“Aerospace is one of the highest consumers of 3D printing applications,” said Chukwuzubelu Ufodike, director and assistant professor at the Digital Manufacturing and Distribution lab at Texas A&M University. “It uses very specific parts that cannot be manufactured with conventional methods.”

The aerospace industry has used both metallic and non-metallic materials in 3D printing. This article focuses on metallic materials and the differences in the most popular choices.

Types of metal AM processes

Metal AM processes can be classified into the following categories:

• Binder jetting uses a liquid binding agent on metal powder to “glue” the powder particles into a desired shape. It is sometimes likened to an inkjet paper printing process.
• Powder bed fusion uses lasers or electron beams to fuse small particles of powder into a 3D mass. This includes subtypes such as selective laser sintering (SLS), multi-jet fusion (MJF) and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).
• Directed energy deposition uses lasers or electron beams on metal powders or wire. The 3D printing apparatus is usually attached to a multi-axis robotic arm and consists of a nozzle that deposits metal powder or wire on a surface and an energy source that melts it, forming a solid object.
• Material extrusion works by heating a filament that is drawn through a nozzle and deposited on a build platform, layer by layer. Extrusion processes include fused deposition modeling (FDM) and fused filament fabrication (FFF). 

Metals for AM in aerospace applications  

Various types of metals can be used for additive manufacturing. In the aerospace industry, the following types are most common.

• Titanium — Perhaps the most prominent metallic AM material in aerospace, titanium and titanium alloys offer high strength-to-weight ratios, excellent corrosion resistance and high temperature performance. Disadvantages include high cost, extensive post-processing requirements and slower printing due to high energy requirements.
• Aluminum —  Aluminum offers light weight, a fairly high strength-to-weight ratio, high thermal and electrical conductivity, and attractive costs, especially for non-critical parts. Disadvantages include lower fatigue resistance and higher potential for porosity issues. Aluminum alloys used in AM include AlSi10Mg, known for its high corrosion resistance, and Scalmalloy, which includes scandium for higher strength. 
• Nickel-based alloys — Often referred to as Inconel, a registered trademark of Special Metals Corp., these superalloys offer high strength under extreme temperatures and maintain chemical and mechanical properties under high stresses. Disadvantages include high cost and longer printing times. A variety of Inconel alloys have been developed, with Inconel 625 and Inconel 718 most common in aerospace applications.
• Stainless steel — Numerous stainless steel alloys have been developed. In general, they offer high strength, excellent corrosion resistance and cost-effectiveness for a wide range of parts. Disadvantages include high weight and strength loss at high temperatures. The 304 alloy is composed of iron, carbon, chromium and nickel. The 316L alloy contains molybdenum, providing additional corrosion resistance and malleability. The 17-4 PH alloy is precipitation-hardened and known for its hardness, corrosion resistance, high tensile strength and high yield strength.
• Cobalt chrome alloys offer high wear resistance, strength and durability. Disadvantages include high cost, brittleness and difficulty to process.
• Other metallic materials used in 3D printing include copper, niobium, zirconium, tantalum, tungsten, and Hastelloy.

What standards apply to 3D printing of metallic materials?

A variety of standards and guidelines have been published for 3D printing. Organizations such as ASTM International, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Consortium for Materials Data and Standardization, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and VDI – The Association of German Engineers provide various documents that can be helpful. Some examples include:

• ASTM F3572 – Standard Practice for Additive Manufacturing – General Principles – Part Classifications for Additive Manufactured Parts Used in Aviation
• ISO/ASTM52941 –  Additive Manufacturing — System Performance and Reliability — Acceptance Tests for Laser Metal Powder-bed Fusion Machines for Metallic Materials for Aerospace Application
• ISO/ASTM 52967:2024 — Part Classifications for Additive Manufactured Parts Used in Aviation

The volume of information might seem overwhelming at first. In some cases, values for certain properties might vary based on different conditions, so multiple sources may need to be consulted.

“You might get a wide range of values for properties such as tensile strength,” noted Christian Seidel, a strategic implementation consultant at ASTM-affiliated Wohlers Associates and a professor of manufacturing technologies and additive manufacturing at Munich University. Consequently, industry professionals often conduct “round-robin tests to compile values focused on performance or specific mechanical properties,” he said.

Printer manufacturers and service providers can provide additional information on specific materials and testing. Material data sheets provided by manufacturers have improved in quality in recent years, according to Seidel.

What’s ahead? 

While 3D printing has been around for decades, it is still evolving, and new technologies offer potential for improving aerospace applications. Ufodike said techniques such as predictive maintenance and component lifecycle monitoring could help enhance reliability. In addition, 3D printing could be used for onsite repair of critical components to reduce downtime.

3D printing also offers sustainability benefits. “AM enables reduction in material wastes,” said Ufodike, citing less material waste with 3D printing and recycling of unused powder. He also said hybrid manufacturing — combining 3D printing with traditional machining processes — is a promising approach for high-precision and complex applications. 

The aerospace industry could also reduce costs through more technology-based monitoring solutions and less reliance on non-destructive inspections (NDI), noted Seidel. As NDI represents one of the largest expenses in aerospace AM applications, “we need to reduce the NDI costs. We could use more in-situ monitoring solutions,” he said. Technologies such as optical coherence tomography can help continuously evaluate the quality of AM products. As with other industries, aerospace applications of 3D printing are likely to grow in the years ahead. Material options may also evolve as new technologies are employed for specific uses. As technologies advance, industry professionals can expect an ongoing education process to keep up with the options available.

The post Which metals are most prevalent in 3D printing for aerospace applications? appeared first on Engineering.com.

Recent updates to Autodesk’s InfraWorks offer new possibilities to bridge and tunnel modelers. With modified workflows in InfraWorks 2025, designers can better visualize key components of their work and more readily collaborate with designers working in Inventor or Revit.

InfraWorks, a conceptual design tool for modeling, analyzing and visualizing infrastructure design concepts, originated as a geo-visualization solution developed by 3D Geo GmbH, a German company acquired by Autodesk in 2008. Under the Autodesk umbrella, InfraWorks was tweaked to focus on the emerging concept of building information modeling (BIM) in the infrastructure industry. With the latest release, designers have new tools to model designs more realistically.

Instead of using generic objects to represent tunnel portals, designers can now use parametric portals to represent the ends of circular or rectangular tunnels. Parametric portals better adapt to project terrain and alignment geometry. Designers can also now remove multiple terrain layers with a single click instead of having to remove layers individually.

InfraWorks 2025 also includes an enhanced algorithm for configuring tunnel rings. When bored ring tunnels are added to a model, the rings are generated, inserted and rotated to best follow the geometry of the host component road. The ring segment seams are staggered to avoid aligning with seams of adjacent rings, which can result in cruciform joints that can be points of potential structural weakness. Users can specify tunnel regions to disallow segment seams in successive rings to avoid cruciform joints.

For designers who also work with elements designed in Inventor or Revit, the latest release of InfraWorks has improved how design elements are stored. File paths are stored more consistently for access by teams working with parametric content stored in Autodesk Docs.

Revit designers can also create bored rings instead of relying solely on rings created in Inventor. Revit-created rings become part of the library and can be manipulated in InfraWorks. The rings also remain editable during the documentation phase in Revit, allowing users to make minor edits at the end of the Revit design workflow.

Bridge designers can now develop and work with girder tendons that are not already in the InfraWorks tendons library. The tendons can be imported into Autodesk Structural Bridge Design (ASBD) for a refined girder analysis.

Designers can also add multiple line beams to ASBD projects, which provides ASBD projects with the flexibility to contain either a single refined analysis model or one or more line beam models.

InfraWorks 2025 also includes numerous fixes to issues identified in previous versions, such as models not displaying properly in Autodesk Construction Cloud. With a robust feature set geared toward civil and structural engineers, InfraWorks might seem to overlap features of Civil 3D, but the two are distinct products with unique capabilities. Autodesk provides a comparison matrix for those new to one or both products.

Recent updates to InfraWorks and Civil 3D appear to be part of Autodesk’s overall plans to address significant demands in the infrastructure world, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and resilience. Autodesk also recently introduced a Total Carbon Analysis for Architects for the AEC Collection, which offers carbon analysis tools to help track the carbon footprint of buildings. As the U.S. and other countries focus on infrastructure needs, Autodesk has a prominent seat at the table. 

The post InfraWorks 2025 Opens Doors for Advanced Bridge and Tunnel Modeling appeared first on Engineering.com.

Civil engineers, technicians and others in the AEC industry will find a host of new features and updates with Autodesk’s recently released Civil 3D 2025. Key enhancements include new capabilities for corridors, coordinate systems and surfaces, along with new customization options and performance improvements.

Now going on nearly two decades of use, Civil 3D continues to maintain loyal followings in both public agencies and private firms. Introduced as an alternative to Autodesk’s Land Desktop—and ultimately a successor to Land Desktop (LDT)—Civil 3D gained early favor for its use of intelligent objects and flexibility in modifying designs. For example, users could graphically move a roadway alignment and Civil 3D would automatically adjust other roadway design elements accordingly. Similar features are now available in other CAD/BIM products but Civil 3D was cutting edge for roadway designers at the time. The latest Civil 3D updates appear to mainly be geared toward helping users perform work faster and more efficiently.

The Corridor object, which is used to manage alignments, profiles and other data for modeling projects such as roads, highways and railways, has been enhanced so that users can select multiple alignments and feature lines simultaneously. This will enable users to set up complex corridors faster and more efficiently. In the past, designers had to wade through a series of “picks and clicks” to set up a corridor model with multiple baselines.

Management of coordinate systems should also be simplified with a more intuitive UI. Users can more easily assign a vertical datum, along with the horizontal coordinate system,  and import project-specific coordinate systems. Civil 3D 2025 also includes access to more coordinate systems than previous releases.

With a coordinate system assigned to a drawing, users can access new Esri mapping features, such as aerial imagery and street views,  and incorporate that data into project designs. This enables users to overlay imagery and design data to develop impressive visualizations of projects.

Autodesk also says Civil 3D should operate faster, with quicker response times than previous versions. This may be particularly noticeable on large projects with multiple corridors, extensive pipe networks and large surfaces.

Some of the latest performance improvements are due to more efficient handling of MMS files, which are created when large surfaces are being modeled. In previous releases, the MMS file was saved anytime the surface DWG file was opened and closed. Now, MMS files are only saved when the surface is modified. Users also have options to adjust the level of detail to improve performance when working with large surfaces.

Advanced users who like to get under the hood and customize Civil 3D will find several enhancements. Civil 3D 2025 includes support for the .NET 8.0 framework for programmers using Visual Studio for .NET. The new API also includes support for the surface level of detail feature.

The Dynamo core version has been upgraded to Dynamo 3.0.3 in Civil 3D 2025. A new Package Manager dialog provides a single location for locating and managing packages, along with an updated workflow to upload a new package or a new version of an existing package. An improvement to the search functionality enables Dynamo programmers to search for nodes by category. Other improvements include more readable multiline text in Watch nodes and inclusion of Gate and Remember nodes in the Dynamo library.

The improvements to Civil 3D should appeal to long-time users and also help new users gain efficiency more readily. With a heavy workload of infrastructure projects on the horizon for most AEC firms, designers are welcoming any productivity gains with open arms.

The post Civil 3D Updates to Aid Efficiency appeared first on Engineering.com.

Looq AI, a California-based company established in 2021, recently introduced a new camera-based system that enables survey-grade capture of 3D data instead of LiDAR scanning and other technologies. The system uses AI-enabled workflows to simplify the process of generating digital twins.

The company’s flagship “Q” product is a handheld, four-camera unit with integrated survey-grade GPS and an AI processor. A mobile phone connected to the back of the unit provides the user interface. The system allows field personnel to walk or drive around a project site and seamlessly capture massive amounts of field data in minutes. After the captured data is uploaded to the cloud, a proprietary algorithm constructs a geo-referenced digital twin with subcentimeter accuracy, according to Dominique Meyer, Looq AI’s cofounder and CEO.

Looq AI’s technology includes the “Q”—a handheld or vehicle-mounted, multi-camera unit with integrated survey-grade GPS and an AI processor. The mobile system allows the seamless capture of field data for facilities such as electric transmission lines. Image courtesy of Looq AI.

The Looq system offers unique potential to industries such as electric utilities that design, build and operate large-scale systems. With the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) sales and renewable energy usage, electric utility companies are continually evaluating their resources for potential upgrades and new facilities to generate and distribute energy.

“The grid is being shifted to support new uses of electricity, putting a lot of pressure on those resources,” said Meyer. “Looq is focused on supporting this transition. AI has been one of the key enablers to make [the technology] accessible.”

Aquawolf, LLC, an engineering firm supporting the utility industry, has found the Looq AI technology helpful in capturing large datasets quickly. “Their unique hardware and groundbreaking back-end processing has enabled our design teams to capture highly detailed and accurate field conditions in the absence of existing survey data,” said Blake Darling, Aquawolf’s director of operations. “During all phases of design, the platform has enabled us to fill holes in our existing survey basemaps quickly and reliably with rich data, which keeps design moving forward while we wait for traditional land survey.”

Colorado-based Trimble, a key player in surveying and mapping solutions since 1978, has been incorporating AI technology into its established products to enhance capabilities in areas such as point cloud classification and feature extraction. Both Trimble Business Center (TBC), an office suite that manages geospatial data from multiple sources,  and eCognition, a platform for creating custom geospatial analysis solutions, have incorporated AI and deep learning into their recent releases.

In TBC, the new technology has aided the process of converting raw data into usable information with minimal involvement by the end user. “We want a surveyor to be able to automatically convert the data that is acquired with any sensor into actionable information,” said Khrystyna Bezborodova, Trimble product manager.

TBC’s automated classification and feature extraction use a combination of AI techniques, including 2D and 3D deep learning. Classification capabilities are based on a pretrained model that recognizes a broad range of geographic features in point clouds. Feature extraction commands generate geometric attributes for each asset, such as powerlines, manhole covers, trees, pavement markings, poles and signs. For project-specific needs, a new tool for training 3D deep learning models enables users to customize feature extraction workflows to recognize unique features.

A custom 3D deep learning model trained in Trimble Business Center (TBC) is applied on the top of the TBC generic outdoor model. Image courtesy of Trimble.

In addition to aiding map development, the new capabilities have improved various analysis processes, such as determining stockpile volumes, according to Bezborodova. With point clouds generated from aerial- or ground-based techniques, TBC can automatically extract the boundaries and calculate volumes.

Pavement inspection is also making use of the new technology. Again by using AI technology, TBC can help identify cracks and other distresses, then perform analysis to help users understand the extracted data and make more informed decisions on asset management.

With eCognition, users can further leverage AI technology with custom solutions. The software includes a toolkit to automate feature extraction workflows and additional customization avenues through an integrated Python APl.

For TBC, eCognition and other mapping solutions, the need to combine data from multiple sources will remain key for end users, according to Thomas Widmer, senior product manager for Trimble Photogrammetry. “It’s not that extraction is only happening on points or only happening on imagery, but [the products] have the capability to merge solutions from different content,” he said.

In another recent development, New York-based EagleView, a provider of aerial imagery, software and analytics, has teamed with RapidSOS, a developer of intelligent safety solutions, to integrate EagleView’s high-resolution orthogonal imagery into RapidSOS Premium, a platform that links over 500 million devices to first responder and 911 agencies.

EagleView’s proprietary camera systems capture detailed images with higher resolution and spatial accuracy than standard satellite images, according to the company’s literature. The images also include a date stamp, providing context in emergency situations. In a typical image, each pixel represents 0.75 square inches on the ground. Nearly 20 years of historical imagery is combined with more than 9.5 million miles flown each year to help identify property changes. A computer vision system features deep machine learning algorithms to extract data from current and historical imagery at a scale and speed that far exceeds traditional processes.

RapidSOS Premium aids the 911 response system by consolidating key data such as real-time location, local GIS data and caller profiles into a single, comprehensive mapping solution. The integration with EagleView will enable RapidSOS users to access high-resolution aerial imagery directly in their workflow, providing additional insights into emergency locations and streamlining decision-making for telecommunicators and field responders.

“By integrating EagleView imagery with RapidSOS Premium, we help public safety professionals respond in the most accurate and efficient way to citizens in distress,” said Joe Oddi, Director of Partner Strategies at EagleView.

“Through this alliance with EagleView, telecommunicators can provide more accurate intelligence and directions to support their field responders,” said Karin Marquez, chief public safety brand officer at RapidSOS. “With high-resolution aerial imagery in RapidSOS, public safety officials can make faster, smarter and safer decisions to aid those in the field.”

EagleView imagery is available in both orthogonal and oblique perspectives. Image courtesy of EagleView.

These are just a sampling of recent developments in surveying and mapping technology. Numerous other developments are underway to make mapping more accurate, seamless and real time for both AEC professionals and the general public. The increased accuracy may blur lines between GIS and engineering data, enabling more collaboration among different disciplines. Survey data that once found only limited use after project construction will remain viable as part of digital twins and building information modeling (BIM) systems, extending data use from initial project stages into post-construction operations and maintenance.

Future mapping applications may include immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality, which are already becoming more commonplace in design processes. Applications that once were only accessible on office computers will become more available on mobile devices. And technologies such as AI and ML are destined to play a key role in all new solutions.

The post New Tools Accelerate Geospatial Data Collection and Analysis appeared first on Engineering.com.

Since we last reported on SkyBrowse, we have learned of the application’s use in Ukraine to map buildings damaged by bombs and missiles. The speed at which SkyeBrowse can acquire the model makes it uniquely valuable in Ukraine. Other methods require a longer timeframe to capture and process data. SkyeBrowse can be in and out of a selected area in minutes, decreasing the chances of the drone being shot out of the sky, according to SkyeBrowse’s founder and CEO Bobby Ouyang.

SkyBrowse, a 3D mapping tool initially used by law enforcement agencies, is finding new uses in engineering and construction—and in a war zone. The company has just released a free version that could make the tool even more popular with technical professionals and hobbyists alike.

SkyeBrowse, which uses videogrammetry instead of photogrammetry to create 3D maps, has been used by over 500 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. for accident reconstruction and crime scene investigations. Borne of research at Rutgers University funded by state and federal agencies, the software uses drone video instead of still images to map sites. Rather than taking hours to capture the data for a 3D model via still photographs, SkyeBrowse speeds up the process by using video footage to produce a model in minutes.

Ouyang says that the company is experiencing rapid growth and wants to build on that development by exposing more people to the tool—hence the recently introduced free version. “We believe 3D modeling will become commoditized in the future, where anyone can use it,” says Ouyang. “We just happened to get there first [with the video-based tool].”

The free version will have certain limitations. For example, users will not be able to take measurements or make annotations directly on the model. For those and other features, users will need to upgrade to SkyeBrowse Premium for $2,999 per year.

Relative accuracy (i.e., between any two points in the model) is within 1 cm, according to Ouyang. Absolute accuracy (i.e., locations tied to a grid location) depends largely on the drone but could range from 2 to 3 cm for high-end drones to 1 m for low-end models, he noted.

One key to the tool’s speed is that the model is “pregenerated” during the calculation of the drone flight paths. When the video is uploaded, the model is essentially already built, and video frames are then superimposed to display 3D images. “We know what the 3D model looks like before uploading the video,” notes Ouyang.

The value of rapid model generation has been key for law enforcement applications. Forty or more years ago, law enforcement agencies primarily used measuring tapes and wheels to document scenes, spending multiple hours or even days reconstructing accident scenarios. More recently, agencies have used laser scanners and cameras to document scenes in shorter time frames, but this process still requires several hours. Early use of drones shortened the process to an hour or less but required extensive training. With SkyeBrowse, all the evidence can be collected in under five minutes with little or no training, according to Ouyang.

Rooftop Measurements

In addition to the law enforcement applications, engineers have found SkyeBrowse helpful for mapping project facilities. Michael McDermott, a mechanical engineer and founder of the McDermott Group consultancy in El Dorado Hills, Calif., has used SkyeBrowse to locate mechanical equipment on building rooftops. Before using SkyBrowse, McDermott often had to climb onto roofs and measure equipment locations with tape measures or laser scanners.

“It’s a huge time saver,” McDermott says of SkyeBrowse. “It also has a safety advantage, since I don’t have to climb up on a roof.” In addition to determining dimensions, McDermott has used SkyeBrowse models to generate material take offs and identify optimal locations for solar panels.

SkyBrowse can be used to map rooftop mechanical equipment. (Image credit: McDermott Group.)

McDermott says that recent feature upgrades have enabled him to map large warehouse sites encompassing several acres. While SkyBrowse was originally geared to map specific areas of interest for traffic accident reconstruction, the tool now includes a WideBrowse mode that can map larger sites. “To produce a 3D model in a matter of minutes on a building site of several acres is really quite helpful,” notes McDermott.

With his firm’s regular use of SkyeBrowse, clients and project partners have grown accustomed to the 3D maps. “When I go to a job site now, engineers and architects expect a drone with dimensions and images,” McDermott notes.

To enter data into a CAD drawing, McDermott typically uses CAD features to manually place equipment in proper locations, as SkyeBrowse files are in a proprietary format. Users can also export SkyBrowse models in LAZ format, a compressed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data format used to transfer point cloud data. The LAZ format is compatible with point cloud tools from Faro, Leica, Trimble, CloudCompare and Esri.

SkyeBrowse models can also be shared with anyone who has a SkyeBrowse account or by providing a public link. High-resolution JPG files can also be generated of select model views.

SkyeBrowse also introduced a feature that will enable certain drones to create 3D models of an area using thermal imaging. The thermal mapping feature enables first responders to recreate accident sites or crime scenes at night—a huge potential cost savings and safety benefit. Previously, nighttime reconstruction required large laser scanning devices in potentially dangerous areas. The thermal capabilities help reduce the amount of time that officers spend at crime scenes. 

As SkyBrowse’s use has grown, Ouyang’s team has grown from four to 24 employees, but so far the company has done so without a dedicated sales team. “We’ve been growing organically,” says Ouyang. “It’s a product-led growth motion. As more users test out the product and invite friends to use it, we’re able to grow a lot quicker and to larger organizations.” He welcomes new users with the free version and is confident many of those users will upgrade to the Premium version.

The post SkyeBrowse Is Helping to Assess Bomb Damage in Ukraine appeared first on Engineering.com.

Using Siemens’ Solid Edge software for 3D CAD, Simcenter for predictive simulation and testing and Teamcenter for product lifecycle management (PLM), Hymer has reduced physical mockups and prototypes by 80 percent, according to Frank Heinrichsen, Hymer marketing manager. “By using the digital mockup capabilities of Teamcenter visualization, we can identify and resolve issues before they become costly problems,” said Heinrichsen.

The VisionVenture, introduced at the Caravan Salon 2019 in Dusseldorf, features a host of technological features that were designed and tested virtually before being built physically. A pneumatic pop-top roof opens skyward for expanded space, with an integrated stairway leading to a private viewing balcony. The pop-top walls, approximately 7 centimeters thick, incorporate a honeycomb structure that inflates with heated or cooled air. The sun terrace below features a glass Infinity Screen offering panoramic views.  

Built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, the body features an integrative front design, with smooth transitions between cab and body. The wheel arch panel and selected body parts are produced using 3D printing techniques, giving them a robust, rubber-like quality. The temperature-regulating, energy-efficient Chromacool technology from BASF reduces the surface temperature of the vehicle by 20°C and that of the interior by up to 4°C.  

Hymer engineers have woven a digital thread along the entire product design process, using Teamcenter to build prototypes of their vehicles in virtual reality (VR). Designers import the digital twin created using Solid Edge and build digital mockups of the entire vehicle or a part of it to detect and resolve issues. For designing and routing fluid tubing and electrical harnesses, they rely on the Solid Edge Xpress Route 3D routing application.

To verify structural integrity of designs, Hymer engineers use finite element modeling (FEM) analyses, relying on Solid Edge for basic verifications and outsourcing more in-depth analyses to The Team Technology (TTT), an automotive lightweight construction department in the Erwin Hymer group. The TTT team uses Simcenter software for FEM analyses. The two-stage verification process reduces the number of physical prototypes required, according to Hymer.

Hymer engineers designed the VisionVenture camper by weaving a digital thread along the entire product creation process. (Image credit: Hymer).

Hymer’s growing reliance on digital tools to streamline design is consistent with trends seen by Siemens across various industries, according to Dale Tutt, Siemens vice president of industry strategy. “Our customers are trying to get new products to market faster and they’re dealing with supply chain issues. There’s more and more software in all of the products that they develop. The solutions that our customers are producing are getting more complex,” said Tutt.

With manufacturers managing more complex designs and business arrangements, many are turning to digital tools to accelerate design and testing of new products, according to Tutt. Instead of building and testing physical prototypes, many manufacturers are using digital twins and virtual prototyping to save time and money. “Customers that are embracing digital transformation are able to go faster,” he said. “They’re reducing their overall cycle times by 20 or 30 percent through the adoption of these technologies.”

While Siemens has offered components of the Xclerator portfolio for years, Siemens Digital Industries Software launched Xcelerator in 2019, focused on solutions offered by DI Software. Siemens AG officially launched Siemens Xcelerator across all of Siemens in July 2022, as a curated collection of hardware, software and digital services from across Siemens and certified third parties. Incorporating familiar software tools such as Solid Edge and NX for mechanical CAD, Simcenter for simulation and testing and Teamcenter for PLM, Siemens Xclerator also includes tools for application development, operations, manufacturing and electronics disciplines, as well as automation hardware across all of Digital Industries and support services from Siemens personnel.

At the July launch announcement, Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens AG, said: “Siemens Xcelerator will make it easier than ever before for companies to navigate digital transformation – faster and at scale. By combining the real and the digital worlds across operational and information technology, we empower customers and partners to boost productivity, competitiveness and scale up innovations.” 

As part of the portfolio launch, Siemens is aiming for its tools to become modular, cloud-connected and built on standard application programming interfaces (APIs). The company also announced an agreement to purchase Brightly Software, a U.S.-based asset and maintenance management software company that brings additional capabilities across key sectors to Siemens’ digital and software expertise in buildings.

Siemens also announced a partnership agreement with NVIDIA to increase use of AI-driven digital twin technology in industrial automation, along with a focus on the industrial metaverse–where real machines, systems and facilities are mirrored in the virtual world. As a first step in this collaboration, the companies plan to connect Siemens Xcelerator and NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform for 3D-design and collaboration. The connection is intended to produce physics-based digital models from Siemens and AI-enabled, physically accurate, real-time simulation from NVIDIA to help companies make decisions faster and with increased confidence.

Looking ahead, Tutt said an increased emphasis on sustainability and the environment will also elevate the need for digital transformation. “As customers start to think about how they’re designing products and bringing those sustainability requirements into it, this is another area where we’re going to see a lot of benefit and growth in digital transformation,” he said. “You’re able to understand how those products work much more efficiently. You’re going to design them with a different mindset so that you can use less materials.”

The industrial metaverse and virtual reality will also become more commonplace, predicted Tutt. “It’s more than gaming, it’s more than visualization. It’s really about being able to have real-time, physics-based simulations and operations of your products as well as your production processes.”

Industry trends may also follow those of mobile devices, which feature simplified interfaces and greater reliance on the cloud data. “I don’t know if we’ll get down to one-button layout like the iPhone has. But I think with technologies like virtual reality for designing and engineering new products and augmented reality out on the shop floor, we’re going to continue to see more of that.”

Hymer’s use of digital tools in designing RVs is just one example of how digital transformation is reshaping how products are designed, developed and tested. Time will tell how other companies and industries adopt digital processes to save time and money.

The post Hymer Does a Digital Transformation with Siemens Xcelerator appeared first on Engineering.com.

The cove.tool suite analyzes a building’s envelope for the annual hours of direct sunlight. (Image courtesy of cove.tool.)

With buildings comprising one of the primary sources of the world’s carbon emissions, accurate design of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can play a key role in minimizing these emissions. Over-designed systems not only cost more up front, but cost more to maintain and can be inefficient in their operation, generating unnecessary emissions.

More accurate estimation of thermal loads can help engineers design HVAC systems more precisely, improving efficiency. Using more sophisticated modeling techniques, designers can reduce uncertainty and avoid the need to add hefty cushions to design loads.

New Approach to Simulation

New software tools such as those from Atlanta-based cove.tool could significantly change decades-old practices of HVAC design and help reduce overdesign. “Traditionally, the goal was making sure you always had enough capacity,” said Patrick Pease, Mechanical Engineering Director at cove.tool. “You took whatever you calculated and added 30 percent or maybe even 40 percent. [With that approach], systems were oversized to guarantee they had enough capacity.”

Patrick Pease, Mechanical Engineering Director, cove.tool.

To help designers right-size mechanical systems, the company’s load modeling tool can establish peak cooling and heating loads more accurately than traditional methods, says Pease. “Engineers rely a lot on rules of thumb. And with enough experience, they can apply those very effectively to get sizes that will work. But to get down to the absolute right size and still meet all your demands—that’s when these tools really come into play.”

Using techniques based on American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, the software can help calculate space, system and plant loads in various scenarios throughout the year. Engineers, contractors and owners can analyze heat flow for room elements such as walls, windows, roofs, skylights, doors, lights, people, electrical equipment, non-electrical equipment, infiltration, floors and partitions.

Load modeling tool enables HVAC load computation and production of sizing reports. (Image courtesy of cove.tool.)

The software has been tested in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 140, “Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs” and meets the requirements for simulation software set by ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and the ASHRAE Standard 183. The fundamental ASHRAE equations have essentially been digitized to enable ready analysis of multiple situations, according to Pease.

With rapid prototyping algorithms and automation of baseline inputs for domestic and international energy codes, designers can use the load modeling tool to perform real-time sizing on large, complex buildings with numerous HVAC conditions. “Say we have 500 rooms in a building. We want to do analyses not just once, but 500 times. These tools allow us to do that super quickly,” says Pease.

loadmodeling.tool is integrated with the wider cove.tool (cost vs. energy) platform and can be used throughout project stages, from early schematic design phases through construction. At the schematic and design development stage, it helps automate the evaluation of energy-saving concepts, such as the effects of daylighting, HVAC optimization strategies and high-performance glazing. At the construction drawing phase, a generated EnergyPlus model can help document compliance with ASHRAE Standard 90.1 or other green certification such as USGBC LEED, Green Globes and more.

Solar Loads

For load analysis, loadmodeling.tool can account for internal loads such as heat-emitting lights and operating equipment, as well as external loads such as solar gain entering through the windows and heat conduction though walls. Solar loads are some of the more complex loads to analyze, according to Pease.

“You need to calculate sun angles for the entire year and figure out when solar heat aligns with the heat from your lights or your equipment at the same time so you have peaks. That’s a very intense calculation that the tool does,” he says.

Location is also key to determining solar gain. “One of the data points that you have to input is location,” says Pease. “If you have a south-facing window in the northern hemisphere, you’ll get a lot of sun exposure, a lot of solar gain. That same window in the southern hemisphere will have much less gain.”

The software also allows designers to evaluate solar shading options. Users enter the depth and height of fins per window and analyze various combinations of shading, including iterative reviews of building performance with different solar shading strategies.

Neighborhood context can also be entered to simulate neighboring buildings or daylight obstructions, such as a high tree canopy.  Glazing percentage can be used to evaluate solar shading to evaluate energy performance. The platform autogenerates a climate report with every project to identify various passive strategies based on building location. The report can also interpret climate diagrams and recommend various solar shading strategies.

Leveraging BIM Data

With loadmodeling.tool integrated into the wider cove.tool platform, designers can import and export data with building information modeling (BIM) and other formats. Using drawing.tool, users can import geometry directly from various CAD and modeling platforms. The drawing.tool helps define the rooms used for load models and enables translation of 3D models from various sources into analysis-ready geometry.

“By bringing all the geometry information into the tool, you save a ton of time,” says Pease. “If you have 500 rooms, nobody wants to redraw all the rooms and define them. The tool will bring that information in.” The tool can also be used to assign material properties and make minor edits to clean up BIM data, adds Pease.

After running load modeling, the entire detailed model can be exported in a wide range of formats including OpenStudio (.osm), EnergyPlus (.idf) and .gbXML. Models exported to .gbXML can be imported into a wide array of other software platforms including TRACE 3D and IES:VE.

The drawing.tool allows designers to import and leverage BIM data. (Image courtesy of cove.tool.)

Other Tools

In addition to loadmodeling.tool and drawing.tool, the cove.tool suite includes the analysis.tool, the quote.tool and the api.tool. Analysis.tool allows designers to select material components based on cost and performance data. Using machine learning, analysis.tool can scan multiple component options and help select the most cost-effective choice.

Quote.tool interacts with manufacturer data and enables communication amongst project team members via a chat feature. Quote.tool uses advanced analytics and a project profile to filter through hundreds of building designs and connect design teams and manufacturers.

Api.tool comprises a set of HTTP endpoints that help integrate custom applications with cove.tool. Api.tool is developed around the RESTful architecture which offers resource-based URLs and uses standard HTTP methods and status codes.

Because the cove.tool suite is cloud-based, complex models can be run without overtaxing local computing resources. With base models ranging from 10 megabytes to 500 or more megabytes, excluding load modeling results, the amount of data generated in energy modeling can be staggering, says Pease. “Load modeling can generate gigs worth of data. With a web-based solution, we can use cloud computing power to do all the data crunching.”

With the complexity of HVAC analysis, it is understandable that designers have relied heavily on rules of thumb, rather than conducting detailed analyses. But with increased attention being drawn to sustainability, energy efficiency and emissions reduction, the age-old approaches that produce overly conservative designs may not be acceptable on future projects. The cove.tool platform can provide a new suite of tools for conducting complex analyses in a manageable manner and right-sizing HVAC systems.

To learn more, visit cove.tool.

The post Software Tools Help Right-Size HVAC Systems appeared first on Engineering.com.

The company also recently announced plans to go public with Tailwind Two Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital share exchange, or other business combination. Tailwind Two has invested extensively in founder-run businesses similar to Terran Orbital, with notable success in the space industry.

In one of the more noteworthy recent wins, Terran Orbital subsidiary PredaSAR Corporation was awarded a $2 million contract to support an on-orbit cooperative demonstration between its PredaSAR satellite constellation and the U.S. government’s Blackjack satellite constellation. The contract, awarded by the U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC) in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is intended to demonstrate that the two constellations can be linked, strengthening U.S. Department of Defense capabilities while also leveraging the commercial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data capabilities of industry partners.

PredaSAR, which is building a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation of 48 satellites to serve both government and commercial clients, is planning to launch its first satellite in Q4 2022. Blackjack, a joint effort of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), SSC and AFRL, is a technology program to demonstrate the military utility and operational concepts of proliferated low-Earth orbit (pLEO) architectures.

PredaSAR plans to launch its first satellite in Q4 2022. (Image credit: PredaSAR.)

The PredaSAR-Blackjack cooperative aims to “demonstrate that satellite constellations as networks can be linked together,” said Marco Villa, Terran Orbital’s chief revenue officer and executive vice president. The connection of constellations launched in different orbits will challenge the team to “take hardware, software and vehicles and find optimal condition where they can cross-link with each other,” he noted.

Terran Orbital chairman and CEO Marc Bell said that the project shows how direct communication between satellites “is much faster than sending signals to the ground. It’s very energy efficient. The optical technology is not new but the cost has come down.”

From SSC’s perspective, the interoperability demonstration plays a key role in reducing the risk of building hybrid space architectures and maximizing the utility of commercial services, according to Lt. Col. Tim Trimailo, SSC’s pLEO program manager. The SSC has two main objectives in the PredaSAR contract, said Trimailo: 1) demonstrating the ability to move commercial satellite data into a government network and down to tactical users as quickly as possible; and 2) incentivizing commercial satellite service providers to incorporate government-compliant cross-links on their constellations. “We’re looking [for service providers] to integrate these high-speed optical cross-links so we can pull the data into our networks and make them accessible to the tactical warfighter at the speed of need,” he noted.

Another key benefit of the project is the opportunity “to work with multiple modalities of data,” said Wellesley Pereira, AFRL’s space vehicles directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N. Mex. By linking satellite constellations, data in various forms, such as visible, infrared and radar, can be “fused together” to create more valuable data, he noted. Along with providing additional data, the team aims to establish faster data transfer between constellations or across constellations.

In addition to the PredaSAR contract, Terran Orbital has landed several other key projects. In February, the company was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to provide three microsatellite class satellites, launch procurement, integration and operations in support of product demonstration. “This contract award provides an exciting opportunity for the company to demonstrate our capabilities as a small satellite provider delivering cost-effective end-to-end solutions enabling missions,” said Bell.

Terran and Lockheed Martin have teamed on several other projects, including a 2020 contract to build satellites for the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency using small buses from Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc., a Terran Orbital company. Lockheed Martin also worked with Tyvak on a mesh network in space demonstration known as Pony Express.

In another significant win, Tyvak was awarded the Precise Space Flight Experiment by the AFRL to develop a spacecraft for new very low-Earth orbit (VLEO) missions. The Precise experiment will examine ionization processes in the ionosphere, the ionized gas region between 90 and 600 km altitude that impacts radio propagation. The contract was awarded through SSC’s Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC), which connects the DoD with technology innovators and creators. A 2024 launch is planned.

In December, Terran Orbital announced the successful stationing of the EchoStar Global 3 small satellite into its final operational orbit. Tyvak designed, manufactured and operates the satellite on behalf of EchoStar Corporation, a global provider of satellite communication solutions. The stationing trajectory included the furthest and most rapid altitude change ever achieved by a nano-satellite, according to Terran Orbital. It also included a 1.5° inclination change to place the satellite at the exact altitude and inclination required for its mission.

“Nano-satellites were not previously able to maneuver like this once placed in orbit,” said Bell. “The ability to conduct both significant altitude and inclination changes enables less expensive, faster ‘last-mile’ delivery of a satellite to desired orbits.”

These projects and others have led Terran Orbital to undertake significant facility expansions. In September 2021, Terran Orbital announced plans to invest $300 million and build what the company believes will be one of the largest satellite manufacturing complexes in the world in Brevard County, Fla. Once completed, the 660,000-square-foot facility will manufacture 1,000 complete satellites and over 1 million satellite components per year, creating approximately 2,100 new jobs on Florida’s Space Coast. The company is also adding 60,000 square feet of space for assembly and production at its facility in Irvine, Calif.

Even with ambitious plans in sight, Boca Raton, Fla.-based Terran Orbital is pledging to maintain a managed growth strategy and avoid becoming “overstretched,” according to Villa. “We have been diligent in growing in a way that’s conducive to the amount of business we are doing.”

Terran Orbital’s growth coincides with a rapidly expanding small satellite market—generally encompassing satellites under 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Within that market, nano-satellites (those ranging from 1.1 to 10 kg) and microsatellites (those 11 to 200 kg) appear particularly positioned for rapid growth. According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global nano-satellite and microsatellite industry was valued at $2.23 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $8.69 billion by 2030.

According to the report, an increase in production and the launch of CubeSats—cube-shaped satellites measuring approximately 10 cm in each direction—have contributed to the boom. Terran Orbital subsidiary Tyvak was founded by Jordi Puig-Suari, who was the coinventor of the CubeSat.

Based on the number of end users, the commercial segment contributed to more than three-fourths of the global nano-satellite and microsatellite market revenue in 2020 and is projected to maintain the lion’s share of revenue from 2021 to 2030, according to the report. Based on application, the Earth observation segment accounted for more than half of the global nano-satellite and microsatellite market share in 2020 and is anticipated to retain a similar share. The report found that the communications segment is expected to grow significantly by 2030 due to an increase in demand for faster and secure communications throughout the world.

Meanwhile, NASA recently voiced concerns over the number of satellites in orbit. In a February letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), NASA noted that approximately 25,000 total objects are currently tracked on-orbit and that an additional 30,000 satellites are being proposed for LEO by SpaceX in an amended FCC application for SpaceX’s Starlink Gen 2 system. NASA recommended that “SpaceX generate analysis demonstrating the auto-maneuver capability is sufficiently scalable to the entire proposed constellation size … while accounting for challenges in flying lower altitudes during greater solar activity.”

Along with SpaceX’s plans, a bevy of other companies and agencies around the world have plans to launch satellites in the next few years. Some sources estimate that over 50,000 satellites will be launched into space over the next decade. The activities of Terran Orbital and other small satellite vendors will make this an interesting market to watch.

The post Terran Orbital Taps into Booming Small Satellite Market appeared first on Engineering.com.

A lot has changed since the late ’90s, which may be considered the golden age of user groups. Both the role and format of user groups have changed. User groups today primarily meet virtually instead of in person. While the changes are largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, other factors may also be at work, such as changing demographics and additional ways to obtain new information.

Regardless of the driving forces, some changes to user groups may be permanent, though industry experts predict a rebound in personal interaction at some point. When the pandemic dust settles, some combination of virtual and in-person gatherings appears most likely.

Onshape’s Richard Doyle, user group coordinator for Onshape.

“Most user groups went virtual [due to the pandemic], though some are meeting in person,” said Richard Doyle, user group coordinator for Onshape, the cloud-based CAD program that is now part of Boston-based PTC. “I don’t think that means user groups are dead. One of the main draws is to connect with people and user groups help achieve that.”

Doyle has overseen the creation of approximately 30 user groups for Onshape after making a career of managing SOLIDWORKS user groups. Onshape was acquired by PTC in 2019. Onshape user groups initially went virtual in April 2020, leading to a new format and, according to Doyle, more advantages for himself and users. “We soon realized that we could more easily schedule multiple meetings, attendees could join the meetings from almost anywhere, and meetings could be recorded for future use. To date, we’ve held more than 80 online meetings and we expect to schedule at least 50 in 2022,” said Doyle.

While Doyle sees advantages to virtual meetings, he also thinks live meetings will always have a place. “People join user groups mainly for two reasons. The number one reason is to learn, and the number two reason is to network,” he said. Because of the networking aspect “live events are still desirable. You miss out on some of the camaraderie [with virtual meetings only].”

Other PTC user groups are administered by PTC/USER, an independent consortium of PTC software users. The groups offer support, education and online discussion forums for products such as Windchill and Creo, the successor to Pro/ENGINEER. PTC/USER includes over 50 regional user groups located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

In addition to the pandemic-driven, virtual meeting approach, changing demographics in the CAD workforce may also be contributing to a shift in meeting formats. KaDe King, president of the AUGI board of directors, says that she noticed a shift in user group meetings even before the pandemic began.

“AUGI has noticed trends in how people interact,” said King, who is also a senior technical specialist and trainer for U.S. CAD, an Autodesk reseller, in Ogden, Utah. “The way people are moving into our industry and getting information is different. People under 40 go to the Internet first.”

AUGI’s KaDe King.

The proliferation of specialty CAD products and virtual meeting platforms has also contributed, noted King. “Originally it was just AutoCAD” that AUGI groups discussed, but vertical products such as Civil 3D, Revit and others have expanded the horizon of topics for user groups in the last two decades. Users have also found information on YouTube and other online sources to answer product-specific questions.

Other factors such as time savings have also contributed to the growth of virtual meetings, added King. Online meeting platforms such as Meetup allowed users in metropolitan areas to avoid traffic by meeting online, she said.

King agrees with Doyle that virtual meetings do not provide the camaraderie of in-person meetings. “Some things you miss out on are different companies hosting meetings, food and refreshments and interaction with speakers.” She opines that some younger professionals “don’t know what they’re missing” by not attending in-person meetings.

Nonetheless, AUGI is adapting to the changing landscape. “We’re working to adjust how we do things. We’re planning to add a Meetup-type of meeting on a quarterly basis. It will provide a format to listen and participate in sessions,” said King. Meetup is a relatively new platform specifically designed to help users find and build local communities.

With over 70 physical user groups and 140 online groups across the world, AUGI has a storied history. It started in 1990 as the North American AutoCAD User Group, was renamed in 1996 as Autodesk User Group International, and was reincorporated in 2019 as just “AUGI.” The organization was part of Autodesk prior to the reincorporation, but that is no longer the case.

Even though AUGI is not directly affiliated with Autodesk, the organization is still loosely connected to the company and its annual conference, Autodesk University (AU). Because AU has met virtually over the last two years, that has hindered some of AUGI’s normal networking. “We miss that human connection,” said King. Also, AUGI’s board of directors used to get together two to three times per year in person. “Now we’re limited to Zoom calls,” King noted.

Other CAD user groups are encountering similar challenges. In-person meetings may be hard to find, but online meetings are prevalent. Bentley, for example, has about 30 user groups around the world, approximately half of those in the U.S. According to Bentley’s user group website, “members are dedicated to sharing ideas, best practices and learning more about Bentley applications. Membership is open to all Bentley users and is not restricted by industry, job title, or location.” 

Dassault Systèmes has a variety of user communities for its different products, where users are invited to share experiences and give feedback, and where they can also find technical content. SOLIDWORKS user groups, for example, which originated in 1997, are active in various locations around the world. According to the  SOLIDWORKS User Group Network (SWUGN) website, the SWUGN “is run for our users, by our users,” with a mission to “empower real people who use SOLIDWORKS products to collaborate with, learn from and teach others.” In addition to SOLIDWORKS, Dassault user groups are available for other products, such as 3DEXCITE, CATIA, SIMULIA, among others.

In addition to groups recognized by software vendor websites, additional user groups can be found on social media sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Meetup and WhatsApp. On these sites, if you type in “CAD user groups” or “BIM user groups,” you’ll likely find a handful of potentially applicable pages.

User groups have also been formed around work specialties, rather than specific products. The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) educates and supports users of various additive manufacturing technologies. Members include operators and owners of rapid manufacturing and prototyping technology—stereolithography, selective laser sintering, 3D printing and others. AMUG 2021 may have been the first industry conference and tradeshow to emerge during the pandemic. The next in-person AMUG conference is scheduled for April 2022 in Chicago. Time will tell if pandemic conditions allow it to proceed.

In the near term, most user groups will likely continue with some sort of hybrid model. “We plan to continue online,” said Onshape’s Doyle. “But there’s still an argument to be made for live events,” he said, noting that the company plans to hold some day-long “targeted events” to transition back to live gatherings.

CAD professionals will want to watch the user group landscape closely over the next few months, as networking opportunities morph and develop. Virtual user group meetings are likely to continue, but the new hybrid models may offer the best of both worlds.

The post CAD User Group Meetings Survived the Internet, But Can They Survive COVID? appeared first on Engineering.com.

Continuing a consolidation trend in residential and commercial design software, two technology vendors have completed a noteworthy merger. Norway-based Compusoft and Westford, Mass.-based 2020 Technologies Inc. announced the merger completion in December 2021, marking the latest in a string of mergers and acquisitions conducted by Compusoft.

Founded in 1989, Compusoft provides configure, price, quote (CPQ) solutions that aid planning, configuration and visualization for the kitchen, bathroom, furniture and window & door industries. Compusoft’s customers work throughout the sales value-chain, ranging from customer representatives through manufacturers in more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. The company’s current products include Winner Flex for design and order processing, Innoplus and SimpliPlan for bathroom design and planning, 3CAD for 3D design and production and several others for various situations.

Compusoft’s 3CAD is used to control production processes from customer design through CNC production.

2020 Technologies has historically been used by professional designers, retailers and manufacturers in the interior design and furniture industries. Founded in 1987, the company has direct operations in 11 countries and supports customers in other locations around the world through a network of value-added resellers. Its products include 2020 Design Live for kitchen, bath and closet design, plus a host of others for various applications.

2020 Design Live is used by kitchen, bath, and closet designers.

The combined group will specialize in providing solutions for CPQ, visualization and manufacturing of products in highly configured spaces. Together, the group will provide an expanded suite of end-to-end solutions for sales-related processes in the kitchen, bathroom, furniture and window/door industries. While it is not yet clear if any of the companies’ products will be combined, the merger brings a wide variety of products together under the umbrella of one organization.

“There will be an even broader range of solutions backed by an extensive content database to power the sales of our customers,” said David Tombre, Compusoft CEO. “Our combined expertise will also give us the ability to accelerate innovation and maximize the potential of our products to meet our customers’ needs.”

Mark Stoever, 2020 CEO, added, “This combination brings together some of the brightest minds in software from across the world, particularly in R&D, sales, content and support, united to better serve our customers. We look forward to what the future holds.”

The Compusoft-2020 merger was originally announced in June by parent organizations Genstar Capital and TA Associates. Compusoft is a portfolio company of TA Associates, a private equity firm that invested in Compusoft in 2018, while 2020 is a portfolio company of Genstar Capital, a private equity firm that more recently acquired 2020. Prior to the merger with 2020, Compusoft had also acquired Access Information Technologies, publishers of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for window- and door-related industries, InnovaItalia, an Italian distributor of Compusoft’s 3CAD software, First Degree Systems, a UK provider of software solutions for the window and door industry, and Soft Tech, a multi-national provider of door and window software.

The post Compusoft and 2020 Merge appeared first on Engineering.com.