The second instalment of our two-part Creo 12 webinar series focused enhancements to Creo’s integrated design, simulation, and manufacturing capabilities. In this article we provide the highlights of that presentation, demonstrating how Creo 12 provides industry-leading composite capabilities, expanded Model-Based Definition, improved real-time simulation, and streamlined manufacturing workflows.
Design for Composites
In the clip below, Daniel Grobbelaar, Senior Application Engineer at LEAP takes a deep dive into Creo 12’s Composite Design tools, explaining the latest features and enhancements including:
Enhanced Failure Checking: The “Check All Failures” option in Creo 12 allows users to see every failing ply in a transition, rather than stopping at the first issue, enabling faster resolution of complex transition problems.
Excel Integration for Ply Management: Manage ply offsets and layouts directly using an Excel spreadsheet, significantly saving time when working with multiple layers.
Consolidated Trim and Extend Feature: Trimming and extending capabilities have been merged into a single feature which allows users to easily switch between trimming and extending plies, improving workflow efficiency.
Default Color Mapping: Set default color maps for different materials and orientations, ensuring consistency across designs and facilitating easier identification of composite layers.
Improved Solidification Process: Capture more realistic drop-off geometries during solidification, resulting in an accurate representation of laminate designs.
Flexible Rosette Placement: Users can now place rosettes anywhere in the model, rather than being restricted to layer setup surfaces. Creo 12 supports multiple rosette types, enabling better orientation for draping on complex geometries.
Customisable Notification Settings: Enhanced configuration options allow users to manage how they receive notifications regarding failures in composite design, whether as warnings or errors.
These enhancements dramatically improve productivity and precision in composite design processes, making it easier for engineers to create and manage multi-layer composite structures in Creo. Watch the clip below to learn more.
Simulation Driven Design
Next Daniel looks at the latest enhancements to Creo 12’s Simulation Driven Design tools, starting with Generative Design which leverages AI-driven algorithms to automatically create optimised design solutions based on specified parameters such as load conditions, materials, weight limits, and manufacturing methods. Creo 12 now supports thermal simulations alongside traditional structural analyses, allowing users to define thermal load types not only to enhance the effectiveness of their designs but also to ensure that they meet specific performance criteria. Additional enhancements such as the ability to connect preserved bodies and surfaces, implement offset bodies and surfaces, and yield stress diagnostics provide improved flexibility and control over the design process, ultimately enhancing productivity and design accuracy.
Daniel then looks at the updates to Creo Simulate Live, which include support for bearing loads, bolted structures, and easy application of bolt constraints. These advancements, along with integrated features for handling welds through glue contact, streamline the simulation process and enhance the overall design workflow.
Core Model-Based Definition Enhancements
In his final section of the webinar, Daniel covers Creo 12’s improvements to core Model-Based Definition functionality which include an improved search tool that automates the selection of surfaces associated with pattern features, boosting efficiency. Additionally, driven dimensions can now be created more flexibly along a cylindrical axis without the need for manually creating planes. The introduction of a copy and paste feature for individual annotations allows users to reuse annotations across different models without starting from scratch, further increasing productivity and maintaining modeling accuracy through a dual window interface for easy reference.
Design for Electrification
Next, Taju Joseph, Application Engineer at LEAP explains the significant changes to Creo’s Design for Electrification tools in this release, particularly the transformation of the cabling module from treating harnesses as parts to a more modern approach where harnesses are defined as independent assemblies. This change is designed to make electrical design more intuitive, flexible, and integrated within Creo, leading to improved day-to-day usability and tighter integration with the associated tools. The new workflow allows for the organisation of cabling data objects within a standalone harness assembly while also offering a built-in conversion utility for existing harness part models, ensuring a seamless upgrade process.
Moreover, the update streamlines the interface by removing outdated commands and consolidating many tools into a centralised cabling data management system. Newly designed spools, terminators, and cosmetic components will be treated as bulk items, enhancing their control and reusability within the bill of materials (BOM). Additional features include dedicated tools for inserting electrical components and connectors, along with the ability for each item to carry a designated BOM report quantity parameter. These enhancements collectively aim to modernise the electrical design workflow in Creo and are set to be rolled out in the next build, scheduled for release next month.
Design for Manufacturing
Finally, Taju turns his attention to enhancements to additive manufacturing and tool design with Creo’s manufacturing mode. New capabilities allow users to utilise data points as localised seed points in stochastic lattices, facilitating precise control over high-density zones that require stiffness and impact resistance while maintaining lightweight structures. This advancement enhances the already leading capabilities of Creo’s lattice functionalities, especially for applications such as helmets, prosthetics, and aerospace brackets. Additionally, the export process has been revamped to trim lattices at boundaries when saving as STL or 3MF files, ensuring clean, watertight meshes that minimise errors during the 3D printing process.
Moving on to tool design, the introduction of conformal cooling channels represents a significant improvement over traditional cooling methods, which often lead to uneven cooling and part warpage. The new channels are designed to conform to the 3D geometry of parts, enhancing heat extraction uniformity and resulting in shorter cycle times and improved part quality. Additionally, Creo now supports complete multi-body programming, allowing users to include or exclude bodies during machining operations. This flexibility facilitates faster and more focused programming workflows. The introduction of a new high-speed machining (HSM) tool path specifically for undercuts automates the detection and clearance of undercut regions while preventing tool collisions, streamlining the overall programming process.
We trust you found this article informative. If you haven’t already read part 1 of this two-part series which covers Creo 12’s top usability and productivity updates and enhancements, you can find it here.
If you would like any assistance in updating to or getting started with Creo 12, don’t hesitate to reach out to the LEAP team.