Watch: Design for Additive Manufacturing Capabilities in NX 12

Additive manufacturing is changing the way products are designed and manufactured by enabling optimized designs that were previously impossible or too expensive to make. In this video, PROLIM PLM application engineer, Kyle Bentley, shows some of the design for additive manufacturing capabilities available in NX.

Let’s take a look at four areas of design for additive manufacturing that Kyle covers in this video.

Generative design is a process that determines the most efficient shape based on the design engineer’s defined material, constraints, and stresses. In NX 12, engineers have access to embedded Topology Optimization, which refers to the streamlined shape of a design to ensure structural integrity while also considering optimal weight and material usage.

Please go to the 4:39 mark to watch Kyle’s demonstration of topology optimization.

Convergent modeling capabilities in NX allow the designer to work with facets, surfaces, and solids directly inside of NX without any reverse engineering workflow.

Please go to the 14:25 mark to watch Kyle’s examples of using convergent modeling tools.

These are structures that help cost, keep parts lightweight, maintain structural integrity and strength, and can even improve part efficiency in some cases. You can watch our separate video on creating lattice structures here.

Please go to the 23:49 mark to watch a demonstration of using lattice structures to optimize design.

NX has several tools to ensure your design can be manufactured correctly using additive manufacturing methods. The four commands Kyle covers are “Wall Thickness,” “Overhang Angle,” “Printable Volume,” and “Wholly Enclosed Volume.”

Please go to the 29:28 mark to watch demonstrations on each of these commands.

Note: The snack byte date for the Solid Edge lunchbyte at the end of this video is incorrect. Part 1 will be available in the first half of July, and Part 2 will be released in August.

Would you like to see a Snackbyte video tutorial about a specific functionality in NX CAD, NX CAM, Solid Edge or Teamcenter? Send us a Tweet @prolimglobal or leave a comment below!