SolidWorks import speeds mechanical simulation

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 2, 2003

The latest version of SimMechanics extends the engineering analysis capabilities of the package by allowing the effortless importation of SolidWorks CAD assemblies.

The Mathworks has worked with SolidWorks Corp to deliver the latest version of its simulation product SimMechanics 2.1.

This new version extends the engineering analysis capabilities of SimMechanics by allowing the effortless importation of SolidWorks CAD assemblies.

SolidWorks models can now be simulated in the Simulink environment to analyse forces and torques in mechanical joints, plot the accelerations and displacements of each part in the system, and visualise motion of the CAD assembly.

By simulating the behaviour of mechanical, control, and other dynamic systems, engineers improve the quality of their design and shorten the time required to create a new design and bring that product to market.

With SimMechanics, engineers who design mechanisms that have control systems can simulate both their mechanical and control systems in the Simulink environment.

Simulink engineers can now automatically build mechanical models from their SolidWorks assemblies and simulate the dynamic motion of the system.

For SolidWorks engineers, the new version of SimMechanics provides the ability to collaborate and share designs in Simulink, thus iterating and improving the product design.

SimMechanics now allows SolidWorks users to automatically generate a SimMechanics model from their existing CAD designs.

The software provides users with measurable time savings by eliminating the need to recreate their CAD models in SimMechanics.

As a result, SolidWorks users can instantly use the SimMechanics interface to add control systems, actuators, sensors, and other modelling elements.

"We're pleased that The Mathworks is extending engineering analysis capabilities to the SolidWorks community", said Brian Houle, Manager of SolidWorks Solution Partner Programme.

"The ability for SolidWorks users to now import their CAD assemblies into SimMechanics builds on our commitment to providing software and services that enable our customers to get new products to market faster".

"By making use of the CAD capabilities of SolidWorks and the analysis and simulation features of Simulink, this new version of SimMechanics provides a powerful new resource for the mechanical engineering community", said Jay Sharp, Product Marketing Manager for SimMechanics.

"In the past, SolidWorks engineers could not easily model and simulate their CAD designs in Simulink.

This new interface allows them to automatically generate mechanical models from SolidWorks software, and simulate the behaviour of these models before having to build costly physical prototypes".

SimMechanics enables engineers and researchers to model mechanical systems (bodies and joints), simulate their motion, and analyse the results all within the Simulink environment.

As a physical modelling product, SimMechanics expands Simulink to enable multidomain modelling of mechanical systems connected to any control and dynamic system designed with traditional Simulink blocks.