Students receive CAD education

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 17, 2007

SolidWorks 3D CAD and Cosmos design analysis software enable students to grasp engineering fundamentals quickly, in preparation for their future careers.

University of Dundee (Scotland) engineering students are honing their 3D CAD skills and preparing for life after college with SolidWorks Education Edition software.

The short learning curve and smart interface of SolidWorks 3D CAD and Cosmos design analysis software enable students to grasp engineering fundamentals quickly as they design everything from race cars to active operating floors on care ships in the Amazon River basin.

Founded in Dundee, Scotland in 1881, the school has nearly 18,000 students.

Its engineering department purchased 100 licenses of SolidWorks Education Edition software and began teaching it in the fall of 2006 to help students learn 3D CAD basics more quickly so they can begin their hands-on education and learn to design better products.

"As an educational tool, SolidWorks opens doors to student creativity that took much longer to open with our previous 3D CAD software", said Alan Slade, Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

"Students are cruising through classroom CAD examples in half the time it used to take".

"That leaves more time for self discovery with the software, which is critical to developing".

For his final year project, student Iain Heneghan developed a moveable floor for an operating room on a medical ship that provides healthcare to villagers throughout the Amazon River basin.

Without access to basic healthcare, many villagers suffer from treatable conditions like glaucoma and hernia.

Heneghan worked with the ship builder and Vine Trust, the charity providing the ships, to design a floor that would remain stable even as waves pass during eye surgeries and other procedures.

Heneghan used SolidWorks to create 3D models of the floor and the actuators within the ship's hull.

Gyroscopes would detect motion and activate electric motors with screw jacks that counterbalance the motion to keep the floor level.

"SolidWorks allowed me to visualise how the floor and its attachments would sit and operate within the ship's hull so I could ensure smooth activation without any part collisions", said Heneghan.

"That visualisation helped me build a 1/4 scale model to demonstrate the project's feasibility".

"The next step is further investment in the project that will hopefully lead to final development, testing, and manufacturing".

This year, students used SolidWorks to create a race car design for the Formula Student competition held in Northamptonshire, U.K.

Students conducted on-screen analyses of the race car's chassis, testing its durability in different conditions.

Students will do more detailed analyses when they design and build a race car for the 2008 competition".

"To better understand 3D CAD, students need real-world projects", said Marie Planchard, SolidWorks Director of Worldwide Education Markets at SolidWorks Corporation".

"Whether designing race cars or a dynamic floor for a ship's operating room, hands-on experience not only engages students, but teaches them critical problem solving they'll need as professional engineers".

"The University of Dundee is providing its engineering students with a competitive advantage".

The University of Dundee relies on authorised SolidWorks reseller Thom Micro Systems for ongoing software training, implementation and support.