Product category:
Infrastructure and CAD Software
News Release from: SolidWorks Corporation | Subject: COSMOS analysis software
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 January 2007
James Engineering uses COSMOS analysis
software
COSMOS enables engineers to catch and correct errors early in the design process, encouraging innovation and better product design.
COSMOS analysis software has helped Colorado-based James Engineering create patent-winning designs for a high performance race kart chassis and a lockup-resistant truck braking system, SolidWorks announced today James Engineering founder and Principal Engineer Jim Richards designs automotive systems and specialized racing karts in addition to his company's primary business of producing deburring machines that smooth edges on metal parts
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 14 Nov 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Richards and his staff used COSMOSWorks design analysis and COSMOSMotion motion analysis software to anticipate structural problems and mechanical collisions in the kart and brake system designs before the company committed to building expensive prototypes.
Without prototyping costs hanging over his head, Richards was able to innovate freely to design the best possible product before locking himself into a design.
"I've really been educated to the value of this tool".
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"I'm a pretty good intuitive designer, but COSMOS improves my chances of getting it right the first time," said Richards.
"In the past we've built components and spent as much as two weeks assembling them only to find out they didn't work the way we expected".
"With COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion, we can see on the computer how an assembly is going to flex under stress, or whether parts will collide, and modify the design before we spend money to build a prototype".
Richards' racing kart design is a radical departure from mainstream design of these specialized vehicles, which have motors, transmissions, and solid rear axles, but no suspension systems to shift the vehicle's weight during turns to keep it under control.
Richards' chassis, scheduled for sale in early 2007, uses a new bearing and joint design to keep the kart stable on curves.
COSMOSMotion analysis helped him develop a front geometry that kept the front end planted firmly on the ground".
"We got into kart design late in the game".
"The field is 30 years old and our competitors have a lot of accrued knowledge," Richards said".
"SolidWorks and COSMOS gave us the ability to step up and leap over their practical experience by modeling many different kinds of chassis to see how they would perform under varying conditions".
Beyond karts to brakes.
Richards develops automotive and aerospace systems in addition to kart design.
He is currently refining a design for a truck braking system different from anything on the market today.
Richards' braking system uses oil pressure in the wheel housing to slow the wheel, instead of the traditional rotor-and-caliper assembly.
Using oil to exert pressure on the rotor decreases the chance of the breaks locking up.
His staff modeled the design in SolidWorks 3D CAD software and is using COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion to determine how the brakes will perform as physical objects.
The company also uses COSMOS in its primary business of providing arrays of custom deburring machines to automotive and aerospace companies.
COSMOS and SolidWorks help the engineering staff modify and customize equipment arrays for its customers".
"Supporting the kind of innovation James Engineering does is one of COSMOS' greatest strengths," said Ram Ramalingham, SolidWorks manager of product management, analysis products".
"SolidWorks and COSMOS gives engineering the freedom to innovate aggressively without fear of committing to a design that might not work when it's actually built".
"That freedom leads to better and more profitable products".
James Engineering works with SolidWorks reseller MCAD Technologies for implementation and technical support.
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