No matter your industry, geography, or the size of your team, there are certain design steps that most of us follow—concept design, prototyping, even filing away our data. It only takes a release cycle or two for most of us to realize the value of automating some of these processes. If you’ve ever spent a couple hours looking for a design or built an expensive prototype that failed needlessly, you’ve felt that pain.
But there’s good news. If you’re already using PTC Creo Parametric to create 3D models, you can kick start your processes with PTC add-ons. There are upgrades that can support concept design, concurrent engineering, cable routing, data management, virtual prototyping, and more.
Which should you consider? Almost any product developer can benefit from these five:
PTC Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX)
PTC Creo FMX is a direct modeling solution that makes it easy to modify your work. Just select the geometry and change it in a few clicks. No need to redefine or reconstruct the model. Direct modeling is invaluable for late design changes. It also helps you quickly try a new idea, or several of them. Leverage and modify the old geometry, or start fresh. Plus, the extension lets you work more effectively in a multi-CAD environment because it recognizes design intent, such as engineering rounds and chamfers, symmetry, and patterns in imported models, including those without built-in parametric intelligence.
Case study: IDnA uses PTC products to develop a dizzying array of products for clients.
PTC Creo Advanced Assembly Extension (AAX)
This powerful add-on supports concurrent engineering. While we can all appreciate the time savings of everyone working at once, keeping each engineer from intruding on other’s work presents some challenges. PTC Creo AAX offers the tools that you can use to set up a skeleton structure. With this top-down approach, individual designers then work on just their part of the assembly—minimizing conflicts and speeding development. Plus, it includes dedicated tools for data-sharing, assembly configuration, assembly process planning, and more.
Case study: The Indian Navy uses PTC add-ons to help design its first domestically developed ships.
PTC Creo Piping and Cabling Extension (PCX)
More and more products today include electrical or hydraulic components these days. PTC Creo PCX automates routing, so you can determine the optimum path for manufacturing, cost, and service as you design. It minimizes errors and captures relevant system information, such as virtual prototypes and manufacturing documentation.
Case study: Thomas Built manages piping fit issues with PTC for its bus platforms.
Your intellectual property should be accessible when you need it, but also safe from theft and even carelessness (like overwriting). Good data management is also necessary for good release and change management processes. The alternative is chaos.
PTC Windchill PDM Essentials centralizes and securely manages your CAD documents so that only authorized users—both within and outside the company—can access or update them. It tracks versions and even ensures all changes are properly approved and documented. PTC Windchill PDM Essentials is just one of several PLM solutions based on our flagship PTC Windchill product.
Find one that fits your business here.
Case study: CNB Yachts manages its million-dollar boat designs.
PTC Creo Simulate enables 3D virtual prototyping so that teams can test a range of structural and thermal properties early in the detailed design process. As a result, the team gains early product insight, improves verification and validation, and delivers higher-quality products—and at lower cost. For many companies, simulation cuts months of physical testing down to just hours of virtual testing.
Case study: The team at the University of Tokyo uses PTC Creo Simulate to optimize their breakthrough Total Artificial Heart.
Those are just five options for anybody who wants to power up their design and development environment. Depending on your industry, you may find many more invaluable tools available. Want to learn more about how PTC upgrades can deliver more results for your development processes?