SolidWorks Plastics
Oh Boy, Oh Boy, something finally for me! I’m a plastics designer, and SolidWorks is announcing this SolidWorks Plastics software, and it must be finally my lucky SolidWorks day! Right? No. Wrong.
SolidWorks plastics is just an answer to Moldflow getting bought by Autodesk. It happened far enough back that I’ve forgotten how long ago it was. This is for people designing molds, not for people designing plastic parts.
Kind of funny because functionality like this used to be free in SolidWorks, but it was removed when Molflow was bought, and now this is going to be a paid add-on. Autodesk just increased the price of your SolidWorks (or decreased the functionality, depending on how you look at it). So just install an old SolidWorks 2007 and use the Moldflow Xpress.
Or maybe you should just get this because it animates pretty colors on the screen. You know. 3D experience.
Oh I do like pretty colors though..!
Looks like SimpoeXpress is not offered for SW now that they have joined. Not sure if SW offers a free version now.
And SW Plastics comes in two levels – one intended for part designers and one aimed for mold designers.
@Juanjo Jimenez
Hi Guys: Solidworks 2012 SP3 chrashes frequently with Simpoe Express add-on active.
You can’t save an assembly as a part with Simpoe Express, also note Simpoe Express is no longer available for SW. The stand alone does not allow you save fill animations. What a mess… I’ve been using Simpoe express for years and was very happy with it.
@matt
Autodesk did acquire Moldflow, but we definitely have not forgotten about the SolidWorks guys out there. I hope this doesn’t come across like vendor spam…but I honestly think you (as a plastics designer) may actually get some use out of a new product we came out with last week that runs in SolidWorks and would be great to hear what you think. I can shoot you over a copy if you’re interested…just send me an e-mail.
http://bit.ly/Hw4ULB
@Chris
My experience wasn’t this, but I can offer Moldex3D if you are unsatisfied!
http://www.moldex3d.com/en/
Regards,
Imics
@Matt, I have tested the integrated SolidEdge tool, from my point of view it is full of bugs, a normal work is not possible.
After that we decide to buy Moldflow as a separate tool.
@Evan Yares
Evan, I wasn’t aware of that, although I did wonder. Funny that the press release doesn’t mention Simpoe at all. If they were going to have done that, though, they could have done it long ago. A simple web search shows that you’re right. http://simpoe.blogspot.com/2012/04/simpoe-announces-sales-marketing.html Wonder what took so long. Is the free edition going to be still available?
So this is more news that’s not news at all. Simpoe has long had an integrated SolidWorks tool. In fact, I’ve learned that they also have an integrated Solid Edge tool. SolidWorks is just now rebranding the existing software. Same stuff, different name.
Another french company. Not that it matters Al. Netvibes was also french.
Still waiting for some good news.
Odd… did I miss the part where someone mentioned that SolidWorks Plastics is just rebranded Simpoe software?
How ’bout that n!Fuze, eh?
It’s nice to keep all aspects of a design in mind… “You’re not designing a plastic part, you’re designing a flowpath for a plastic polymer.”
However, this functionality should have continued to be included in SW, rather than bundled separately.
Do you know that Simpoe offered a free version of his product (SimpoeXpress), totally integrated inside SolidWorks, that makes exactly the same than Moldflow Xpress?
I don’t understand that you don’t be aware of this.
Hi Matt,
You can install fully embedded SimpoeXpress for SolidWorks : http://www.simpoe.com/solutions/22-simpoexpress.html. It has similar features compare to MoldflowXpress.
haha I do like pretty colors though…
SolidWorks 2007, still my favorite version.
“This is for people designing molds, not for people designing plastic parts.” Another misnamed DS product
Devon
I am not going to “update” from SW2007 until Solidworks fixes some surfacing bugs.