HP Announces HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 with Improved Design Capabilities

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 12, 1995 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced Release 3.5 of HP Precision Engineering (HP PE)/Designer, a 3-D mechanical computer-aided design (CAD)system based on dynamic solid-modeling technology.

HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 includes two add-on modules that enhance the productivity of designers of sheet-metal parts and products that incorporate printed-circuit boards (PCBs): HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner and HP PE/SolidDesigner -- Mentor Graphics Link.

The process of creating 2-D drawings from 3-D models also is improved and speeded up by an average of 25 percent. HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 leverages the new Dimension Advisor capabilities of HP PE/ME10 7.0, the latest version of HP's 2-D design, drafting and documentation package.

"This new release enables sheet-metal designers and designers incorporating PCBs to take full advantage of the capabilities of HP PE/SolidDesigner, the most innovative solid-modeling solution on the market," said Peter Bohn, general manager of HP's Mechanical Design Division (MDD). "HP PE/SolidDesigner's ease of use, flexibility and openness make it the solution of choice for companies that are striving to cut time-to-market while improving product quality."

Manufacturable Sheet-metal Designs

HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner is a comprehensive productivity package targeted for companies that design and manufacture sheet-metal parts. It is based on HP's Advisor Technology, which ensures manufacturable designs by putting manufacturing expertise about downstream processes at the designer's fingertips. From the initial design stage, the designer can access information about topics such as available and preferred tools, materials, default processes and suppliers.

HP PE/SolidAdvisor makes production more effective by reducing the number of prototypes and design cycles. Key features of HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner are dedicated sheet-metal commands, design-for-manufacturability checks, a technology database, on-line cost estimation and rapid generation of accurate 2-D flat banks.

Reduced Time to Market by Linking Mechanical and Electronic Design

HP PE/SolidDesigner -- MentorGraphics PCB Link provides direct, bidirectional integration between MentorGraphics Board Station PCB design software and HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5.

This product enables designers to design and develop mechanical and electrical components concurrently, and eliminates the task of interpreting and re-entering information during product development. As a result, the design process is speeded up and errors are reduced, leading to shorter time to market and improved product quality.

With HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link, PCB data can be transferred directly -- in either direction -- between HP PE/SolidDesigner and MentorGraphics Board Station. Electronic components and layout data imported from MentorGraphics Board Station are assembled automatically to a solid model of the printed circuit board by HP PE/SolidDesigner, and mechanical components can then be added to create a complete product model.

Improved 3-D/2-D Process Support

HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 incorporates improved 3-D/2-D process support which, in conjunction with enhancements to Release 7.0 of HP PE/ME10, allows designers to create technical drawings more quickly and efficiently.

HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 also leverages the new Dimension Advisor capabilities incorporated in HP PE/ME10 7.0. These capabilities include automatic dimensioning, preconfigured dimension styles, a dimension-style database and feature-based dimensioning. Together, they reduce the time needed for annotating technical drawings by an average of 25 percent, whether these drawings are created in 2-D within HP PE/ME10 or derived as 2-D layouts from a 3-D model in HP PE&47;SolidDesigner.

Dynamic Modeling

HP PE/SolidDesigner is exceptionally easy to use. Ist dynamic modeling technology offers designers the freedom to create designs -- and the flexibility to modify them easily -- without being forced into a rigid process by the underlying constraints of the design system. HP PE/SolidDesigner overcomes the drawbacks of history-based methods that require a designer to have an intimate knowledge of the history of a design. HP PE/SolidDesigner models can be shared easily and communicated throughout the design process.

HP PE/SolidDesigner is an open solution, allowing reuse and modification of designs from other systems, independently of design history. Support of standards such as IGES, STEP and ACIS SAT allows coexistence with other solutions.

U.S. Prices and Delivery

HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5 runs on HP 9000 Series 700 workstations and Silicon Graphics' Indy and Indigo2 workstations.

HP PE/SolidDesigner 3.5, HP PE/SheetAdvisor for HP PE/SolidDesigner and HP PE/SolidDesigner -- MentorGraphics PCB Link are expected to ship in October.

HP's Mechanical Design Division %#40;MDD) develops 2-D and 3-D mechanical computer-aided design software, the Precision Engineering Systems, known for quality, ease of use, customization capability and support of industry standards. These products are installed on more than 57,000 systems in design, engineering and manufacturing organizations worldwide and are localized in 10 languages. The software includes HP PE/SolidDesigner for product-modeling design; HP PE/ME10 for 2-D design, drafting and documentation; HP PE/ME30 for 3-D modeling, design and drafting; HP PE/SheetAdvisor for sheet-metal design; HP PE/DDS-C for electromechanical design and HP/PE WorkManager for product-data and workflow management.

HP is the second-largest computer supplier in the United States, with computer-related revenue of $19.9 billion in its 1994 fiscal year.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 99,900 employees and had revenue of $25 billion in its 1994 fiscal year.

Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the United States. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets.

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