Topology Optimization, Additive Manufacturing, and Computational Fluid Dynamics Capabilities Enhanced

PTC has announced the release of the latest version of its 3D CAD software Creo, "Creo 5.0."

Creo is a CAD software that enables users to seamlessly execute the entire workflow from concept review through manufacturing validation in a single design environment. This version of Creo includes five new functional module products to support rapidly evolving product design trends and various convenience features to enhance productivity.

Creo accelerates product innovation speed and supports faster development of better products by enabling the reuse of optimal designs or reflecting performance objectives derived from inference as actual operational data of products through IoT technology.

The newly released Creo 5.0 transforms planning-stage concepts into smart connected products by applying augmented reality (AR) across product dimensions, connecting the physical and digital worlds. Additionally, capabilities in topology optimization, additive manufacturing, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) have been strengthened.

John Mackrell, chairman of PLM consulting firm CIMdata, stated, "PTC is at the forefront of today's most prominent IoT and augmented reality technologies, while continuously expanding the fundamental technologies embedded in CAD. Creo, which consolidates new technologies and innovative features, is a product capable of successfully driving business transformation. In particular, the newly released Creo 5.0 reflects PTC's innovative direction and capabilities to precisely meet customer needs."

Product design optimization is often limited by experience from existing designs. The newly added Creo topology optimization feature automatically generates and supports optimized designs based on a set of design constraints and objectives defined by strength and weight optimization, enabling designers to efficiently save time and accelerate innovation.

For leveraging 3D printing technology, Creo allows users to complete the entire process from design and optimization through 3D print verification and additive manufacturing directly within a single product, eliminating the need to use multiple software applications. By streamlining the additive manufacturing process and eliminating the need to re-convert design models, users can focus entirely on critical design work.

Creo 5.0 now includes the "Additive Manufacturing Plus Extension" from Materialise, a specialized 3D printing software, enabling additive manufacturing capabilities to be applied to metal parts. Users can directly print production-level components in Creo. Additionally, users can access print drivers and profiles through the Materialise online library.
The newly added "Creo Mold Machining" feature in this version provides dedicated high-speed machining for mold processing and supports 3-axis machining and 5-face (3+2) machining.

"Creo Flow Analysis," a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution, enables designers and analysis specialists to simulate fluid flow. The workflow between CAD and CFD integrates seamlessly, allowing flow characteristics and performance to be verified from the initial design stage. This product is user-friendly and integrated with Creo, enabling quick and accurate fluid analysis results.

Creo 5.0 also applies an improved user interface to support the rapidly changing product design environment and includes numerous productivity-related features such as geometry generation using sketch regions and volume helical sweep. Additionally, it includes multiple features for improving productivity such as surface generation, sheet metal design, and draft application with rounds, while supporting design with a perspective display mode similar to real-world views.

Furthermore, in addition to the previously supported CATIA, NX, and Solidworks, multi-CAD collaboration environments are now supported for Autodesk Inventor. The "Creo Collaboration Extension" integrates design work through a single CAD system, reducing time and costs associated with operating and integrating multiple systems while facilitating data reuse and sharing.

Brian Thompson, senior vice president of the CAD Division at PTC, stated, "Product design is fundamentally changing. Creo continues to evolve to meet customer needs, and users can successfully complete the smart connected product design process by using Creo. With improved performance and new capabilities such as additive manufacturing providing differentiated competitiveness, Creo will serve a practical role in driving concepts through to the manufacturing stage."