AltairCategory Archives

Getting the Right Design, Getting the Design Right

 

The latest issue of Altair Engineering’s Concept to Reality published “Getting the Right Design, Getting the Design Right,” an article describing four ways that we can enhance the entire product development cycle by 1) finding pathways to winning designs earlier in the process, 2) improving collaboration between industrial design and engineering, 3) considering efficient forms starting from the early concept phase, and 4) effectively visualizing and validating design concepts.

Click here to freely download the article. Concept to Reality is published bi-annually for Altair Engineering, Inc. by Penton Custom Media and focuses on cutting-edge design development, innovative product strategy, and global process automation issues.

“Getting the Right Design, Getting the Design Right” was also presented at Altair’s annual European HyperWorks Technology Conference Series in Versailles held October 27-29, 2010. The event attracted more than 500 attendees from 275 companies.

solidthinking
November 30, 2010
Altair, Events, Press, solidThinking News
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solidThinking at TEDxDetroit

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, several representatives from solidThinking, Inc. and colleagues from parent company Altair Engineering, Inc. attended the TEDxDetroit conference at the Detroit Institute of Arts to listen, learn and collaborate with leaders from across metro Detroit.  The general theme of the conference, “ideas worth sharing”, was reflected in the range of speakers, artists and musicians who spoke throughout the day as well as in the nearly 900 attendees,

Jim Scapa, president and CEO of Altair, spoke about “Lessons Learned in Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Innovation”. During his presentation, Jim shared with attendees his personal experiences launching and growing an innovative business in metro Detroit.  Jim also outlined his coined ‘high IIQ’ – Innovation Intelligence Quotient.  The high IIQ is accomplished through strong culture, diversity and broad communications.

solidThinking and Altair also participated in the event’s TEDxLabs section, where creative companies shared with attendees their latest innovations. In addition to several design images and videos of renderings, the Altair and solidThinking booth featured several architectural prototypes, including a roof and chair that were created using solidThinking Inspired’s morphogenesis technology and a BUSolutions prototype, another Altair innovation that we recently featured in the solidThinking blog.

solidThinking was excited to connect with TEDxDetroit’s attending business representatives, luminaries and thought leaders and looks forward to coming TED events. For more information on Altair, please follow their Twitter handle at www.twitter.com/Altair_US or check out their website at www.altair.com.

solidthinking
October 18, 2010
Altair, Education, Events, solidThinking News
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U.S. Air Force “Rescue Tool” Wins Bronze IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) at the IDSA National Conference

Design and engineering team members from solidThinking and AltairProductDesign are excited to share that their joint submission of a human-powered “rescue tool” designed for use by the U.S. Air Force, has been recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Fast Company magazine as one of the 2010 most inventive and creative product and product concept designs.

Announced at the recent IDSA National Conference in Portland, Oregon, held from Aug 3-7, the rescue tool (or U.S. Air Force Extrication Tool) was selected as a winner from the highest number of entrants in the competition’s 30-year history.   The tool is designed to allow U.S. Air Force search and rescue teams to extricate trapped personnel from damaged or disabled ground vehicles and aircraft without the use of auxiliary power sources.  Following extensive user research, the tool is designed to be 30 percent lighter and 15 percent shorter than the tool currently deployed for rescue missions and is meant to be operable by a single rescuer.

When combined, these features not only make rescuers more efficient, but also give them the ability to get to mission locations more quickly and easy because the tool is lighter, smaller and easier to handle.

For additional information, visit the IDSA website at: http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/usaf-extrication-tool

solidthinking
September 17, 2010
Altair, Design Awards, product design, solidThinking News
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solidThinking Product Day in Versailles, France Mark the date: October 27, 2010


solidThinking invites all designers, architects, and creative minds to the 2nd solidThinking Day on October 27, 2010 at the Palais des Congrès at Versailles, France.

Come and see how our customers take advantage of solidThinking and solidThinking Inspired, the two industrial design tools from solidThinking Inc. and learn in workshops with hands-on-sessions how to use the software for your everyday design challenges.

Registration is FREE.

Agenda:

Morning Session

10.30 Welcome

10.35 The impact of conceptual design on the product development process

11.00 Customer stories

11.30 Presentation of the new solidThinking releases: solidThinking 8.5 and solidThinking 8.5 Inspired

13.00 Lunch Break

Afternoon Session

14.00 Hands-on with solidThinking 8.5 – Part 1
The workshop (Part 1 + Part 2 ) will demonstrate – with practical and visual examples – methods that industrial designers and architects can use to explore design opportunities and innovate while optimizing the product development process. Participants can bring their own laptop.

15.30 Coffee break

15.45 Hands-on with solidThinking 8.5 – Part 2

17.15 Q&A

18.00 Welcome reception of the 4th European HTC (HyperWorks Technology Conference)

Note: We welcome you to register for the morning, the afternoon or the full day’s program at your convenience.

Click here to register for this free event.

The event day is part of the 4th European HyperWorks Technology Conference 2010 (registration for this event is also free).

The event will be attracting attendees from all over Europe and will be therefore held in English.

solidthinking
August 11, 2010
Altair, Events, solidThinking News
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solidThinking Seminar in Tokyo, Japan September 14, 2010

solidThinking, in collaboration with Sumisho Computer Systems Corporation and Altair Japan, organizes a solidThinking Seminar in Tokyo on September 14, 2010.

Attendees will preview the capabilities of the upcoming new solidThinking releases that will be available in the fall of 2010 and listen case studies from customers.

The event is free.

Location:
Academyhills
6-10-1 Ropponngi, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 49F
Minato-ku Tokyo Japan 106-6149

When:
September 14, 2010
1.30 pm

To register, send e-mail to: solidthinking@altairjp.co.jp
or call 03-5396-1341

solidthinking
August 5, 2010
Altair, Events, solidThinking News, User Stories
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From the Press: MCADCafè on Altair Engineering

Click here to read MCADCafé’s Weekly Review editorial featuring Altair Engineering, solidThinking’s parent company. Jeff Rowe writes about Altair’s products and technologies, cloud computing plans, and product development ventures.

solidthinking
July 16, 2010
Altair, Press
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A Nod to Innovative Design Solutions and ‘Greener’ Mass Transit: BUSolutions

We wanted to share with you a cool application of product design collaboration for the transportation industry from our parent company, Altair. The company’s ProductDesign division recently announced it has officially kicked-off its BUSolutions program to build an advanced bus design to lower transit authority operating costs and further minimize the environmental impact of public transportation.

The project makes extensive use of virtual prototyping and optimization technologies that drive the entire product design process, taking into consideration the needs of transit authorities, bus drivers, riders and the communities within the transit system.

It will deliver a low-floor, heavy-duty bus design that is substantially lighter than those currently available. This means reduced fuel consumption, reduced wear on city streets, longer tire and component life, and reduced noise and pollution; all highly-desirable benefits for communities that are reliant on public transportation.

BUSolutions is a collaborative effort between a number of public and private entities including local Southeast Michigan-based organizations Automation Alley, SMART and the Detroit Department of Transportation; and globally recognized companies Arvin Meritor and Alcoa Howmet among many others.

Altair ProductDesign is now one step closer to the fruition of the project. Fabrication of the bus body structure is currently underway with partner  Odyssey Industries.

Final assembly is slated to begin this summer at Altair, so we are looking forward to sharing progress on this project and other innovative design applications from Altair with you.

solidthinking
May 6, 2010
Altair, News from the ID World, product design, Transportation
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