CATI now guest blogging on the SolidWorks blog

Recently CATI was presented the oppertunity become a guest blogger for the SolidWorks Blog. CATI will have a new blog post every month on or around the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

The article that we posted this month is titled SolidWorks Intdent One Tool with Unlimited Uses and highlights 3 different ways that the Indent Tool can be used for everyday projects.

We will continute to keep everyone updated when our new articles become available on the SolidWorks Blog.

Thanks,

Josh Altergott

CATI Support Team Leader

Register for a SolidWorks Plastics Webcast

Join us on April 19th from 9:30am -10:30am(CT) for you first look at SolidWorks Plastics.  SolidWorks Plastics brings easy-to-use injection molding simulation directly to the designers of plastic parts and injection molds. It simulates how melted plastic flows during the injection molding process to predict manufacturing related defects on parts and molds. You can quickly evaluate manufacturability while you design, to eliminate costly mold rework, improve part quality, and accelerate time to market.

When:

Thursday April 19, 2012
9:30am-10:30am Central Time 

>>Register Here<<

Topics Covered:

• Predict fill time


• Optimize gate location


• Air traps


• Weld lines


• Short shot


• Temperature distribution


• Pressure distribution


• Balance runner systems


• Family mold layout

 

 

Jim TeDesco
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

Nesting Solutions For SolidWorks Webcast: SigmaNest, SolidNest, and SolidTube

Join CATI and Cimtronics Midwest on April 25, 2012 for a Nesting Solutions for SolidWorks Webcast. This  presentation is an introduction to Advanced Nesting, CNC Programming, and Manufacturing Solutions for SolidWorks Fabrications.

>>Register for this event.

Highlights:

• Efficient Automatic Nesting Increases Material Utilization, Reduces Waste, Reduces Remnants


• Advanced Tool Path Routines Increase Machine Productivity by Reducing Cycle Times


• Minimizes Programming Time (Better Use of Resources)


• Software Systems Integration Reduces effort, Reduces costs

Date and Time:
April 25, 2012
10am-11am CT

>>Register for this event.

Learn more about Cimtronics Midwest

Sign Up for a SolidWorks Certification Workshop at Pittsburg State University

The PSU Department of Engineering Technology is pleased to announce the following workshops focused on SolidWorks® certification.

These workshops will prepare attendees to pass the Certified SolidWorks® Associate (CSWA) exam, industry-recognized proof of your SolidWorks® expertise – a skill that businesses seek out and reward, and are available for skill levels from beginner to advanced. Upon successful completion of the CSWA exam you will receive an electronic certificate and personal listing on the official CSWA directory.

	4 - Day Introduction Workshop	2 - Day Advanced Workshop
Dates/Times	May 21-24, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm or July 16-19, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm	June 4-5, 2012 9:00am – 4:00pm or July 12-13, 2012 9:00am - 4:00pm
Course Topics	Sketch entities, tools and relations Boss and cut features, fillets and chamfers Linear, circular and fill patterns Dimensions, feature conditions, reference geometry and assembly mates Mass and material properties Drawing sheets, views and annotations Introduction to CSWA Exam format Practice exams Review with Certified SolidWorks® Associate faculty	Review of part modeling and modification Review of assembly creation, mates and modification Introduction to CSWA Exam format Practice exams Review with Certified SolidWorks® Associate faculty
Cost	$600/person	$400/person
CEUs	2.9	1.4

Contact David Miller (p: 620-235-6115, e:dmiller@pittstate.edu) or Greg Murray (p: 620-235-4384, e: gmurray@pittstate.edu) to register.

Workshops are open to the first 25 registrants; minimum 5 registrants per session. Registration deadline is 2 weeks prior to start date of the course. The registration fee for either workshop includes all course materials, one voucher for the CSWA exam to be taken at the conclusion of the workshop, a printout of the CSWA certificate upon passing the exam and a course completion certificate.

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.

SolidWorks 2012 Uninstall Changes

SolidWorks 2012 Uninstall Changes 

How many times have you uninstalled a program though Windows Add/Remove programs only to find it seemed that it really just removed it from your programs menu? The program’s directory and files are still there & furthermore, it did nothing to remove any registry keys.

Solidworks has addresses this issue with 2012 uninstall changes. Now, during the uninstall process you will have an “advanced options tab”

 

 

These new options help tremendously in a cleaner uninstall.

 

April DriveWorks Headstart Webinars - Register Today

Are your designs the same but different? If so, register for a DriveWorks Head Start Webinar to learn how to automate the process of design changes with DriveWorks.  

DriveWorks Solo and DriveWorksXpress Head Start Webinars aim to give you an overview of DriveWorks and what YOU and YOUR COMPANY can achieve with it.

Just 60 minutes of your time today can save hours of time in the future!

When registering, remember to list CATI as your SolidWorks Reseller.

DriveWorksXpress Headstart Webinar - April 3, 2012 10am-11am CT - Register
DriveWorks Solo Headstart Webinar - April 4, 2012 10am-11am CT - Register

 

Jim TeDesco
Marketing
Computer Aided Technology, Inc. 

SolidWorks Plastics

SolidWorks today announced a new tool called SolidWorks Plastics. SolidWorks Plastics provides tools that help manufacturers validate and optimize the design of plastic parts and injection molds.

What is the big deal?

Optimal process settings are critical to influencing the cost, quality and productivity of plastic injection molding. The main trouble with injection molding is to have a box of good parts contaminated with scrap. For that reason process optimization studies have to be done and process monitoring has to take place. To have a good part come out of the mold the following issues are typically investigated:

- Fill phase: this can be optimized by varying screw turns per minute and back pressure. Variation of time needed to reload the screw gives an indication of stability of this phase. Injection speed is another critical factor in the fill process. Varying injection speed changes the material damage (shear rate).

-Gate location : A good position will help prevent lack of material to fill the cavity or popularly known as short shot. Injection speed and pressure will also need to be studied to prevent short shot.

- When mold and/or material temperatures are low, the material is cold when the melt front meets, so they do not bond well. This leads to developing a Weld line, also referred to as Knit line. Fill time and pressure need to be studied to reduce or eliminate weld lines.

-If the pressure applied in packing stage is low, or cooling time is too short it can lead to localized depression or Sink Marks on the part. Pressure applied and cooling time is studied to ensure sink marks are minimized.

These are just some of the issues part and mold makers need to worry about before they have a working injection molding process. Typical trouble shooting process would entail industrial CT scanning of mold. Also, multiple trial and error cycles at the machine. These are both expensive and time consuming.

SolidWorks Plastics simulates how melted plastic flows during the injection molding process to predict manufacturing related defects on your parts. Once the defects are identified, they can be easily minimized or eliminated by making changes to part design, mold design, plastic material, or processing parameters. This is all done in a friendly SolidWorks environment.

Tune in for more on this exciting new tool from SolidWorks.

Rajat Trehan

Product Manager

Computer Aided Technology Inc.