CIMdata to Host Free Webinar on Generative Design: The Changing Nature of Product Development

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Aug. 1, 2017 - PRLog -- CIMdata, Inc., the leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, "Generative Design: The Changing Nature of Product Development." The webinar will take place on September 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT).

Generative Design (GD) is a term for a class of tools that create or modify design geometry based on non-geometric requirements or constraints on product performance. GD includes not only Topology Optimization (TopOpt), but also rules-driven parametric CAD and a host of other tools for optimizing cost, weight, stiffness, strength, natural frequency, and other performance criteria. This way to generate geometry (and other design attributes) is extremely important, as it takes us out of the current paradigm of creating, and then evaluating, CAD. Rather than, "Does this shape meet the requirements?" we are asking, "Which shape best meets the requirements?"

According to the webinar host, CIMdata's Executive Consultant for Simulation, Dr. Keith Meintjes, "Some, like me, believe that this move to Generative Design will revolutionize product design and development. In a relative sense, computing has become infinitely fast and vanishingly cheap, so we can now easily use heuristic brute-force methods to search for optimums. Also, Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) promises the capability to make parts that were previously not feasible to produce."

Dr. Meintjes has over 35 years of experience in the development and application of simulation tools to transform product development. His achievements include novel methods for combustion simulation, patents for engine design, and strategic planning for the world's largest commercial HPC facility. Prior to joining CIMdata, he spent nearly 30 years at General Motors where he was responsible for the engineering requirements for GM's Global CAE IT infrastructure and was named Senior Technical Fellow. At GM Powertrain he held strategic, planning, and management positions, to embed simulation tools in the powertrain product development process. Earlier, at the GM Research Laboratories, he developed thermodynamic and CFD simulation models for engine performance and combustion, and was instrumental in GM's acquisition of a Cray supercomputer.

For this webinar, Dr. Meintjes will be joined by CIMdata's executive consultant and practice manager for the Design Creation & Collaboration Knowledge Council, Dr. Ken Versprille. Dr. Versprille has over 35 years of experience in the application of computer-based solutions for engineering and manufacturing. He also spent 15 years at Computervision, where he had responsibility for the initial design of Computervision's 3D graphics system. Dr. Versprille is recognized for publishing the first description of NURBS, the mathematical curve-and-surface formulation, now an international standard in CAD and Computer Graphics. In 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The CAD Society.

The webinar will be an hour long and will summarize the state of the art for GD tools and the processes they enable. There is now great interest in this topic from researchers, academics, and software providers. What is the thrust of the new developments? Case studies will be shared that represent a wide range of applications in different fields like architecture, civil engineering, and mechanical design.

The webinar will be useful to engineering executives and managers, product development planners and product line managers, team leaders and users of modeling and simulation technologies, manufacturing engineers, solution providers, and anyone who wants to learn more about this technology.

During the webinar attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about the topics discussed. To find out more, visit: http://www.cimdata.com/en/education/educational-webinars/.... To register for this webinar please  visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/774506694238648...