PTC launched an update to its computer-aided design software in middle April. Creo 7.0 includes new capabilities to bring artificial intelligence (AI) to designers so they can make simulation part of their daily work. according toBrian Thompson, divisional vice president and general manager, CAD, PTC.
The Creo 7.0 launch follows PTC’s recent acquisition of Onshape, developer of the Onshape Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product development platform, demonstrating the company’s deep commitment to providing innovative technology—via multiple delivery models—to drive business value.
The newest release includes generative design technology from Frusum, a company recently acquired by PTC. Generative design uses AI capabilities to optimize designs. AI is the use of technology and mathematics to create systems that perceive, learn, and act in order to enhance or replace human capabilities-augmented reasoning, said Jesse Coors-Blankenship, a senior vice president of technology at PTC.
Engineers can specify their requirements and goals within the software, including preferred materials and manufacturing processes—and the generative engine will automatically produce a manufacture-ready design as a starting point or as a final solution, Coors-Blankenship said.
The software combines AI with engineering capability and creativity. Parts and products designed through this process are lighter, stronger and use far less materials than those designed using traditional CAD software, Coors-Blankenship said.
Integral to generative design is the goal of augmenting design expertise and capabilities by:
- Optimizing designs for multiple objectives simultaneously and providing a designer with several novel design alternatives, which enables companies to substantially reduce engineering cycles
- Creating constraint-driven design that would not be intuitive to a human or that normally requires deep expertise to optimize (essentially allowing less-experienced designers to create output comparable to more experienced experts).
The Creo 7.0 also includes fluid flow analysis via Creo Simulation Live—a real-time simulation solution that helps designers iterate faster and design with more confidence. This analysis capability expands on PTC’s strategic alliance with Ansys, a maker of simulation and visualization software.
The tool offers real-time guidance for instant feedback on design decisions in the CAD environment. Engineers don’t have to guess at how their design might perform under real-world conditions. They can incorporate as many design changes as needed, confident that they’ve made the best-informed decisions possible, Thompson said.
Creo 7.0 also introduces multibody design, a new set of design tools that enables users to complete many design tasks more efficiently while making their part design easier to manage, understand, and modify. With the multibody design workflows, engineers can separately manage, visualize, and design geometric volumes. This is particularly helpful in the areas of generative design, additive manufacturing, and simulation.
The upgrade to the PTC CAD software also includes enhanced additive manufacturing capabilities, including improved support for Stochastic and custom lattices, giving designers greater flexibility when creating lattice structures.
As with every release, Creo 7.0 provides additional usability and productivity capabilities for all users, including enhanced draft capabilities, improvements to 2D mirror functionality, and multiple user interface improvements to the Sketcher tool.
Creo helps designers build better products faster by facilitating product innovation, fostering design reuse, and replacing assumptions with facts. Designers can go from the earliest phases of product design to a smart, connected product all within a single environment, Thompson said.
