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Design / CAD

The core tool of the product design process today is 3D CAD.  Determining the optimal CAD tool depends on the complexity of the products you design, and the amount of vertical integration in your company.

In order to optimize your CAD productivity, many additional tools may be required to work with your CAD tool. The backbone is engineering data management, additional tool requirements may include innovation software, simulation and test, specialized add-ons such as composites design, aerospace sheet metal, etc.

Acuity has grown up with CAD and engineering technology tools over the past 25 years, with our team's involvement beginning with the transition from pencil and t-square. We work hard to leverage this deep experience to maximum benefit for each of our relationships.


Digital Product Development

Whether you need a world-class digital product development systemest or a best-in-class CAD solution, we can provide you with everything you need in software, implementation, training and support. If migration from a legacy system is needed, we can help you plan and execute cost-effectively.

We welcome the opportunity to work together on a needs analysis and determine which tools and methods suit your product development and manufacturing requirements the best. For more information on the products we represent, including case studies, videos and more, please visit the Software Solutions tab on this page.

For an immediate conversation, or to set up a meeting, please call Sarah Dimeo at 888.747.0850 x 306, or drop her an email.


Solid Edge

Solid Edge with Synchronous Technology is the most powerful, flexible and capable mid-range CAD tool available today. Built around the ability to effortlessly handle extremely large assemblies, do the most advanced sheet metal design, unprecedented 2D to 3D capabilities, and now, the unequaled Synchronous Technology, Solid Edge is the most CAD tool you can possibly purchase for your money.

Learn More

 

NX CAD

NX CAD 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.

Learn More

 

Goldfire Innovation Software

Goldfire drives sustainable innovation, helping manufacturing companies around the world make innovation a value-driving core competency.

Goldfire delivers innovation results:
  • Faster time to market with more innovative and differentiated products
  • Reduced product design and development costs
  • Improved product quality and reliability
  • Increased value for the company’s intellectual property
  • Increased productivity for innovation workers across the organization
  • Improved revenues and bottom line profitability

Learn More

 

Simulation (FEA)

Depending on your needs, Acuity can provide advanced product simulation and analysis solutions with integrated solutions for NX, or Femap, which integrates with Solid Edge but also works independently with any CAD solution.

Learn More


See what's new and exciting with CAD

Pilatus Aircraft with NX & Teamcenter Length: 5:42
Created: 07/01/2011
Learn how the adoption of NX and Teamcenter has revolutionized aircraft design at Pilatus Aircraft.
View Now
Minco Tool & Mold Uses NX CAD & CAM Length: 6:05
Created: 07/01/2011
Minco has been using NX CAD & CAM in their tool and mold business to make top quality plastic inject molds that compete on a world-wide basis. The full integration of NX shortens their processes and guarantees accuracy and high quality, and NX's strong ability to bring in and use all types of foreign data is also a key benefit. Minco also makes full use of Nx Mold Wizard.
View Now
Black Diamond Equipment Length: 8:10
Created: 07/01/2011
The design team at Black Diamond shows how NX is used throughout their concept and design stages for designing their latest, state-of-the-art ski boots.
View Now
NX Progressive Die Making Length: 5:17
Created: 07/01/2011
View Now
nx 7.5, nx cad, cad
NX 7.5 Overview Length: 1:36
Created: 06/01/2011
Short overview of some of the newest functionality in the latest release of NX CAD, v7.5. Includes quick looks at HD3D, Synchronous Technology (S/T), CAE and more.
View Now
NX Rapid Shape Design with S/T
NX Rapid Shape Design with S/T Length: 4:07
Created: 06/01/2011
Watch how NX CAD with Synchronous Technology can start with an extruded rectangle and create this sculpted camera body in just minutes! This video shows how S/T allows for advanced design freedom in history-free mode, allowing for industrial design quality surfacing without the drawbacks of parameters being required until you want or need them.
View Now

Summit Tool & Die Length: 3:53
Created: 07/01/2011
Summit Tool & Die's Scott Christensen describes how Summit uses Solid Edge to design progressive stamping dies along with other types of sheet metal stamping dies. Scott discusses the various ways in which Solid Edge has improved their design process while simultaneously reducing time and cost.
View Now
Razor Scooters Length: 4:58
Created: 07/01/2011
Watch this video to learn how Solid Edge has changed the product development process at Razor.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Assembly Design Length: 11:23
Created: 06/01/2011
This video reviews many of the new Synchronous Technology assembly functions in ST3. With ST implemented for assemblies in this release, the ability to make almost any kind of change quickly and easily in the context of assembly is greatly enhanced. In addition, working with imported "foreign" models is as quick and easy as working with native Solid Edge parts.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Simulation Length: 10:42
Created: 06/01/2011
There have been many enhancements to the built-in analysis capabilities of Solid Edge, this video highlights many of them.
View Now
ST3 Overview - What's New Length: 4:06
Created: 06/01/2011
This video is narrated by Dan Staples, Director at Solid Edge. Dan reviews many of the new features in the most current release of Solid Edge. There are enhancements across the board, including many in modeling, simulation and assembly.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Insight Data Management Length: 2:22
Created: 06/01/2011
Take a quick look at how Solid Edge's integrated data management (PDM) organizes your CAD data.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Ordered Design Length: 8:24
Created: 06/01/2011
See how ordered design functions along side Synchronous Technology to bring you best of both design philosophies.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Top-Down Assembly Design Length: 3:39
Created: 06/01/2011
Top-down design capabilities allow for a high degree of freedom and flexibility, and greatly enhances the ease of component and sub-assembly re-use.
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Working with Imported Data Length: 9:17
Created: 06/01/2011
Synchronous Technology allows you to work with any "dumb" imported geometry as if it were created natively in Solid Edge. Use ST to make any desired changes, including the addition of dimension driven changes on features such as holes and fillets, and add history-based modeling control where desired. Some of the true magic of ST happens here!
View Now
Solid Edge ST3 Assembly Enhancements Length: 9:40
Created: 06/01/2011
This video overviews many of the new functions that have been added to assembly management for ST3.
View Now


Read about how companies like yours are profiting from Advanced CAD Tools

SWERVE Furniture

With creativity and efficient use of leading-edge technology, SWERVE achieves success and growth with the use of advanced machinery and NX CAD & CAM software.
application/pdf iconswerve_cs_W8.pdf

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.

Siemens PLM NX CAD, CAM and Teamcenter enabled IAI to set a new aviation industry benchmark for rapid product development. IAI redesigned the Grumman Gulfstream G150 mid-size business jet with a 17% reduction in cycle time.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Israel-Aerospace-cs-X1.pdf

Adams Golf

Adams Golf® designs, assembles, markets and distributes premium quality, technologically innovative golf clubs. All of the equipment at Adams Golf is designed and tested using a variety of sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools, such as 3D CAD and rendering, CAE, advanced mass property analysis and equipment durability testing. And it’s this high-quality craftsmanship, cutting-edge engineering and superior customer service that have made Adams Golf a true leader and innovator in the golf business.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Adams-Golf-cs-X10.pdf

Black Diamond Equipment

Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. is an employee-owned manufacturer of equipment for rock climbing, alpinism and freeride skiing. They collaborate across the globe to design and produce state-of-the-art climbing and skiing equipment on extremely aggressive cycle times. In particular, the advanced and powerful surfacing in NX allows for all the industrial design to take place within the mechanical engineering environment, drastically reducing errors and shortening the overall design cycle of their products.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Black-Diamond-NX-cs-X13.pdf

Dyson

Backed by a culture that revolves around innovation, Dyson elevated the vacuum cleaner to a work of high-performance engineering and catapulted itself into market leadership. Dyson uses digital product development in its R&D projects, such as the D15 vacuum cleaner, while maintaining fast development cycles.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Dyson-cs-X4.pdf

SurfaceInk Product Design

SurfaceInk Corp., founded in 1999, is a mechanical engineering and design consulting firm. Its engineers perform high-end mechanical engineering for the Silicon Valley’s leading industrial design groups, computer companies and product manufacturers. They use NX because of its ability to do industrial design grade surfacing and rendering with full integration into the mechanical design process.

FEI

FEI implemented Siemens PLM Software's product lifecycle management solutions, NX and Teamcenter. One of the reasons FEI chose to go with Siemens was the infrastructure provided by Teamcenter to support global product development. “Teamcenter is made especially for multi-site product teams such as those we have at FEI,” says Emile Asselberg, a product engineering manager at FEI.
application/pdf iconfei_cs_W3.pdf

Renishaw Probes

NX and Teamcenter link manufacturing and ERP into a seamless product design and manufacturing solution. Since the early 1970s, when Renishaw created a new specialist market, the company has been an innovator in metrology, the science of measurement. Its first product, the touch-trigger probe, was invented to solve a specific inspection requirement for the Rolls-Royce Olympus engines used on the Concorde. Renishaw’s tools are now used by machine manufacturers across the world, with the healthcare and dental sectors emerging as new applications for calibration and measurement.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Renishaw-cs-X8.pdf

Wright Medical Technology

Wright Medical Technology, Inc. (Wright) is a global orthopedic medical device company specializing in the design, manufacture and marketing of reconstructive joint devices and biologics. Wright’s product offerings include large joint implants for the hip and knee; extremity implants for the hand, elbow, shoulder, foot and ankle; and both synthetic and tissue-based bone graft substitute materials.
application/pdf iconSiemens-PLM-Wright-Medical-Technology-cs-X2.pdf

Pratt & Whitney

Learn how Pratt & Whitney achieved their corporate goals for 50 percent time-to-market reduction, 75 percent decrease in product development costs and 80 percent fewer post-certification engineering changes by implementing NX and Teamcenter to replace 4 legacy systems.
application/pdf iconnx_tc_pratt_whitney.pdf


Melling Tool Company Case Study

Trefry and Mulcahy use Solid Edge with synchronous technology to design new fixtures as well as to modify existing designs. With a large database of 2D AutoCAD drawings, modifying existing designs is something they do often. “Synchronous technology has made a very big impact with all of our legacy fixture designs,” explains Trefry. “A simple task such as moving holes in a fixture takes two minutes with synchronous technology versus 15 minutes with a traditional 3D CAD system.”
application/pdf iconMelling-Tool-Company-Case Study.pdf

Dixie Chopper Lawnmowers

Learn how Magic Circle Corporation's Dixie Chopper team builds the world's fastest lawnmower!
application/pdf iconmagic_circle_cs_W2.pdf

Budde Sheet Metal 1 Second Design Retrieval

Learn how Budde Sheet Metal Design is gaining substantial benefit from finding a design among 70,000 in seconds!
application/pdf iconBudde.pdf

Suzhou Jiangnan Jiajie Elevator Designs & Manages with Solid Edge & Insight

Read how SJEC implemented Solid Edge and Insight to great benefit.
application/pdf iconJiangnan.pdf

Pella Windows Benefits from Built-in Insight

Fortunately, Pella and other Solid Edge CAD users now have a remarkably easy, low-cost solution in Insight technology, which integrates data management within the CAD system. “The benefit of Solid Edge’s solution is its simplicity,” says Ken Grundey, CAD Manager at Pella. “Because it’s part of the existing Solid Edge CAD structure, our users won’t have to think about PDM because it’s automatic and immediate.”
application/pdf iconpella.pdf

CIMData Report on Solid Edge Insight PDM

This CIMdata-authored whitepaper reviews Siemens PLM Software’s Microsoft SharePoint-based design data management solution. The paper describes Solid Edge Insight and how it is a proven design-centric PLM solution focused on supporting Solid Edge communities. The paper also describes the value of this MS SharePoint-based solution for Solid Edge customers, and how the MS SharePoint platform enables them to leverage their existing IT infrastructure, and immediately benefit from the integration of design data and processes with their other business processes.
application/pdf iconSolid_Edge_Insight_CIMdata_report_7_2010.pdf


Informational Events

Date Description Register
Tue, 02/28/2012 - 11:00am
PST

What’s New in NX 8 Modeling, Assemblies and Drafting: training webinar

This webinar from the Education Services group at Siemens PLM Software is an introduction to what’s new in NX 8.0 focusing on a few different areas of modeling, drafting, and assemblies. We’ll touch on some user interface changes and some specific enhancements. 
Topics include:

  • Modeling – new Pattern Feature (replacement for Instance Feature). We’ll show how to use this new feature.
  • Assemblies – new Assembly Constraint Navigator. This will make it easier for users to view/edit constraints in their assemblies.
  • Drafting – new View Break (replacement for the Broken View). The new View Break operation is much easier to use than the Broken View function it replaces.

    •  

    Register
    Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:00am
    PST

    Getting Control over CAE Data and Processes

    • How to manage all of your CAE data within one system that guarantees accurate, up-to-date data
    • How to insure CAE data consistency, traceability and standardized CAE workflow processes
    • How to provide a means by which global CAE teams can launch their CAE tools, even 3rd party software, and confidently find and re-use models, data and processes

    Register
    Thu, 03/01/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    Building the PLM Foundation with PDM

    • CAD Management - Fully integrated access inside the cad environment. Integrate your CAD tools by bringing together the product designs within a single product data management system. You can capture, manage and synchronize product design data within one source. Document Management - Allows the entire enterprise of users to use Microsoft Office applications within the Teamcenter environment in a highly integrated manner. This allows users to make more use out of applications they already are familiar with and know how to use
    • Process Enablement - Release Management is the set of processes used to assess the readiness of a product for promotion to its next lifecycle state.
    • Paperless Collaboration - Allow all lifecycle participants to visualize product data in 2D and 3D formats in order to make better informed decisions, early in the design process and even when this data is created using different authoring applications.
    • Data Security - Controlled timely access to intellectual capital internally, externally and legally.

     

    Register

     
    Wed, 03/07/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    Innovation—the Lifeblood of American companies

    We all know that innovation is the lifeblood of American companies. Are you happy with how yours is going? Are new ideas being generated and managed as well as they could be?

    Invention Machine's Goldfire Computer Aided Innovation software can help you achieve sustainable, repeatable innovation.  It also allows you to data mine your company's tribal knowledge and archive it for future use.

    Join us for this short, live web-cast and learn more about how the world's best companies are using this technology to drive their product innovation.

    Register

     
    Wed, 03/07/2012 - 11:00am
    PST

    Capture & Manage your IP with Decipher Engineering

    Decipher Engineering™ from Innovation Asset Group is an enterprise software solution that takes a uniquely business-oriented approach to managing Intellectual Property all along the IP Value Chain™—from the point of ideation through portfolio management and commercialization.

    Decipher provides a central repository for all your IP assets and related data, a flexible platform for workflow automation and reporting, and a superior visualization dashboard to see how everything interrelates.

    Register

     
    Tue, 03/13/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    Manufacturing Data Management - How data management helps to make parts better, faster & at lower cost.

    This recording of one of our web meetings will discuss and demonstrate how fully integrated data management significantly enhances the manufacturing environment.  Managing tooling, NC tool paths and other related engineering data, including the communicatioin of data to the machine controllers, can now all be done in a single environment, eliminating errors and greatly enhancing productivity. 

    Join us from your desk for this informative session.

    Register
    Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    NX CAE Practical Applications Webinar

    This is a live webinar series held the 3rd Thursday of every other month. It begins at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET and will last approximately one hour. 

    Dates and Topics for 2012 are:
    March 15, 2012  Assembly FEM and Superelements
    May 17, 2012  Laminate Composites
    July 19, 2012  Multidisciplinary Analyses
    September 20, 2012 Integrated Motion and FEA
    November 15, 2012 Electronics Systems Cooling


    The Webinar will be broken up into 3 sections as shown below:
    • The first section will consist of a technical presentation showcasing an in-depth “How To” example demonstration
    • The second section of the seminar will be used by our GTAC organization to discuss current top CAE issues and    resolutions.  
    • The final section will be used as a live Question & Answer section. 

     

    Register

     
    Tue, 03/20/2012 - 11:00am
    PST

    Impact of changing your CAD modeling kernel

    Attend this webcast and learn about the three main core technologies of CAD, how they work together and how they are different. If you use or are considering a purchase of SolidWorks, you need to attend this event. Kernel-change topics include:

    • Design and business impacts
    • Keep your data intact and move to breakthrough CAD at the same time
    • Synchronous technology from Siemens PLM Software
    • Converting SolidWorks data to Solid Edge
    • Companies that switched to Solid Edge

    Register
    Wed, 03/21/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    Innovation—the Lifeblood of American companies

    We all know that innovation is the lifeblood of American companies. Are you happy with how yours is going? Are new ideas being generated and managed as well as they could be?

    Invention Machine's Goldfire Computer Aided Innovation software can help you achieve sustainable, repeatable innovation.  It also allows you to data mine your company's tribal knowledge and archive it for future use. 

    Join us for this short, live web-cast and learn more about how the world's best companies are using this technology to drive their product innovation.

    Register
    Wed, 03/21/2012 - 10:00am
    PST

    PLM World (NX and Team Center Users)

    Mar 21 - Apr 13, 2012

    Apr 14 - Mar 10, 2012

    Why You Should Attend:

    • Enhance your Knowledge
    • Take advantage of hands on oppurtunities
    • Use the week to gather REAL user feedback
    • Learn about the tools that can improve your productivity

     

    For more information click here

    Register
     
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