Colorado School of Mines Follows Industry Shift Toward SolidWorks.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers CONCORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2004 Prestigious engineering school purchases 500 licenses of SolidWorks Education Edition software to prepare students for engineering careers With a 125-year tradition of scientific discovery, the Colorado School of Mines Colorado School of Mines, at Golden; state supported, coeducational; chartered 1874. It was one of the first mineral engineering schools in the United States. has purchased 500 licenses of SolidWorks(R) software to teach its engineering students the fundamentals of 3D design. The school also uses 500 licenses of COSMOS(TM) analysis software to teach students how to test, measure, and refine the projects they design. Ranked among the top engineering schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report Weekly newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. U.S. News was founded in 1933 by David Lawrence (1888–1973) to cover important domestic events; he founded World Report in 1945 to treat world news. The two magazines were merged in 1948. , the Colorado School of Mines was founded in 1874 when industrial mining dominated the Midwest landscape. Mining gold, silver, and petrochemicals in the region helped the school develop a legacy of responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. The university is one of few institutions in the world with broad expertise in the areas of resource management, exploration, extraction, production, and utilization. The university teaches SolidWorks in its Design Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence (Design EPICS for freshmen and sophomores). The Education Edition's short learning curve and powerful 3D modeling capabilities help students begin to design projects sooner, and with more in-depth comprehension of engineering problems than if they were using 2D tools. "Because most people think in 3D, it takes them a while to switch their brains from 3D to 2D," said Bob Knecht, Design EPICS division director at the Colorado School of Mines. "Using AutoCAD(R) as our primary design tool, we were finding that too many students were spending their time training their brains to view things in 2D rather than for analytical purposes. With SolidWorks, we saw major leaps in the quality of their designs. They finished drawings sooner and had more time to test them." Students in the EPICS courses are using SolidWorks to design special projects that teach them everything from design planning to 3D modeling shortcuts See Win Shortcuts. , analysis, prototyping, and manufacturing. Students in the EPICS I course this year designed a variety of robots that will go into harsh environments such as disaster areas to test for toxic gases, war-torn areas such as Afghanistan to find unexploded mines, or the moon to test for water. Exploring design options Freshman Nathan Pitts worked with a team of students in his EPICS I class to develop a weather station prototype to be used in high schools across Colorado's Front Range region. Virtually assembling the weather station in SolidWorks allowed the students to see that a crucial circuit board would not fit properly into a PVC PVC: see polyvinyl chloride. PVC in full polyvinyl chloride Synthetic resin, an organic polymer made by treating vinyl chloride monomers with a peroxide. pipe housing, saving them the time of fixing the problem after manufacturing had begun. "SolidWorks is to a hand sketch what word processing word processing, use of a computer program or a dedicated hardware and software package to write, edit, format, and print a document. Text is most commonly entered using a keyboard similar to a typewriter's, although handwritten input (see pen-based computer) and software is to a handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. essay," said Pitts. "It is exponentially ex·po·nen·tial adj. 1. Of or relating to an exponent. 2. Mathematics a. Containing, involving, or expressed as an exponent. b. easier to modify an electronic model and print out a new sketch than redo To reverse an undo operation. See undo. an entire drawing by hand. The software's interface is very accessible, which helps us finish and troubleshoot designs quickly so that we can move on to the next challenge." EPICS II students work in teams on projects with industrial partners. The students' results may eventually find their way into real-world applications. One of this year's projects featured a robot that would enter burning buildings as a scout for fire crews searching for victims. Another project was a playground for children with disabilities. "SolidWorks opens doors for students to explore all of their design creativity," said Knecht. "It represents a change in the industry as we see more companies choosing SolidWorks as their primary 3D CAD tool. Teaching it to our students matches that industry shift, and better prepares our students for post-graduation jobs." In upper level courses, juniors and seniors prepare for engineering careers by also learning how to use COSMOSWorks(TM) for structural analysis, COSMOSMotion(TM) for mechanical analysis, and COSMOSFloWorks(TM) for fluid flow simulation. "The Colorado School of Mines is a unique example of an engineering school that has evolved its focus to meet changing global resource management needs," said Rosanne Kramer, director of worldwide education markets for SolidWorks Corporation. "Responding to industry shifts, such as the broad adoption of 3D, is why the university is one of the world's elite educational institutions. We are proud that the Colorado School of Mines is using SolidWorks to explore and discover better ways of managing the earth's precious resources." The Colorado School of Mines works with SolidWorks reseller An organization that sells hardware and software to the general public. Resellers purchase products from software publishers and hardware manufacturers. GoEngineer for ongoing software training, implementation, and support. About the Colorado School of Mines Colorado School of Mines is a public research university internationally recognized for its leadership in engineering, applied science and related disciplines, with a special emphasis on the earth and its resources. Located in Golden, Colo., the school is the oldest public institution of higher learning higher learning n. Education or academic accomplishment at the college or university level. in Colorado and currently enrolls approximately 3,200 students. The school is dedicated to serving the people of Colorado, the nation, and the global community through high-quality programs in education and research. These programs emphasize fields of engineering Engineering is a collective term to describe the application of scientific theory in the design, creation, and maintenance of technology. According to 1992 NSF data, the largest fields of engineering are Civil, Electrical / Electronic, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering (by number of and the underlying sciences that address natural resources, energy, materials, and their interaction with the environment and society. To learn more about Colorado School of Mines, see www.mines.edu or call 303-273-3326. About GoEngineer GoEngineer is a leading software solution provider for mechanical engineers and manufacturers in the western U.S. GoEngineer maintains one of the largest mechanical engineering and design support teams in the West with extensive customer service resources including a quick response managed toll-free customer hotline, local on-site support, and certified training centers located throughout Utah, Colorado, and Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . GoEngineer specializes in SolidWorks-centric solutions including modeling, design, drafting, analysis, simulation, PDM (1) (Product Data Management) An information system used to manage the data for a product as it passes from engineering to manufacturing. The data includes plans, geometric models, CAD drawings, images, NC programs as well as all related project data, notes and , data management, and Web solutions for all mechanical engineering organizations. For more information, see the company's Web site at www.goengineer.com. About SolidWorks Corporation SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes (Dassault Systèmes S.A.) (Pronounced - Dasoh) (NASDAQ: DASTY; Euronext: 13065) is a leading company specializing in 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software. S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris Euronext Paris is France's securities market, formerly known as the Paris Bourse, which merged with the Amsterdam and Brussels exchanges in September 2000 to form Euronext NV, which is the second largest exchange in Europe behind the London Stock Exchange. : #13065, DSY DSY Drum Storage Yard .PA) company, develops and markets software for mechanical design, analysis, and product data management. It is the #1 supplier of 3D mechanical design software for the mainstream market. SolidWorks is the mainstream 3D CAD market's leader in number of users in production, customer satisfaction, and revenue. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , call +1-978-371-5000). SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. COSMOS, COSMOSWorks, COSMOSMotion, and COSMOSFloWorks are trademarks of Structural Research and Analysis Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright (c) 2004 SolidWorks Corporation. |
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