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Countdown to 3DEXPERIENCE® World 2024

The countdown to 3DEXPERIENCE® World 2024 has begun, and DriveWorks will be right in the heart of the action at Stand #1024 in Exhibition Hall C. Join us in Dallas, TX, from February 11 to 14th, 2024, to talk all things Design Automation, CPQ for Manufacturing and Digital Transformation.

3DEXPERIENCE® World is the place to learn, engage, share knowledge, and drive innovation. The event showcases how SOLIDWORKS® and the 3DEXPERIENCE® Works portfolio provide the next generation of best-in-class tools for every aspect of the product design and manufacturing process.

DriveWorks at Stand #1024: A Hub of Innovation

This year marks our 23rd year attending 3DEXPERIENCE® World and our preparations are well underway.

As proud Silver Sponsors, DriveWorks will be actively participating in various parts of the event, including exhibiting, presenting, learning, and networking.

Visit us at at Stand #1024 in Exhibition Hall C, where you’ll find a team of DriveWorks experts ready and waiting. Our stand will once again be a hub of innovation for the future of design automation, 3D product configurator and CPQ solutions.

Image shows the DriveWorks team at their stand at the 2023 3DEXPERIENCE World event

Why Should You Attend?

3DEXPERIENCE® World is the must-attend event for anyone looking to boost their skills, explore the latest technologies, expand their skillset and connect with like-minded peers and industry experts.

  • Learn: Develop your skills with hands-on experiences.
  • Innovate: Get inspiration from industry leaders and groundbreaking thinkers shaping the future of design and manufacturing.
  • Network: Connect with other SOLIDWORKS® users, technology partners and DriveWorks experts
  • Celebrate: Take part in unforgettable experiences that celebrate the advancements in design and technology.

Start Building Your Agenda

The 3DEXPERIENCE® World  2024 agenda for the program of technical sessions is now live so it’s time to start building your agenda. You’ll find hundreds of technical sessions on design, simulation, manufacturing, data management, many  of which are hands-on, that can help you take your skills to the next level.

And don’t forget to build time into your agenda to come and visit the DriveWorks team at Stand #1024!

Keep Up To Date On 3DEXPERIENCE® World 2024 News

Get the latest news and updates about 3DEXPERIENCE® World as they are happening here.

DriveWorks 21 is Now Available to Download

Innovation and continuous improvement underpin our team’s approach to software development.
This release presents an essential upgrade to the technology used to display Forms in DriveWorks. Previous versions used separate technologies to design on desktop and then emulate for the internet. DriveWorks 21 introduces a unified web-based Form technology that ensures the behavior and appearance between desktop and web applications is consistent.

Learn about all of the new features and enhancements in this release of DriveWorks on the Enhancements page of our Online Help File.

DriveWorks 21 delivers brand new features and enhancements in the following areas:

Scalability

Cloud support and enterprise deployment

Continued development to support the management of an enterprise wide development.

Usability & UX

Making DriveWorks even easier to implement

Focused visual updates and enhancements add further functionality to user-friendly improvements across DriveWorks.

DriveWorks 3D

Configure custom products in 3D on any device

Improvements to make interactive 3D visualizations, for the desktop and web, realistic and performant.

Design Automation & PDM

Industry leading SOLIDWORKS automation 

New and updated features to utilize the full potential of design automation in DriveWorks.

Please ensure you read the Release Notes and FAQs for this release, especially if you use the Web Theme or Application Theme.

Download the Latest Release Now from the DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks Resellers, Partners and Customers with an Active Subscription Support Contract can download DriveWorks 21 from the DriveWorks Community.

Here’s what you’ll need to download the latest release:

  • A MyDriveWorks Community Account, you can create an account if you don’t have one or reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.
  • Pre-Requisites can be found in our Online Documentation.
  • New DriveWorks 21 License Codes have been provided* so you can test and familiarize yourself with the new features and functionality before upgrading your production environment to the new release.

*If you’re a DriveWorks Reseller AE, your DriveWorks 21 demo codes have been emailed to you. If you’re a DriveWorks Customer with an Active Subscription, your codes have been sent to your Reseller who will pass them on to you. If you haven’t received your DriveWorks 21 license codes yet, please email us.

Important Information

  • We have tested the updates rigorously across Windows Operating Systems and the latest versions of SOLIDWORKS to test compatibility. SOLIDWORKS 2023 is fully supported, along with SOLIDWORKS 2021 and 2022.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and DriveWorks Pro Server.
  • Make sure you have your DriveWorks 21 license keys to hand. We issue new license codes for each new major release so you can get to know the new functionality and test before you use it in production.
  • New DriveWorks 21 license codes have been sent to DriveWorks Resellers for all companies with an active subscription support contract. If you haven’t received your codes yet please check with your reseller.
  • More information is available in our online help file.

Learn What’s New

What’s New in DriveWorks 21 Tech Talks

Watch On-Demand in the DriveWorks Learning Portal

We hosted two What’s New in DriveWorks 21 Tech Talks sessions in July. During the sessions, DriveWorks Technical Engagement Manager, Oliver BasmaLord shared details of the new features and functionality added in DriveWorks 21.

The sessions covered the following areas:

  • Design Automation
  • DriveApps
  • Workflow
  • Rules
  • Integration
  • Documents
  • Forms & UI
  • 3D

The sessions were recorded and are now available to watch at a time that suits you, inside the DriveWorks Learning Portal.

DriveWorks 21 New Feature Focus Tech Talks

Register to join our experts as they explore the new features in DriveWorks 21 and how to use them.

Single Sign On

Thursday, August 17th

CPQ

Thursday, September 21st

Lambda

Thursday, October 19th

3D

Thursday, November 16th

PDF Integration

Thursday, December 14th

Celebrating 20 Years of DriveWorks

This year we are celebrating an amazing 20 years of DriveWorks!

For the last 20 years, we’ve marked 1st February on the calendar as the official day when DriveWorks software first came to market.

Since 2001, there’s been lots and lots of development, as we’ve worked hard to anticipate and respond to user suggestions, and to take advantage of new and emerging technologies.

It adds up to making our celebration a celebration of continuous innovation and automation.

DriveWorks was founded in 2001 when Glen Smith, mechanical engineer, automation advocate and SOLIDWORKS 3D Evangelist saw the opportunity to create a productivity tool for automating designs created in SOLIDWORKS.

That’s when he asked Maria, also a SOLIDWORKS enthusiast and business development specialist to work with him and “Take DriveWorks to Market.”, creating DriveWorks, a design automation software tool to automate SOLIDWORKS, the leading 3D CAD design package.

Since then, our team has grown and we’ve developed three DriveWorks software products; DriveWorksXpress, DriveWorks Solo, and DriveWorks Pro.

They are used for design automation, product configuration, business process automation and as a CPQ, sales configurator solution.

DriveWorks software is used by businesses of all sizes, in a wide range of industries and market sectors across the globe. We’ve established an international network of over 100 Value-Added Resellers, across 51 countries, who sell and support our software internationally.

Our Technology

During these 20 years, the many members of the DriveWorks team have worked hard to deliver our award-winning software.

We’re proud to have delivered 18 major software releases with multiple Service Packs so far.

Each release offering new features and even more functionality for our customers.

Over the past 2 decades, technology has changed considerably, something that we’ve embraced and adapted to with our own technology.

During this time there have been huge advances that have changed the future of digital.

In January 2007, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone and it was released in June of that year. In September 2008, Google Chrome was launched.

In April 2010 the first iPad was launched and in 2014, VR rapidly gained momentum as more people started exploring the possibilities of VR.

By recognising new innovations that are changing the technology world, it allows for us here at DriveWorks to take our own technology to the next level as we implement new innovations into our own software.

Everyone here at DriveWorks is incredibly dedicated to creating great, innovative software for our customers all over the world.

The collaborative work-spaces we have created and our company culture all foster innovation. It’s at the heart of everything we do.

Our Success

Another milestone in our technology was in 2007 when SOLIDWORKS  announced at SolidWorks World, that DriveWorksXpress would be included in every license of SOLIDWORKS.

Over the years our relationship with SOLIDWORKS has grown and we are proud to be a SOLIDWORKS Gold Certified Partner and the chosen design automation solution for SOLIDWORKS.

Based on this trust, DriveWorksXpress, DriveWorks Solo and DriveWorks Pro are all SOLIDWORKS Gold Partner Products and we have built strong links with the entire SOLIDWORKS Community.

We have also been recognised as a Microsoft Gold Partner for Application Development and our products are Windows 10 compatible and fully supported by us.

In 2019, we were recognised locally with two High Sheriff’s Awards, for Innovation and Export.

The awards are the region’s most prestigious awards for business performance.

The Export award recognised our significant growth in international business through a clear commitment to the development of new export market opportunities.

While the Innovation award recognised our ability to create, nurture and develop new products.

In the same year, we were also recognised with the highest accolade available to UK businesses, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

The Queen’s Awards recognise businesses for outstanding achievement and we are honoured to have received two awards, for Innovation and for International Trade.

On Friday 6th September, we held our Queen’s Award presentation and Digital Technology & Automation Open Day at our corporate headquarters in Thelwall, Warrington.

Proudly flying the Queen’s Award flag at our corporate headquarters, we welcomed 135 guests to join us for a Technology and Automation Open Day to celebrate our achievement.

Looking to the Future

We continually monitor what’s happening in industry; from innovative technologies to emerging tech trends.

At the rate technology is advancing, we see now more than ever how important it is to adapt and be responsive.

Our team is resourceful and imaginative. We listen to customer suggestions and are always looking for ways to make our software the very best it can be.

We work hard to keep our knowledge up to date and be agile so that we can continue evolving.

Whilst many of us are working from home at the moment, we still have a lot of work to do and a lot to look forward to.

We are taking part in an-all virtual 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021 with a full team of DriveWorks Experts on our live booth answering questions, and DriveWorks ‘on-demand’ presentations ready to be watched.

We are also planning a virtual DriveWorks World 2021.

DriveWorks World is our annual technical training event that brings together DriveWorks users from all around the world for a week of learning, networking and sharing knowledge.

After many successful years of hosting DriveWorks World and each year the event growing, we can’t wait to see what this year’s virtual event holds!

Celebrate 20 Years With Us

Whilst our official birthday is the 1st February, with this being such a big birthday for DriveWorks, we’ll be celebrating our achievements all year.

Make sure to keep an eye out for ways you can celebrate with us along the way!

We are excited to announce the release of DriveWorks 18 SP2.

DriveWorks 18 SP2 adds to the new features and enhancements added in DriveWorks 18 and DriveWorks 18 SP1.

In April 2020, we released DriveWorks 18, and presented about the new features and enhancements during Digital DriveWorks World.

Since then, we worked hard to release DriveWorks 18 Service Pack 1 which was released in October 2020.

Now we are pleased to announce we have released DriveWorks 18 Service Pack 2.

Less travel and more time in the office over the past few months has enabled us to dedicate a lot of time to work on adding new enhancements and updates to this service pack release.

DriveWorks 18 Service Pack 2 is now available to download from the brand new DriveWorks Community.

Download the latest version to make the most of the added functionality.

The New DriveWorks Community

We’ve built a brand new DriveWorks Community at my.driveworks.co.uk.

The DriveWorks Community is our user portal, bringing together DriveWorks users from around the world. The community is a place for our resellers, customers and partners to come together and find useful resources.

The DriveWorks Community includes many important downloads – including DriveWorks software and PowerPacks, learning and training materials and many other useful resources.

The new MyDriveWorks community includes improvements to the user experience, to make it easier for you to find the content you need.

We’ve personalised each page based on the software you have, so you only see what’s relevant to you.

We’ve improved the stability of downloads making them quicker and easier.

To access the content and the new software release, you will need to create a MyDriveWorks account, even if you had an account in the previous DriveWorks Community.

Download the Latest Release Now from the New DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks Resellers and Customers with an Active Subscription Support Contract can download DriveWorks 18 SP2 from the new DriveWorks Community.

Here’s what you’ll need to download the latest release:

  • A DriveWorks Community Account, if you haven’t yet created a new DriveWorks Community account, you can create one at my.driveworks.co.uk
  • Pre-Requisites can be found in our Online Documentation.
  • DriveWorks 18 License Codes

Activate DriveWorks 18 in SOLIDWORKS 2021

You can activate DriveWorks Solo 18 and DriveWorks Pro 18 in the latest version of SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS 2021.

You can now load compatible applications into your SOLIDWORKS software for the current session, the next startup, or both.

The add-in applications must be installed on your computer.

To activate DriveWorks 18 in SOLIDWORKS 2021, navigate to ‘Tools’ and then select the ‘Add-in’s’ tab and find DriveWorks 18 under ‘Partner Gold Add-ins‘.

Important Information

  • We have tested the updates rigorously across Windows Operating Systems and latest versions of SOLIDWORKS to test compatibility.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and DriveWorks Pro Server.
  • Make sure you have your DriveWorks 18 license keys to hand.
  • More information is available in our Online Help File.

A New Way of Connecting DriveWorks Users From Around the World

Sharing technical know-how and practical experience informally with each other is something we know many people using DriveWorks would like to do. It’s certainly always worked well at DriveWorks World.
However as DriveWorks World is only once a year, we’ve decided to use technology to set up a new digital event to help you all connect more often and without the need to travel.

We’re excited to introduce you to – DriveWorks Drivers.

This is an opportunity to connect with DriveWorks users from around the world, share ideas and talk DriveWorks!

Virtual Networking Meetings

We’re aiming for 4 meetings per year, and we hope you’ll join us at the first one to help shape them going forward. The meetings aim to connect DriveWorks Users from around the world, invite guest speakers to share experience,s and encourage questions and dialogue about the technology.

These virtual networking meetings will be hosted by us, as a value add for people using DriveWorks Solo or Pro who have an active subscription.

We will also welcome authorized Applications Engineers from our VARs with a DriveWorks focus, who can contribute to the conversations too.

The first DriveWorks Drivers virtual networking meeting will take place on Thursday 10th December.

We’ll be releasing more information closer to the event, but please register your interest by getting in touch with us.

We can’t wait to welcome you at the first meeting!

Look out for Future Events

We plan for DriveWorks Drivers meetings to take place 4 times a year. In March, June, September and December.

Look out for future event dates on our events page and sign up to join us!

We’re Here For You

On Thursday, 5th November, England entered a second lockdown due to Coronavirus.

Just as we adjusted to the first lockdown, we’re doing the same now.

Although we love being in the office, we’ve made sure we can work from home successfully when we need to, and that we stay connected as a team.

Following the latest government guidelines, we are fully operational, selling and supporting our software across the globe.

We thought we would take this opportunity to share some of the things we’ve been up to during this time and our upcoming plans.

Working from Home and Embracing Digital

Our investments in technology and our commitment to digital transformation means we are well set up for working remotely. Our transition to home working this year has been smooth and we have remained open and operational throughout the pandemic.

All our teams have continued to work and support you as usual via email, by phone and web meeting where appropriate.

When we first made the move to home working, we reassured you that we’re here as normal for anything you need. We promised it would be business as usual.

As we’ve settled into this new way of working, it hasn’t actually been business as usual. If anything, it’s been business with a boost!

Our team have really embraced this time as an opportunity to improve, create and innovate.

Two New Software Releases

We’re proud that we’ve released not one but two software versions, rigorously tested (and used by us!) during a global pandemic whilst our team are working remotely.

In April we released our latest major version, DriveWorks 18, and presented about the new features and enhancements during Digital DriveWorks World.

Since then, we continued to work on DriveWorks 18 Service Pack 1. Less travel and more time in the office over the past few months has enabled us to dedicate a lot of time to work on adding new enhancements and updates to this service pack release.

Hosting a Digital Event

Whilst the current global situation stopped us from hosting a face to face event, we still wanted to provide an opportunity for DriveWorks users to learn and connect. So this year we made DriveWorks World a digital event.

We were joined by over 200 DriveWorks customers, resellers and partners for a week of learning, networking and sharing ideas – all online.

During the event, we revealed What’s New in DriveWorks 18 and presented digital training, hands-on learning and advanced sessions all through live webinars and downloadable content.

Using technology, we created an event that was completely online. The sessions are available to download for anyone who missed them, or for anyone who needs a recap.

We’re already working on dynamic content for the next one in April 2021 – whether it’s physical, virtual or blended.

Growing Our Team

Every year we welcome new staff and placement students across many of our teams. We’ve always valued the importance of investing in new talent and supporting the future of digital, and this year is no different.

Through the pandemic, we were excited to welcome four new placements students and three full-time staff to the DriveWorks team.

Whilst the office doesn’t have its usual friendly buzz, our new employees have still had plenty of chance to get to know each other, and the rest of the DriveWorks team.

Adding to our team’s knowledge and expertise with new people and new skills means we can be really productive during this time and continue to improve and innovate.

Education

This year, the local education community in Warrington have been really embracing digital. The Cheshire & Warrington Pledge have been running online workshops and events for students and young people in the area.

We are proud to have been involved in these events – educating young people about how to be productive during this time and using it as an opportunity to add value for their future careers.

Over the past few months, we have taken part in lots of different events as part of The Pledge Partnership.

We have been educating young people about how to be productive during this time and using it as an opportunity to add value to their future careers.

Thanks to the virtual learning platform Learn Live, we have been able to speak to thousands of students across the country – digitally of course.

Our team have invested our time and resources into helping the future and inspiring students.

For each session, we have joined we’ve also been available in the live chat facility for students to ask questions directly.

It has been great to be involved in these events and to see such a positive response from young people wanting to learn.

Part of the Community 

Shortly after returning from 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020, all ‘in-person’ SWUG meetings were placed on hold indefinitely.

In true SOLIDWORKS problem-solving style, the community responded.

Shifting gears and using the technology tools they had been given. SWUG groups became virtual.

As time goes on, virtual SWUG meetings are occurring more frequently and have developed a more routine schedule.

It’s been great to see groups working together to collaborate on larger, regional meetings and be a part of it.

Attending Virtual Events

Normally during this time of year, our team would be heading out all around the world to attend our reseller’s SOLIDWORKS launch events.

Although we haven’t been able to attend events in person, technology and innovation has brought communities together and enabled us to join lots of great virtual events!

Last year we attended 53 SOLIDWORKS launch events, in 14 countries held by 22 different resellers.

This year with the help of technology we have been able to join events anywhere in the world!

Team Work

Whilst most of our team are back working from home, we have still managed to stay connected and work together to achieve!

We are continuing our normal team communications, we’re holding weekly company-wide meetings online and sharing news of what we are getting up to outside of work!

From taking up new hobbies to sharing recipes we’ve enjoyed – we love to know what everyone’s been doing!

For the past few years, members of the DriveWorks team have taken part in Movember.

Movember involves growing a moustache during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

This year is no different. We are pleased to say that we have 18 people taking part in Movember this year (A DriveWorks record!).

You can track their progress and support the cause via our Team page.

But that’s not all we’re up to.

The entire DriveWorks team are continuing to create great software and a wide range of resources to help sell and support our software worldwide!

Our Customers Are Innovating

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard from our customers who have been using this time to improve and work on projects they don’t usually have time for.

They’re making time for developing their DriveWorks projects, adding features and functionality to help them move forward and continue to work smarter.

It’s been great to learn about our customers and their continued success during this time!

Connect With Us

Read the latest updates from the DriveWorks team on our blog and connect with us on social media to stay updated on product information, events and learning opportunities available.

Let’s connect!

We are excited to announce the release of DriveWorks 18.

DriveWorks 18 delivers brand new features and enhancements in the following areas:

Design Automation & PDM

Usability & UX

Scalability

DriveWorks 3D

Industry leading SOLIDWORKS automation 

New and updated generation tasks, functions, model reporting and PDM tasks to utilize the full potential of design automation in DriveWorks.

Making DriveWorks even easier to implement

Focused visual updates and enhancements add further functionality to user-friendly improvements across DriveWorks.

Cloud support and enterprise deployment

Suggestions and revisions from users in the DriveWorks Community and our developers support progressive simplification and management of enterprise wide deployment.

Configure custom products in 3D on any device

Animation for 3D model previews, enhanced performance. Increase your models interactivity with Sprites, VR and accurate surface reflections.

Join Our What’s New in DriveWorks 18 Webinars

We’re hosting a What’s New 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.

What’s New in DriveWorks 18

Design Automation & PDM

Thursday 30th April

What’s New in DriveWorks 18

Usability & UX

Thursday 7th May

What’s New in DriveWorks 18

Scalability

Thursday 14th May

What’s New in DriveWorks 18

DriveWorks 3D

Thursday 21st May

Download the Latest Release Now from the DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks Resellers and Customers with an Active Subscription Support Contract can download DriveWorks 18 from the DriveWorks Community.

Here’s what you’ll need to download the latest release:

  • A DriveWorks Community Account, you can create an account if you don’t have one or reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.
  • Pre-Requisites can be found in our Online Documentation.
  • DriveWorks 18 License Codes have been provided* so you can test and familiarize yourself with the new features and funcationality before upgrading your production environment to the new release.

*If you’re a DriveWorks Reseller AE, your DriveWorks 18 demo codes have been emailed to you. If you’re a DriveWorks customer with active subs, your codes have been sent to your reseller who will pass them on to you. If you haven’t received your DriveWorks 18 license codes yet, please email us.

Important Information

  • We have tested the updates rigorously across Windows Operating Systems and latest versions of SOLIDWORKS to test compatibility.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and DriveWorks Pro Server.
  • Make sure you have your DriveWorks 18 license keys to hand. We issue new license codes for each new major release so you can get to know the new functionality and TEST before you use it in production.
  • New DriveWorks 18 licence codes have been sent to DriveWorks Resellers for all companies with an active subscription support contract. If you haven’t received your codes yet please check with your reseller.
  • More information is available in our Online Help File.

DriveWorks SWUGN Leader of the Year

Let’s face it – all SOLIDWORKS User Group Leaders go above and beyond in their support of the SOLIDWORKS Community. There are, however, those that stand out above the crowd.

We have celebrated these individuals by awarding them with our DriveWorks Award for SWUGN Leader of the Year. Previous winners of this award have been:

At 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020, we announced the 5th annual DriveWorks award for the SOLIDWORKS Group Leader of the Year – Betty Baker.

About Betty

Betty Baker is the Leader for the LaCrosse, Eau Claire, Winona Area (LEWA) SWUG.

Betty was the secretary for this group when it started in 2002. She took the leadership role in 2004 and has been leading it ever since.

Betty is the Domestic Case Goods Product Engineer at Ashley Furniture where she has worked for over 30 years.

She holds her Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) and also acts as an Adjunct Instructor for CAD modelling at Western Technical College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Focus on STEM

DriveWorks is an advocate for STEM education. We actively promote and support STEM education, teaching students how to use DriveWorksXpress and attending events to inspire students to follow STEM careers.

Betty is very committed to her community’s STEM program in Arcadia, Wisconsin. She has leveraged local resources to help students gain skills for the workforce.

She was a founding member and mentor to the local FIRST Robotics Team – Trempealeau County Robotics Team FRC #7021.

Betty has been instrumental in her efforts to inspire future generations of Women in Engineering. She has visited schools around the US to promote STEM Careers including the Burlington Alamance County Community College.

Congratulations to Betty Baker at LEWA SWUG.

We are truly lucky to have someone like you as a champion of STEM education and so much more in the SWUGN Community.

A Best Practice Representative in Technology

The Prime Minister’s foreword for The Parliamentary Review focuses on four ‘grand challenges’: “harnessing artificial intelligence and the data revolution; leading in changes to the future of mobility; meeting the challenges of our ageing society; and driving ahead the revolution in clean growth.”

Many of the organisations who appear in the publication build on these challenges and shed light on some more unique ones. The result is a fascinatingly diverse publication with a huge range of voices.

DriveWorks software allows manufacturers to build their own 3D configurators that can be used on a variety of platforms. In our Parliamentary Review article, we stress the importance of good practice as our business continues to span across Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific.

Technology is surging forwards apace across the world and Britain is no exception. This year’s edition of The Parliamentary Review explains the progress that the industry has experienced on both a domestic and international level, while also highlighting pertinent issues for the future.

The Executive Director of The Parliamentary Review, Daniel Yossman, lauded the exceptional representatives involved this year and stated that The Review is “delighted at how many exceptional and hardworking organisations from across the country have come together to make this edition possible.”

Maria Sarkar, Vice President and Co-Founder of DriveWorks, said “We’re very pleased to have taken part in The Parliamentary Review. We hope that reading about our journey from a start-up to a market leading technology company will inspire others.”

Glen Smith
CEO and Co-Founder of DriveWorks

Maria Sarkar
Vice President and Co-Founder of DriveWorks

DriveWorks 16 SP1 was released on 20th August 2018 and it’s available to download from the DriveWorks Community.

In DriveWorks 16 we built on our extensive Design Automation capabilities, greatly enhanced our 3D capabilities and made sure DriveWorks is positioned as a powerful configurator and CPQ solution company-wide for manufacturing companies.

Our developers have added some new features and updated code which has been tested rigorously by our tech team. SP1 is now available to download from the DriveWorks Community.

What’s New?

Ambient Occlusion

Ambient Occlusion is a camera effect that can be enabled on the Default Camera or any Camera Entity added to a 3D Document.

Ambient Occlusion is a shading and rendering technique used to approximate how exposed each point in a scene is to ambient lighting. It darkens creases, holes, intersections and surfaces that are close to each other. In real life, these areas tend to block or occlude ambient light, therefore they appear darker.

FsGetURL Function

FsGetURL is a new function that makes it easy to show Specification Documents in a browser.

Once you have given it a path to a file located on your hard drive, the FsGetURL function will return a URL for the file. This resource URL can be used in a Web Frame Control or a Hyperlink Control to display or download the specified file.

Save Copy Group Settings

New Data Management Tasks in the Copy Group and Pack and Go features allow a configuration file to be saved with all the settings applied during the wizard process. This allows the same settings to be instantly run when the tasks are required in future.

Data Export Documents

SQL Server Data Export and ODBC Data Export Document UI has been updated to better support high resolution monitors.

The DriveWorks online help files have been updated with more information about this latest service pack:

Important Things to Remember…

  • As ever we have tested the updates rigorously across SOLIDWORKS and Windows Operating Systems (x32 and x64) to maintain reliability.
  • All DriveWorks Solo and Pro Customers with an active Subscription Support Contract and all Authorized DriveWorks Resellers can download the latest release now from the DriveWorks Community.
  • You will need a DriveWorks Community account to download the Service Pack. If you haven’t already, visit hub.driveworks.co.uk and create an account.
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and of course, DriveWorks Pro Server.

We are pleased to announce that we have a new Authorized DriveWorks Reseller in Bulgaria!

DiTra Ltd. is the CAD/CAM center of TechnoLogica, a leading Bulgarian software company.

 For over 25 years, the company has been providing the Bulgarian machine engineering industry with comprehensive and effective design and production solutions.

 Their team of experts have many years of experience in the deployment of industry-standard products. They’re also dedicated to continually improving their knowledge and professional skills.

DiTra Ltd. also work closely with the leading technical universities in Bulgaria, providing them with software licences, effective training and professional support.

They’re an authorized SOLIDWORKS and Stratasys reseller and we’re pleased that they are now selling and supporting DriveWorks software too.

Welcome to the DriveWorks community, DiTra Ltd!

We’re pleased to announce that DriveWorks has been named as a leader in people management practice globally, having been shortlisted in the Silver Employer of the Year 2-49 category in the Investors in People Awards 2018.

The awards celebrate the best people management practices amongst Investors in People accredited businesses. The finalists represent the best performers in people management worldwide. The 13 awards categories recognise the organisations that have achieved the highest standards.

There are a range of awards categories, focusing on the main elements of what it means to be an Investor in People, from Excellence in Leadership and Management to Excellence in Social Responsibility, Leader of the Year and Best Newcomer. The Investors in People awards provide the opportunity to benchmark against high performing organisations on a global scale.

Maria Sarkar, Vice President and Co-Founder of DriveWorks, said: “It is a privilege to be shortlisted for this award; a clear indication of the dedication and hard work the team has invested in the business.

We are proud of our people, they’re a team of hardworking, brilliant, honest and passionate people who all go the extra mile. We will continue to invest in our people and work together to execute beyond expectation.

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “The quality of entries for the Investors in People awards never ceases to amaze me and 2018 has been no different.

We are privileged to work with thousands of incredible organisations and it brings me great pride and pleasure that we are able to highlight and celebrate this excellence through our awards.”

The winners will be announced at a spectacular awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 28th November 2018.

In DriveWorks 16 we’ve built on our extensive Design Automation capabilities, greatly enhanced our 3D capabilities and made sure DriveWorks is positioned as a powerful configurator and CPQ solution company-wide for manufacturing companies.

This release focuses on enhancements to stability and performance, scalability and usability alongside new features.

We hope the improvements we have made will further meet your configuration and Design Automation needs to benefit your company.

Join Us!

Every Thursday the DriveWorks Tech Team share their knowledge and expertise in 30 minute value added webinars exclusively for DriveWorks Reseller AEs and DriveWorks Pro customers on subscription support.

In May, Mike Loftus, our Technical Specialist, will host a 3-part webinar series to take you through all of the new features and enhancements in DriveWorks 16.

Don’t miss out!

You can register for each session below:

What’s New – Part One

Thursday 10th May

 

Sign Up

What’s New – Part Two

Thursday 17th May

 

Sign Up

What’s New – Part Three

Thursday 24th May

 

Sign Up

We are pleased to announce that we have a new Authorized DriveWorks Reseller in Slovakia!

Computer Controls Slovakia are a dynamically developing company based in Zilina. The company was established in November 2017 as a subsidiary of Computer Controls AG (operating in the Swiss market since 1971).

While Computer Controls Slovakia have only been operating for a short period of time, they have a number of qualified sales and technical support specialists who have been working with SOLIDWORKS products for over 15 years.

They also offer a wide range of training programs, from basic training to advanced training.

We’re pleased that Computer Controls Slovakia are now selling and supporting DriveWorks too.

Welcome to the DriveWorks community, Computer Controls Slovakia!

Rademaker have over 40 years of experience in providing solutions for the food processing industry. Their broad portfolio of production lines include: bread, laminated dough, croissants, pastry, pies and pizza.

The Rademaker brand is well known across the globe for their knowledge and experience in automation, engineering and hygiene.

Designing to Order Before DriveWorks

In 2003, Rademaker started modelling their machinery in 3D using SOLIDWORKS. Over time, they developed several processes to quickly create 3D models in SOLIDWORKS that were ready for production and contained a high level of standardization and modularization.

However, the engineering time required to complete the process was substantial. An engineer would need to complete several manual actions to obtain a correct 3D model and a drawing ready for production.

Zero Effort Engineering

Rademaker wanted to implement a ‘Zero Effort Engineering’ (ZEE) process that would reduce the engineering time required.

A ZEE process means that the engineer would only need to fill in the specifications of a machine and the 3D models, drawings and bill of materials would be automatically generated and released to SAP-PLM.

Another objective for Rademaker was to have the ability to reuse generated ‘standard’ parts to gain a more efficient production process and a higher level of quality.

Implementing DriveWorks

After examining all the possibilities to achieve ZEE, DriveWorks was the perfect tool for Rademaker. The software helps them to meet their demands, obtain a high level of modularization and reduce time in several divisions across their organization.

Rademaker have also integrated DriveWorks with SAP-PLM. By using a DriveWorks project per part/assembly, they’re able to reuse parts and sub-assemblies. This facilitates the process of standardization, change control, logistics and sales.

Achieving Targets

Rademaker’s target was to reduce engineering time to less than 15 minutes for modular units. This target has been achieved with DriveWorks.

They also achieved a 30% reduction in time during the standardization process as DriveWorks enabled them to optimize their way of working with product structures. They’ve increased flexibility, variants, functionality and the number of options they can handle.

For more information about Rademaker, visit: www.rademaker.com