The term Synchronous Technology is inherently tied to Solid Edge—in fact, you’ll hear it all the time. But it’s a term that’s unique to Siemens PLM, and something that designers unfamiliar with Solid Edge may not know.

So… what is Synchronous Technology? Simply put, it’s a blend of history-based and history-free modeling. We will cover both history-based modeling and direct modeling in future posts, as they compare to Synchronous Technology. But, for now…

Defining Synchronous Technology

Synchronous Technology combines the best aspects of both history-based and direct modeling approaches, giving you the speed and simplicity of direct modeling, while still having the control and intelligence of a history-based design.

It does not do Synchronous Technology justice to call it “direct editing,” and the notion that it is not parametric is incorrect.

Simply put, “Synchronous” means that several things are happening together at once in a coordinated way. This is contrasted to the history-based approach, where things happen sequentially.

Think of it this way: In a history-based CAD tool, the model is solved one feature at a time, and each successive feature is added to the body. In Synchronous Technology, the entire model is solved at once.

The Advantages

You can rapidly create new concept designs, easily respond to change requests, and make simultaneous updates to multiple parts within an assembly. This allows you to eliminate some pre-planning and avoid feature failures, rebuild issues, and time-consuming rework.

Synchronous Technology allows you to treat multi-CAD data just like native files, supporting seamless collaboration with suppliers and partners.

Rapid Initial Design

Check out the below demonstration of working a sheet metal model in Solid Edge. With integrated 2D and 3D sketching, you can begin your concept designs immediately, without tedious preplanning. A history-free approach means that you can work directly with your design geometry, making changes instantly.

Now, instead of being sketch-based or sketch-driven, you can take an idea from sketch to model in the blink of an eye, without worrying about original design intent. That design intent is built into the nature of Synchronous Technology.

Watch!

Check out the below video for a replay of a previous webinar: How Synchronous Technology Will Revolutionize Your Design Process.