We’re hosting a What’s New in DriveWorks 18 webinar series.
Join Glen Smith, DriveWorks CEO as he takes you through all of the new features and enhancements in DriveWorks Pro 18.
The DriveWorks Tech Team Thursday webinars are a series of 30-minute value added webinars where the DriveWorks Tech Team share their knowledge and expertise. These webinars are exclusively for DriveWorks Reseller AEs and DriveWorks Pro customers on subscription support.
In this Whats New in DriveWorks 18 series, Glen Smith, will show whats new, exploring the new features and enhancements in our latest release.
In the following weeks, Glen will take a closer look at the new functionality in DriveWorks 18 including; Design Automation & PDM, Usability and User Experience, Scalability and DriveWorks 3D.
We are proud to announce that our VP and Co-Founder, Maria Sarkar has been appointed Northern Powerhouse Export Champion for 2020.
The Department for International Trades (DIT) Exporting is GREAT campaign aims to spark a movement around the UK of companies selling their products and services overseas.
The Department for International Trade is an international economic department designed to secure UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade.
The programme focuses on raising awareness of the benefits of exporting, communicating where to go for support, and inspiring more companies to start trading internationally (or to expand their current reach).
At the heart of this movement is the Export Champion Community, consisting of more than 1,000 ‘Export Advocates’ and ‘Export Champions’ from every day businesses of all shapes and sizes, run by extraordinary people, from around the UK proudly selling overseas.
The Export Champion programme was first launched in the North West in 2013 with Export Champions representing a wide range of sectors throughout the region.
Since then many companies across the North West have benefitted from the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm that the Export Champions share.
In the summer of 2018, the success of the programme was recognised in the UK’s new Export Strategy, which committed to promoting peer-to-peer learning by rolling out the Export Champions programme nationally in 2019.
Export Champions are from companies that have successfully sold overseas and are prepared to encourage others to consider growing their international business through exporting.
Together, businesses form the new Export Champion Community a nationwide network of UK companies work together acting as ambassadors for exporting, sharing success stories, offering practical advice and leading by example.
In 2019, Northern Powerhouse had the biggest group of export champions they’ve ever had. Deputy Director UK Regions, Natalie Bain commented that ‘this not only shows the great export strengths of the North but also demonstrates the commitment of these fantastic companies to supporting the economic growth of our region‘.
To become an Export Champion, individuals must have a successful international trade track record, worked with DIT on their export journey, have a good story to tell and be willing to share some of their knowledge and experience with others.
DriveWorks VP and Co-Founder Maria Sarkar has become an Export Champion following a nomination by Veronica Dawson, International Trade Adviser.
Veronica originally met with Maria back in November 2018 at our offices in Thelwall, where Maria shared our story of successfully exporting around the world.
Since DriveWorks was founded in 2001, our software has been usedby businesses of all shapes and sizes from across the world, in a wide range of industries and market sectors, withalmost80% of our revenue now coming from overseas.
We have builta strong channel, withan international networkof over 100Value-Added Resellersacross53 countries, who work with us to sell and support our software.
Maria is more than just a champion for export locally.
DriveWorks software is enabling companies around the world to have an online presence, opening up new opportunities and new markets for businesses large and small.
Digital technologies, Industry 4.0 and e-commerce are driving todays business strategies. The benefits that DriveWorks brings are at the heart of this digital transformation.
Companies using DriveWorks embed their own knowledge, rules and business logic into the software to set up their own solutions that can be used anywhere and on any device.
Once an order is placed, accurate quotes, sales documents and all the manufacturing drawings and data are also automatically generated by DriveWorks software.
This means an order can be placed from anywhere around the world at any time, with customers receiving fast, professional and accurate responses.
Manufacturing and sales data is sent straight to the relevant teams, saving time, reducing errors and improving quality.
Maria not only has her own experience as to draw upon as an Export Champion, she also has the expertise of working with companies embracing export everyday.
In 2019, DriveWorks’ exporting acheievements and contribution to the business economy was recognised with prestigious awards.
In April, we received two of Cheshires most prestigious awards – the High Sheriff Awards for Enterprise.
We were extremley proud to be recognised for our success in Innovation and Export.
We were joint winners of the Cheshire Business Exporter of the Year Award, alongside the Tall Group. This award recognises growth in international business through a clear commitment to the development of new export market opportunities.
We were honoured to have won this award and be praised for our achievements in building a strong global channel and providing support for our software worldwide.
Later in the year we were recognised again with two Queens Awards for Enterprise, one for Innovation and the second for International Trade.
The Award for Innovation is tangible recognition of the vision and passion for technology that inspires our entire team.
The International Trade Award celebrates our year on year growth in overseas sales.
We were one of only 6 companiesin the UK to receive aDouble Queens Award in 2019.
– Maria Sarkar
In her role as Export Champion, Maria is looking forward to sharing more about our achievements in export and inspiring other companies in the region to consider exporting as a realistic and successful opportunity for growth.
With a growing demand for British products and access to international markets, there is an increasing opportunity for UK businesses tosucceed through export and international trade.
Following government advice, the DriveWorks team are now all working from home. There’s a lot of uncertainty across the world right now, but we want to reassure you that we’re here as normal for anything you need.
We are well set up for working remotely and will becontinuing with business as usual, we are open and operational.
All our teams are available to work and support you as usual via email, by phone and web meeting where appropriate.
As a company, we remain committed to you.
We have tested our systems and adapted our working patterns to make sure we can continue supporting our customers and resellers worldwide.
As a team, we’re all adjusting to the transition of working from home, but we are of course continuing to keep in touch with each other from wherever we are.
Alongside our normal team communications, we’re holding weekly company-wide meetings online, sharing photos of our home office setups (and any furry co-workers!) and playing games at lunchtime through the Houseparty app.
Although we are missing being together, the whole DriveWorks team are staying positive and carrying on.
We’re using technology to adapt and keep communicating with each other and with you guys too.
Whilst most of us are continuing with our tasks as normal, some of the team are shifting their focus whilst working from home.
With reduced travel, events and other external activities, we have more time to spend on creating great training content and learning materials.
We’re continuously improving DriveWorks software with more time to focus on research and development and we’re releasing DriveWorks 18 earlier than planned.
We’re taking this as an opportunity to improve, create and innovate.
We’re keeping busy and we still have lots to share with you, including the release of DriveWorks 18, What’s New Webinars, a digital version of DriveWorks World, the exciting new DriveWorks Solo Certification and lots more!
We will also be sharing some ideas for how you can add value and improve your projects and processes whilst you’re navigating these changing circumstances too.
Watch this space for updates from us about what we’re working on and keep in touch with us on social media too.
DriveWorks will continue to remain fully open and operational.
We understand that this is a worrying time and if theres anything we can do to support you or anything you need, please get in touch.
We are excited to introduce the new DriveWorks Solo Certification.
Previously, the DriveWorks Solo Certification was only available to our resellers.
Following the success of the DriveWorksXpress Certification, we have revamped the DriveWorks Solo Certification and made it available to anyone with DriveWorks Solo, including the 30-day trial.
With DriveWorks Solo, you can automate even more.
Take your knowledge further with the free DriveWorks Solo Certification. Complete the exam in less than 3 hours to learn more about design automation and add an extra certification to your CV.
Build on your DriveWorks knowledge and skills and become more successful with your own DriveWorks projects.
The certification is a DriveWorks project, created using DriveWorks Pro. It’s available online 24/7 and is easily accessible through the DriveWorks Community.
With access to the DriveWorks help file throughout and template projects ready to download, the certification project contains everything you need.
Some questions are multiple choice and some require you to find information within the projects you will create during the exam.
Once finished, hit submit and find out instantly whether you have passed or failed.
Once you have passed, you’ll receive a CDWS certificate with your name and you’ll have a new certification to add to your CV!
If you don’t pass, we will tell you the areas you need to improve on so you know where to focus your learning. You’ll be able to take the certification again in 24 hours.
The DriveWorks Solo Certification is a timed exam with questions covering multiple aspects of DriveWorks Solo functionality.
The Certification is free to take and can be completed by anyone with a DriveWorks Solo licence, including the 30-day free trial.
Log in to the DriveWorks Community. If you don’t have an account, it’s quick and easy to create one.
If you haven’t already had DriveWorks Solo training, go through the training manual and lessons first.
Take the timed exam with questions covering multiple aspects of DriveWorks Solo functionality.
Find out straight away if you’ve passed and get your CDWS certificate to prove your achievement.
You will have 3 hours to complete the exam. During the exam, you will complete a number of Tasks using DriveWorks Solo Project Templates that you will need to download. Instructions on how to download these are provided in the exam, just make sure you read through Introduction, Information and Template before you begin.
You will need SOLIDWORKS 2017 or later installed to complete the Certification. You will also need the latest version of DriveWorks Solo installed and licensed.
Use DriveWorks Solo, to quickly and easily create and configure custom products inside SOLIDWORKS速.
The rules-based design automation eliminates errors and expensive, time-consuming design changes.
Automate repetitive SOLIDWORKS tasks and free up engineers to focus on product innovation and development.
DriveWorks Solo is easy to setup, maintain and use. Deliver custom products faster and with greater accuracy, without using complex macros, design tables or code.
Get a head start by trying DriveWorks Solo free for 30 days.
Download a 30 Day Free Trial of DriveWorks Solo to see the functionality for yourself and follow our tips below to help you get the most out of your free trial.
Use the many resources we have available in the DriveWorks Community and online to help you become a CDWS or take your learning further.
Download the free Training Manual to learn how to use DriveWorks Solo step by step. There is also a training video for each lesson to make it even easier.
Meet other users, share tips and tricks and find solutions in the DriveWorks Community. Get involved with the forums, watch how-to videos and download the training tutorial.
Head to the DriveWorks YouTube channel for an in-depth look at DriveWorks Solo with useful how-to videos and sample project walk through videos.
Join the DriveWorks Solo Getting Started and DriveWorks Solo Online Training webinars to learn more, ask questions and get up and running quickly.
Learn about DriveWorks Solo by downloading the sample projects and picking them apart to discover how each one was constructed and what it can do. Each project comes with a useful walk through video and a PDF with the key facts.
The DriveWorks Help File is packed with valuable information so you can find answers to your questions and learn what’s possible, following best practices and picking up tips and tricks. The search function makes it really easy to find what you’re looking for.
Calculate ROI for DriveWorks Solo, based on automating one of your own products. It accounts for the cost of the software, the time it will take to implement and the savings that can be made and how soon you will benefit.
You might want to start your learning by completing the DriveWorksXpress Training & Certification.
DriveWorksXpress is a free design automation tool included in every license of SOLIDWORKS.
The DriveWorksXpress Training and Certification is a free certification for all engineering and design professionals, SOLIDWORKS users and students who have access to SOLIDWORKS.
Become a Certified DriveWorksXpress Associate in just 3 steps, in 3 hours. Gain new skills to add to your CV and start your design automation journey.
Coronavirus safety measures and information: We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation carefully, see the latest updates here.
Last updated: 19th March 2020
We have been monitoring the Covid-19 situation carefully. The health and safety of DriveWorks World attendees is our top priority and we have already had many delegates cancel their place because of company or government enforced travel bans.
As a result, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel DriveWorks World 2020.
This is the last thing we wanted to happen but unfortunately the situation is out of our control. We know DriveWorks World is a valuable event and we sincerely apologise that it has come to this.
We are still creating the technical sessions and we are making these available online, free of charge.
Yes. All delegates have now been refunded in full.
If you have not received confirmation of your refund, please email events@driveworks.co.uk.
By not holding the event, our team have more time to focus on other things that add will add value for you. Heres what were planning:
Our technical team are still preparing the presentations and technical sessions we would have hosted during DriveWorks World.
We will be making several of these available for you to watch online, free of charge. Were planning for how and when we will make them available, taking time zones into consideration.
Details of how to access the sessions will be posted in the DriveWorks Community in April. Registered attendees will receive email updates too.
Were releasing DriveWorks 18 early so you have longer to get familiar with the new features and enhancements. Weve put a lot of work into DriveWorks 18 and we hope youre as excited about the updates as we are.
Were also creating a DriveWorks Project where youll be able to see some of the new DriveWorks 18 functionality in action. This will be available online shortly after the software is released.
CEO Glen Smith will present the What’s New in DriveWorks 18 session online and we have a series of Whats New webinars planned from the end of April. Details of these will be posted on our events page.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please email events@driveworks.co.uk
This year at 3DEXPERIENCE World we were honoured to receive a plaque of appreciation from Chicago SOLIDWORKS User Group recognising our sponsorship over the years.
In 2018, the Chicago SWUG celebrated their 20 year anniversary with a fun night watching a Kane County Cougars baseball game.
The Chicago SOLIDWORKS User Group provides a forum for learning and information exchange amongSOLIDWORKS users in the Chicago area.
The group started in 1998 and is mostly made up of engineering and industrial design professionals, but they welcome and encourage anyone who is interested in SOLIDWORKS to join.
Denny Bahl, group leader, is a long time advocate of SOLIDWORKS and has always been an active supporter of DriveWorks.
Denny is the group leader for the Chicago SOLIDWORKS User Group and also the Chicago West SWUG.
In 2019, Chicago West SWUG celebrated their 10 year anniversary. Denny was unable to attend SOLIDWORKS World in 2019 as he was on vacation in Punta Cana, but he still wore his DriveWorks SWUGN t-shirt!
With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended lots of SWUG meetings, sponsored meetings and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.
We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS Community and look forward to continuing to support the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network.
If you would like us to sponsor your group, get in touch and tell us about your meetings!
Since starting our sponsorship program, we have worked to help support FRC teams all over the world by providing them with a free 12-month license of DriveWorks Solo.
Using DriveWorks, teams can automate their SOLIDWORKS models to achieve more as a team, freeing them up to focus on quality robot design.
In addition to the software, teams also have access to resources to support their learning, including DriveWorks Solo Technical Webinars, Online Training, How-to Videos, Extensive Online Help Files and more.
District, Regional and World competitions have now started and we are excited to be involved sponsoring and supporting the teams.
FRC4905 Andromeda One from Ayer, Massachusetts are just one of the teams who have used DriveWorks Solo to configure and design the initial drive trainfor their competition robot.
On Friday, FRC Team 4905 participated in the Granite State New England District Competition in Salem, New Hampshire.
Heather from the DriveWorks team joined the weekend of high energy, excitement and enthusiasm!
Andromeda One had a great performance with their robot named This Is The Droid You Are Looking For.
They had the highest-scoring match of the weekend and they held onto a 1st place position going into the semifinals.
Unfortunately, on day 2 they were eliminated after a gruelling tiebreaker and didnt advance onto the finals.
Overall the team had a great competition. They learnt a bit about changes they need to make going forward and have lots of knowledge to take back and improve for the next competition.
Because of the design automation Andromeda One have added with DriveWorks Solo, making design changes and trying different options is much easier.
We were so proud to learn that while Andromeda One didnt advance to the finals, they received the Engineering Inspiration Award. This award celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a teams school or organization and community.
This team mentors 15 teams across all 4 FIRST速 programs. A Summer STEM Week offers STEM education across the community. The team welcomes members of all abilities and learning styles. Their pipeline supporting FIRST happens every day.
-The judges comment on the winning team
Activate DriveWorksXpress inside SOLIDWORKS today.
If you want to take design automation even further, request your free license of DriveWorks Solo.
Every year, we recognise our SOLIDWORKS User Group Leader of the Year for their work going above and beyond to support the SOLIDWORKS Community. This year was no different, so while in Nashville at 3DEXPERIENCE World our team presented this years winner – Betty Baker with the award.
Along with the award we also proudly presented Betty with her very own personalised bottle opener – designed in SOLIDWORKS, configured in DriveWorks and 3D printed.
Amer, placement student at DriveWorks, was given the task of designing something we could configure, produce and give away at events, Amer beganresearching, brainstorming and sharing ideas with our tech team.
Amer decided on a 3D printed bottle openerand began to design the bottle opener in SOLIDWORKS. With each design, Amer considered how the bottle opener would perform in action.
Firstly, he considered the feasibility of printing the design on a 3D printer. Would the designed model be suitable for the 3D printer and how long would it take to print?
He then considered the usability of the product, would the design be strong enough to withhold the pressure or could it buckle and break?
He also thought about the style of the bottle opener, what size should it be and what design would be most comfortable to hold?
After creating a number of prototypes, Amer decided on a final design.
With the product decided, Amer then went on to create a DriveWorks Configurator for the bottle opener.
With the configurator Amer has designed, it’s easy to follow the user interface and configure a custom bottle opener, making selections based on the user’s preferences.
The orientation option allows users to select a right-handed or left-handed bottle opener.
With standard bottle openers, it’s normally a one size fits all.
However, Amer wanted our bottle opener to be more personal and work best for everyone.
When the user selects left or right handed, the configurator switches the bottle opener round so the grip is in the right place.
Next the user moves onto choosing the handle style of thier bottle opener.
There are 3 different options to choose from:
Handle Option 1
Handle Option 2
Handle Option 3
Users can also choose how the bottle opener will work.
Amer created the different options for push and pull by changing the direction of the tab inside the bottle opening circle.
In this section of the configurator, Amer also added a slider so the user can offset the location of the tab, moving it to their preferred angle for opening.
In true DriveWorks style,Amer didn’t want this to be just any 3D printed bottle opener.
Alongside the personalised configurator options, Amer also added the final feature of adding text to the bottle opener.
This makes the gift personal and unique.
Once the bottle opener has been configured, users are taken to a form to fill out their details. DriveWorks then sends an email to the user with the details of all their personalised configurator options.
Attached to the email is an STL file to send the bottle opener to a 3D printer without the need to have SOLIDWORKS installed.
Of course, all of this was done in DriveWorks – using the latest functionality in DriveWorks 18.
The next step is printing the final design. Here at DriveWorks we have two 3D printers, an Ultimaker and a Formlabs printer. Amer printed on both printers to decide which would work best for his bottle opener design.
Amer found it worked best printing on the Formlabs printer which took7 hours for the bottle opener to print.
Once the printer had finished, Amer removed the part from the plate and began the process of cleaning the bottle opener. First the model goes into an ethanol bath to wash any excess resin off. Then the support structures are taken off ready to go in the curer.
In the curer, the bottle opener was exposed to UV light and 60-degree heat. This strengthens the crosslinks in the polymer structure to improve the strength, stiffness, and temperature resistance. It also gives the bottle opener its frosty finish.
While we were at 3DEXPERIENCE World we proudly presented our the DriveWorks Award for SOLIDWORKS User Group Leader of the Year to Betty Baker.
Betty received a certificate and her own personalised 3D printed bottle opener.
We also showed Betty how her bottle opener was designed, personalised and 3D printed.
Since creating the bottle opener configurator, Amer has created more configurators within the project. Now we can also configure, personalise and print 3D printed coasters and cable holders.
Explore our industry examples on our online demo site driveworkslive.com
See what’s possible with DriveWorks and how versatile the software is.
