3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS: 3D Systems Releases Updated Metal 3D Printing Software Platform

At the TCT Show this fall, 3D printing industry leader 3D Systems was busy highlighting its software solutions, including the integrated metal additive manufacturing software platform 3DXpert. The software, which offers an all-in-one simulation solution for metal powder bed machines, was officially launched at IMTS in 2016.

In May, the company announced that 3DXpert would be bundled with all of its direct metal printers, and this week, while SOLIDWORKS World 2018 continues in Los Angeles, 3DSystems has a new announcement for the software platform: it’s teaming up with Dassault Systèmes to release 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS.

3DXpert delivers a direct Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) workflow for SOLIDWORKS users [Image: PRNewsfoto, 3D Systems]

 Vyomesh Joshi, the CEO and President of 3D Systems, said, “We are excited to partner with Dassault Systèmes and help customers experience the reality of 3D printing through the new 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS offering. This collaboration enables SOLIDWORKS users to create more shapes, more ways, and accelerate product development cycles while lowering costs. We are offering designers a true competitive advantage while re-defining the design and manufacturing process.”

3D Systems has combined the necessary design tools from the original 3DXpert with SOLIDWORKS to offer users an exclusive advantage.

Design is a very important part of the manufacturing workflow. In order to design effectively for additive manufacturing, designers need to first readjust their mindset from traditional manufacturing processes to additive ones. But, equally as important, they must also use the right design tools to achieve success.

The new 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS helps SOLIDWORKS users better prepare and optimize their designs, for both metal and plastic 3D printing. This in turn allows them to expand the types of projects they design, making them more competitive in today’s market.

“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the adoption of additive manufacturing. As a result, we collaborated with 3D Systems to provide SOLIDWORKS users with the tools to help them design specifically for additive manufacturing, which requires a different set of operations and rules than more traditional, subtractive manufacturing,” said Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO, SOLIDWORKS, Dassault Systèmes. “Available with all SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD subscriptions, 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS allows designers to be able to optimize their design for additive manufacturing, check for manufacturability without any waste of time and material, and attain a competitive advantage in the market.”

There are many analysts who estimate that the 3D printing industry revenue will be over $20 billion by 2020, and we’re seeing more and more customers switching from rapid prototyping to mainstream production. However, even though the industry is growing so rapidly, designers still have a difficult time accessing and exploiting the technology’s capabilities. 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS offers a new design freedom for SOLIDWORKS users, as the integrated solution can streamline design preparation and optimization throughout the entire workflow to make complex structures at a lower operating cost, as well as bringing them to market more quickly.

There are several new tools in 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS, which are easily accessed through a familiar CAD environment for users looking to prepare and optimize their 3D designs. SOLIDWORKS users can apply surface texture for either aesthetic or functional purposes, along with producing strong, lightweight parts and complex geometry.

Designers who take advantage of 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS can expect the ability to optimize their structures by rapidly creating lattice-based structures, as well as use automatic features like tray setup and estimated build time and material usage to ramp up preparation time. With the click of just one button, users can maintain their design integrity by continuing to work with native CAD data (both solid and mesh) without having to convert them into STL files, or going back and forth between different software programs.

In addition, 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS offers real-time analysis for best-fit orientation and positioning, so you’ll get quality 3D printed parts every time. Additionally, designers can prevent distortion, and ensure part surface quality, by using the software’s automated analysis and support settings.

The standard edition of 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS is available exclusively to SOLIDWORKS customers:  included in their annual subscription and available to download. In order to gain access to extra add-ons with lattice optimization tools, advanced lattice design, and a new, Professional edition of 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS, visit the SOLIDWORKS VAR network.

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