Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,506,428 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

James Engineering Uses COSMOS Analysis Software to Develop Patent-Winning Designs for Truck Brakes and Race Karts.


COSMOS enables engineers to catch and correct errors early in the design process, encouraging innovation and better product design

CONCORD, Mass. -- COSMOS([R]) analysis software has helped Colorado-based James Engineering create patent-winning designs for a high performance race kart chassis and a lockup-resistant truck braking system, SolidWorks announced today.

James Engineering founder and Principal Engineer Jim Richards Jim Richards may refer to:
  • Jim Richards (Canadian broadcaster), Canadian radio broadcaster
  • Jim Richards (Alberta politician), Alberta political candidate
  • Jim Richards (race driver), New Zealand and Australian race driver
 designs automotive systems See ITS, embedded system, drive-by-wire, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance system, autonomous vehicle, heads-up display, DSRC, lane departure system, CAN bus, FlexRay and SYNC.  and specialized racing karts in addition to his company's primary business of producing deburring machines that smooth edges on metal parts. Richards and his staff used COSMOSWorks([R])designa nalysis and COSMOSMotion([TM]) motion analysis software to anticipate structural problems and mechanical collisions in the kart and brake system designs before the company committed to building expensive prototypes. Without prototyping costs hanging over his head, Richards Head, Richard, c.1637–c.1686, English writer. His best-known work is The English Rogue (1665), a collection of crude picaresque stories. Sequels to this work were written by Francis Kirkman.  was able to innovate freely to design the best possible product before locking himself into a design.

"I've really been educated to the value of this tool. I'm a pretty good intuitive designer, but COSMOS improves my chances of getting it right the first time," said Richards. "In the past we've built components and spent as much as two weeks assembling them only to find out they didn't work the way we expected. With COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion, we can see on the computer how an assembly is going to flex under stress, or whether parts will collide col·lide  
intr.v. col·lid·ed, col·lid·ing, col·lides
1. To come together with violent, direct impact.

2.
, and modify the design before we spend money to build a prototype."

Richards' racing kart design is a radical departure from mainstream design of these specialized vehicles, which have motors, transmissions, and solid rear axles, but no suspension systems Noun 1. suspension system - a mechanical system of springs or shock absorbers connecting the wheels and axles to the chassis of a wheeled vehicle
suspension
 to shift the vehicle's weight during turns to keep it under control. Richards' chassis, scheduled for sale in early 2007, uses a new bearing and joint design to keep the kart stable on curves. COSMOSMotion analysis helped him develop a front geometry that kept the front end planted firmly on the ground.

"We got into kart design late in the game. The field is 30 years old and our competitors have a lot of accrued knowledge," Richards said. "SolidWorks and COSMOS gave us the ability to step up and leap over their practical experience by modeling many different kinds of chassis to see how they would perform under varying conditions."

Beyond karts to brakes

Richards develops automotive and aerospace systems in addition to kart design. He is currently refining a design for a truck braking system different from anything on the market today. Richards' braking system uses oil pressure in the wheel housing to slow the wheel, instead of the traditional rotor-and-caliper assembly. Using oil to exert pressure on the rotor decreases the chance of the breaks locking up. His staff modeled the design in SolidWorks([R]) 3D CAD software and is using COSMOSWorks and COSMOSMotion to determine how the brakes will perform as physical objects. The company also uses COSMOS in its primary business of providing arrays of custom deburring machines to automotive and aerospace companies. COSMOS and SolidWorks help the engineering staff modify and customize equipment arrays for its customers.

"Supporting the kind of innovation James Engineering does is one of COSMOS' greatest strengths," said Ram Ramalingham, SolidWorks manager of product management, analysis products. "SolidWorks and COSMOS gives engineering the freedom to innovate aggressively without fear of committing to a design that might not work when it's actually built. That freedom leads to better and more profitable products."

James Engineering works with SolidWorks reseller An organization that sells hardware and software to the general public. Resellers purchase products from software publishers and hardware manufacturers.  MCAD MCAD Microsoft Certified Application Developer
MCAD Mechanical Computer Aided Design
MCAD Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (inherited metabolic disease)
MCAD Minneapolis College of Art and Design
 Technologies for implementation and technical support.

About MCAD Technologies

MCAD specializes in sales, support and training of SolidWorks based products; including 3D Solid Modeling, Design Validation and Product Data Management. Serving product development professionals in the Rocky Mountain Region The Rocky Mountain Region is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in western North America (Canada and the United States) delineated by Armen Takhtajan and Robert F. Thorne.  since 1989, the MCAD staff of certified See certification.  product experts are all degreed de·greed  
adj.
Having or requiring an academic degree: a degreed biologist; a degreed profession. 
 mechanical engineers. MCAD's Applications Engineers can easily and accurately assess your current processes, make recommendations, and assist in implementing solutions that help increase productivity within a short period of time. Working in the mechanical

engineering community for over a decade, MCAD has earned the reputation as one of the top organizations for sales and customer support. For additional information, please visit www.mcad.com or call 303-969-8844.

About James Engineering

James Engineering, based in Broomfield, Colo., is a full design and manufacturing facility with 22 years experience developing deburring machines for aerospace and automotive production. The company specializes in custom projects from very small to large, multiple-machine systems. For more information please visit www.james-engineering.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 design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them design better products. For the latest news, information, or an 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).
[TABLE OMITTED]
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jan 8, 2007
Words:813
Previous Article:ForeclosureS.com: Southwest Foreclosures Lead the Nation in 2006.
Next Article:Advectis Third Annual Survey Examines Trends in Paperless Processing.
Topics:



Related Articles
Waupaca, Webb Design CGI Brake Drum for Reduced Weight, Increased Performance. (Industry News).(compacted graphite iron)(Brief Article)
HUFFMAN CRUISES AFTER LAYOFF.(Sports)
A NOT-SO-EASY RIDE TO VICTORY.(Sports)
LIKE PARENTS, LIKE SON; SAUGUS' WOODSIDE FUELS FAMILY TRADITION ON NASCAR CIRCUIT.(SPORTS)
NASCAR REDUCING TO 2 MEN.(SPORTS)
SHAFER SAVORING FIRST FORMULA-CAR WIN IN LAS VEGAS\Return from France couldn't have come at better time.(Sports)
A SPORT ON THE VERGE KARTS MIGHT BE SMALL BUT THEY PACK POWERFUL PUNCH.(Sports)
Ford Super Duty: it's all about capability.(On Cars)(Ford Motor Co. designs new truck)
DOUBT FUEL FOR RENSHAW'S QUEST.(Sports)
FANCY, PETERSON READY TO DECIDE SUPER TRUCKS TITLE.(News)

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles