| Price & Myers 3D Engineering uses SolidWorks with finite element analysis software COSMOS, to ensure the accurate analysis of its invariably complex structures. “Take the design of a stone staircase, for example,” says Tim Lucas, founding partner of Price & Myers 3D Engineering. “You can’t analyse it in the simple way that you would a beam or column, since the actual shape of each step and its physical properties has a big impact on its ultimate strength.”
Lucas and his team use SolidWorks to model the exact geometries of each step (which can vary considerably) and how they fit together, so that this 3D information can be analysed in COSMOS. “It’s the only software we know which is capable of carrying out contact analysis,” explains Lucas. “This is crucial for steps, which aren’t actually joined but just sit on top of each other.”
SolidWorks enables Price & Myers quickly to generate drawings for each individual step and send it for analysis. Following this process the drawings are used to create templates for the stonecutters, enabling them to create staircases that fit perfectly and will last for generations to come. “SolidWorks with COSMOS saves us a huge amount of time,” says Lucas. “Not only that, the results are always accurate and the stairs go together beautifully.” |
