TCT Show preview P27 Siemens NX 2017

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TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 6 | 7 | $10 | DEVELOP3D.COM

FREEE
INSPIAD
GE
26 ATION
ST
W RKAL REPORT
O
SPECI

INSIDE
TRACK 3D printing the
Light Rider

DESIGN FOR SPECIAL OPS PLM VS ERP DEBATE FUTURE OF 3D PRINTING

p01_D3D_SEPT16_front cover.indd 1 30/08/2016 21:33
 Were coming to America
BOSTON
USA
DISTRICT HALL, SEPT 26

Conference and Exhibition

District Hall, Boston, USA, September 26

DEVELOP3Ds celebration of technology and an evening food and Event highlights

product design and engineering
is coming to Boston, USA on
September 26, 2016.
The one day event will feature
presentations from some of the most
innovative designers, engineers and
technologists, an exhibition where
you can get hands on with the latest
drinks reception at Autodesk BUILD
SPACE, where you can network with
your peers and hang out with robots,
CNC machines, and 3D printers.
One eclectic day - 9am - 8pm
Only $25. Tickets strictly limited
d3dliveusa.com/register-now
Learn from leading product designers
Get hands on with the latest tools:
3D modelling, 3D printing, VR, AR, design
visualisation, workstations, plus lots more
Meet the DEVELOP3D editorial team
Meet the developers
Networking food and drinks reception

10 amazing speakers: d3dliveusa.com/speakers

Gustavo Fontana, Peter Raymond, Sarah Krasley Greg Mark, Frank Marangell,
Bose Corporation Human Condition Safety Unreasonable Women Markforged Rize

Dvid Lakatos, Ed Eaton, Jon Friedman, Sean Dalton, Al Dean,

Formlabs DiMonte group Freight Farms Highland Capital DEVELOP3D

Tickets $25. Numbers strictly limited - d3dliveusa.com/register-now

Exhibitors and sponsors

D3D LIVE A4 V4.indd 1 31/08/2016 12:35

 WELCOME
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief
Al Dean
al@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)7525 701 541

Managing Editor
Greg Corke
greg@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7312

Digital Media Editor

Stephen Holmes
stephen@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3384 5297

Special Projects Editor

Tanya Weaver
tanya@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3384 5296

Consulting Editor
Martyn Day
martyn@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)7525 701 542

B
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Design/Production
Greg Corke ig news from the DEVELOP3D team this month. Its
greg@x3dmedia.com something that weve been asked about for the last couple
+44 (0)20 3355 7312 of years, every time we put on our annual show in Warwick.
So its with some pride that I can announce that later this
ADVERTISING month were holding our first DEVELOP3D LIVE in Boston,
Group Media Director Massachusetts. If you fancy coming along, its at District
Tony Baksh Hall on the 26th of September and you can find all the details
tony@x3dmedia.com at develop3dliveboston.com If youre in the area, then wed be
+44 (0)20 3355 7313 happy to see you there. Now, back to the business at hand,
Deputy Advertising Manager whats coming up in this issue!
Steve King Tanya has been talking to the team at Airbus subsidiary APWorks that have
steve@x3dmedia.com worked with some advanced simulation and optimisation tools to bring a test
+44 (0)20 3355 7314 motorcycle to market, which breaks some serious rules on how certain products
have to look and function. I continue my look at the MarkForged machine and
US Sales Director
Denise Greaves Michael Lord gives us a run down of what to expect in the SolidWorks 2017 release,
denise@x3dmedia.com based on his experience with the beta version. We also highlight whats coming up
+1 857 400 7713 at the TCT show at the NEC later this month.
But this issue is really all about hardware and our hardware wizard, Greg Corke,
SUBSCRIPTIONS has been investigating a lot of new developments. Whether thats the potential
of GPUs to help with rendering (with the help of some new generation tools), the
Circulation Manager impact of 4K displays for the professionals (its not all good news, Im afraid),
Alan Cleveland
or making the most of your workstation hardware for simulation work. The
alan@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7311
workstation is something that is often ignored or misunderstood in the design and
engineering workflow after all, if your software tools arent making the most of
it, then youre missing out on performance and efficiency.
ACCOUNTS
Enjoy this issue folks, well be back with another one shortly!
Accounts Manager
Charlotte Taibi
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ABOUT
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Editor-in-Chief, DEVELOP3D Magazine, @alistardean

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 CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE NO. 81

8 NEWS
Stratasys showcases future 3D printing tech, D3D LIVE
heads to Boston, Renishaw helps shape future aircraft and
AMD unveils new generation of workstation-class GPUs

COMMENT
15 Bob Hillier shares the best practice for companies caught
up in the PLM vs ERP debate

16 YOUR DEVELOP3D
Your views on using tech in the design process, Grohes
design process and inspired by women in engineering

FEATURES
18 Visual design guide: Ballistic Helmet
20 COVER STORY 3D printing the Light Rider
27 TCT Show + Personalize preview
30 Meggitt reaps the benefit of PLM implementation

REVIEWS
33 SolidWorks 2017 Beta
41 MarkForged Mark Two

47 DEVELOP3D SERVICES

48 THE LAST WORD

Al Dean ponders how planning for both the foreseen and
the unforeseen is an essential part of the design process

PLUS

FREE INSIDE 26 PAGE CAD/CAE/VIZ

WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

The wood used to produce this magazine

comes from Forest Stewardship Council
certified well-managed forests, controlled
sources and/or recycled material

DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 7

p07_D3D_SEPT16_Contents.indd 7 30/08/2016 21:34

 NEWS
NEWS
STRATASYS UNVEILS 3D PRINTING TECH FOR
INFINITE BUILD SIZE & ROBOTIC COMPOSITES
Two concept machines target automotive and aerospace markets with large part
builds, advancements in FDM technology and increased automation
T
wo new working concepts
from Stratasys have
showcased what the
company has planned for
the future of 3D printing in
specialist manufacturing.
The first, Infinite Build, has flipped the
traditional FDM 3D printing process on
its side, growing parts horizontally and
theoretically to infinite length.
A new extrusion process, using a screw
extruder to heat micro pellets the size
of grains of sand, lays material 10 times
faster than its existing FDM machines
and has been in development for the past
five years. The machine also includes the
option for different tool heads, allowing
for multi material parts with material
canisters swapping on the fly, while the
future could include the ability for new
tool heads to perform part inspection of
finishing within the active build chamber.
The heated chamber makes use of
an extending rear compartment, and a
concertina heat curtain that moves with
the print head, allowing for parts to be
built from high strength materials, such as
the Stratasys Ultem range.
Due to this, it is hoped entire aircraft
interior panelling and car body work
8 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM
p08_D3D_SEPT16_news.indd 8
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
could soon be 3D printed using Stratasys movement means fibre
FDM technology, with Boeing and Ford alignment can be specified
both present at the launch to expand on accurately, while final
their influence in defining the machines part finishing benefits
requirements. from the removal of
With over 30,000 non-flight-critical traditional layer-by-
3D printed parts already on-board Boeing layer stepping.
civilian and military planes, the ability to Stratasys
customise individual parts would prove an is building on
incredible step forward. our success in
Ford, meanwhile, will continue to push manufacturing
Stratasys for new automotive-grade with applications
manufacturing material options for use such as
with the Infinite Build. manufacturing
The second concept Robotic Composite aids, injection
3D is in partnership with Siemens moulds and
PLM, utilising the latest robotic controls composite tooling,
software found in Siemens NX. and leveraging
The combination of a robotic arm and our relationships with
moving turntable creates a 3D printer innovative industry leaders to further Top: The Robotic
extruder head with 11 degrees of freedom extend the applicability of additive Composite 3D
concept provides
perfect for accurately layering composites manufacturing in demanding production 11-axis of layering for
and without need for build supports. environments, said Stratasys CEO Ilan composite materials
The demand for lightweight composite Levin.
structures is growing rapidly within We view the level of factory Above: A carbon
industries like automotive, aerospace and integration, automation, and performance fibre nose cone, with
strengthening bands,
energy, while composites production is monitoring potentially offered by these
all built as a single
constrained by labour-intensive processes new demonstrators as catalysts for the part
and geometric limitations. Using line- transformation to Industry 4.0.
fed filament, the complete freedom of stratasys.com
30/08/2016 21:45
Untitled-1 1 10/08/2016 11:23:07
 NEWS
DEVELOP3D LIVE HEADS TO
BOSTON ON 26 SEPTEMBER
W
ith DEVELOP3D LIVE
going from strength to
strength here in the UK,
we thought it about time
we added a sister event in
the USA for our American readers.
Taking place on 26 September, the
DEVELOP3D team will take over District
Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts,
where attendees can expect presentations
examining the digital design process,
together with recent applications of
disruptive technologies such as laser
scanning, virtual reality and, of course,
3D printing.
Among the speakers, who will be
exploring their own cutting edge processes,
will be Gustavo Fontana, lead designer
at Bose, Jon Freidman president of
FreightFarms, Sean Dalton of Highland
Capital Partners, Ed Eaton, senior engineer
Explore the intersection of design and tech at Converge 2016
I
ndustrial designers, design
engineers, architects, and others
active in product creation are the
focus of Converge 2016, a new
global conference series hosted by
solidThinking. The six inaugural events
kick off in Los Angeles on 8 September
and complete in Seoul on 18 November.
The two day European event will be taking
place in Essen, Germany, on 20th and 21st
September. The presentation program
features a range of speakers including
Florian Krause, project engineer at Airbus
10 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM
p10_11_12_D3D_SEPT16-NEWS.indd 10
at DiMonte, David Lakatos of Formlabs,
Sarah Krasley, founder of Unreasonable
Women, Frank Marangell of Rez3D and Greg
Mark of Markforged. More speakers will be
announced over the coming weeks.
The DEVELOP3D editorial team will be
taking up residence in Boston for the
show and are looking forward to meeting
delegates and sharing a beer or two after
the talks. Al Dean, Greg Corke, Stephen
Holmes and Martyn Day will all be on hand
to host the day.
For our first US event tickets will be
limited, so book early to ensure a place.
For those not familiar with the show,
you can check out past DEVELOP3D LIVE
speakers including Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO
SolidWorks, Carl Bass, CEO Autodesk, Jorn
Grosshans of Mackevision and many more
on the website below.
develop3dliveusa.com
APWorks (which created the Light Rider
motorcycle on this months front cover),
Franco Cimatti, head of vehicle concepts
and pre-development at Ferrari and Salome
Galjaard, senior designer at Arup.
The program is complemented by several
master classes, product demonstrations
and an exhibition area. In addition,
solidThinking will host a two week design
exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum
(image right), opening on 20th September.
"With our lineup of international experts
and presenters from various industries
PTC aims to
democratise AR
with Vuforia
T
he latest release of PTCs
Augmented Reality (AR)
platform, Vuforia, is now
available. This update
addresses the growing
demands for AR in enterprise with
added support for Microsoft HoloLens
and Windows 10 tablets.
We just crossed two major milestones
on our mission to democratise AR,
comments Vuforia president and general
manager Jay Wright.
First, with VuMark we have paved
the way for product manufacturers and
marketers to add AR experiences to any
product. And with support for Windows
10 and HoloLens, were creating new
opportunities for developers to address the
growing need for enterprise solutions. This
is an extremely exciting time for developers
to get started with AR.
ptc.com/augmented-reality
After five years
of running the
Desktop ARKe
DEVELOP3D LIVE
conference and
gets colour boost
S
exhibition in the
UK, the event is ince the launch of the Mcor
making its US ARKe full-colour desktop
debut at Boston's 3D printer in January, Mcor
District Hall
Technologies has been
working on upgrades for it.
Its photorealistic colour with a
48002400 dpi resolution is a huge
benefit to those wanting realistic
prototypes straight off the printer bed. This
has been boosted even further with more
colour options taking it up to two million,
parts that feature increased strength and
the introduction of the new Orange Peel
software to assist with file preparation.
For 17,995, this is a cost effective printer
given the low cost of its consumables.
mcortechnologies.com
we will be discussing product creation
in all of its facets and cover topics
that go beyond design. It's not only
about designing a product, it's about
converging design and technology to
create truly innovative products, shorten
design cycles, and the improvement of
design processes. Converge will inspire
product creators to think out of the box
and to break new ground, says Dr. Lars
Pursche, European partner director at
solidThinking.
converge2016.com
30/08/2016 21:36

Renishaw to
help shape
future aircraft
R
enishaw is contributing its
additive manufacturing
know-how to a new 17.7
million project, being led by
Airbus in the UK, to develop
an innovative way of designing and
manufacturing aircraft wings, which will
encourage a right first time approach
and reduce development time.
With investment from the Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS), supported by the Aerospace
Technology Institute (ATI), the project,
called Wing Design Methodology Validation
or WINDY - will be led by a team from
Airbus in Filton, Bristol, with expertise
being offered from industry partners such
as Renishaw.
This is a fantastic opportunity to work
with Airbus and other project partners to
develop processes that will fully test the
capabilities of additive manufacturing
Nvidia unveils first Pascal Quadro GPUs
N
vidia has launched two new
high-end GPUs based on
its new generation Pascal
architecture. The Quadro
P5000 and Quadro P6000
are designed predominantly for Virtual
Reality, design visualisation and GPU
compute (including the physically-
based renderer, Nvidia Iray), although
the Quadro P5000 could also benefit
users of very high-end CAD.
The new Pascal architecture has two
interesting features relating to VR and GPU
compute. For VR, Simultaneous Multi-
Projection (SMP) allows left right visuals
to be created with a single pass. According
to Nvidia, this means Pascal GPUs provide
twice the effective geometry throughput.
For GPU compute, Async Compute /
MathWorks extends Simscape Fluids
M
athWorks has
announced new
capabilities for
modelling fluid systems
within the Simscape
product family. Part of Release
2016a, Simscape Fluids now provides
component libraries for modelling and
simulating thermal liquid systems.
The new libraries and examples, which
include heat exchangers, pipes and
valves, will enable engineers to develop
fluid power, heating and cooling and fluid
p10_11_12_D3D_SEPT16-NEWS.indd 11
(AM), says Clive Martell, Renishaws head
of global additive manufacturing.
If we can highlight the design and
production benefits of this technology
in one of the most demanding industry
sectors, then it paves the way for greater
adoption of AM for serialised production in
many other applications.
WINDY will look at aerodynamic modelling
of wings, the potential for use of complex
3D-printed components in wing structures
and the possibility of innovative loads
control on aircraft for better efficiency
whilst in flight.
renishaw.com | airbusgroup.com
Dynamic load balancing is designed to
offer more efficient sharing of resources
between graphics and compute tasks. With
Maxwell Quadros compute tasks would
hog GPU resources, so if you only had a
single card and wanted to render with Iray,
there would be significant slowdown in
interactive 3D graphics performance.
With the Pascal Quadros Nvidia says
there is better GPU resource utilisation,
resulting in more efficient mixed
graphics and compute
workloads.
Both the
P5000 and
P6000 will be
available in
October 2016.
nvidia.com
transportation systems.
Simscape Fluids is an important
component in our solutions for engineers
who tune closed-loop actuation systems
and evaluate system-level performance
of heating and cooling systems. Now,
engineers working with automotive,
aerospace, and industrial machinery can
easily use simulation to verify system
behaviour without relying on hardware
prototypes, says Paul Barnard, marketing
director at MathWorks.
mathworks.com
ROUND
UP
AMDs Radeon ProRender
(formerly previewed as
AMD FireRender) has
become available as a free
plug-in for SolidWorks. Its
accessible directly inside
the SolidWorks viewport
and supports AMD GPUs,
CPUs and APUs as well as
those of other vendors,
including Intel and Nvidia
The new Airbus amd.com
A350 is the first
Airbus aircraft
with both
fuselage and NASA has opened
wing structures registration for the Space
made primarily Robotics Challenge. In this
of carbon-fibre- $1 million prize competition
reinforced
teams must program a
polymer (photo
courtesy of mango virtual robot, modelled
producciones) after NASAs Robonaut
5, to complete a series of
tasks in a simulation that
includes periods of latency.
Registration ends 16 Sept
nasa.gov/spacebot
Belgium-based GeonX
has announced the first
official release of itsVirfac
Additive Manufacturing
The new Nvidia simulation software
Quadro P6000 which allows engineers
which is fueled by and designers to simulate
Nvidia Pascal
andpredict deformations
and stresses of parts
and components before
manufacturing them
geonx.com
FlexPLM 11 is PTC's
latest version of its PLM
solution for retail, fashion,
footwear, apparel, and
consumer products, and
the Tech Pack Access App
is the new app for this
software which offers quick
access to product data and
improves collaboration
with suppliers
ptc.com
Altair has received a
prestigious Jaguar Land
Rover Supplier Excellence
Award. Its tools, available
through the HyperWorks
software suite, are used
throughout the vehicle
engineering process to
aid in the development of
Jaguar Land Rovers range
of luxury vehicles
altairhyperworks.com
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 11
30/08/2016 21:36
 NEWS
AMD UNVEILS RADEON PRO
WX WORKSTATION GPUS
A
MD is harnessing its
consumer Radeon graphics
brand for a new generation of
workstation-class GPUs for
professional designers and
engineers focusing on CAD, game engine
design visualisation and virtual reality.
The AMD Radeon Pro WX Series of
professional graphics cards are based
on AMDs Polaris architecture and will
continue the FirePro legacy by featuring
optimisations for a wide range of
professional applications.
The AMD Radeon Pro WX Series of
professional graphics cards are based
on AMDs Polaris architecture and will
feature optimisations for a wide range of
professional applications.
There are three models in the family:
AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, which is
pitched at demanding design engineering
workflows and is AMDs workstation
solution for professional VR with a sub
$1,000 price point.
DS adds electromagnetic and electronics simulation to portfolio
E
lectromagnetic (EM) and
electronics simulation
company Computer
Simulation Technology (CST)
has entered into a definitive
agreement to be acquired by Dassault
Systmes (DS) for around 220 million.
CSTs CST Studio Suite software is used
at more than 2,000 companies in the
transportation, aerospace and defence,
and energy industries to evaluate all
types of EM effects during every stage of
electronic system design processes. Current
12 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM
p10_11_12_D3D_SEPT16-NEWS.indd 12
AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 for product
development, powered by game engine
design visualisation.
AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100, a half-
height graphics card for mid-range CAD,
compatible with standard and Small Form
Factor (SFF) workstations.
All three cards and are expected to be
available in Q4 of 2016 and will come with
a three year limited warranty plus a free,
7-year extended limited warranty.
In other news, AMD is developing a
completely new type of graphics card,
designed specifically for large dataset
applications, including VR content creation
and high-resolution rendering.
The AMD Radeon Pro SSG will feature a
Terrabyte of Radeon Solid State Graphics,
giving the powerful Fiji GPU fast access
to large datasets stored on an embedded
NVMe SSD. Available initially as a developer
kit for $9,999, full availability is planned
for 2017.
amd.com
customers include Airbus Defence and
Space, Bosch Group, Frauscher Sensor
Technology and Sirona.
Electromagnetism is an essential part
of a multiphysics simulation strategy
for the development of smart and
connected products, and IoT devices -
from their complex design, to ensuring
the performance, reliability and safety of
their interactions with their surrounding
environment, said Bernard Charls, VC
and CEO, Dassault Systmes.
3ds.com | cst.com
Ultimaker helps
bring 3D design
to US education
W
ith the official launch
of its Pioneer Program,
Ultimaker, a developer of
open source 3D printers
and tools, is aiming to
connect educators throughout North
America who are passionate about
bringing 3D printing and design into
K 12 and higher education.
The Ultimaker Pioneer Program allows
educators to share their 3D printing
knowledge on the new Ultimaker Education
website, while maintaining ownership
of their own content through Creative
Commons Attribution, Share-Alike, and
Non-Commercial licensing.
By visiting the Ultimaker Education
website, other educators throughout North
America will have access to resources
and knowledge that may not be available
locally.
ultimaker.com
AMD Radeon
Pro WX 5100
for product
development,
powered by game
Ansys enables
engine design
visualisation rise of the
digital twin
F
lowserve, a leading provider
of industrial pumps, seals
and valves, has announced its
new use of Ansys simulation
software to produce digital
twins of its products.
Following an enterprise licence agreement,
Flowserve becomes one of the first
companies to harness the complete system
of virtual physical prototypes, which it
expects to improve product quality and
performance, enhanced development
productivity, optimised maintenance and
reduced overall costs.
ansys.com | flowserve.com
30/08/2016 21:36
Design Faster, Smarter, and Lighter

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joined-up thinking.
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South East London Design Studio
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92 x 130mm

14 D3D Ad2.indd 1 26/08/2016 13:44


Bob Hillier shares the best practice for
companies caught up in the Product
Lifecycle Management vs Enterprise
Resource Planning debate and
argues that the future is about
collaboration rather than rivalry
T
ake the human body with
its 600 muscles and more
than 200 bones. Although
the muscular and skeletal
systems fulfil separate
functions, they also work together to
facilitate movement. In many ways, this
analogy describes how Product Lifecycle
Management (PLM) and Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) operate within
a manufacturing company.
PLM manages the innovation and
design process, while ERP ensures quality
products are manufactured in a timely, cost
controlled manner once a product has been
engineered and approved.
The capabilities of PLM include the
management of design, engineering
and simulation data, Engineering Bill of
Materials (EBOM), as well as materials
and export compliance and quality and
document management. ERP is normally
used for manufacturing resource planning,
HR, purchasing, inventory management,
order management and accounting.
So, despite what some industry voices
may say, it can be argued that PLM and ERP
actually enhance collaboration between
engineers, operations and suppliers.
Both systems have distinct purposes, but
they also have a number of overlapping
capabilities, which is where some of the
confusion can originate. However, there
are practical reasons why ERP and PLM can
work harmoniously together, improving
the end-to-end business performance. In
fact, combining the two has already proven
to be necessary, with some ERP providers
acquiring or developing their own PLM
platforms.
According to an IBM study, 97 per cent of
mid-sized companies are already running
an ERP application. This is because ERP was
the first to establish itself as an essential
business tool, however without PLM the
ERP system is likely to consume and
manage inaccurate data from design and
engineering, which delivers minimal or no
improvements to the business.
PLM AS A PRIORITY
PLM software is developed specifically
with the total product definition in mind.
PLM delivers complete configuration
p15_D3D_SEPT16_Comment_Bob_Hillier_DesignRule.indd 15
control of product data from all stages of
development, from initial concept, through
to design and production; to include
complex product and materials data,
associated files, issues and engineering
changes. PLM is also designed to
communicate engineering changes to the
entire business and supply chain in real
time. Put simply, PLM is all about product
development the very first stage of the
manufacturing process.
This makes PLM a building block for any
company that designs and manufactures
its own products, or manufactures to print.
PLM software also provides the single point
of product truth used by ERP to manage
product resources and financials. For
example, by using EBOM data from the
PLM system, ERP can accurately generate
purchasing and inventory management
records, enabling seamless management of
both resources and production.
Ultimately, an organisation that
implements an ERP system without
a complementary PLM system risks
mismanaging product changes and
therefore conducting inaccurate financial
planning. Without accurate PLM data, the
ERP system becomes Sisyphean.
In an ideal world, companies should
not have to choose whether a PLM
system is required to complement their
ERP investment. Instead, they should be
focussing on gaining the benefits of the
seamless integration of the two. Industrys
huge uptake of ERP demonstrates the
importance of the software, but PLM
remains the undisputed king of product
development. When used together, the
combination of systems can give an
organisation seamless control of its
manufacturing process.
INTEGRATING PLM AND ERP
When implementing PLM software, one
of the most important considerations
is integration into existing systems, to
fully deliver accurate product data to all
consumers irrespective of the platform they
are using.
Although many older ERP applications
remain, with older technologies for data
integration, there can still be success when
attempting to move data from PLM software
COMMENT
Providing a single source of truth,
a successful combination of PLM
and ERP can aid the seamless
delivery of products from design
conception, right through to
manufacturing and distribution

into the existing ERP and vice versa.
Despite the perceived rivalry between
the two systems, we are seeing new
partnerships and collaborations between
PLM and ERP providers to ensure seamless
communication between the two systems.
At Design Rule, we have integrated the
Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE PLM
platform with Columbus Global Microsoft
Dynamics AX ERP. This helps our clients
align their product design to wider
operations management supporting a single
source of truth.
WINNING COMBINATION
In todays competitive environment,
manufacturers face increasing demands to
deliver the right product, with zero defects,
on time and in budget. Meeting these
requirements often means short design
and product engineering cycles. Providing
a single source of truth, a successful
combination of PLM and ERP can aid the
seamless delivery of products from design
conception, right through to manufacturing
and distribution.
Admittedly, there are many cultural and
technical challenges to overcome before
the integration of PLM and ERP becomes
seamless. However, as this age-old rivalry
turns into collaboration, industry will start
to reap the benefits of integrated PLM and
ERP. And just like the worlds best athletes,
companies will start moving faster and
become stronger.
Bob Hillier is the managing director of Design Rule, a supplier
of PLM services to engineering, technology, consumer products
and other global high spec industries (designrule.co.uk).
For an example of the work it gets involved in, turn to page 30
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 15
30/08/2016 21:37
 FEEDBACK

Your DEVELOP3D
Your views on using technology in the design process, AMD's rendering plug-in for
SolidWorks, Grohe's design process and feeling inspired by women in engineering
LAST WORD: HOW ARE YOU @cambridgedesign
USING CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY
IN YOUR DESIGN PROCESS? SUMMER EDITION OF D3D
DEVELOP3D JULY/AUGUST 2016 TWITTER AUGUST 2016
Love it. Just reactivated my 360 Teta This is great read ... for designers,
Camera and found a brand new tripod... engineers and creatives of all flavours
waiting for the tutorials. Ah, can I put the and it's free !!
Teta to my Drone? @77A
Gerd Schwaderer
GROHE'S PROCESS FOR
AMD DEVELOPING FREE DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL
PHYSICALLY-BASED RENDERING BATHROOMS
PLUG-IN FOR SOLIDWORKS TWITTER AUGUST 2016
DEVELOP3D.COM JULY 2016 It is the process, guys and girls. Always the
On their website the other day it kept process. No short cuts.
linking to the Maya download and not @BarbBleu
SolidWorks. Now they have completely
removed the page and links from their WOMEN IN ENGINEERING
website. Great start. TWITTER JULY 2016
PJR @develop3d Will be putting the article up
on my classroom wall next session
I hope it is just temporarily removed due to @SSERCtechnology
work being in progress.
Other then that this is great news! I have SPOTTED IN SIGMATEKS OFFICE
SWx standard only with none rendering tool VIA TWITTER
this would be great addition.
KK

FLOWSERVE EMBRACES ANSYS

FOR REALTIME ANALYSIS
DEVELOP3D.COM AUGUST 2016
Does all the work it takes to develop and
Got an opinion on anything that has (or has maintain accurate digital twins plus linking
not) appeared in DEVELOP3D? Let us know
what you think. Letters may be edited
those with reliable sensors data really
make/save more money than it takes to
Tanya Weaver do it? Im doubtful but as a CAD/CAM guy,
tanya@x3dmedia.com obviously I hope so!
Facebook Kevin De Smet
/develop3d
Twitter DEVELOP3D LIVE HEADS TO
@develop3d
Web BOSTON, USA
develop3d.com TWITTER AUGUST 2016
Linked In @develop3d wow! International at last.
DEVELOP3D group Could you do the Bahamas next?

60 SECOND Why did you become a designer?
INTERVIEW I have always loved making and
designing stuff although it wasn't
AMY always that useful in my early
CHARMAN years. My mum and dad still refer
to my stool design, which had
nails that stuck in your bottom
and every time you put a drink in
the cup holder, it spilt as it rocked
on its uneven legs. I learnt a lot by
doing and making mistakes!
Which designer or company do
you most admire and why?
Thomas Heatherwick. He is
constantly imagining, none of his
work is the same and he is always
breaking new boundaries with
what can be achieved.
What product couldnt you live
without?
My mountain bike. I love flying
down trails in all seasons, especially
the Alps, its the perfect escape.
What design would you have
loved to have designed and why?
The 2012 Olympic cauldron. It was
a beautiful piece of work using
craftsmen and really symbolised
the games in its design.
Play-Doh, Meccano or Lego?
Lego, I like the endless possibilities.
What are your weapons of choice?
Nerf guns are amazing; we have
bought my girls quite a few sets,
obliviously not for me to play too
What is missing from your toolset?
Time, if only I had more. My
husband gets annoyed when my
list of things to do that day could
fill a week.
Is there anything that would
make your design process run
smoother?
A design Dictaphone where I
could imagine in my head and
it would produce the sketches/
images.
What would you say is the
biggest challenge facing
designers?
New technology and materials,
there are so many possibilities it's
hard to keep up.
Can you predict any future trends?
Data is and will play a huge
part in design, with much more
personalised design.
If you were hosting a dinner party
who would you invite and why?
David Attenborough, I love travel
and wildlife; he would have the
most amazing stories. The Dalai
Lama, who Id love to meet. And
lastly, Mary Berry as she would
make the most delicious cakes!
Amy Charman is one of the UKs leading
designers for children and the founder
of Play Architect, an award winning play
design company based in Cornwall. She
studied Furniture and Product Design
at Nottingham Trent University and
then worked for various play equipment
companies before starting on her own.
If you or a colleague would like
to take part in our 60 Second
Interview, please contact
tanya@x3dmedia.com

16 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p16_D3D_SEPT16_Feedback.indd 16 30/08/2016 22:06

International exhibition and conference
on the next generation of manufacturing technologies

Frankfurt, Germany, 15 18 November 2016

formnext.com

50 6 36.128 N
8 38 54.529 E
Experience the next generation of intelligent industrial
production. From design through to serial production.

Visit formnext with its unique combination of additive

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Be inspired.

Where ideas take shape.

Exhibition Movie

formnext.com/movie

Information: Follow us
+49 711 61946-825 @ formnext_expo
formnext@mesago.com # formnext16
 VISUAL DESIGN GUIDE
BALLISTIC HELMET
Industrial design consultancy 3form Design collaborates with United Shield,
a manufacturer of personal ballistic protection equipment, to create the
R.A.I.D. special ops ballistic helmet thats based on the geometry of an
existing helmet but has a new cool factor with increased functionality

BIGGEST
CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge for the design team was
providing a universal connectivity for third party
products without having to screw them directly
to the helmet. The reason for this is that ballistic
impact can be transmitted directly through the
helmet via the fixing

NEW ELEMENTS
The helmet form is based on the geometry and
material construction of an existing helmet as the
required approvals had already been achieved.
However, whats new is the edge profile and the
connectivity for attachments

DESIGN
VERIFICATION
Throughout the development process,
3fD printed FDM models to verify
form, check assembly routines and
provide information to the client

ADDED
FUNCTIONALITY
The helmet enables users to attach
many accessories in the most ergonomic
arrangement. The most significant of these
are the night vision goggles and battery
pack however others include strobe lights,
sunglasses and even cigar lighters.

18 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p18_19_D3D_SEPT16_VDG RAID balistic helmet.indd 18 30/08/2016 21:37

 BRIEF
The brief from United Shield was to create a cool, appealing,
exciting design that soldiers will want to wear. The design should look
forward to the future and put the company ahead of the curve.In
fact, 3fD was told that itshould be so cool that Tom Cruise will want
to wear it in his next movie. Apparently his agent has agreed that he
will when its available.

3formdesign.com

DESIGN TOOLS
3fD has developed a methodology of
sketching with its 3D tool SolidWorks.
According to the design team, this
technique loosens the need for
engineering detail and focuses more on
the spatial form and visual elements

MATERIALS
The frame is made of aerospace
alloys to ensure that its strong
and lightweight

WEIGHING IN
Due to the loads involved and the
need to keep weight to a minimum,
it was essential to optimise the
components. As such, analysis
through software simulation proved
to be a significant tool

RELIABLE
PRODUCT
As with all military products,
reliability was a key consideration as
it will need to be used in a range of
environments including dust, cold,
wet and reduced light

INCREASED
COMFORT
With the new system, heavy items can be
moved to positions that reduce the strain
on the users neck. The cabling system also
provides a low voltage power connection
from the back to the front of the helmet
without exposed and vulnerable leads

p18_19_D3D_SEPT16_VDG RAID balistic helmet.indd 19 30/08/2016 21:37

 PROFILE

WEIGHT
WATCHERS
Despite its skeletal appearance, the
Light Rider is an extremely strong yet
lightweight electric motorcycle designed
by Airbus subsidiary APWorks as a
showcase of whats possible when topology
optimisation is coupled with metallic 3D
printing. Tanya Weaver discovers more

Looking more like an

organic exoskeleton
than motorcycle, the
Light Rider weighs in
at just 35kg

20 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

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 DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 21

p20_21_22_23_24_D3D_SEPT16_cover story light rider.indd 21 30/08/2016 21:38

 PROFILE

I
1

n the aircraft industry weight saving is king. Less
mass to lift into the air means less fuel, which
means less cost and carbon emissions. So it
benefits the airline, the passenger and the planet.
Being one of the biggest aircraft manufacturers,
Airbus knows this all too well. And although it
still largely utilises traditional manufacturing
methods, substantial resources have been
dedicated towards advanced manufacturing
technologies including additive layer manufacturing (ALM).
Here components are optimised during the design process
to achieve less material waste and improved weight savings.
The advantages of such 3D printed parts for the aircraft
industry are obvious and Airbus is currently testing such
parts on its aircraft (see below) but many other industries
from robotics to automotive and medical can also benefit.
So in 2013, Airbus set up APWorks, a 100% subsidiary
1 APWorks
proprietary material
with a production facility in Munich, to not only further
Scalmalloy is a
explore this technology and work on innovative projects for second generation
Airbus Group, but to operate as an independent company aluminium-
offering expertise in design, materials and 3D printing. magnesium-scandium
alloy developed for
The perfect interplay of design, material and printing very high strength
does not only lead to reduced weight, cost savings and the extrusions
integration of increased functionality into parts, it also
revolutionises the design and manufacturing process, says
Angela Gruenewald, APWorks marketing manager.
However, with customer projects often being confidential,
APWorks cant tangibly showcase the possibilities of parts
that have been designed specifically for ALM. So it hatched
an idea for an internal project that would allow it to do just
that. The product decided upon was an electric motorcycle.
We decided on a product that people would already have

TAKING Together with Airbus, attendants sit on during and additive manufacturing

FLIGHT APWorks has developed

what it refers to as the
WITH 3D worlds largest metal
takeoff and landing.
The current design, which
has been flying in the A320
technology.
An algorithm that uses
the biological algorithm

PRINTED 3D printed airplane

component the Bionic
PARTS Partition. This partition
panel is essentially the wall
that divides the aircraft
cabin and supports the
jump seats that the flight
successfully for decades,
is a strong and lightweight
component made from a
honeycomb composite but
Airbus wanted to explore
what could be possible
using topology optimisation
of slime mould was
developed to link critical
connection points in an
airplane partition. Then a
process of bio computation
was run that generates,
evaluates, and evolves tens

of thousands of design component.

options, explains Angela
Gruenewald, APWorks
marketing manager.
Collaborating with
Autodesk, Airbus utilised its
cloud computing service to
generate all these design
alternatives.
The component also
marks the first time that
APWorks proprietary
material Scalmalloy
has been used on large
scale inside an aircraft
The new partition
features far less material
than its predecessor and
also weighs 25kg less.
Airbus estimates that just
this component will save
465,000 metric tonnes of
CO2 per year.
The Bionic Partition is
currently undergoing 16G
crash testing as part of the
process for certification and
integration into the current
fleet of A320 planes.

22 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

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 a stereotype in mind of how it may look. They know what
to expect of a bike and how heavy it is. But when they see
our design, theyll wonder how it is possible to design and
produce such a thing, says Gruenewald.
So having produced what APWorks claims to be the
first 3D printed motorcycle, the rather aptly named Light
Rider weighs in at just 35kg, of which the frame is a mere
6kg. And although it may be 30 per cent lighter than a
motorcycle with a traditionally manufactured frame, its
just as strong or possibly more so although may not look it.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
This project also provided APWorks with the opportunity
to showcase its own proprietary material Scalmalloy in
2 process in an approach known as topology optimisation.
3 The downside is that the organic shapes that the process
4 and boundary conditions were added. APWorks used a
p20_21_22_23_24_D3D_SEPT16_cover story light rider.indd 23
the construction of the frame. Specifically developed for
series production using ALM technologies, this aluminium
They know
alloy features mechanical properties that make it ideal
for use in lightweight robotics, automotive and aerospace what to
applications. expect of
To make radical progress in lightness, strength and a bike and
ductility, we need advanced materials which will achieve
their full potential when combined with advanced
how heavy
manufacturing. This is what we can do with Scalmalloy it is. But
and for the Light Rider it means a frame of unprecedented when they
weight saving, continues Gruenewald. see our
The Light Rider project also provided the opportunity
for APWorks to reveal how it goes about designing
design,
parts specifically for the ALM process. And to do this theyll
its engineers use a simulation tool from Altair called wonder
OptiStruct during the concept phase of the development how it is
Essentially this is the ability to optimise material layout possible to
within a given design space, for a given set of loads and design and
boundary conditions in order to achieve the required produce
performance targets.
As Mirko Bromberger, Altairs director of marketing and
such a thing
additive manufacturing strategy, explains, This branch
of computer aided engineering (CAE) involves the use of
intelligent technologies that give a designer guidance on
where material is required and where it can be removed to
leave a structure that exhibits the required performance
targets but at a significantly lower weight than relying on
intuition or experience alone.
creates have not traditionally been easy to manufacture,
causing engineers to add mass back into the design to
meet the practicalities of the production process. However,
when optimisation techniques are coupled with additive
manufacturing, it is possible to produce a structure thats
far closer to the optimum solution, continues Bromberger.
SIMULATION DRIVEN DESIGN
In this simulation driven design process, APWorks
engineers needed to firstly define the design space. This
refers to those areas where geometry cannot be adjusted
such as fixing points or access holes. Then all known loads
Cafe Style Racer as the design guideline and researched
information on typical load cases for motorcycles.
Into OptiStruct we added some boundary conditions. We
thought about all kinds of things whats located where on
a bike, how big it is, whats the wheel base, what happens
when you ride it, describes Gruenewald.
Additionally, as this was designed specifically for the
ALM process, the engineers could create a hollow frame to
not only further reduce mass but also provide a means of
hiding cables and pipes. However, APWorks points out that
the thin and complex structure achieved is only possible
2 In the additive layer manufacturing
process, a laser melts powdered
Scalmalloy into thousands of layers
3 The rst stage of the topology
optimisation process using Altairs
OptiStruct is to dene the design space
4 The resulting optimisation
5 The design engineers will then use
these results to rene the design
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 23
30/08/2016 21:38
 with very strong and lightweight materials like Scalmalloy.
With Scalmalloy you can have lower wall thickness but
still have the same strength if you compare it to other
materials used for metallic 3D printing, adds Gruenewald.
Having inputted all this information into OptiStruct,
APWorks could then programme the algorithm to use
bionic structures and natural growth processes as the
basis for developing the frame. The software calculates the
optimal load curve and where material has to be placed in
order to meet the required stiffness characteristics. And as
it starts to take shape in the software, the design looks more
like an organic exoskeleton than motorcycle frame.
But you just get a proposal from the software and the
next step is that our design engineers interpret these
optimisation results. For instance, they have to refine it
further in order to get a printable and appealing geometry,
says Gruenewald.
The resulting design is again validated via an additional
finite element analysis to confirm the required stiffness.
This is carried out using Altairs HyperView tool.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
However, a challenge during the design process was
considering how to divide the frame up for printing as
it couldnt be printed as one complete structure. The
engineers decided to create 14 separate sections that would
be able to withstand all the loads.
The engineers also had to consider how the various
parts would be assembled once printed. With customer
projects we know all these boundary conditions we know
where the part will be mounted at which point and what
diameter the screws are or how it will be assembled to other
parts. But for our motorcycle, it was really challenging to
design everything that you can assemble afterwards and
not encounter any problems with screws, cable or routing,
describes Gruenewald.
Happy with the final design, it was ready to send the files
to the EOS selective 3D laser printing system, which uses a
laser to melt powdered Scalmalloy into thousands of layers,
with each layer being just 60 microns thick.
Once all the parts had emerged from the printer, they
were TIG (tungsten inert gas) welded together, a process
that uses a tungsten electrode to produce the weld and
24 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM
p20_21_22_23_24_D3D_SEPT16_cover story light rider.indd 24
favoured in this project due to the greater control it offers
the operator over the weld.
The real
According to Gruenewald, it took three weeks to print and
assemble the Light Rider. Once complete, it was ready to excitement
ride and with a 6kW electric motor can reach 80km/h in a comes
few seconds. from when
Those who have seen it are impressed by the design
because it is new and innovative. And they are even more
they ride
impressed when they can easily lift it up. But the real it because
excitement comes when they ride it and feel the speed and they cant
strength of the motorcycle. believe that
They may have a feeling that there is material missing
but in the end it is optimised for the loads so its just a new the frame is
way of designing things, she says. really with-
APWorks is capable of creating series production at its standing all
facilities and so is currently offering a production run of 50
Light Riders for sale at 50,000.
the loads
MORE TO COME
Although Light Rider may be an ostentatious display of
what is possible with topology optimisation software,
lightweight materials and 3D printing, APWorks has
worked on some equally interesting but perhaps less
glamorous projects including a bionic aircraft cabin
partition (see page 22) and is also currently developing the
first fully 3D printed liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger that
can be used for both robotic and automotive applications.
But according to Gruenewald, the opportunities for
optimised 3D printed parts are endless for any industry.
Its exciting for designers because they can completely
rethink how they design products, she says.
Right now they have all these limitations in mind dictated
by what is possible in manufacture, but with 3D printing
they can design freely and can completely rethink this
process. It is certainly exciting.
apworks.de
altairhyperworks.co.uk
APWorks technical manager Daniel Schneider will be talking at the
SolidThinking Converge 2016 conference in Essen, Germany, on 20th 21st
September. The Light Rider will also be on display during this event. Hell then be
talking again at the TCT Show + Personalize at the NEC in Birmingham on
29th September (see page 28).
6 The Light Rider has
a 6kW electric motor
powering it from
0 to 80km/h in just
seconds
30/08/2016 21:38
 A CONFERENCE
EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Essen, Germany | September 20-21 | SANAA-Gebude

FEATURED
SPEAKERS

FRANCO CIMATTI
Head of Vehicle Concepts and
Pre-development, Ferrari

FEATURED MASTERCLASS

Adding value to the freedom of design -

Making of the Airbus Light Rider
This Master Class at CONVERGE 2016 is offered jointly by Airbus APWorks,
EOS and solidThinking. The strengths of Additive Manufacturing (AM)
lie in those areas where traditional manufacturing methods reach their
FRANCK MOURIAUX limitations. This technology is of special interest when a new approach
General Manager Structures, to design and manufacturing is required for a creative solution.
RUAG Space
Learn more at converge2016.com/europed3d

Presented in partnership with

An Company Red Dot Design Museum.

2016 solidThinking, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
 the UKs fastest
growing 3d part
production
service
Visit us on Stand E30 at TCT Show 2016
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26 D3D Ads.indd 1 26/08/2016 13:47

 EVENT PREVIEW

TCT SHOW +
PERSONALIZE 2016
PREVIEW
Taking place from 28 29 September at the NEC in Birmingham, heres a

M
look at whats in store at this additive manufacturing and 3D printing event
arking its 21st year, the TCT purchasing decisions
Show + Personalize will 3. Intention to purchase
be staged over two days, 4. To find solutions to current and future manufacturing
and is the place to be to challenges
gorge on all things additive 5. To source new products and services.
manufacturing and 3D
printing related. CONFERENCE
Free to attend, the show Head to the main stage to hear from speakers who are
floor will feature 220 representing companies from a wide range of industries.
exhibitors, while a two stage conference will provide the The full speaker programme is available on the TCT Show
opportunity to hear from industry experts, commentators website, but weve put together our top five speakers to
and educators. look out for over the page.
We asked the organisers of TCT Show to give us their top The Tech Stage is what the organisers refer to as a
five reasons as to why you should take a day or two out of Visitors will be able forum for learning and education. Over the two days, the
the office to attend: to see how cutting programme is divided into four sessions:
1. To keep up to date with industry and technology edge 3D printing
technology can be
advancement harnessed to produce Software Insights Drawing together emerging trends
2. To get the knowledge to make informed future optimum results and new technology.

DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 27

p27_28_D3D_SEPT16_TCT preview.indd 27 30/08/2016 21:38

 EVENT PREVIEW

Inspex @ TCT Highlighting the latest tech and real-
world applications in the metrology and inspection sector.
Beginners Guide to AM The opportunity for
newcomers to additive technologies to get up to speed as
fast as possible.
Start Up Pitch Competition Start Ups will present a
short, sharp five-minute presentation of their product or
service. A judging panel will then decide who wins the
TCT Start Up award and prizes.
TOUCH IT. TEST IT.
Arguably, there is no better way to evaluate technology
than seeing it in the flesh and talking face to face with
those who can explain it in more detail and answer your
questions there and then.
TCT organisers claim that in excess of 300 3D printing
and additive manufacturing machines are expected
for 2016, so there will be a lot to see. In addition, huge
amounts of scanning and inspection equipment and
software will be on display as well as conventional
manufacturing techniques such as moulding, tooling and
machining.
NEW MACHINE DEBUTS
Both Stratasys and Trumpf will be using the TCT Show as
a vehicle to introduce new machines to the UK. Stratasys
will showcase its full-colour, multi-material J750 3D
printer, while Trumpf will introduce the TruPrint 1000
3D, a compact, plug-and-play metal printing machine for
the production of small components by laser metal fusion.
Olympus will be exhibitng the Olympus LEXT OLS4100
laser scanning compound microscope, which it claims
offers accuracy and repeatability, with non-contact 3D
observations at 10 nanometer resolutions.
Other leading companies bringing new tech to the
TCT Show include Added Scientific, launching its new
software Flatt Pack; Photocentric which will display
its first Liquid Crystal 3D printer, using a 40 screen;
Polygonica presenting its latest software; and Sodick
who will be showcasing the brand new OPM250L metal
3Dprinter and high speed machining centre combo.
For more information and to register for the event, visit
Stratasys stand at
last years event tctshow.com and to keep up to date with the latest news
with the Strakka follow TCT Show on Twitter via @TCTShow
Racing car. Its back
this year and will be DEVELOP3D will be at the show, so feel free to pop by our stand to say hi,
introducing some pick up a free subscription and ask any questions you might have.
new machines See you there!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SPEAKER PROGRAMME

Richard Trimlett, consultant
adult cardiac surgeon, Royal
Brompton Hospital and Alex
Berry, founder, Sutrue Ltd
10:30, Wed 28 September
From Theory to Theatre Using
Additive Manufacturing
Examining how AM has
increased cross-discipline
collaboration between product
designers and surgeons with
life-changing results.
Austin Schmidt, senior
additive manufacturing
design engineer, Caterpillar
13:40, Wed 28 September
Assessing Additive Technologies
AM Deployment Strategies in
Large Corporations - How to
deploy additive manufacturing
within an organisation and
encourage human engagement.
Jan Vandenbrande, program
manager, Defence Science
Office, DARPA
15:20, Wed 28 September
TRAnsformative DESign
AM has created shapes and
material properties previously
thought impossible but the
generation of new designs is
still challenged by outdated
opinions about materials and
manufacturing.
Daniel Schneider, technical
sales manager, Airbus
APWorks
10:30, Thurs 29 September
Industrialising Additive
Manufacturing
Taking a look at what it
means to industrialise parts
using additive manufacturing
technologies with a focus on
certification as well as its own
experiences in this area.
Christophe Eschenbrenner,
digital supply chain manager,
ALSTOM
13:40, Thurs 29 September
Customer service and supply
chain impact for spare parts
activities: end-user REX within
the Public Transportation
industry
Taking a look at usages and
benefits, and reviewing the
impact on the engineering,
industrial supply chain now and
over the coming decade.

28 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p27_28_D3D_SEPT16_TCT preview.indd 28 30/08/2016 21:39

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Our two main objectives were to
improve document control and get
our teams in different locations to
collaborate more effectively
Andy Lodge, design engineering
manager at Meggitt UK
JUST THE
A
erospace is one of the most demanding
and competitive industries in the world
today. To keep up with the market
pressures, manufacturers have to ensure
everything they do from product design
and testing to document management
and compliance procedures is as precise as clockwork.
Nobody knows this better than Meggitt, a global
engineering group specialising in extreme environment
products and sub-systems for the defence, aerospace and
energy markets.
Meggitt has dominated the aerospace industry for
almost half a century, so its fair to say that today, theres
scarcely an aeroplane in service that doesnt carry
Meggitts critical components and smart systems. The
company has 11,000 employees across its manufacturing
facilities in Asia, Europe and North America.
With such a large team based in these different locations,
document control can become a bit of a nightmare. Add
more than 40 years worth of historical data and drawings
to the mix and the situation becomes even more delicate.
MAKING THE MOVE TO PLM
For these reasons and more, the move to one software
platform across divisions and a better document control
system has been a priority for Meggitt in recent years. To
find and implement the right software for the job, UK
and Swiss divisions of Meggitt came to product lifecycle
30 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM
p30_31_D3D_SEPT16_design rule plm case study.indd 30
management (PLM) specialist Design Rule for advice.
Our two main objectives were to improve document
control and get our teams based in different locations to
collaborate more effectively using a shared platform,
explains Andy Lodge, design engineering manager at
Meggitt UK. The move to a new software platform was
also an opportunity to review and improve our existing
document archive.
Alongside its French and Swiss partner Visiativ,
which led the international implementation, Design
Rule coordinated the project in the UK and made
recommendations for how Dassault Systmes ENOVIA
software platform could help Meggitt achieve its objectives.
IMPROVING ELECTRONIC STORAGE
Because the Meggitt history is so long and fruitful, we
have over a million of drawings and documents, some
of which go back the first half of the last century. Most
of our documents have digital copies, but the existing
system wasnt flexible or accessible enough. Most of our
electronic storage was organised in a folder structure
similar to the Windows model and shared on the
network, continues Lodge.
The main problem was that the search function was
unreliable, so if you needed an archived document, you Customers such as
would either have to ask someone where to find it or spend Airbus have very
strict design, test
a lot of time looking for it. and compliance
Following the implementation of ENOVIA, Lodge says requirements
30/08/2016 21:39

HE TICKET
the benefits were almost immediate, particularly the
improvement in efficiency when it came to locating files
and performing admin tasks.
Last year, we identified about 100,000 working files that
needed to be managed and installed on the new system.
We have already added 80,000 of them to ENOVIA,
which now allows us to find relevant files in just seconds.
Needless to say, this has saved our team a significant
amount of time already, he adds.
SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS
Better document control was the original reason Meggitt
decided to implement a PLM system and ENOVIA made
product planning and document management easier
by connecting two parts of the business: the document
authors such as engineers, CAD designers and product
designers and the consumers of information from the
purchasing, quality and export control teams. Different
Meggitt employees will need to access certain documents
for various reasons. For example, the document
procedures for qualifying products that are fit for flight
can be many hundreds of pages long and need to go
through different levels of approval, not to mention that
they need to be accessible in real time. By using ENOVIA,
Meggitt has simplified the approval process, making the
digital trail of a document much clearer and improving
the accessibility to relevant team members.
Perhaps the most ground-breaking aspect of the
p30_31_D3D_SEPT16_design rule plm case study.indd 31
PROFILE
Aerospace company Meggitt
reaps the benefit of improved
document management
through implementing the
ENOVIA product lifecycle
management (PLM) solution
project consisted in the multiple site implementations,
explains Bob Hillier, managing director of Design Rule.
This is where the partnership with Visiativ really made
a difference because it allowed us to take advantage
of ENOVIAs flexibility to adapt the software to each
divisions culture, structure and way of doing things.
One of the trickiest things about introducing new
software is getting the team on board and helping
everyone involved see the benefits of the new system.
Unless all the users are on the same page, theres a good
chance the implementation will fall flat and the results
will not reflect expectations. By allowing the UK and
Swiss teams to adapt the software to their existing needs,
processes and procedures, the transition was smooth and
the users were more likely to engage with and make the
most of the new system.
The improvements Meggitt has seen from the
implementation of ENOVIA have convinced the company
of the benefits of PLM. In the near future, it is hoping to
get more departments and divisions to use the ENOVIA
software, turning it into one of the main communication
and management tools of the company.
Meggitt is also planning to move beyond document
management and employ PLM for project management
and bill of materials management, while also integrating a
collaborative CAD software platform into the system.
designrule.co.uk
3ds.com
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 31
30/08/2016 21:39
Develop3D-2017-Launch-Advert-SSM-v1.pdf 1 16/08/2016 16:19:24
 REVIEWS
SolidWorks 2017 Beta
With SolidWorks next major release launched this month, its user community will be
keen to learn whats coming. Michael Lord gives us a guide of what to expect from
the recently completed beta version
T
he release of SolidWorks
2015 and 2016 were slightly
overshadowed by a few
controversies. SolidWorks 2015
was a transition version that brought
reduced file sizes and much promised
efficiency. Unfortunately, the radical
rewriting of the code required a few
Service Packs before it could deliver all
that it promised.
SolidWorks 2016 with its all new mono-
colour User Interface also managed
to upset a few people. However, the
past few Service Packs have addressed
much of these concerns. Firstly with the
introduction of a Classic theme and
then by adding colour back to some of the
Icons. Dealing with this issue in such a
timely fashion was only achievable thanks
to the amount of work that has gone into
the product over the past few years and is
also testament to its development team.
The release of SolidWorks 2017 is not
that far away and Ive been running
SolidWorks 2017 Beta for a few months
now. Like all new versions of the
product, its a mix of new features and
enhancements to existing tools, across
all of the components that make up the
SolidWorks matrix.
The following are just a few
p33_35_36_38_D3D_SEPT16_SolidWorks.indd 33
Product: observations on a selection of those
SolidWorks 2017 Beta features and enhancements.
Supplier:
SolidWorks
Price: On application
USER INTERFACE
solidworks.com SolidWorks continues to tinker with the
User Interface. The Dynamic Reference
Visualisation feature introduced with
SolidWorks 2015 has undergone a revamp.
The sweeping arcs that overlapped the
Features text have been replaced with
geometric lines and filleted corners.
SolidWorks 2017 RX has not only had a
facelift but has seen a new feature added.
The Reliability tab provides simple access
to information such as how the session
ended, which version of SolidWorks was
being used as well as Windows Event
Information.
The underutilised Comments tool of the
Feature Manager has had some attention.
Comments, which were only shown at the
top of the Feature Tree, are now shown
next to the Feature they are referring to.
Images and screenshots along with text
can now be attached and time stamps are
added automatically.
1 The Wrap tool
has had major work
for 2017 in terms of
SKETCHING
usability and allows The Offset Sketch feature has always been
you to work with a much used tool of mine. The ability to
multiple surfaces use existing edges and face entities to
create a new sketch, a prescribe distance
from those entities, is a great time saving
feature.
SolidWorks 2017 sees the introduction of
Offset on Surface and with it you now have
the ability to use existing 3D edge and
face entities to create new sketches as you
would with the existing Offset tool.
The Segment feature introduced
in SolidWorks 2015 has seen quite a
significant enhancement. Whereas the
Segment tool, used to create equal length
segments, was limited to line and arc
(circle and rectangular) sketch entities,
it will now work with splines, parabolas,
ellipses, partial ellipses and conics.
Many users become perplexed when they
believe they have created a closed contour
sketch only to discover that it will not
Extrude. On closer inspection a random
micro line is discovered that is causing the
sketch to become open contours.
Its a reasonably common issue caused
by click to click sketching. This should now
be much reduced with the introduction
of Prevention of Accidental Micro Lines.
This background feature creates a
dynamic buffer zone when using the
click-click sketch method and should see
the reduction of the accidental creation of
micro lines.
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 33
30/08/2016 21:40
 RADEON PRORENDER FOR SOLIDWORKS
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Render models straight from the viewport no file export needed
Use the plug-in on AMD FirePro, Radeon Pro graphics or any other
GPU and CPU that support OpenCL 1.2
Available to use with Standard, Professional and Premium SOLIDWORKS
Compatible with SOLIDWORKS 2014 up to SOLIDWORKS 2016
Simple and easy to use
Its a free download
Coming soon*

For more info, visit

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*Currently in closed beta. Please visit https://radeon-prorender.github.io/solidworks/ and register for early access.
2016 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Radeon, FirePro and combinations thereof are trademarks
of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. OpenCL is a trademark of Apple Inc. used by permission by Khronos Group Inc. Other product names used in
this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Radeon_solidworks_AD_A4_v1_2.indd 1 24/08/2016 14:04


PARTS & FEATURES
Parts modelling is one area that
has received an extensive range of
enhancements to many of its existing
features.
The big winner amongst these will be of
interest to those users who need to create
organic shapes. The Wrap tool has had
major improvements as has the Property
Manager, which has been brought in line
with many of the other features that now
use graphical representation icons.
These replace descriptions for the
feature in the Property Manager. Its big
trick, however, is the adding of Wrap to
Spline Surface which adds the ability to
wrap a sketch and create geometry onto
any surface. And not just a single surface
but multiple surfaces at the same time.
The Sweep feature has had a simple and
timesaving function added. With its ability
to select faces, edges and curves from
existing geometry that can be used as the
p33_35_36_38_D3D_SEPT16_SolidWorks.indd 35
sweep profile, the need to create a new
sketch is eliminated.
There are a few interesting things
happening with the Chamfer feature. It
has seen enhancements to align it closer
with the fillet tool. This includes additional
Chamfer features of Face-Face and Offset
Face Chamfers. Face-Face selection
will allow the creation of symmetric,
asymmetric, hold line, and chord width
chamfers.
The big enhancement, however, is the
interchangeability between Chamfers
& Fillets (and Fillets & Chamfers). It is a
simple matter of either editing a Fillet/
Chamfer and then selecting the other
to change. Or a right mouse button
selection on a Fillet/ Chamfer feature in
the Property Manager and then selecting
Convert Fillet/Chamfer to Chamfer/ Fillet.
Last years release saw the added ability
to create a sweep Bi-directionally. This
year it is the Circular Patterns feature that
SOFTWARE REVIEW
has received the Bi-directional treatment. 2 Chamfers and fillets
are now much more
Bi-direction patterns can be either
closely aligned and
symmetrical or different in each direction can be exchanged on
for both number of Instances and Angle the fly, rather than
of Pattern. As with all Patterns, Instances requiring a model
can be selected to skip. rebuild or edit of
feature history
MODEL DISPLAY 3 Section views in
models allow you to
The Section tool is a particularly useful
maintain the hidden
tool that has seen increased functionality part as an outline or
added over the years. Its ability to allow transparent geometry
interrogation of internal components also passed over
has been enhanced and now allows for into the rendering
system
individual bodies and parts to be selected
and displayed as transparent. The
transparent part provides a silhouette
whist allowing the view of the internal
part.
For me, the real bonus when Creating
Transparent Section Views is that these
views are available to use with PhotoView
360 as this allows for the creation of more
creative photorealistic renders.
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 35
30/08/2016 21:40
 SOFTWARE REVIEW

DRAWINGS
If there is one area of my SolidWorks skill
set that could do with improvement it
would be the creation of drawings. Whilst
SolidWorks has always made it easy to
create engineering drawings, there is a
skill set and knowledge required to display
readable, accurate information. More
importantly, at times there is a necessity
for this information to conform to a
required standard. Enhancements have
been made to Drawings over the past few
years as the tool works towards that and
SolidWorks 2017 sees this continue.
With the creation of a Section View,
selection of Emphasise Outline displays
the outline of the cut view and is shown
by a thicker line. More creative displays
can be achieved by using Jagged Outlines
with the creation of Detailed and Cropped
5
Views. The Break lines in a Break View can
also be set to show as a Jagged Outline.
In the name of productivity, the ability SpeedPak configuration can be created WHAT ELSE? 4 Section Views now

to produce a Mirror Drawing must be a
considerable winner. Mirror Drawing can
be used with display model, relative to
model and predefined drawing views.
Projected Views and other derives will
also propagate with the Mirroring of
their parent view. Mirror Drawings are
all produced without the creation of a
directly in the Asset Publisher to enhance At last years media release of SolidWorks get an Emphasise
Outline option to add
performance, especially in very large 2016, the vendor demonstrated what it
a thicker line to the
assemblies such as plant layouts. called SolidWorks Online Edition. This was outline of the section
Im not too sure about the Allow an evaluation version to access SolidWorks
5 Broken and detail
Misaligned Mates. This new mate allows, via a browser and, in essence, was views now get jagged
as the name suggests, mating of pairs of SolidWorks running on the cloud engine outlines to better
holes that are not exactly aligned. The first Frame. Not a lot has been heard about represent components
concentric mates can be applied Aligned SolidWorks Online Edition since then.
6 (On page 38)

mirrored modelled component.
ASSEMBLIES
A highlighted new mate feature shown
at SolidWorks World earlier this year has
had a name change from Magnetic Mates
to Facility Layout. Facility Layout uses a
pre-mating system by creating a series
of connection points and ground planes
in a Published Asset. When inserting
these components into an assembly the
parts will magnetically snap together.
and the offset is allowed at the second
mate. There is a Symmetric option to have
the offset applied equally to both sets of
mated holes.
Whilst Im sure the intention is to assist
those who may not have control over the
models that they are required to use, in a
manufacturing situation it does open up
for some potential issues.
That said, it is an option which requires
selection from a dialogue box and not a
set function.
However, it now appears that SolidWorks While theres been
no confirmation of
has found a useful application for it.
improved translation
Appearing late in the Beta time period on less data exchange
the My.SolidWorks web portal, after Log eDrawings does help
In there appears a new tab SolidWorks solve that Catia part
2017 Online Beta. This initiative, to provide read problem to some
extent
access to a Beta product for evaluation
without the requirement of downloading
and installing software, would have to
be the best use for a browser based CAD
product providing an opportunity to
quickly review new features. It, like all

36 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p33_35_36_38_D3D_SEPT16_SolidWorks.indd 36 30/08/2016 21:40

Develop3D-2017-Launch-Advert-Cadtek-v1.pdf 1 16/08/2016 16:18:43

SOLIDWORKS PDM
LOOKING INTO A VAULT?
DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED AN EFFICIENT LONG
TERM, SECURE DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION?
WHY DO YOU NEED DATA MANAGEMENT?
The design process takes too long!
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Duplication of files and multiple versions
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Broken or missing links between files
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No audit trail
New Technology CADCAMs SOLIDWORKS PDM delivers
a simple, functional solution. Our experienced PDM
Specialists provide installation assistance, configuration
and training to enable users to be up and running and
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Features include:
Secure, yet adaptable check in and check out
protocols with full administration
Pre-configured Vault for rapid deployment,
organising data storage easily and safely
Structured Libraries enabling storage and re-use of
common design and parts
Automatic status reports to quickly identify any effect
of potential design revisions, locating components,
recording and numbering versions, enabling traceability
and version-specific reuse
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BOOK A DEMONSTRATION WITH US TODAY
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TOTAL SOLUTIONS FROM THE LEADING
SOLIDWORKS RESELLER
p33_35_36_38_D3D_SEPT16_SolidWorks.indd 38
6
browser based CAD products, are governed by internet speeds.
Currently mine is average and therefore subject to much latency!
SolidWorks 2017 will be available on Term Licensing. Whilst
this might seem appealing especially to small businesses or
start-ups, Im not convinced at this stage although it certainly
is becoming the trend with software in general and looks to
become the standard for CAD software. Whilst it may provide
short term benefits for the lessor, the long term benefits must be
for the lessee.
At the time of writing no details were available in regards to
the terms, costs or even how or where you will purchase the term
licence. The devil, as they say, is always in the detail.
One thing I think we wont see with the initial release of
SolidWorks 2017 is the titled SolidWorks 3D Interconnect, which
allows the insertion of a third party native CAD file directly into
a SolidWorks assembly without converting it to a SolidWorks
file. Opening the third party native CAD file would create a new
SolidWorks part but keep the third party native file as a base for
the part. When demonstrated at this years SolidWorks World it
caused quite a buzz.
But the real buzz around the feature was the type of native files
that could be opened. There were a number of limitations with
regards to the versions but the list showed Autodesk Inventor,
PTC, Solid Edge, NX and, importantly, Catia V5. There has always
been a certain irony around SolidWorks not being able to work
with Catia files.
During Beta this feature wasnt activated but communication
by the development team indicated that the feature had evolved
and changed over the past few months. There are plans to
conduct a dedicated 3D Interconnect Beta at the conclusion of
the General Beta. So, although we may see this feature added at
a later Service Pack, at this stage we will have to be content with
eDrawings ability to open the above additional formats.
CONCLUSION
I like what I see with SolidWorks 2017. We are starting to reap
the rewards of the development that has gone into the product
over the past couple of years. Ive only had the opportunity here
to highlight a few from the core product but all aspects of the
SolidWorks range have seen new functions added and existing
features receive additional functionality.
SolidWorks 2017 is an example of a very good product that,
given good development, continues to improve with each new
release. I look forward to its release and another year working
with the product.
BIOGRAPHY:
MICHAEL LORD
Michael Lord works as a design/
engineer and is currently the
manager at Trakka Pty Ltd, an
Australian manufacturer of
motorhomes and special purpose
vehicles. He has 40 years experience
of manufacturing under his belt,
10 years of which hes been a
SolidWorks user. He covers how he
uses SolidWorks on his blog:
michaellord.me
31/08/2016 10:10


39 D3D Ads.indd 1 26/08/2016 13:51

28 SEPT - 29 SEPT 2016

REGISTER NOW

Markforged Mark Two: Part 2
Following on from last months look at the basics of the Markforged Mark Two, this
month, Al Dean turns his attention to the fibre composite capabilities of the machine,
how it works, what end results its capable of and the benefits it can bring
L
ast month, we looked at the
basics of the Markforged Mark
Two and found a desktop printer
that provides a very workable
build envelope of 320 x 132 x 160 mm
with a nylon and composite filled nylon
variant filament material. On that
premise alone, the machine impressed
us, both in terms of the end result and
the consistency thats a trademark of
the system. That said, the real interest
in the Markforged machine has grown
around its additional ability to add
in single strand fibres (of a variety of
types) to build composite parts. This is
what were going to explore this month
in a little more depth.
Lets start by looking at how the machine
enables the deposition of fibres as part of
the build process first. The answer is that
the Mark Two (as the Mark One before it) is
a dual extrusion head machine.
Youll notice from photos of the machine
that behind the build plate are two reels
these are the much smaller fibre reels.
Both are held on with simple but strong
magnets. The one to the right is purely
for storage and the left is where the fibre
feeds from.
As we mentioned last month, the
p33_34_36_37_D3D_SEPT16_MarkForged_Mark_Two_Part_2.indd 41
calibration process requires that the user
calibrate both print heads during set up.
The fibre nozzle differs from usual filament
extrusion heads in that it also includes a
cutting mechanism for cutting the fibre
once it lays each run of fibre.
So, now the mechanism is out of the way,
lets talk about the really key factor how
to go about designing a composite part in
the Markforged Eiger.io system.
COMPOSITE DESIGN IN EIGER
Eiger is Markforgeds software connectivity
and pre processing system. Because its
predominately cloud-based (there is an
option to run this off line which well
explore later), it provides some pretty
serious compute power. And when it
comes to pre processing an STL file for a
composite build, that power will definitely
be needed. So, lets start with the basics of
how to take a part and prepare it for build
in a composite manner.
As we covered last month, the process
begins by uploading the geometry to the
system. Now in the global part view, the
user can define the overall parameters,
such as the number of boundary layers
(on both the walls together with the
top and bottom of the part) as well as
HARDWARE REVIEW
the overall in-fill (theres a choice of TECH-SPECS
triangular, hexagonal or concentric ) and
the associated density. There is now the MarkForged Mark
Two
Use Fibre toggle with which the system
Nylon Filament +
automatically constructs a sandwich panel Single Strand Fibre
type arrangement for the build.
320 x 132 x 160 mm
Its at this point, a basic knowledge of build volume
composite design is handy. However, if 575 x 322 x 360 mm
youve not worked in this field, then its machine dimensions
worth getting hold of a good textbook. 13kg weight
To inspect what the system has done, 0.1mm layers
switch to the Internal View. This pops Nylon + Fibre
up the same part, but allows the user to (Carbon, Kevlar,
inspect the internals of the part build Glass)
scheme. The 3D view shows the whole Material spool
thing, with the various layers, fibre layers containment, build
(in blue) and any support structures plates, model removal
+ clean up tools
needed.
1 year return to
At the bottom of the screen theres a base warranty
horizontal widget that shows the make of
Price From
the part layer by layer. The graph in that $5,499/3890 + VAT
bar also shows how much fibre is being markforged.com
deposited and allows the user to make
changes to that group of layers in one hit.
That group can be expanded to add fibre to
more layers or indeed, to reduce it to where
its needed most.
If the user would like layer by layer
control, a switch to the 2D view allows a
step through each layer at a time.
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 41
30/08/2016 21:42
 HARDWARE REVIEW

1 With its aluminium LAYER CONFIGURATION will automatically move this transition example), but if the user wants to dig into
casing, the When it comes to fibre layers, there are two point around the part, so theres good it and truly optimise a design, then this can
Markforged Mark Two
key forms of fibre deposition. Concentric overlap. be done layer by layer if needs be.
certainly looks more
the part in a design is just as you would imagine. It follows the The other option is isotropic. As youll To further complicate things, its also
or engineering office outer profile of the part and fits a single see from Figure 4, this is a more linear possible to combine the two, as shown in
than most 3D printers strand of fibre inwards in rings from that approach to fibre layout. Whats interesting Figure 5 on page 36. Again, the user has
at the desktop level outer boundary. If you take a good look here is that, firstly, it fills the complete full control over the global and individual
2 &3 Markforged at Figure 3, youll see that the test part is layer where possible with a single strand, layers, rotation, number of rings and so can
Eigers 3D internal defined with seven concentric rings. but secondly and more importantly, the really go to town.
view then the 2D view,
Further inspection shows that this is a user has explicit control over the angle of Once the part is in a fit state, its ready to
showing concentric
rings of fibre. Note the single strand (the point where it moves to that deposition. Just as in more industrial, print and this follows the usual process of
single strand running the next ring is circled in red). Interestingly, established composites design, the user aligning it on the print bed, preparing the
around the whole the system knows that this point is a has full control over this layer by layer. Of machine and either selecting the part from
parts periphery potential area of weakness, so if there are course, global parameters can be defined the print queue (on the machine) or sending
multiple layers at the same settings, Eiger (to rotate each layer by 45 degrees for it to print directly.

42 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p33_34_36_37_D3D_SEPT16_MarkForged_Mark_Two_Part_2.indd 42 30/08/2016 21:42

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 HARDWARE REVIEW

The rest is pretty much the same. The

system goes away, does its thing and sends
a notification when its done. Then its a
case of removing the parts, cleaning up the
print bed for the next job and removing
any supports.

END RESULTS WITH FIBRE

Composite design is a complex business,
whichever way you cut it and whatever
method youre using to build the parts.
When it comes to 3D printing, the
complications are there, but your use is
also restricted in a couple of ways.
Foremost, theres the linear nature of
the beast. The 3D print process requires
that all of the fibre deposition is done in
a single plane. Were not talking about 4
fibre plies laid over a former here. This is
strictly 2D in nature. That means that the
benefits that will be derived are inherently
limited to both the users imagination
and ingenuity, as well as the form of the
part and how it is arranged on the print
platform.
That said, theres huge potential here
to be creative and find ways to not only
improve a part for prototypes sake (you
can get a much lighter weight, but stiffer
part than most 3D printers), but theres
also potential for end use parts.
While many of Markforged customers
arent talking about their use of the
machine yet, the ones that are have a
couple of things in common. One is that
theyre using the machines to provide end
use parts to either go into the field or to
support production. Its found a home in
jigs and fixtures, as parts can be made that 5
would typically have a finite lifespan or are
sacrificial, but require something a little
more sturdy than your typical 3D printer is
capable of. base material, 50cm3 of glass fibre, one are parts that need to be replaced and 4 &5 The same

Others are building low-volume
components that are suited to the mix
of a nylon base material with the added
mechanical and thermal benefits of fibre
reinforcement.
At present, Markforged has two core
materials. The standard Nylon is a good
core to start with, then the team has just
introduced the Onyx material that boosts
Nylons properties with micro carbon fibre
in fill.
Then you get into fibres. Glass fibre is
the cheapest (well get onto costs shortly),
then theres Kevlar and Carbon fibre.
Theres also a new high temperature glass
fibre for applications over 105C, with a
heat deection point of 150C.
The possibilities are expansive with this
combination and the selection of material
combinations will depend entirely on
what the user wants the parts to do, their
geometry and how they want them to
perform something which is very hard to
quantify in the context of this review.
COST OF OWNERSHIP
Now. Lets talk turkey. How much does this
bad boy cost? The answer is surprising,
considering what it does. The base price
for the Mark Two is $5,499/3890. That
includes the machine, 1,000cm3 of nylon
set of nozzles and a single base plate. To
my mind, thats a steal. But then it gets
interesting. As you step up the range, the
capabilities grow.
The Mark Two Professional (at
$8,799/5,990) includes the machine,
two build plates, three sets of nozzles,
2,000cm3 of nylon base material, 200 cm3
of glass fibre, then 100 cm3 of both carbon
fibre and Kevlar.
If you want to go all in, then the Mark Two
Enterprise bundle is $13,499/ 9995. That
includes everything in the Professional kit,
but the material bundle changes: 1,000cm3
of Nylon, 100 cm3 each of glass fibre,
Kevlar, carbon fibre and the new HSHT
glass fibre. It also comes with 800cm3 of
the Onyx carbon filled nylon too.
Its also worth noting that while the
Standard kit gives you just the cloud-
accessible Eiger platform, both the
Professional and Enterprise kits allow you
to run this locally, without the cloud-based
infrastructure for the more security tight
environments.
In terms of consumables, the machine
comes with everything needed in terms of
your first set of prints and experimentation
(which I would imagine will be high as you
get a feel for how best to use this machine).
After that, as with every machine, there
additional materials to be purchased. part but with an
isotropic fill, then
In terms of parts that will need to be
a combination of
refreshed, the nozzle sets are priced at both concentric and
43. With most 3D printers, as soon as isotropic fill all
you start to work with more aggressive controllable, layer by
materials the nozzle life reduces. In layer
contrast, the nozzle that Markforged
supply is tougher than most, but are still a
consumable at the end of the day.
The same is true of the print beds.
These are priced at 129 each, but should
last a good while with good care and
maintenance.
As for the materials, these are pretty
straightforward. The base Nylon is 170
for a 1,000cm3 reel. Thats more costly
than your typical filament, but this is a
specialised material formulated to play
well with other materials. The Onyx build
material is 130 for 800cm3.
When it comes to fibre, it varies, as you
would expect. All are supplied in smaller
50cm3 with glass fibre being the cheapest
at 59, Kevlar 79, Carbon fibre 99 while
the HSHT fibre hasnt yet been priced in
the UK.
In our test parts, we found that the
costs per part on the test builds were
competitive with other professional level
machines. Yes, as you add fibre, the price
goes up, but with judicious design choices,

44 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM

p33_34_36_37_D3D_SEPT16_MarkForged_Mark_Two_Part_2.indd 44 30/08/2016 21:52


Those of us that have been around
the industry for awhile are tired of
ever cheaper machines that do the
same job. The Mark Two shows that
the new age of 3D printing can bring
something new and robust to the
industry and push things forward
without breaking the bank
this can be managed effectively. Its also
worth noting that the build times also
increase as soon as you start to factor in
fibre, but that is to be expected.
IN CONCLUSION
It struck me while writing this part, that
weve talked as much about the software
tools as the actual Mark Two machine and
this perhaps does it a disservice as its an
incredibly well engineered machine that
has given us a 100% success rate with
whatever weve thrown at it.
The reality is that when you have a
reliable machine like the Mark Two, youre
ultimately left with the hard work to
do and in this case, its working with
p33_34_36_37_D3D_SEPT16_MarkForged_Mark_Two_Part_2.indd 45
Eiger to make sure that your use of fibre
reinforcement is exactly where and in
whatever form you need it.
This isnt a simple case of choosing the
best orientation angle for your model so
you have the best surface finish, this is
about making engineering decisions on
the form of your part and a near granular
level of control over where key material is
placed.
Of course, you can just run with the
defaults, choose whether or not to include
a couple of layers of fibre where you need
them quickly, and hit print but the Mark
Two is capable of much more.
The results will depend on what you want
your part to do and as such, its a proper
engineering tool and manufacturing
system, one that can do things that no
other system can at present.
That potential for experimentation is
enabled by the Eiger system thats core to
the whole experience. Its structured in a
way that supports engineering and design
decision making and experimentation
(with its branching and version
management tools). It also enables sharing
and collaboration. But perhaps most
importantly, it gives you granular control
that is not often seen in 3D printing related
software down to the layer and sub layer
level. Its this simple fact that makes the
Mark Two an impressive solution and one
that will find a home in a wide variety of
companies and organisations.
As much as weve seen the explosion (and
subsequent implosion) of hype surrounding
3D printing, were only now starting to
see truly unique machines and processes
come online that give professionals a set of
tools that support and benefit design and
engineering. Were past the cost cutting
and ever cheaper machines and into the
realms of true innovation.
Those of us that have been around
the industry for awhile are tired of ever
cheaper machines that do the same
job, just slightly less efficiently with
questionable build quality and consumer
priced, crappy materials. The Mark Two
shows that the new age of 3D printing
can bring something new and robust to
the industry and push things forward
without breaking the bank.
So, although the Markforged Mark Two
is impressive, when considering the cost
of ownership, it becomes even more
impressive. Yes, the Professional and
Enterprise level bundles push the price up,
but remember that for under 10 grand,
youre talking about a machine that can
build with advanced and an expanding
range of materials. It still represents
outstanding value for money.
Theres much to get excited about
the machine is rock solid, performs
consistently and has the potential
to change how both prototypes and
production (at low volume) are built. I
couldnt recommend it more and trust
me, your desktop will never be the same
without one.
DEVELOP3D.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 45
30/08/2016 21:52
 Advertorial
A tiny revelation at Product Resolutions
The added clout and compact
size of the HP Z240 SFF has got
the two-man team questioning
the value of their existing
workstation beasts
T
he two-man team at design
consultancy Product Resolutions
shares a passion for shiny new gadgets.
At the companys Norwich office, youll
find Sonos wireless speakers, Nest security
devices and Philips Hue wireless lighting.
This enthusiasm for all things tech spills
over into the tools Paul Robbins and Nick
Harvey use to get work done: 3D printers for
prototyping and creating small parts, a custom
workstation each running Dassault Systmes
SOLIDWORKS, plus a third workstation for
network rendering in Luxion KeyShot.
That armoury supports work in designing a
broad range of products for clients, from toys
to medical devices, to consumer products and
industrial equipment, including Autodesks
Ember 3D printer. With experience in China
and the Far East, Product Resolutions also
gets involved in helping customers organise
the manufacture of products, too. Right now,
Robbins and Harvey are working on an airbed
controller that helps medical staff turn and lift
bed-ridden patients, production equipment
for Rolls Royces jet engines division, a
camping stove which uses a new innovative
fuel and a treat dispenser for cats.
For that first project designing the air
blower for the patient bed Robbins trialled
an HP Z240 SFF workstation. The project
involves a complex SOLIDWORKS assembly,
as he explains:
Its a fully detailed model now, complete
with all the screw fixings, and theres
probably around 100
components in total.
Its been very stable,
smooth and quick, says
Robbins of the HP Z240
SFF. I loaded the model
onto the hard drive of the
new machine and to the
hard drive of one of our
existing machines and the
HP was quicker. It took the
HP machine 11 seconds to
load and refresh the model,
compared to 18 seconds on
one of our machines.
With a low profile AMD
FirePro W4300 graphics
card inside, the HP Z240
SFF offers more powerful
Product Resolutions.indd 1
3D performance than most Small Form Factor
workstations. The added clout has encouraged
Robbins to explore SOLIDWORKS RealView,
viewing models in real time, with realistic
materials and lighting.
Prior to the trial, Robbins worked
predominantly in shaded and edges mode.
Way back RealView used to make our
machines so clunky, he explains. Its so long
since weve had it [RealView] switched on,
which sounds ridiculous, but you get into
habits, dont you?
Viewing SOLIDWORKS models with
RealView has been something of a revelation
and he can now see its potential for client
presentations. Sometimes, when youre
working on modelling internal parts,
its a bit dark and shadowy, so we switch
RealView off then. But when were doing
screenshots to show clients, itll be nice
to have it switched on then, he says,
adding that he may even experiment
with live presentations, showing
SOLIDWORKS screens to clients
over Skype, for example.
The HP Z240 SFF, he points
out, costs around half as much
as Product Resolutions current
custom workstations and not
only outperforms them, but also
beats these beasts hands-
Given the price, the spec, the
compact size theres no
compromise [with the HP Z240 SFF]
Paul Robbins, Product Resolutions
down when it comes to size. That means the
HP machine could be discreetly hung from the
bottom of his desk, out of the way and saving
on space, he says.
It could also be taken home for evenings
and weekends. Its obviously bigger than a
laptop, but if youve got a monitor set up at
home, it would be perfectly feasible to carry
it home and use it there. It wouldnt be a big
deal to transport it. And it also lets you have
a bit more flexibility of location within the
office, too, he comments.
During its time in use at Product Resolutions,
the HP Z240 SFF didnt get too hot, he adds,
or create much noise. Were in a pretty small
office, says Robbins, so the environmental
perspective matters and it was all good. It just
sat quite happily on a shelf unit.
All in all, its been a positive experience. Id
definitely look at a smaller machine now. I
wouldnt have done before, not as our main
workstation, Robbins says. But given the
price, the spec, the compact size - theres no
compromise with it.
MORE INFORMATION HP.COM/GO/Z240
30/08/2016 13:45
 SEPTEMBER 2016 | DEVELOP3D.COM

CAD/CAE/VIZ
WORKSTATION
SPECIAL REPORT
DESIGN VIZ
GPU AN
NETWORD
RENDERINK
G
ON TEST

CAD ON 4K DISPLAYS WORKSTATIONS FOR DELL PRECISION 5510

CAN YOUR WORKSTATION SIMULATION (FEA) PERFORMANCE MEETS
KEEP UP WITH THESE GET MORE OUT OF YOUR PORTABILITY IN THIS
STUNNING PANELS? WORKSTATION BUDGET BEAUTIFUL LAPTOP

WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 1 30/08/2016 11:52

 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

CAD ON 4K D

Once any potential hurdles
have been overcome, 4K can
offer CAD users an experience
that simply cannot be
matched by a FHD display

WS2 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 2 30/08/2016 11:52

 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
K DISPLAYS Theres no better way to view CAD models or renders,
but will your workstation keep pace with these stunning
high-definition displays? asks Greg Corke
4
K displays have been around for
years but many CAD users have
been put off by their premium price
tag. Now, with prices falling, these
impressive ultra high-resolution
displays are set to go mainstream.
The benefits to CAD users are far reaching
crisp geometry, beautiful renderings
and less time spent zooming in and out
of models. Sounds amazing? Well, it is.
But before jumping in blind, it is vital to
understand the implications of moving to 4K
in terms of software, user interface and that
all-important 3D performance.
WHAT IS 4K?
A 4K display is one that has a horizontal
resolution in the order of 4,000 pixels. For
CAD monitors this means UHD (3,840 x
2,160), exactly double the horizontal and
vertical resolution of FHD (1,920 x 1,080) and
four times as many pixels.
With 4K, pixel density is much higher than
with a typical FHD display revealing intricate
details of a CAD model at much lower zoom
levels. As individual pixels become harder
to discern, jagged edges on diagonal lines
disappear.
Viewing CAD models is one thing, but
having a higher pixel density (measured in
pixels per inch) also means smaller text, icons
and dialogue boxes. This may be fine for
those with 20/20 vision but for the rest of us
it can put a big strain on the eyes, making text
hard to read and icons difficult to distinguish.
Before you turn to laser eye surgery, it is
important to note that viewing comfort
all depends on the size of your display.
With the 27-inch HP z27s, for example, I
found the default settings in SolidWorks
2015 and Windows 7 usable, while other
colleagues struggled. With the 31.5-inch
HP DreamColor Z32x everyone was happy.
However, for those used to working on a
24-inch FHD display, the step up can still
The 31.5-inch HP take some getting used to.
DreamColor Z32x
pictured with Autodesk
To get an idea of the comparative pixel
Fusion running at 4K density see below.
DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS3
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 3
23.5-inch 4K display 187.5 pixels per inch
27-inch 4K display 163 pixels per inch
31.5-inch 4K display 140 pixels per inch
24-inch FHD display 92 pixels per inch
While pixel density is fixed, there are some
easy ways to improve the user experience on
4K displays. With Windows 7 you can scale
up the size of text, icons and other items in
Display settings. Windows 10 is even better
at handling this.
Importantly, your CAD software also needs
to have been written with 4K displays in
mind. SolidWorks 2016, for example, features
much improved scaling of its User Interface
displaying icons and buttons at a size more
appropriate to the Windows display settings.
Without proper support inside your CAD
software, icons can become pixelated,
dialog boxes and menus unbalanced, with
a combination of small and large text. In
extreme cases some parts of the UI can
become unreadable. Always check with your
software provider to see which versions
support 4K displays and how well they do this.
3D PERFORMANCE
One consideration often overlooked
when moving to 4K is the impact on 3D
performance. With four times as many pixels
to render on screen as FHD, your GPU has to
work a lot harder. In some cases, frame rates
can slow down dramatically, making it hard
to quickly and accurately re-position 3D CAD
models on screen. This is not only annoying
but can significantly impact productivity.
We put this to the test with CAD
applications SolidWorks and Autodesk
Fusion and the high-end specialist design viz
tool, Autodesk VRED. We used a variety of
professional AMD FirePro and Nvidia Quadro
graphics cards. All had DisplayPort or mini
DisplayPort output, which is essential for
4K. Our test machine was a Scan 3XS Nanu
Ultimate 2D Plus which featured an Intel
Core i7 6700K CPU clocked to 4.2GHz.
When working on parts and small
assemblies in SolidWorks and Fusion,
30/08/2016 11:52
 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

performance was largely unaffected by the
step up to 4K across all GPUs. However,
with some larger models, particularly when
realistic materials and shadows were enabled,
frame rates slowed down dramatically with
entry-level graphics cards like the Nvidia
Quadro K620 and AMD FirePro W4100.
Autodesk VRED, which has an emphasis
on extreme visual quality inside the
viewport, was an entirely different
proposition. We experienced a significant
slowdown at 4K even when using high-end
GPUs, such as the Quadro M5000. Using
a detailed automotive model, performance
when moving from FHD to 4K dropped by as
much as 65% with standard anti-aliasing and
85% without anti-aliasing set to high.
So how can you check whether your
workstation will be able to keep pace if you
move to a 4K display? Theres no simple
answer to this but you can get a good idea by
measuring how hard your GPU works when
spinning a CAD model at FHD.
This can be done with GPU-Z, a free
utility that can monitor GPU processor and
memory utilisation in real time.
If your GPU is using 100% of its processing
resources at FHD, it shows it is already
working flat out, so you will likely experience
a slow down at 4K (though it is not possible to
tell by how much).
If your GPU is using less than 100%, this
shows it still has some power in reserve and it
is your CPU that is causing the bottleneck in
your workstation. In this instance, the slow-
down at 4K is likely to be small or there may
even be no slow down at all.
GPU MEMORY
As resolution increases, so does the
amount of GPU memory used by the 3D
CAD application, so memory size becomes
important. Most CAD-focused graphics
cards tend to have 2GB or 4GB of memory
on-board, while high-end graphics cards display is that you wont need two displays
have 8GB or more. any more. After, all with four times as many
When viewing our SolidWorks computer pixels as FHD, all of your applications can be
chassis model in shaded with edges mode, handled on a single screen, right? This is true
for example, memory usage went up from but the reality is, old habits die hard.
507MB at FHD to 1,323MB at 4K. Our With the 27-inch HP Z27s we still found
Autodesk Fusion bike model went from ourselves pining for a second display. We
1,183MB to 1,733MB. These memory didnt have two 27-inch 4K displays so used
footprints are fairly typical of large CAD the HP Z27s for CAD alongside our trusty
assemblies, but if you use multiple models 24-inch FHD for email, web and other
or applications at the same time memory applications. This was workable, although it
usage will go higher. did at first feel strange to be working on two
With our Autodesk VRED automotive displays with very different pixel densities.
model the increase was more dramatic. The HP DreamColor Z32xs larger 31.5-
With higher-quality anti-aliasing enabled, inch screen size makes it much more suitable
memory usage rose from 1,151MB at FHD to as a solo display. And, with some careful
4,093MB at 4K. With ultra-high AA enabled windows management, we comfortably
memory peaked at 4,731MB at 4K. arranged four applications on screen at the
If you hit the limits of your graphics card, same time (see box out).
performance is likely to drop considerably Placing a 24-inch FHD alongside it felt
even if your GPU has, in theory, enough strange. While the pixel densities were more
processing power to keep pace closely matched, the screen size wasnt.
We also pictured using two HP
RAY TRACE RENDERING DreamColor Z32x side by side and it just felt
Performance in the viewport is one thing, but too imposing. It would also cost over 2,000.
if you take design visualisation seriously, you
are also likely to rely on ray trace rendering. CONCLUSION
If you render at screen resolution, like many While some CAD users will make a seamless
designers do, moving to 4K could mean your transition to 4K simply by plugging in a
renders take significantly longer to complete. DisplayPort cable others may need to make
In Luxion KeyShot, for example, it took small adjustments to software or hardware.
almost exactly four times as long to render This could be as simple as tweaking Windows
our Ferrari test model at 4K compared to HD. scaling or, for those already pushing the
Regardless of whether you use a CPU or limits of their current workstation hardware,
GPU-based renderer, if you want the visual upgrading a graphics card.
benefits of a 4K render without waiting, you Once any potential hurdles have been
will need to invest in a significantly more overcome, 4K can offer CAD users an
powerful processor. experience that simply cannot be matched
by a FHD display. Viewing CAD models in
DUAL DISPLAYS? such incredible detail gives a totally different
Walk into any design office and, more often window into the design environment. With
than not, you will see designers working on displays like the impressive HP Z27s now
two 24-inch FHD displays side by side. One available for just over 500, the barriers to
of the promoted benefits of moving to a 4K adoption are starting to fall.

ULTRA-HIGH DEFINITION HP Z DISPLAYS panels 1.07 billion colour

HP has a wide range of
The 27-inch HP Z27s 4k ultra-high definition
display, ideal for high- displays. This includes
definition CAD work
three 4K models (the
23.8-inch HP Z24s, 27-inch
HP Z27s and 31.5-inch HP
Z32x) and one 5K model
(the 27-inch HP Z27q).
The HP Z24s and HP Z27s
are the most likely to find
their way onto the average
CAD users desk, but the
pixel density of the 24-inch
HP Z24s means it really
needs to be used with some
level of Windows scaling.
The HP Z27s is our choice
for CAD and, at 526 + VAT
it is only 110 more than
the HP Z24s (416 + VAT).
Despite the significantly
larger screen size the
HP Z27s doesnt feel too
big on the desk. Height
adjustment is effortless
and it can also be rotated
into portrait mode.
The quality of the 4K
(UHD) IPS panel is superb.
Viewing CAD models is a joy.
In SolidWorks shaded with
edges mode, line work is
super sharp and the display
feels incredibly responsive
when positioning models
on screen. Render output
from Luxion KeyShot also
looks superb with bright
colours, beautifully anti-
aliased lines, and smooth
transitions between shades,
highlighting the 10-bit
palette.
The HP DreamColor Z32x
steps things up a notch,
not just in terms of screen
size the 31.5-inch panel
feels noticeably bigger
but also in terms of colour
accuracy. While both panels
are 10-bit with 1.07 billion
colours, the HP Z32x earns
it DreamColor moniker by
having an integrated colour
calibration engine that is
compatible with a range of
measurement instruments.
This may be important to
those with colour-critical
workflows but wont matter
to the majority of CAD users
as HP already calibrates the
display out of the factory.
The pixel density of the
HP Z32x is perfect and
allows the display to be
used comfortably without
any Windows scaling.
Running CAD full screen is
a pretty amazing immersive
experience, but the 31.5-
inch panel doesnt need to
be exclusive. We explored
a number of different
ways of arranging multiple
applications and settled on
running CAD across of
the display, with email top
right, web middle right and
rendering bottom right.
The big downside of the
HP Z32x is cost. At 1,152
+ VAT its more than twice
as much as the HP Z27s.
Personally, if I had that kind
of budget, Id rather invest
in two HP Z27s displays and
place them side by side.
hp.com/go/zdisplays

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

3D PERFORMANCE FHD vs 4K Frames per second at FHD (1,920 x 1,080)

Frames per second at 4K (3,820 x 2,160)

AUTODESK FUSION
Shaded with edges + AA 0 Shaded10with edges20+ AA + shadows
30 + 40reflection50
+ AO

Nvidia Quadro 39 Nvidia Quadro 10

With parts and small assemblies even the entry-level
K620 (2GB) 2 K620 (2GB) 1
Nvidia Quadro K620 and AMD FirePro W4100 GPUs
can handle 4K comfortably. However, with this 38 5
AMD FirePro AMD FirePro
large engineering model of a Triumph T5 motorbike W4100 (4GB) W4100 (4GB)
13 3
interactive performance ground to a halt. Even the
mid-range Quadro M2000 had trouble keeping pace. Nvidia Quadro 50 Nvidia Quadro 17
M2000 (4GB) 10 M2000 (4GB) 6

AMD FirePro 38 AMD FirePro 15

W5100 (4GB) 29 W5100 (4GB) 9

Nvidia Quadro 50 Nvidia Quadro 16

M4000 (8GB) 50 M4000 (8GB) 16

AMD FirePro 50 AMD FirePro 15

W7100 (8GB) 50 W7100 (8GB) 15

0 10 20 30 40 50 0 5 10 15 20

Shaded with edges Shaded with edges + RealView + Shadows + AO

SOLIDWORKS 2015
Nvidia Quadro 43 Nvidia Quadro 24
In SolidWorks, all tested GPUs comfortably
K620 (2GB) 39 K620 (2GB) 16
handled parts and small assemblies at 4K. With
larger models, such as this computer chassis, only 36 15
AMD FirePro AMD FirePro
the entry-level GPUs slowed down significantly at W4100 (4GB) W4100 (4GB)
32 12
4K. The biggest performance drops came when
RealView and Ambient Occlusion were enabled. Nvidia Quadro 41 Nvidia Quadro 28
M2000 (4GB) 38 M2000 (4GB) 26

AMD FirePro 36 AMD FirePro 23

W5100 (4GB) 32 W5100 (4GB) 19

Nvidia Quadro 42 Nvidia Quadro 28

M4000 (8GB) 40 M4000 (8GB) 26

AMD FirePro 35 AMD FirePro 23

W7100 (8GB) 33 W7100 (8GB) 20

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0 10 20 30 40 50
Realistic rendering + real time shadow Realistic rendering + real time shadow + high AA
AUTODESK VRED 2017
Nvidia Quadro 8 Nvidia Quadro 2
Autodesk VRED is used in high-end automotive
K620 (2GB) 3 K620 (2GB) 0
design so it came as no surprise that the entry-
level graphics cards stuttered at both FHD and 4K. AMD FirePro 5 AMD FirePro 2
What was surprising, was even with the high-end W4100 (4GB) 2 W4100 (4GB) 1
Nvidia Quadro M5000, our complex automotive Nvidia Quadro 22 Nvidia Quadro 6
model slowed down considerably when moving M2000 (4GB) 7 M2000 (4GB) 1
from FHD to 4K.
AMD FirePro 11 AMD FirePro 4
As Autodesk VRED is all about visual quality W5100 (4GB) W5100 (4GB)
4 1
it behaves very differently to CAD applications,
which are often limited in their graphics Nvidia Quadro 27 Nvidia Quadro 7
M4000 (8GB) 9 M4000 (8GB) 2
performance by the speed of the CPU.
With Autodesk VRED it appears you can throw AMD FirePro 16 AMD FirePro 7
any amount of graphics processing power at it W7100 (8GB) 8 W7100 (8GB) 2
and it will lap it up.
Nvidia Quadro 44 Nvidia Quadro 13
M5000 (8GB) 17 M5000 (8GB) 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 0 3 6 9 12 15

THE TEST WORKSTATION SCAN 3XS NANU ULTIMATE 2D PLUS

For our 4K graphics
testing we used
the Scan 3XS Nanu
Ultimate 2D Plus, a mini
workstation, which is
around a third of the
size of a large tower.
This compact machine is
only 250mm (w) x 374mm
(d) x 210mm (h) in size but
has everything youd want
from a CAD workstation.
It stands out from other
Small Form Factor (SFF)
workstations because it
can host all types of GPUs,
including anything up to
the ultra high-end Nvidia
Quadro M6000. but it also helps give Intel Core i7 6700K
With an Intel Core i7 the graphics card the (overclocked to 4.2GHz)
6700K CPU overclocked foundation it needs to help 16GB DDR4 memory
to 4.2GHz it also packs deliver on its potential.
a serious punch when it For a full review of the 256GB Samsung 850 Pro
comes to raw processing. Scan 3XS Nanu Ultimate Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
The high GHz processor 2D Plus (previously called Price from 1,176 (ex VAT)
is not only great for the Scan 3XS GW-MS10) see
general CAD performance, tinyurl.com/scan-SFF scan.co.uk/3xs

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

WORKSTATIONS FOR
SIMULATION (FEA)
Greg Corke gets hands on with Ansys Mechanical 17.0 to explore how firms can get
more out of their budget when specifying a workstation for Finite Element Analysis

C
onsidering the savings that
simulation can bring to design
and manufacturing it is almost
criminal to think that some
designers use underpowered
workstation hardware for
solving complex CAE problems.
With optimised workstation hardware
simulations dont need to take hours.
Engineers can do more in a much shorter
period of time, exploring many different
design options, rather than verifying one or
two. True optimisation studies can become
a reality.
The accuracy of simulations can also be
increased by not having to limit the fidelity
of models. Users can simulate whole
assemblies, rather than just parts; multi-
physics, rather than multi-model.
Investing in a fully loaded dual Intel Xeon
workstation will no doubt solve some of these
issues. But spending 10k to 20k on a single
machine is simply not realistic for most
firms, and, in some cases, a waste of money,
considering the small additional return you
might get over a workstation half its price.
By building a balanced machine, optimised
for custom simulation workflows, firms can
make their workstation budget go a whole
lot further. Even some minor workstation
upgrades can have a dramatic impact on
cutting solve times.
The aim of this article is to help uses
of simulation software gain a better
understanding of how different workstation
components can impact performance in
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) solvers.
While all benchmarking was done with
Ansys 17.0 many of the concepts will be
valid for other FEA applications. However,
Ansys does pride itself on just how well its
solvers scale across multiple CPU cores,
particularly with this latest release (see box
out on page WS7 for more info).
STRIKING A BALANCE
Unlike CAD, which is mostly about having a
high GHz CPU, simulation software can put
huge stresses on all parts of a workstation.
Finding the right balance between CPU,
memory and storage is critical.
There is no point in having two 22 core Intel
Xeon CPUs if data is fed into them through
slow storage. Your workstation is only as fast
as your slowest component.
HPC ON THE DESKTOP
High Performance Computing (HPC) used
to mean a supercomputer or a cluster a high
speed network of servers or workstations.
But, with the rise of multi-core CPUs,
more recently the term can be applied to
workstations as well.
Of course, workstations come in all shapes
and sizes from mobile to desktop; single quad
core CPU to dual 22 core CPU. While those
serious about simulation will mostly use a

LENOVO THINKSTATION
P910 WORKSTATION
This ultra-high-end dual
CPU workstation is for
designers who take their
simulation seriously.
With up to two Intel Xeon
E5-2600 v4 series CPUs,
1TB DDR4 ECC memory, 14
storage devices and three
ultra high-end GPUs it has
the capacity and flexibility
to handle the most
demanding FEA workflows.
Our test machines two
Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4 CPUs
offer a good balance of price
/ performance. Running at
2.4GHz (up to 3.3GHz) theres
a strong foundation for
single threaded applications.
With 14 cores apiece (28
in total) there was also
plenty of power in reserve
to run all of our Ansys 17.0
test simulations. Those
on a budget may consider
dropping down to the
significantly cheaper Intel
Xeon E5-2640 V4, which
boasts the same GHz but
only 10 cores.
128GB (8 x 16GB) of
DDR4 ECC memory is a
good starting point for
simulation, but with eight
DIMM slots free theres still
scope to ramp this up for
more demanding workflows.
Storage is its forte. A
single 512GB Samsung SM951
NVMe SSD is supplemented
by a 2.5-inch 512GB SATA SSD
and two 4TB 7,200RPM SATA
HDDs for data.
The M.2 form factor NVMe
drive is mounted on a FLEX
Connector card, a custom
small footprint PCIe add-in
board that sits parallel to
the motherboard. Theres
room for a second M.2
NVMe drive, onto which we
placed a retail Samsung
SSD 950 Pro. The machine
can also host a second FLEX
Connector card, leading to
a total of four NVMe SSDs.
These SSDs can also be
RAIDed to boost sustained
read/write performance
above the respective
theoretical 2,150 MB/sec
and 1,550 MB/s of a single
Samsung SM951.
With the obvious benefits
that NVMe SSDs bring to
simulation solvers (see
box out on page WS8) we
see little reason to specify which is ideal for handling stand out is the beautifully 2x Intel Xeon
a system with a 2.5-inch 3D models in most CAD and engineered chassis. Tool E5-2680 v4 CPUs (14C)
SATA SSD unless you CAE software. For those free access to virtually (2.4GHz up to 3.3GHz)
need a very high capacity interested in accelerating all the key components 128GB DDR4 RAM
SSD RAID array. However, their simulation solvers makes maintenance and Nvidia Quadro M2000
the two 4TB SATA HDDs, with co-processors, be it an customisation incredibly
512GB NVMe SSD +
which can be configured in Nvidia Tesla GPU or Intel easy. Swapping drives, in
512GB SATA SSD +
RAID 0 (for performance) Xeon Phi, theres also room particular, is a joy with 2 x 4TB SATA HDDs
or RAID 1 (for redundancy) for three double height both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch
Microsoft
offer a cost effective way add-in cards. drives clipping easily into
Windows 10 Pro OS
of storing huge simulation The capabilities of this the four FLEX Drive trays,
models and results data. hugely powerful workstation then slotting into the bays 5,900 (ex VAT)
Graphics is handled by a are undoubted, but the to automatically mate with
Nvidia Quadro M2000 GPU, Lenovo.com
thing that really makes it power and data.

WS6 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

Ansys 17.0 engine

block static
structural analysis

workstation with two Intel Xeon CPUs, there CPUs and lots of cores.
are still many users out there with much The CPU currently best suited to
lower specced machines, including desktop simulation is the Broadwell-EP Intel Xeon ANSYS 17.0
PCs and mobile workstations. E5-2600 v4 series, available in dual processor PERFORMANCE
Indeed, in a survey carried out by Intel and
Ansys in late 2014, 35% of respondents said
workstations such as our test machine, the
Lenovo ThinkStation P910. This high-end
BOOST
they used a machine with a single CPU and chip not only has a large number of cores One of the biggest advancements in the recently released
18% used a consumer grade PC. (models range from 4 to 22) but it can Ansys 17.0 simulation software suite is a significantly
optimised HPC solver architecture. It is specifically
support huge amounts of ECC memory.
designed to take advantage of new generation Intel
TEST CASES Its high-bandwidth quad channel memory processor technologies and large numbers of CPU cores.
For the scope of this article, we tested with architecture also contributes to faster solve The biggest benefits should be seen by those using
four typical usage mechanical simulation times (see later). Intel Haswell Xeon E5-2600 v3 or Intel Broadwell
problems taken from the Ansys Mechanical Another option is the Broadwell-EP Intel Xeon E5-2600 v4 CPU architectures. Both of these
processor families feature new Intel AVX-2 compiler
Benchmark Suite. Problems range from 3.2 Xeon E5-1600 v4 series, which is for single instructions and Intel Math Kernel Libraries that are
million degrees of freedom (DOF number processor workstations. supported in Ansys 17.0.
of equations) to 14.2 million DOF. If your budget is extremely limited, try the Ansys has also enhanced its Distributed Memory
Two used the iterative PCG solver: a static quad core Intel Xeon E3-1200 v5 and, for Parallel (DMP) processing capabilities, a technique
that divides up a simulation into portions that can be
structural analysis of a farm tractor rear axle mobile workstations, the Intel Xeon E5-1500
computed on separate cores.
assembly and a static structural analysis of an v5 CPU. We would not recommend Intel Here, the move to Intel Message Passing Interface
engine block . Core i5 or Core i7 as these CPUs do not (MPI) the communications channel that lets each Ansys
Two used the sparse (direct) solver: a static support ECC memory (see later). process exchange data with other processes involved in
nonlinear structural analysis of a turbine Virtually all workstation-class CPUs feature the DMP simulation has helped Ansys make DMP the
default standard for Ansys Workbench instead of Shared
blade and a transient nonlinear structural Intel Hyper-threading (HT), a virtual core Memory Parallel (SMP) processing.
analysis of an electronic ball grid array technology that turns each physical CPU core Ansys says DMP will deliver more efficient performance
All four problems were solved in two into two virtual cores. So a 12 core processor for simulations involving more than four compute cores
modes - Shared Memory Parallel (SMP) and with HT actually has 24 virtual cores (or running in parallel.
There have also been a number of new software code
Distributed Memory Parallel (DMP). threads). HT is generally not recommended
optimisations including a completely new algorithm that
DMP processing, now the default mode for simulation. It can be turned off in the optimises the matrix factorisation stage of the sparse
in Ansys 17.0, runs separate executables BIOS or by using a workstation optimisation solver.
on individual CPU cores. It typically tool such as the Lenovo Performance Tuner.
means better performance for simulations Throwing a huge number of CPU
involving more than four compute cores cores at a simulation problem does not
running in parallel. necessarily translate to faster solve times.
There are usually diminishing returns, as
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) demonstrated in our suite of Ansys 17.0
Modern CPUs are made up of multiple Mechanical Benchmarks which were run on
processors (called cores). As FEA solvers are our Lenovo ThinkStation P910 with two 14
multi-threaded (i.e. the processing load can core Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4 CPUs.
be spread across multiple cores) there is a In our tests, we found 16 to be the
big benefit to using a workstation with two optimum number of cores, though the

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

performance difference between 12 and costs. Many simulation tools, including Kitting out your workstation with huge
16 cores was not that big (see page WS11). Ansys, charge more for running simulations amounts of ECC RAM is not always
Scalability (or how well more cores across multiple cores. possible. Simulation problems can run into
contributes to quicker solve times) can hundreds of gigabytes so either the cost may
vary quite significantly. It depends on the MEMORY be prohibitive or your workstation simply
type of simulation and solver, and the size Workstation memory is absolutely crucial may not support that much (many single
and complexity of the problem. We highly for simulation. In an ideal world you should CPU desktop and mobile workstations only
recommend you test out your own datasets have enough to hold even your most complex support a maximum of 32GB or 64GB).
to see where this sweet spot lies. simulation problems entirely in memory. Out of our four Ansys 17 simulation
The clock speed of the CPU is also This allows the CPU to access this cached problems, the Turbine (V17sp-4) used the
important the higher the GHz, the more data very quickly. most memory. At 85GB this comfortably
floating point operations it can perform If you cant hold the whole model in fitted within the 128GB available in our
per second. Having a high GHz CPU will memory, data has to be stored in virtual Lenovo ThinkStation P910 workstation.
also boost overall system performance memory or swap space on your workstations But there will be times when you dont have
and that of single threaded applications. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or Solid State Drive enough (some simulation problems need
If you intend to run CAD and simulation (SSD), which are much slower. 100s of GB). This increases the importance
software on the same workstation this is an Memory bandwidth, or the rate at which of high-performance storage.
important consideration. data can be read from or written to the CPU,
One final consideration is STORAGE
cache, a small store of memory Workstation storage typically
located directly on the CPU. A Throwing a huge number of CPU cores at a comes in two forms: Hard Disk
bigger cache can mean the CPU Drive (HDDs) and Solid State
can access frequently used data simulation problem does not necessarily Drives (SSDs). HDDs offer a
much quicker and can help boost translate to faster solve times much better price per GB but
performance.
Of course, engineers dont tend
performance is much slower.
SSDs are more expensive but
to do one thing at a time. When choosing a can have also have a big impact on solve performance is significantly faster.
CPU, consider that you may want do other times. This is governed by the number of To understand why, it is important to
tasks concurrently. Multi-tasking could memory channels the more there are, the appreciate how each storage technology works.
mean prepping a new study, or something higher the memory bandwidth. With HDDs, data is stored on platters that spin
more processor-intensive like mesh Intel Xeon E5-2600 v4 series CPUs, for at high speeds. In order to read or write data,
generation or running other simulations in example, feature quad channel DDR4 the mechanical drive head has to physically
parallel. With too few cores and too many of memory, which has a theoretical maximum move across the platter, much like a laser
these processes running at the same time bandwidth of 77GB/sec. Intel Xeon E3-1200 moving across a CD when skipping from track
your workstation may grind to a halt. v5 series CPUs, on the other hand, only have to track. With the huge volumes of data needed
In order to keep your workstation running dual channel DDR4 memory at 34GB/sec. for simulation this can quickly become a
smoothly, Ansys 17.0 allows you to limit the Another important consideration is the bottleneck, especially when a large simulation
number of CPU cores used by the solver. type of RAM you use. ECC (Error Correcting problem cannot be held entirely in memory.
Workstation optimisation utilities such as Code) memory is strongly recommended as SSDs are different insofar as they contain no
Lenovo Performance Tuner also allow you it protects against crashes by detecting and moving parts at all. Data is stored on an array
to assign specific cores to specific processes. rectifying errors. Such errors may happen once of NAND flash memory, which is managed
Time spent tuning your workstation can in a blue moon but, if it means you dont crash by a controller a dedicated processor that
reap huge rewards. in the middle of a simulation you have set to provides the bridge to the workstation.
One other consideration when choosing run overnight, it is well worth paying the small SSDs boast significantly better sustained
a CPU for simulation is software licensing premium compared to non-ECC memory. read / write performance, which is important

THE IMPORTANCE OF Chart showing comparative solves times with different storage technologies.
When loaded, the V17sp-4.dat dataset will takes up 82GB of system memory, so by

FAST STORAGE reducing the system memory to 32GB it forces part of the simulation into swap space.

With dual Xeon workstations simulation studies on workstation system memory

capable of supporting up to
1TB of memory, it is possible
to solve some exceedingly
complex simulation models
entirely in memory. But if
a) your budgets are tight, b)
you only run large
memory
occasion, or c) your is reduced to 32GB (forcing 1,996 secs HGST SATA HDD + 32GB RAM
workstation simply cannot the simulation to use 50GB
hold more memory, having of swap space) solve times
fast storage becomes even vary dramatically. 480 secs Micron M600 SATA SSD + 32GB RAM
more important. The most interesting take
In the chart right you can away from this study was not
see how storage performance how slow the HDD was but 299 secs Samsung 950 Pro NVMe (PCIe) SSD + 32GB RAM
impacts solve times. just how fast the Samsung
When the simulation 950 Pro NVMe SSD was. It
is run entirely in system was not only 37% faster than 352 secs HGST SATA HDD + 128GB RAM
memory (using 82GB the Micron M600 SATA SSD,
out of an available but only 10% slower than
128GB) the impact of when running the simulation 279 secs Micron M600 SATA SSD + 128GB RAM)
the different storage entirely in system memory.
technologies is Learn more about the
small. However, Samsung 950 Pro SSD at 271 secs Samsung 950 Pro NVMe (PCIe) SSD + 128GB RAM
when the tinyurl.com/950-PRO-SSD

0 500 1000 1500 2000

WS8 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 8 30/08/2016 11:52 Rade

 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

RADEON PRORENDER FOR RHINO 6

Once installed, it appears in Rhinos standard tool and design menus
Use with AMD FireProTM and Radeon Pro graphics or any
other GPU or CPU that support OpenCL 1.2
Plug-in compatible with Rhino 6
Simple and easy to use
Its free to download
Available soon*

For more info, visit

radeon.com

*Currently in closed beta. Please visit https://radeon-prorender.github.io/rhino and register for early access.
2016 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, FirePro, Radeon, and combinations thereof are trademarks
of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions OpenCL is a trademark of Apple Inc. used by permission of
Khronos Group, Inc..

DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS9

Radeon_Rhino_AD_A4_v1_2.indd 1
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 9 24/08/2016
30/08/2016 14:06
11:52
 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

>> When asked who we are www.workstationspecialists.com

and what makes us unique?
We thought there is no one
thing.
Here are 5...

We are Master Technicians,

We are Bespoke Solutions,
We are Expert Consultants,
We are Uncompromising Quality,
We are Intel Platinum Partners,

We are
the
Workstation
Specialists.
WS-X141S Frequency Enhanced Our new WS-X141S is the smallest & most
Small Form Factor (SFF) optimised Workstation we have ever produced.

Specication: Here at Workstation Specialists our research

and development team have worked tirelessly
Intel Core i5 / i7 up to 4 Core 8 Thread to ensure smaller does not mean limited.
Professionally Overclocked up to 4.6GHz
Only 250 x 160 x 338 mm (H x W x D) Our SFF solutions are still equipped with the
Professional NVIDIA or AMD Graphics same AMD or NVIDIA Professional graphics
16GB-32GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory cards as their larger counterparts.
3 Years Full Parts & Labour Warranty
Contact a represenative
(+44) 0800 180 4801

Intel Inside. Extraordinary Performance Outside. /workstation-specialists @wspecialists

2016 StruMIS Ltd. T/a Workstation Specialists E & OE. 2015 Intel Corporation. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Logo & company/
product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

WS10 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

WS_TypographicAd_Template_A4-WS-X141S.indd
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 10 1 12/08/2016 11:47:49
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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

1c 2,671 secs
TRACTOR REAR AXLE (V17cg-2) (PCG solver) 2c 1,930 secs
Static structural analysis of a farm tractor rear axle assembly
4c 1,061 secs
8c 591 secs
12c 431 secs
16c 478 secs
Chart showing solve times with
20 500 secs different numbers of CPU cores.
24 523 secs Test machine: Lenovo ThinkStation P910
2 x Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 CPUs (14 cores)
28 491 secs 128GB DDR4-2400 memory

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

1c 4,196 secs
ENGINE BLOCK (V17cg-3) (PCG solver)
2c 2,281 secs
Static structural analysis of an engine block without the internal
components 4c 1,363 secs
8c 658 secs
12c 630 secs
16c 491 secs
20c 443 secs Chart showing solve times with
different numbers of CPU cores.
24c 463 secs Test machine: Lenovo ThinkStation P910
2 x Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 CPUs (14 cores)
28c 438 secs 128GB DDR4-2400 memory

01c
1000 2000 3000 40001,326 secs
5000
TURBINE (V17sp-4) (Sparse solver) 2c 768 secs
Static nonlinear structural analysis of a turbine blade as found in
aircraft engines 4c 496 secs
8c 320 secs
12c 268 secs
16c 217 secs
Chart showing solve times with
20c 198 secs different numbers of CPU cores.
24c 207 secs Test machine: Lenovo ThinkStation P910
2 x Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 CPUs (14 cores)
28c 192 secs 128GB DDR4-2400 memory

01c
300 600 900 1200 1500
1,765 secs
BGA (V17sp-5) (Sparse solver) 2c 1,016 secs
Transient nonlinear structural analysis of an electronic ball grid array
4c 626 secs
8c 461 secs
12c 323 secs
16c 265 secs
Chart showing solve times with
20c 261 secs
different numbers of CPU cores.
24c 246 secs Test machine: Lenovo ThinkStation P910
2 x Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 CPUs (14 cores)
28c 327 secs 128GB DDR4-2400 memory

0 500 1000 1500 2000

for large continuous datasets. They also offer
superior response times (latency) and better
random read / write performance.
There are two main types of SSDs: SATA
and NVMe (PCIe). SATA SSDs come in the
familiar 2.5-inch form factor. NVMe SSDs
mostly come in the M.2 2280 form factor
(22mm x 80mm) which is similar in size
to a stick of memory, but also as an add-in
PCIe board, which is about the same size as a
small graphics card.
The main difference between the SATA
and NVMe SSDs is their sustained read/
write performance. SATA SSDs can usually
read/write data at around 500MB/sec but
with NVMe this ranges from 1,500MB/sec
to 2,500MB/sec.
Multiple HDDs and SSDs can also be
combined in a RAID array to boost read /
write performance. The HP Z Turbo Drive
Quad Pro, for example, integrates up to four
NVMe modules on a PCIe x16 card to deliver
sequential performance up to 9.0GB/s.
This kind of bandwidth could be useful for
particularly complex simulation problems.
Fast storage becomes critical when you cant
hold the whole simulation job in memory and

DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS11

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

NVIDIA QUADRO

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NVIDIA Quadro M5000 NVIDIA Quadro K1200

VCQM5000-PB VCQK1200-PB

NVIDIA Quadro K5000 MAC NVIDIA Quadro K620

VCQK5000MAC-PB VCQK620-PB

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NVIDIA Quadro / Tesla / GRID / PNY SSD

WS12 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
(Right) Chart showing relative performance
of Shared Memory Parallel (SMP)
and Distributed Memory Parallel (DMP)
modes in Ansys 17.0 using
BGA (V17sp-5) (Sparse solver) model.
(bigger is better)
Results show that the benefit of DMP
increases with core count
Test machine: Lenovo ThinkStation P910
2 x Intel Xeon E5 2680v4 CPUs
(Below) Interior of Lenovo
ThinkStation P910 workstation
128GB DDR4-2400 memory
data has to be moved in and out of swap space.
To simulate this scenario, we reduced the
system memory inside our ThinkStation
P910 from 128GB to 32GB then tested with
three different storage technologies: a 4TB
7,200RPM HDD (HGST), a 512GB SATA
SSD (Micron M600) and a 512GB NVMe
SSD (Samsung SSD 950 Pro). The results
were quite astounding.
We werent surprised to see the system
grind to a halt when using the HDD (no
one should be using a standard HDD for
simulation). But were quite bowled over by
the performance of the Samsung 950 Pro
NVMe SSD (see box out on page WS8 for
detailed information).
In short, an NVMe SSD should be
considered essential for simulation. In fact,
the only reason we can see to specify a SATA
SSD would be if you need more storage
capacity. The Samsung 950 Pro NVMe SSD
only comes in 256GB and 512GB models,
whereas the Samsung 850 Pro SATA SSD
goes up to 2TB. (N.B. Samsung recently
announced a 1TB Samsung SM961, an OEM
targeted NVMe SSD).
Even if you are not on the look-out for a
new machine, upgrading your workstation
to an NVMe SSD could be one of the most
significant investments you can make. With
the 256GB and 512GB Samsung 950 Pro
only costing 125 and 220 respectively this
is not a lot of money particularly when
you consider that 128GB (4 x 32GB) DDR4
ECC memory will set you back
around 1,000.
It should be noted that
NVMe drives are only
supported natively on the
100latest generation desktop and
mobile workstations. However,
95 it is still possible to upgrade
older generation desktop
75
workstations by buying a low
cost PCIe-add in card, which
hosts a single NVMe SSD.
Finally, its important to
25
write a few words about
5
SSD endurance. SSDs are
typically rated by terabytes
0
written (TBW) the amount
ed.
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 13
Shared Memory Parallel (SMP)
Distributed Memory Parallel (DMP)
1.26
1.10 1.15
1.00 1.00 1.00
1 core 2 cores 4 cores
of data that can be written over its lifetime
or warranty period. Dont be tempted to save
money on consumer-focused SSDs as these
have lower endurance ratings and, on paper,
will fail before professional SSDs. Investing
in a drive with good endurance is particularly
important for disc intensive simulation
workflows with lots of read/write operations.
0.0 what0.about
So 5 1.HDDs?
0 1.5 There2.0 is still a place
for mechanical hard drives in simulation for
storing legacy projects or results data. With
a 4TB 7,200 RPM available for under 100,
and an 8TB model for 250, SSDs simply
cant compete on price per GB and capacity.
GPU (COMPUTE)
Although we did not test any Graphics
Processing Units (GPUs) in the scope of this
article, it is worth dedicating a few sentences
to this interesting technology.
There was a time when GPUs were used
solely for graphics, but in recent years they
have also transformed into co-processors that
can be used for compute functions. Their
highly parallel architecture (1,000s of cores,
rather than 10s) makes them well suited
to solving complex simulation problems.
Models must support double precision
floating point operations.
The first double precision GPUs had
relatively small memory footprints. This
meant there were limitations in the size of
simulation problems that they could solve.
Modern cards, including Nvidia Quadro,
DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS13
1.94
2.0
1.68
1.5
1.31
1.00 1.00 1.00
1.0
0.5
0.0
8 cores 12 cores 16 cores
Nvidia Tesla, AMD FirePro and AMD Radeon
Pro, now have anywhere up to 32GB so this is
less of an issue. The AMD Radeon Pro SSG,
a completely new type of GPU, even has an
on-board 1TB NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD)
to give fast access to giant datasets.
Most high-end simulation software
developers offer some level of support for
GPU compute but this is usually limited to
certain solvers. Support is either through
OpenCL, an open standard championed
by AMD and Intel, or CUDA, a bespoke
technology from Nvidia.
Intel also has a co-processor, the Intel Xeon
Phi. While this is not a GPU (it comprises
tens of x86 cores), it is another add-in board
that can be used to accelerate simulation
software.
CONCLUSION
Money spent on high-end workstations pales
into insignificance compared to the savings
that can be made through design optimisation.
But even with this huge incentive, many firms
still have to stick to tight budgets when it
comes to specifying machines for CAE.
The price differential between a
workstation for CAD and one for engineering
simulation can be huge but with a careful
choice of hardware components, matched to
your firms workflows and datasets, this gap
can be narrowed.
In summary, dont get seduced by the top-
end CPUs. Large numbers of cores come at
a big premium and more doesnt
always mean faster. Choose
enough RAM to handle day to
day jobs, but ask yourself if you
really so much just to handle the
exceptionally large studies you do
once a month. Always invest in
fast storage NVMe SSDs are a
must. Make sure your machine is
balanced a workstation tuning
tool like Lenovo Performance
Tuner can track resources over
time, helping identifying where
bottlenecks are. Finally, grab your
stopwatch, load up your Excel
spreadsheet, and test, test, and
test again.
30/08/2016 11:52
 Apexx 2 lightning fast advert V2.ai 1 18/08/2016 11:34:17

WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
DELL PRECISION 5510
MOBILE WORKSTATION
The quest for CAD-crunching performance and portability continues with
Dells latest ultra-slim 15.6-inch mobile workstation, writes Greg Corke
Dell has innovated in
chassis design, delivering
a significantly smaller
machine with heightened
good looks
W
ith mobile workstations,
for years CAD users
had to choose between
performance and portability,
but when the Dell Precision
M3800 landed in 2013 everything changed.
With a fast quad core CPU and a GPU
capable of handling medium sized 3D CAD
assemblies it was suddenly possible to have
your cake and eat it.
The Precision 5510 picks up where
the M3800 left off and is Dells second
generation ultra-portable 15.6-inch mobile
workstation. With an Intel Skylake Xeon
CPU, an Nvidia Maxwell Quadro GPU, fast
NVMe storage and double the memory of
its predecessor there is plenty to get excited
about. But Dell has also innovated in chassis
design, delivering a significantly smaller
machine with heightened good looks.
Considering the Precision 5510 is pitched
as an ultra-portable mobile workstation,
size is a good place to start. 15mm less wide
and 19mm less deep than the Precision
M3800, the Precision 5510 is significantly
smaller than comparative ultra-portable
15.6-inch mobile workstations, including
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 15
the HP ZBook Studio. This is thanks to a
new Infinity display, which features an
extremely thin 6-7mm bezel. In addition to
the obvious benefits of a smaller machine,
the fact that the display almost reaches the
edges makes for a beautiful design.
Build quality is superb. The CNC
machined aluminium lid protects the
vibrant UltraSharp PremierColor 4K touch
display from knocks, while soft touch
carbon fibre keeps the palm rest cool to
touch. Theres a reassuring solidity to
this machine, on par with my 2015 model
MacBook Pro. This may have something to
do with its balanced form, which at 11.5mm
at the front and 16.8mm at the rear is less
tapered than the Precision M3800. Weight
starts at 1.78kg, but our model was closer
to 2kg. The 130W AC adapter comes in at
0.5kg with a UK plug.
The island style keyboard has a really great
feel with excellent key travel, but theres
no numeric keypad for precise CAD input.
The large multi-touch touchpad takes some
getting used to as it is more slippery than
most. However, once the resistance was
mastered, we soon became productive,
DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS15
zooming in and out of CAD models with
two finger scrolling, or swiping between
apps with three.
Our test machines Intel Xeon E3-1505M
v5 CPU is perfect for CAD, delivering a
more than respectable 2.80GHz (up to
3.70GHz) and four cores for multi-threaded
operations, such as ray trace rendering.
16GB (2 x 8GB) of 2,133MHz DDR4
Memory is a good starting point for CAD,
but the machine can also be factory installed
with 32GB for more demanding users.
Interestingly, despite its Xeon CPU, the
machine does not support Error Correcting
Code (ECC) memory to protect against
(admittedly rare) crashes, caused by
background radiation. Unless you plan on
using the machine for lengthy simulation or
rendering runs, this shouldnt put you off.
Scores in our processor-intensive 3ds
Max rendering and Delcam PowerMill
toolpath calculation benchmarks were
almost identical to those of the HP ZBook
Studio we reviewed in March (develop3d.
com/hardware/review-hp-zbook-studio).
Considering it has the exact same CPU this
came as little surprise.
30/08/2016 11:52

DELL PRECISION 5510
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v5 CPU
(2.80GHz up to 3.70GHz) (quad core)
16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 memory
Nvidia Quadro M1000M (2GB) GPU
512GB 2.5-inch SATA Solid State Drive (SSD)
15.6 UltraSharp UHD IGZO (3 840 x 2,160)
Touch Wide View LED-backlit
357mm (w) x 235.5mm (d) x 11.5mm (h)
From 1.78kg
Dell 56 WHr 3-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
1,987 (ex VAT)
However, acoustics on the Precision
5510 were better or, more accurately, more
predictable. Like the HP ZBook Studio, fan
noise became annoying under heavy loads
including CPU rendering, but the Precision
5510 was much quieter under less taxing
operations and was sometimes almost
silent. In contrast, the HP ZBook Studio
was very trigger happy with its fans, kicking
in even when performing some relatively
moderate processing tasks.
3D performance was less predictable. On
paper the standard Nvidia Quadro M1000M
(2GB) GPU should satisfy the requirements
of most mainstream CAD users, but because
of the 4K UltraSharp PremierColor UHD
IGZO touch panel it showed the strain with
some of our more demanding test models.
At 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution, there are
four times as many pixels to render than
at FHD (1,920 x 1,080) and this can put
an excessive load on what is essentially an
entry-level CAD GPU.
The 18 frames per second (FPS) we
achieved with the complex desktop PC
SolidWorks assembly is adequate for precise
navigation. However, this dropped down to
low single figures with our more graphically
intensive automotive assemblies.
The quality of the 4K panel cannot be
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WS16 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 16
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
disputed, and it is great for displaying
detailed CAD models and renderings, but
if it makes it hard to orient your model
quickly and accurately it could be a big
compromise.
If your workflows are relatively GPU-
intensive you may want to consider the
optional FHD display (for more info on the
impact of 4K displays on 3D performance
see our article on page WS2).
The Precision 5510 scores highly in
storage as it can host both M.2 and
2.5-inch form factor drives. This means
users can have the best of both worlds
the performance benefits of an M.2
NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD) and the
low price per GB of a 2.5-inch SATA Hard
Disk Drive (HDD).
There is a caveat though. When fitted with
a 2.5-inch drive, as was our test machine, you
are limited to a 3-cell 56-Wh battery. With M.2
only, theres room for a 6-cell 81-Wh battery,
meaning the machine will last longer on a
single charge. Thats not to say battery life
with the 56-Wh cell is poor our machine
lasted 2h 20mins on the compute intensive
PC Mark 8 battery test, which hammers both
CPU and GPU. With office tasks and sporadic
CAD use this would be much longer.
In terms of I/O ports the Precision 5510
is bang up to date. The USB 3.0 Type C
port combines Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort
1.2 and Ethernet (via a bundled adapter).
There are also two USB 3.0 ports with
PowerShare, an SD card reader, HDMi
and headphone and microphone combo
jack. Bluetooth 4.0 and Dual-Band 2x2
802.11 ac Wireless LAN are standard. The
machine can be docked to an optional Dell
Thunderbolt Dock (TB15) or Dell Dock
(WD15) via USB 3.0.
Theres much to like about the Dell
Precision 5510 decent performance for
mid-range CAD, coupled with excellent
portability and enviable good looks. Its a
small but significant improvement over the
Precision M3800, not least because of its
class-leading shrunk down frame.
The 4K display is a thing of beauty with a
bezel so slim that its almost unnoticeable.
However, before getting seduced by the
promise of ultra-crisp CAD geometry and
beautiful renderings, it would be prudent to
check if such a high-res panel impacts 3D
performance with your datasets. Unlike the
mainstream 15-inch Dell Precision 7510 or
17-inch Dell Precision 7710, where you can
compensate with a more powerful GPU,
the Precision 5510s one size fits all GPU
means you dont have that opportunity.
30/08/2016 11:53
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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
GPU RENDERIN
FOR CAD
2016 has been a big year for GPU rendering, with
both AMD and Nvidia focusing heavily on the CAD
sector. Greg Corke explores how a new wave of tools
could change the way you buy workstation hardware
R
endering with a Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU),
instead of (or alongside)
a Central Processing Unit
(CPU) is nothing new
weve been covering it in
DEVELOP3D since 2009 but it has
suddenly become much more relevant
to product development and CAD. So
much so, that it could change the way you
approach your next workstation purchase.
In 2016 alone we have seen GPU
rendering technologies appear in
SolidWorks, Rhino, and Siemens NX.
Previously, much of the activity was in the
Digital Content Creation (DCC) sector with
applications like 3ds Max and Maya.
For CAD, GPU rendering is all about
ease of use. The push button approach,
championed by CPU-based renderers
like Luxion KeyShot, means engineers
and designers dont have to be experts in
rendering in order to produce decent images.
The rendering tools are physically-
based, which means they are
designed to simulate
the real physical
interactions
between light
and materials.
Rays of light
are traced within a scene, which
is very computationally intensive,
but, as the rays are not dependent
on each other, the process is
extremely well suited to parallel compute
architectures. And, with 1,000s of cores,
GPUs are certainly that.
CUDA AND OPENCL
Before we get into the details
of GPU hardware it is
important to understand
the two underlying
WS18 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 18
technologies that make rendering on a GPU
possible. These are CUDA and OpenCL.
Most GPU renderers support either
CUDA or OpenCL, but some support both.
CUDA is a proprietary technology from
GPU manufacturer Nvidia and is designed
primarily to work with Nvidia GPUs.
Some CUDA-based renderers can also be
accelerated by CPUs, but the performance
is usually nowhere near as fast. CUDA does
not run on AMD GPUs.
GPU renderers that are compatible with
CUDA include Nvidia Iray, Lightwork
Design Iray+ and Chaos Group V-Ray RT.
CUDA has the broadest application
support, with renderers available for
Siemens NX, Rhino, 3ds Max, modo, Maya,
SketchUp, Revit and Cinema 4D (as well as
SolidWorks and other CAD apps indirectly
through the standalone GPU renderer,
SolidWorks Visualize).
OpenCL is an open standard from the
Khronos Group, a non-profit organisation
whose members include
AMD, Nvidia, Intel,
Apple, ARM and
others. It can execute
on all types of GPUs
(Intel, AMD and
Nvidia), CPUs and other
processors but OpenCL-
based renderers tend to perform
best on GPUs. AMD is a big
champion of the technology.
The two main OpenCL
compatible GPU renderers
are AMD Radeon ProRender
(previously called FireRender)
and Chaos Group V-Ray RT.
Applications that support
OpenCL renderers include
Rhino, SolidWorks,
3ds Max, Revit, Maya,
SketchUp and modo.
GPU HARDWARE
Depending on your hardware, a physically-
based renderer can take tens of minutes,
often hours, to render a high-quality image.
With a CPU renderer, in order to reduce
render times, you simply buy a CPU with
more cores. However, if all of the CPU cores
are used then the workstation can become
sluggish, making it very hard to do any
meaningful work until the render is finished.
Applications like Luxion KeyShot
circumvent this by allowing the user to
specify how many CPU cores the render
should use, leaving some CPU cores free for
other tasks, such as CAD modelling.
With GPU rendering, users dont have
granular control over what percentage of a
GPUs resources are used. However, some
GPUs are architected with asynchronous
compute engines, which allow both compute
and graphics tasks to be performed at the
same time. This means the GPU could be
crunching through a ray trace render but still
respond almost instantly when you start to
spin a 3D CAD model in the viewport.
With GPUs that support asynchronous
30/08/2016 11:53

ING
AMD PROFESSIONAL
GRAPHICS CARDS
All current AMD GPUs
feature asynchronous
compute technology, which
means they are adept at
handling graphics and
compute tasks at the same
time (see main article for
more information). This
means AMD offers the
most flexibility when it
comes to the way in which
GPUs are deployed inside a
workstation and, as a result,
the lowest cost of entry into
the world of GPU rendering.
Users can have a single
GPU for both interactive
graphics and rendering,
or scale up to two, three
or four GPUs depending
on their needs and the
capabilities of their
workstation.
AMD is currently
undergoing a big transition
as it re-brands its
professional line of GPUs
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 19
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
from AMD FirePro to AMD
Radeon Pro.
Last month the company
announced the AMD
Radeon Pro WX Series of
professional GPUs, which
are due for release later
this year. All three cards are
very much focused on 3D
CAD and are single height
GPUs. We expect AMD to
flesh out its AMD Radeon
Pro WX Series later this
year or next with one or two
higher end cards.
The AMD Radeon Pro
WX 4100 (4GB) is probably
not powerful enough to
be considered for GPU
rendering, but the AMD
Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8GB),
which is rated at more
than 4 teraflops of single-
precision performance,
should be an excellent
entry-level card for V-Ray RT
or AMD Radeon ProRender.
(Above) Camera image rendered
with V-Ray RT for Rhino.
Image courtesy of Dustin Brown,
Industrial Designer
speckofdustin.com
(Bottom left) Drill rendered with
Nvidia Iray in SolidWorks Visualize
With over 5 teraflops
of single-precision
performance the AMD
Radeon Pro WX 7100
(8GB) has similar compute
numbers to AMDs previous
generation flagship card
the AMD FirePro W9100.
However, with an estimated
sub $1,000 price tag it will
cost significantly less.
The AMD Radeon Pro Duo
is from a slightly different
family of GPUs but looks
like the card to beat for
those that take their GPU
rendering seriously. With
two on-board GPUs and up
to 16.3 TFLOPs of single
precision compute power,
this water cooled beast of
a card looks like a steal at
999 (ex VAT). The AMD Radeon Pro
CAD users who have WX7100, looks well suited to
already invested in AMD mainstream GPU rendering
FirePro GPUs can explore
V-Ray RT or AMD Radeon absolute entry point to GPU is designed to give a laptop technology users place a
ProRender with their rendering, with the FirePro or mobile workstation high-end GPU in a specially
existing card. W7100 offering a better with an entry-level mobile designed external GPU
Rated at 1.43 TFLOPs the option at 3.30 TFLOPs. GPU direct access to an enclosure, then connect to it
AMD FirePro W5100 should Finally, AMD has a very extremely powerful desktop over Thunderbolt 3.
really be considered an interesting technology that GPU. With AMD XConnect radeon.com/radeon-pro
DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS19
30/08/2016 11:53
 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

compute the big advantage is that you can
use all of your workstations GPU resources
all of the time, regardless of whether its for a
graphics or compute task.
AMD was a pioneer of asynchronous
compute and its AMD FirePro and AMD
Radeon Pro GPUs are designed specifically
to handle compute tasks and graphics tasks
concurrently. Most importantly, AMD GPUs
can switch dynamically between them.
We tested this with an AMD FirePro
W9100 by setting it to work on a V-Ray RT
render. As it crunched its way through the
ray tracing we loaded up a large assembly
in SolidWorks, turned on RealView and
started moving the 3D model around on
screen. Impressively, the model responded
instantly, and could be rotated very
smoothly. When we measured the frame
rates, they were only a fraction slower than
when all of the GPUs resources had been
dedicated to interactive 3D graphics.
Nvidias new Pascal Quadro GPUs, which
are due to ship in October, will have a similar
technology. Async Compute / Dynamic load
balancing will feature in the Quadro P5000
and Quadro P6000 and is said to deliver
more efficient sharing of resources between
graphics and compute tasks.
This technology, however, is not available
with current generation Nvidia Quadro
GPUs, which includes Nvidia Kepler
and Nvidia Maxwell GPUs, whose model
numbers begin with a K or an M.
With Kepler and Maxwell, if the GPU is
working on a compute task, there would
likely be a conflict if you sent it a graphics
task at the same time. So, if you were in
the middle of a GPU rendering and you
suddenly wanted to reposition your 3D CAD
model, the system would likely be sluggish,
making it hard to orient your model quickly
and accurately on screen.
To get round this limitation of the Kepler
and Maxwell architectures, it is advisable
to have one GPU dedicated to interactive
graphics and one or more GPUs dedicated
to GPU rendering.
However, the downside of this approach is
it means you are not making the most out
of your workstations GPU resources, as the
GPU tasked with interactive graphics will
sit idle when you are not moving your CAD
model in the viewport.
Regardless of your GPUs capabilities, if
you want to cut rendering times you simply
add more GPUs to your workstation.
A typical CAD workstation with one
CPU can host up to two high-end GPUs
on its PCIe x 16 slots, whereas a dual CPU
workstation can host three or four.
So how do you choose which GPU(s)
will be best for you? To get a rough idea
of relative performance, check out the
single precision numbers, rated in TFLOPs
(one trillion floating-point operations per
second). The bigger, the better. However,
this is by no means gospel and you should
ideally seek out benchmark figures from
your renderer of choice (Iray, V-Ray RT or
AMD Radeon ProRender). Better still, test
with your own datasets.
GPU memory is another important
consideration, both in terms of capacity
(for storing geometry and textures) and
memory bandwidth.
4GB or 8GB should be considered a
minimum and the bigger the bandwidth,
the quicker the data can be fed to the GPU.
GPUs are just starting to feature High
Bandwidth Memory (HBM). The AMD

GPU RENDERING control over the rendering

resources inside the Opel Insignia, rendered

APPLICATIONS workstation. with Lightworks Iray+

It will come as no surprise
that most of the recent
developments in GPU
rendering are being driven
by the GPU manufacturers.
After all, what better reason
is there to sell CAD users
lots of powerful GPUs?
Nvidia has owned Iray for
a number of years but it is
only now making a big play
for the CAD market.
The recently released
Nvidia Iray for Rhino
plug-in works with Rhino 5
and allows users to render
directly within the Rhino
Perspective viewport.
Users can add materials
to the CAD model or move
its orientation inside the
viewport and the render
will restart automatically
giving continual feedback.
The software offers
control over which
processing resources are
used, including CPU or
specific GPUs. Network
rendering is also available
through Iray Server. The
software is available
through the Iray store and
costs $295 per year.
Iray plug-ins are also
available for Autodesk 3ds
Max, Maya and Cinema4D.
Nvidia also played an
important role in the
development of SolidWorks
Visualize, a standalone
renderer that works with
SolidWorks models as
well as models from other
CAD tools, including Rhino
Solid Edge, Inventor, Catia,
Siemens NX and PTC Creo.
The product evolved from
Bunkspeed, one of the first
commercial GPU renderers,
so it has a mature feature
set. Users have full
There are two versions
of SolidWorks Visualize.
Standard comes free with
SolidWorks Professional
or Premium, whereas the
Professional version costs
extra, adding support for
animation, render queues
and network rendering.
For a full review visit
tinyurl.com/SW-Visualize
Iray is also embedded in
CATIA Live rendering.
Nvidia also has close
links to Lightwork Design,
a specialist in embedding
rendering technology inside
CAD applications. The
UK company was behind
the implementation of a
customised version of Iray
into Siemens NX.
Iray+ is now in Siemens NX
Ray Traced Studio (requires
an NX Render licence) and
Siemens NX Advanced Studio
(requires an NX Studio
Visualize licence).
At the end of July AMD
officially launched Radeon
ProRender (previously
called FireRender). Beta
versions of the physically-
based renderer
Engine rendered
in AMD Radeon
ProRender for
SolidWorks
are now available for
SolidWorks and Rhino.
The big news with AMD
Radeon ProRender is that it
is free. This has already got
the attention of SolidWorks
Standard users, who do not
have access to the ray trace
renderers, PhotoView 360
or SolidWorks Visualize.
The current beta version
of Radeon ProRender for
SolidWorks is very much
a push button tool. The
software automatically
takes lighting and cameras
from the scene, then maps
SolidWorks materials to
ProRender materials. The
render windows monitors
changes in the SolidWorks
windows and updates
accordingly.
Users currently have little
control over the process,
except for output resolution
and whether to render on
the CPU or GPU. If GPU
is selected, the software
uses all GPUs within the
workstation. AMD says
more control and features
will come over time but it is
keen to emphasise that its
most important feature is
ease of use.
Radeon ProRender
for Rhino is a more
integrated product than
the SolidWorks version and
is available directly inside
the Rhino viewport. AMD
worked very closely with
Rhino developer McNeel
during its development,
who was also heavily
involved in the conversion
of materials. The plug-in
is available for Rhino 6,
which is currently in beta.
As Radeon ProRender
uses OpenCL, it should
work with Nvidia GPUs but
it is unlikely that Nvidia will
optimise its drivers to boost
performance.
Chaos Group, the maker
of V-Ray, is a pioneer of
in Siemens NX 11
GPU rendering, with its first
developments starting in
2008. The companys GPU
renderer, V-Ray RT, is now
available alongside its CPU-
based renderer. Plug-ins
are available for Rhino,
Modo and 3ds Max as well
as the AEC-focused CAD
tools Revit and SketchUp.
V-Ray RT stands out from
the other GPU renderers
because it can support both
CUDA and OpenCL. This
means users can get the
most out of both Nvidia and
AMD GPUs.
Finally, it is worth
mentioning that some
Iray-based renderers (and
Chaos Group V-Ray) support
MDL materials, which
can be shared between
applications.
This could be important
if you use multiple
applications throughout
your product development
workflow.

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

Radeon Pro Duo, for example, boasts
speeds up to 1,024 GB/s, three times
faster than the best performing GPU with
GDDR5 memory.
Blowing your budget on an ultra high-
end GPU isnt always the best route to go.
Depending on how quickly you want your
renders back, you may get more for your
money from two mid- to high-end GPUs.
Finally, heres some practical advice on
adding GPUs to your existing workstation.
GPUs come on single height or dual height
PCIe boards that slot into a workstations PCIe
x16 slots on the motherboard. Dual height
cards tend to be longer in length, so check
they will physically fit inside your machine.
High-end GPUs can draw an incredible
amount of power, as much as 350W, so you
will also need to check that the Power Supply
Unit (PSU) in your workstation can cope.
Cards rated at over 100W will also need to
draw additional power direct from the PSU,
via one or more 6-pin or 8-pin cables.
NETWORK RENDERING
Most designers will choose to render locally
on a workstation, but network rendering
using GPUs is also possible. This could
be an attractive option for design teams
who want a powerful shared resource, or
for a CAD user who only has a mobile
workstation with an entry-level GPU.
Most of the developments in this space are
being done by Nvidia.
Nvidia Iray Server provides distributed Iray
rendering across networked machines. This
could be an ad hoc network of workstations
with Quadro GPUs or a dedicated rack of
GPU servers with Nvidia Quadro or Nvidia
Tesla GPUs (Tesla is a specialist GPU
designed specifically for compute).
To keep an eye on progress, Iray Server can
also stream back the rendered image live
to the desktop or mobile workstation that
submitted the job.
For an out of the box solution, Nvidia has
a dedicated network render appliance called
the Nvidia Quadro VCA, which features
eight high-end Quadro GPUs. Multiple
appliances can be used in tandem to deliver
ray traced images in a matter of seconds.
Later this year Nvidia will add Iray support to
its Nvidia DGX-1, a supercomputer powered
by multiple Pascal Tesla P100 GPUs.
Chaos Group is also working on V-Ray
Swarm, a new web-based distributed
rendering system that can work with GPUs.
For those that want to dramatically cut
rendering times but dont want a big capital
investment, GPU rendering can also be
done in the cloud on a pay per use basis.
Migenius is one of a handful of service
providers operating in this space.
CONCLUSION
GPU rendering has been threatening to take
off for some years now but limited support
for CAD applications has been a major
barrier to widespread adoption. Now with
GPU renderers suddenly coming online
for Siemens NX, SolidWorks and Rhino
the foundations have been laid for greater
market penetration.
Most importantly, with both Nvidia
and AMD competing head on, this can
only be good news for end users. GPU
rendering software is not only cheap (or
free) but, with the price of GPUs falling,
you can now add an incredible amount of
processing power to your CAD workstation
without breaking the bank.

NVIDIA QUADRO
Async Compute / Dynamic Pascal GPU should be
load balancing for better able to handle both

GRAPHICS CARDS
sharing of resources tasks at the same
between graphics and time (see body of
compute tasks. text for more info). with
This is an important This gives those a Quadro
Qu

In October this year Nvidia seriously, but will likely come development for Nvidia as looking to invest in M2000 (for
ad
ro

will ship its first Pascal with a sizeable price tag. it should allow designers to Nvidia hardware for interactive graphics) or
P5

based professional GPUs, Compared to the Quadro make much better use of GPU rendering a bit of a second Quadro M4000,
000

the Quadro P5000 (16GB)
and Quadro P6000 (24GB).
With single precision
performance of 8.9 TFLOPs
and 12 TFLOPs respectively,
both models will be of
most interest to those who
take their GPU rendering
M5000 (8GB, 4.2 TFLOPs)
and Quadro M6000 (12GB,
7 TFLOPs) which they will
replace, the new Pascal
GPUs will not only offer
better performance and
more memory but will be
first Quadros to include
their GPU resources.
Instead of having to
invest in two GPUs and
dedicate one to interactive
graphics and one to GPU
rendering (as is the case
with the Maxwell and
Kepler Quadros), one
a dilemma. While the
Quadro P5000 and P6000
will be available soon, we
are unlikely to see Pascal-
based replacements for the
mid-range Maxwell Quadro
M2000 (4GB, 1.8 TFLOPs)
and Quadro
M4000 (8GB, 2.5 TFLOPs)
until well into 2017.
The comparative
performance of Nvidias
current generation Quadro
GPUs makes for some
interesting reading. We
tested with SolidWorks
Visualize running on a
Scan 3XS Nanu Ultimate
2D Plus workstation (see
page WS5). Our conclusion
is that the Quadro M4000
is the Nvidia card of choice
for mainstream GPU
rendering both in terms
of raw compute power and
price / performance.
This could be coupled
depending on your needs,
but if your budget stretches
and the Quadro P5000
delivers on its expected
performance, a single GPU
solution may end up being
the better option.
Finally, those who already
own a Quadro K2200 will
be interested to learn that
the Kepler-based GPU
offers around the same Iray
performance as its successor,
the Quadro M2000.
However, the superior
interactive graphics
performance of the Quadro
M2000 still makes it a
better choice for entry-
level workflows.
nvidia.com/quadro

SolidWorks Visualize Iray render test SolidWorks Visualize Iray render test SolidWorks Visualize Iray render test
(motorbike detail, HD) (secs) (smaller is better) (1969 Camaro, HD) (secs) (smaller is better) (Aggregate price/performance*) (bigger is better)

Nvidia Quadro K2200 563 Nvidia Quadro K2200 328 Nvidia Quadro K2200 2.38

Nvidia Quadro M2000 592 Nvidia Quadro M2000 317 Nvidia Quadro M2000 2.14

Nvidia Quadro K4200 491 Nvidia Quadro K4200 266 Nvidia Quadro K4200 1.46

Nvidia Quadro M4000 304 Nvidia Quadro M4000 179 Nvidia Quadro M4000 2.23

Nvidia Quadro K5200 271 Nvidia Quadro K5200 146 Nvidia Quadro K5200 1.00
Tested on Scan 3XS Tested on Scan 3XS
Nanu Ultimate 2D Plus Nanu Ultimate 2D Plus Nvidia Quadro M5000 1.30 *price taken from
Nvidia Quadro M5000 233 (see page WS5) Nvidia Quadro M5000 127 (see page WS5) Scan.co.uk 22/8/16

WS22 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

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Corporation. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. 2015 Lenovo. All rights reserved.

DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS23

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT

BOXX APEXX 2 +
BOXX RENDERPRO 2
By dedicating a high GHz workstation to CAD and a dual Xeon box to rendering,
designers can have optimised hardware for both processes. The workflow
benefits can be huge, but the package doesnt come cheap, writes Greg Corke

R
ay trace rendering
is arguably the most
computationally intensive
process in any product
development workflow. It is
highly multi-threaded so it
absolutely hammers all of a workstations
CPU cores. It is also extremely scalable, so
doubling the number of cores can, in many
cases, halve the render time.
CAD software is very different in that it is
a single threaded process, so the majority of
tasks are performed on one CPU core. This
means it thrives on a high frequency (GHz)
CPU. Performance will not increase if you
add more CPU cores.
This presents a big challenge when
choosing a workstation for both CAD and
rendering. The highest frequency CPUs
have the least number of cores, while the
ones with the most cores tend to have the
lowest frequencies. As a result, designers
and engineers must accept that there will
always be a trade off. Or must they?
Custom workstation manufacturer BOXX
offers an alternative solution by dedicating
separate machines to each process. CAD
work is done on the BOXX APEXX 2, a high
MODEL COURTESY OF TIM FEHER
frequency Intel Core i7 desktop workstation,
while the rendering is handled by the BOXX
renderPRO 2, a networked, dual Intel Xeon
rendering machine with lots of cores.
As both machines work completely
independently of each other, it also means
that the BOXX APEXX 2 workstation will be
able to dedicate almost all of its resources
to CAD modelling when the BOXX
renderPRO 2 is rendering.
In contrast, when a traditional desktop
workstation is set to render flat out, it will
often become sluggish, making it almost
impossible to do any meaningful CAD work.
To get round this, users have to reduce the
number of cores assigned to the rendering
task, either by changing processor affinity
in Windows Task manager (so specific
applications use specific CPU cores) or by
applying more granular control of CPU core
usage inside the rendering application. And
that means renders come back slower.
THE BOXX RENDERPRO 2
The renderPRO 2 has the same footprint as
a dual Intel Xeon desktop workstation, such
as the BOXX APEXX 4, but it is only about
1/5th of the height.
BOXX pitches the machine as a personal
rendering solution, designed to sit on a desk
or on top of a workstation (although it is too
big to sit on top of the APEXX 2). Multiple
units can also be stacked on top of each other.
This is all great in theory, but if, like me,
you place a great value on a calm working
environment you are much better off
putting this networked machine well away
from where you sit.
With two high-end Xeon CPUs running
flat out and heavy-duty fans to cool them,
the heat and noise the machine gives off,
even when idle, is significant.
Our test machine was kitted out with two
Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 CPUs, each of which
has 12 cores (24 threads) and a clock speed of
2.2GHz (Turbo to 2.9GHz). On test, with all
48 cores running flat out, these ran at 2.5GHz.
Higher-end CPUs are also available, up
to the Intel Xeon E5-2695 v4 (18 cores,
2.1GHz up to 3.3GHz), but these come at a
significant premium.
With 64GB of memory, our test machine
could easily store everything we threw at it,
but those with more demanding datasets
can expand this to a maximum of 256GB.
Storage is courtesy of a single 2.5-inch

Luxion KeyShot, Ferrari (16 samples, 16 rays) Luxion KeyShot, Triumph bike (3,840 x 2,379) Luxion KeyShot, bathroom scene (2,560 x 2,560)
render time (secs) (smaller is better) render time (secs) (smaller is better) render time (minutes) (smaller is better)

1,920 renderPRO (network) - 330 secs renderPRO (network) - 173 secs renderPRO (network) - 16 mins
64 64
x 1,079 renderPRO (local) - 163 secs renderPRO (local) - 99 secs renderPRO (local) - 17 mins
samples samples
resolution
APEXX 2 (local) - 529 secs APEXX 2 (local) - 309 secs APEXX 2 (local) - 51 mins

renderPRO (network) - 452 secs renderPRO (network) - 295 secs renderPRO (network) - 31 mins
2,560 128 128
x 1,439 renderPRO (local) - 283 secs renderPRO (local) - 193 secs renderPRO (local) - 33 mins
samples samples
resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 926 secs APEXX 2 (local) - 499 secs APEXX 2 (local) - 100 mins

3,840 renderPRO (network) - 920 secs renderPRO (network) 928 secs renderPRO (network) 62 mins
256 256
x 2,158 renderPRO (local) - 632 secs renderPRO (local) - 389 secs renderPRO (local) - 65 mins
samples samples
resolution
APEXX 2 (local) 2,056 secs APEXX 2 (local) 1,242 secs APEXX 2 (local) 199 mins

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 WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
240GB SATA SSD. Other capacities are
available, up to 1.2TB, and it is also possible
to add a second drive. The machine has on-
board graphics, so you can plug-in a monitor
via the VGA port, but most users will likely
access the machine remotely.
THE BOXX APEXX 2 (MODEL 2402)
The APEXX 2 is a beautifully engineered,
solid, compact single CPU workstation.
The machine is built around a quad core
Intel Core i7-6700K, which is permanently
overclocked to 4.4GHz making it perfect for
frequency hungry CAD applications.
To keep the machine running at this speed,
the CPU is liquid cooled. This not only brings
stability to the system but helps keep noise
to a minimum. With two low duty fans at the
front of the workstation, it is extremely quiet
in operation, even under very heavy loads. It
is the polar opposite to the renderPRO 2.
The rest of the specifications are also well
matched for high-end CAD and design viz
workflows. The Nvidia Quadro M4000 GPU
provides plenty of power for working with
visually rich 3D models in the viewport.
In SolidWorks, with RealView, shadows
and Ambient Occlusion enabled, every
single model we threw at the APEXX 2 could
be manipulated smoothly.
It was only when we loaded up texture-rich
models in Autodesk VRED and 3ds Max that
frame rates started to drop. For specialist
design viz applications like these, users will
likely be better served by the more powerful
Quadro M5000 or M6000. However, with
both of these high-end GPUs set to be
replaced by the Quadro P5000 and P6000 in
October it is worth holding out.
32GB of DDR4 memory should be plenty
for most mainstream workflows. This can be
expanded to 64GB if required though, with
all four DIMM slots already full, it should be
done at time of purchase.
Storage is courtesy of a 512GB Samsung
SM951 SSD. With read/write speeds of up
to 2,150MB/s and 1,550MB/s respectively,
this NVMe PCIe SSD delivers much faster
sustained performance than a SATA SSD,
While this shouldnt make a significant
difference to most CAD workflows, you
should see a benefit when shifting large
datasets around. The tiny M.2 form factor SSD
sits flush on the motherboard. For additional
storage there are two front facing 3.5-inch
drive bays. One of these is filled with an
Enterprise class 4TB Western Digital HDD.
SET UP
Setting up the renderPRO is relatively easy,
even for a network novice like me. While
the Quick Start guide that comes with the
machine seems unnecessarily wordy, BOXX
has also produced a useful video to step you
through the process (tinyurl.com/renderpro).
It took me around 15 minutes to do
the basic setup, plus additional time to
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 25
configure Luxion KeyShot and 3ds Max
(backburner) for network rendering. BOXX APEXX 2 (2402)
Gigabit Ethernet is always recommended
Intel Core i7 6700K CPU
for best performance. If your network isnt up (overclocked to 4.4GHz) (4 cores)
to scratch, you can pick up a decent five port 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 memory
Gigabit switch for about 15. 512GB Samsung SM951 SSD + 4TB Western
The renderPRO plugs into your network Digital Enterprise Class 7,200RPM SATA HDD
via two Ethernet cables: one for standard Nvidia Quadro M4000 (8GB) GPU
Gigabit Ethernet while the other goes into the 174mm (w) x 457mm (h) x 513mm (d)
Intelligent Platform Management Interface Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
(IPMI) port, through which the machine 3 year standard warranty
communicates with the workstation. (One year of 24x7 phone support and next
business day onsite service included)
The next step is to install the BOXXView
3,449 (ex VAT)
software on your workstation, which comes
boxx-tech.co.uk
on a USB stick. The interface looks a little
dated, but its relatively easy to configure.
Once installed, you can setup your
renderPRO from the APEXX 2 by remoting
in. Alternatively, plug-in mouse, keyboard
and monitor (via VGA) and control it
directly. Once all of this is done, youre set to
install your rendering software.
Our first port of call was physically-based
renderer Luxion KeyShot. Getting set up
for network rendering requires a bit of
configuration, but the online manual
(tinyurl.com/keyshot-LAN) is very easy
to follow and we managed to get up and
running in about 10 minutes.
In KeyShot, the Master manages all of
the connected network resources and this is
installed on the APEXX 2 workstation. The
Slave does the actual rendering, so this is
installed on the renderPRO.
Render jobs are submitted in exactly the
same way as one would submit a local render
but, with the click of a button, the job is
routed to available network resources.
Setting up Backburner for network
rendering in 3ds Max is much more
complicated, requiring mapped drives and
the changing of paths to assets. However,
this was made a whole lot easier by following
the step-by-step BOXX video.
We did have one stumbling block when
the Backburner server software on the BOXX RENDERPRO 2
renderPRO could not see the manager
2 x Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 CPU
software on the APEXX 2 workstation. (2.20GHz up to 2.90GHz) (12 cores)
However, punching the error code into 64GB DDR4 memory
Google and changing the server settings to 240GB 2.5-inch SATA SSD
automatic search soon fixed this. 171mm (w) x 97mm (h) x 508mm (d)
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
PERFORMANCE 3 year standard warranty (one year of 24x7
We tested with a wide variety of scenes, phone support and next business day onsite)
rendering at different resolutions, samples 4,750 (ex VAT)
and bounces. Scenes were set up on the boxx-tech.co.uk
BOXX APEXX 2 and submitted over the
network to the renderPRO.
For comparison, we rendered locally on
the APEXX 2. We also rendered locally on
the renderPRO. While in practice, no one
would do this, we were interested to see
how network rendering compared to local
rendering on the same hardware.
With relatively short duration renders it
came as no surprise that network rendering
was slower. After all, the software has to
DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE SEPTEMBER 2016 WS25
30/08/2016 11:53

This snapshot in time shows all 48 cores in the renderPRO working flat out on a KeyShot network render. However, if you look closely at the historical data you will see
some troughs. These are the moments when regions that have been completed on the renderPRO are sent back to the APEXX 2 and new regions sent out for processing.
collect all of the assets, transfer them over
the network and launch the render engine
before it can go to work. But even with
longer renders the difference between the
two times was sometimes still quite big.
This was only the case for certain scenes.
The KeyShot bathroom scene, for example,
which uses the interior lighting preset, was
actually quicker to render over the network.
In 3ds Max we were unable to render locally
on the renderPRO due to software licensing.
However, with our architectural scene it
appeared network rendering was highly
efficient as the ratio of render time on the
APEXX 2 to render time on the renderPRO
increased with resolution from 2.15 at
1,920 x 1,080 to 3.75 at 7,680 x 4,320.
In contrast, with our incredibly complex
automotive scene, this ratio was smaller
than one, meaning it was actually slower to
render on the renderPRO.
We were genuinely puzzled by some of
these results. In KeyShot, some of this
can be explained by the way network
rendering works. KeyShots distributed
rendering technology is primarily designed
to connect multiple machines in an office
network, rather than off-loading a job to
a single machine. And, as such, there is a
lot of communication that occurs between
the master and slave(s). The Master
first breaks up the job into regions, then
assigns two regions to each available slave
(in this case, the renderPRO). The slave
then renders the two regions and sends the
results back to the master. These steps are
repeated until the entire image is rendered.
3ds Max Design, architectural scene
render time (secs) (smaller is better)
1,920 renderPRO (network) - 78 secs 640
x 1,080
resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 168 secs
3,840 renderPRO (network) - 192 secs
x 2,160
resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 609 secs
7,680 renderPRO (network) - 601 secs
x 4,320
resolution APEXX 2 (local) 2,258 secs
WS26 SEPTEMBER 2016 DEVELOP3D.COM/HARDWARE
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT.indd 26
WORKSTATION SPECIAL REPORT
You can witness this happening in the refreshing to be able to talk freely with a tech
Windows Task Manager resource manager support person who actually understands
by looking at how CPU and network the technology and 3D software and not
resources change over time. When two someone who simply follows a flow chart.
regions are first sent to the renderPRO, all In terms of render times, it is important to
48 cores (24 physical and 24 virtual) work flat
set expectation levels accordingly. Our rule
out at 100%. However, when those regions of thumb calculation (GHz multiplied by
finish rendering, core utilisation drops the number of cores) is usually a pretty good
for a good few seconds and network traffic way to gauge relative render performance
increases. Then, when the next two regions of desktop workstations. As a result, we had
are sent, CPU utilisation goes back to 100%. expected the renderPRO (48 cores, 2.5GHz)
In contrast, when rendering locally in to be around 3.4 times faster at rendering
KeyShot, CPU utilisation remains at 100% than the BOXX APEXX 2 (8 cores, 4.4GHz),
for almost the entire duration of the job. minus a little adjustment for network time.
However, our tests showed that this ratio
CONCLUSION can vary considerably so you may not get the
Dedicating individual machines for CAD renders back as quick as expected.
work and rendering makes perfect sense if At 8,199 for both machines, BOXXs
design visualisation forms a critical part of rendering solution constitutes a serious
your product development workflow. The investment. Thats around 2,000 more than
BOXX APEXX 2 desktop workstation is a an equivalent dual CPU workstation with
hugely impressive machine for high-end two Intel Xeon E5-2687W v4 CPUs (12 cores,
CAD and, by off-loading the CPU intensive 3.0GHz - 3.5GHz Turbo).
tasks to the renderPRO, you can ensure While such a workstation would likely
almost all of its high frequency CPU deliver renders quicker, it certainly wouldnt
resources remain dedicated to modelling beat the BOXX APEXX 2 in a CAD race
performance. The workflow benefits can be not just because of the lower frequency
significant. CPUs but also due to background rendering
Getting the systems set up is surprisingly In addition, while the renderPRO 2 is
easy, which will certainly appeal to small designed to be used by one person, it could
design firms with limited in-house IT skills. easily be shared by small design teams. A
However, if there are any issues, we did dedicated resource is great if you render
find BOXXs technical support to be really 24/7, but if your requirements come in
rather good. Questions we had relating to peaks and troughs as projects progress,
the machines in general, and Backburner making the renderPRO available to multiple
with 3ds Max (but not, unfortunately, Luxion CAD users could be a good way to share
KeyShot), were answered well. Its really resources and cost.
3ds Max Design, complex automotive scene 3ds Max Design, automotive headlight detail
render time (mins) (smaller is better) render time (secs) (smaller is better)
renderPRO (network) - 70 mins 800 renderPRO (network) - 280 secs
x 480 x 600
resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 58 mins resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 355 secs
800 renderPRO (network) - 112 mins 1,200 renderPRO (network) - 349 secs
x 600 x 900
resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 94 mins resolution APEXX 2 (local) - 661 secs
1,200 renderPRO (network) 245 mins 2,000 renderPRO (network) - 748 secs
x 800 x 1,500
resolution APEXX 2 (local) 207 mins resolution APEXX 2 (local) 1,799 secs
30/08/2016 11:53
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 THE LAST WORD

After a visit to Kelvedon Hatchs Secret

Nuclear Bunker, Al Dean ponders how
planning for both the foreseen and the
unforeseen is an essential part of the
design process, and then how some
folks take planning to the next level

I
f you get a chance, get yourself
to Kelvedon Hatch just outside
of the M25. When deep in
the Essex countryside, youll
eventually come across a signpost
that, seemingly without a trace of
irony, says Secret Nuclear Bunker
(secretnuclearbunker.com). Follow that
sign and after awhile youll finally spot
an unassuming bungalow in a woods.
Aside from the rather disconcerting
threat level indicator and an
armoured personnel carrier under
canvas, youll never guess that this is
one of the UKs largest nuclear bunkers.
Built in the early 1950s at the height of
concern over the effects of nuclear war,
Kelvedon was one of a handful of facilities
built to house governmental operations
and RAF fighter command in the event of a
nuclear strike on the UK.
Its now decommissioned and operates as 1
a museum to the preparation for a nuclear
winter and all that this encompasses. Its
worth a visit and, following a couple of sustain the hundreds of staff within it for over what I experienced underground, it
1 Kelvedon was

hours spent wandering around, youll be left
with a feeling that combines both dread and
horror at firstly, how prepared some aspects
of the country were for such an eventuality
and secondly, how hopeless the case would
have been for those citizens above ground.
The place is built 38 metres down or
four stories into the hill. It is reinforced
with concrete and a Faraday cage that will
over three months as the fall-out clears.
Now compare this to the public service
broadcasts that can be heard at various
points around the museum. These suggest
that whitewashing windows and piling up
mattresses in front of them would protect
the general populous above ground from a
nuclear blast. A stark contrast, indeed.
As I was driving back from Essex mulling
struck me that planning is something that built to house
different branches
some people have to take to the next level of government as
(if not 15 levels above where most of us well as RAF fighter
do). In the engineering world, contingency command
planning is part of the development process.
2 Much of the fighter
Planning for use scenarios and potential command control
failure modes, planning for production room is still there,
quantities, and possible issues, is all part giving Kelvedon the
sense that staff have
of the process and one that is a process only just walked out
fraught with stress.
Then you go somewhere like Kelvedon
and realise that some people are tasked
with planning what will happen if the worst
happens, when society itself might be at risk
and to envisage the scene of devastation
that will greet them when they come up
after those three months.
That said, theres also a few moments
of humour, albeit on the dark side, as you
encounter some of the weirdness at this
type of museum. Whether its the dummy
in the BBC radio control room dressed as a
rather poorly rendered Maggie Thatcher or
the full box of body bag tags that are ready
to be filled.

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