Xtropolis is the heart of the action at PTC LiveWorx, and the 2023 event was no exception to this rule.
It’s easy to see why! In the 170,000-square-foot exhibit hall, you can discover how the world’s leading companies are using PTC technologies like Onshape to boost efficiency, productivity, collaboration, and – in turn – their bottom line.
We were pleased to help demonstrate the products from some of the most innovative Onshape customers joining us to wow attendees.
Gain X-Ray Vision with Lumafield
We were joined by local Boston-based Lumafield. Lumafield brought the Neptune, which offers engineers and designers a unique opportunity to add X-ray vision to their toolkit. No kidding!
Lumafield's easy-to-use CT scanner can help solve tough engineering challenges at every stage of the product development process. Using it, engineers can:
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Refine designs: Visualize what’s going on inside your products; measure both external and internal features to pinpoint misalignments, leaks, and collisions.
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Perfect your production: Inspect every part you manufacture. Find problems and make fast pass/fail decisions with automated analysis tools.
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Remove friction from manufacturing: Collaborate with colleagues around the world in real time using nothing but a web browser. Add bookmarks, comments, and custom views, and share scans securely with an unlimited number of partners.
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Avoid critical molding and casting failures: Discover and analyze pores, voids, and cracks with automated porosity tools before they become production problems.
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Explore new techniques with confidence: Validate and monitor new vendors, and adopt new technologies like additive while making sure that they meet your requirements.
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Stay ahead of quality: Make sure the parts you – and your customers – rely on meet your standards.
Needless to say, the Lumafield team stayed busy!
24/7 Additive Manufacturing with Formlabs
Formlabs brought one of their new Form Auto systems, shown below. The Form Auto is a hardware extension for Form 3/3+ 3D printers that automatically remove finished parts from Build Platform 2 and starts the next print without operator interaction, enabling around-the-clock 3D printing.
Courtesy: formlabs.com Meet the Solo!
To help demonstrate Onshape’s upcoming CAM Studio release, we asked the team at Penta Machine Co., formerly PocketNC, to bring out the prototype Solo.
The Penta Solo is a 5-axis CNC machine that features a tool changer, probe, and many many more features. As it's still in development, please note that details can change. But if you want to see a spec sheet they provided in response to a forum discussion, see it here.
Seeing a CNC device, designed in Onshape, running the yet-to-be-released CAM Studio, was a bit of a meta experience.
Trek’s Relentless Progression
Our friends at Trek, specifically the store nearby in Cambridge, were able to provide three stunning, top-of-the-line bikes:
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Project One Domane SLR 9: This endurance road bike comes equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 wireless electronic drivetrain, Aeolus RSL 37 carbon wheels, front and adjustable rear IsoSpeed, and a storage compartment for ride essentials.
Source: trekbikes.com -
Madone SLR 7 Gen 7: The ultimate race machine. An 800 Series OCLV carbon frame with exclusive IsoFlow technology adds an aerodynamic advantage, cuts weight, and smooths the road ahead. It's built up with the ultra-fast precision shifting of Shimano's wireless electronic Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and deep carbon wheels that cut through the wind.
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Fuel EX 9.8 GX AXS Gen 6: This is a hard-charging trail bike with a light and stiff carbon frame that's smooth, quiet, and holds its own when you pick a line. It's loaded with the latest tech like a wireless SRAM GX AXS drivetrain that's super clean looking and customizable. The 150 mm front and 140 mm rear suspension keep you in control on the roughest trails and it's all topped off with carbon Bontrager wheels with a quick-engaging hub.
If you’re in the Boston area, drop by to see these bikes (and many more) in person.
Meet the Vebu Bobaristas
Vebu brought the most beautiful machine to the floor.
The Bobacino turned heads and inspired minds – and investors – as they demonstrated the robotic boba-making capabilities. The “bobaristas” serve up customizable bubble tea just about anywhere you can fit and plumb the small ~16 ft^2 footprint.
Each order can be completed in less than two minutes, and the Bobacino can fit enough ingredients to serve up to 200 NSF-compliant drinks without any oversight. Drink up!
Janus, Made to Stand the Test of Time
Janus Motorcycles brought their Halcyon 450, which coincidentally, is roughly the same number of people who sat on it and went, “Vrrrooooooooommmm,” imitating motorcycle sounds. Here’s a picture of our very own, Richard “The User Group Guy” Doyle giving it a (pretend) ride.
The Halcyon was accompanied by Richard Worsham, founder of Janus, and Charlie Hanson-Reed, Design Engineer, and the demonstration was based around simulating the pillion seat that’s featured in the video below.
The Future Is Bright
There were also some very interesting student demonstrations:
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The ÉTS University Rocketry Team from Montrèal brought one of their very impressive rockets, the Aarluk III. Their rockets compete at events like the Spaceport America Cup, and one guest, Jim Heppelmann, took a great deal of interest in what they were up to! Just don't ask me how they brought a surface-to-air missile over the border.
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A FIRST Robotics Competition team (4909) from Billerica Memorial High School brought their robot, the Equinox. They gave live demonstrations on how the robot worked, what the challenge was this year, and got to meet Onshape co-founder Jon Hirschtick. Although, we’re not sure those young whippersnappers knew who he was!
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Team Tufts University brought their Formula Hybrid racecar. This amazing, and photogenic team, demonstrated how Onshape was put to use in the design and construction of the vehicle.
LiveWorx 2023 was a resounding success for all parties, and a lot of fun was had. Between the 70 different innovative customers, “demo power hours”, minigolf, and IgniteTalx, Xtropolis proved once again why it is the heart of the entire LiveWorx event.
Hope to see you in the next round!
LiveWorx 2023
on Demand
Check out select sessions and catch up on keynote presentations.