more than one configuration in the current assembly?

• Components Far from Origin
  
  • Are any components significantly far from the assembly origin?

• Verification on Rebuild
  
  • Is Verification on rebuild turned
    

It also shows:

• How many components in the assembly have been saved to the latest SolidWorks format

• The number of components in resolved, lightweight, Speedpak or suppressed states

• How many mates are evaluated in this level of assembly

• Rebuild time of the full assembly

• Information regarding the structure of the assembly including:
  
  • Total number of parts
  • Number of unique parts
    
  • Maximum depth (how many levels of sub-assemblies there are)
    
  • Number of bodies

The rebuild time of the assembly is a new feature in SolidWorks 2011. Clicking on the glasses icon will show the rebuild time for the assembly, broken down into sub-assembly rebuild time. Part rebuild times, in-context relationships between parts, and mates all contribute to the rebuild times shown. You can use these times to optimise those features that contribute most, such as reorganising mates.

Also notice that the top level assembly is included last in the list, as the mates in this assembly need to be re-evaluated after all of the sub-assemblies have been rebuilt. This ensures any changes from the rebuilds are accounted for in the top-level mates.

You can use these rebuild times to benchmark computer performance. Each computer will rebuild a given assembly at a different speed, so you can use a typical assembly that you work with to evaluate computer performance relative to each other. Make sure you are using the same performance options to ensure comparable results.

You can also use the information regarding the number of parts to work out how complex an assembly is. I would consider an assembly with 200 to 500 parts or more a “large assembly”. The uncertainty is based on the complexity of the parts (are they made of simple extrudes, or complex surfaces?) and/or whether those parts have multiple bodies. Check the number of bodies in the assembly to see if some parts contain a large number of bodies – for example large weldment parts, or assemblies that have been saved as a part will both be counted as one part, but contain many bodies. You can use these factors to help determine the “Large assembly mode” threshold.

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Customising SolidWorks keyboard shortcuts, Mouse Gestures and the Shortcut bar

Customising the SolidWorks interface is one of the best ways to improve your day-to-day efficiency in SolidWorks. Once you have a range of tweaks made, you’ll wonder how you got by without them.

This video demonstrates how to customise keyboard shortcuts, Mouse Gestures and the Shortcut bar, including modifying fly-out toolbars. You should make commands which you use regularly as easy to access as possible. Tools that are used less can be put in a fly out toolbar or left from the main drop down menus.

You can back up or apply your SolidWorks user settings on another computer with the Copy Setting Wizard. This copies toolbar layouts, keyboard shortcuts, menu customisation and System Options. It can be found under Start Menu >> All Programs >> SolidWorks >> SolidWorks Tools >> Copy Settings Wizard and run through the Copy Settings Wizard process. To apply your settings on another machine double-click on the SLDREG file that was created to restore.

Alternatively, you can export a list of keyboard shortcuts from SolidWorks >> (start a new Part if none are open) >> Tools >> Customize >> Keyboard tab >> Check "Show only commands with shortcuts assigned" >> Copy List. This will copy the settings to the Windows Clipboard and you can then paste them into Excel or Notepad, etc.

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