Texas A&M Provides SolidWorks Access to 16,500 Students
 CONCORD,
MA, Sep 23, 2009 - Texas A&M, one of the world’s top engineering
universities, has purchased new licenses of SolidWorks software to
dramatically expand CAD software access to 16,500 students in a broad range
of programs.
Through a Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) “Student
Access Initiative,” students will now have SolidWorks software on their
laptops and home PCs as well as on school-owned computers across a variety
of disciplines – including petroleum, nuclear, mechanical, industrial,
electrical, and biomedical engineering. All other schools at the university,
including the college of science and veterinary medicine, will have
SolidWorks, too.
“SolidWorks has broad applicability beyond engineering courses,” said
Mitch Wittneben, senior systems analyst for Texas A&M. “It helps students
better understand important physical engineering principles, for example, or
understand interaction of linkages between bones and prosthetics. With its
balance of ease of use and powerful capabilities, SolidWorks helps students
transform their ideas into reality and succeed in their work. It’s a
valuable tool for all the sciences, and employers like to see a job
candidate with SolidWorks experience.”
The university has maintained 500 licenses of SolidWorks since 1999. The
new purchase adds 2,000 new licenses in department-run labs and on
open-access desktops, which are campus computers any student can use. An
additional 4,000 licenses will be available for students to download to
their personal PCs, enabling them to study on the same software used by
their professors and in the labs. These 6,000 licenses include SolidWorks
Simulation Premium for integrated design analysis and validation. Another
10,000 students on the campus at large will be able to obtain SolidWorks
Standard software for their laptops and PCs.
SolidWorks’ ease of use and intuitive operation are important for Texas
A&M students’ success in courses that focus on design concepts rather than
operation of software. Because students learn SolidWorks so fast, they can
spend more time focusing on design principles – a driving force in the
university’s steady adoption of the software.
SolidWorks Simulation Premium is an important part of the software
package for students. It gives them insight into the strengths and
weaknesses of their designs and inspires them to delve further into the
physical principles behind finite element, thermal, fluid, and other
analyses.
SolidWorks Everywhere
Students have found SolidWorks to be a powerful tool for everything from
designing simple test rigs all the way through complex flow analysis of
turbo machinery. Although it may seem odd for veterinary medical students to
need CAD and simulation software, Wittneben says, it’s actually invaluable
to the design and study of artificial joints and other man-made devices, and
how they interact with natural tissue. Students create CAD models of bones
and prostheses and study the way they come together and withstand stress and
use.
SolidWorks also helps students engage with private companies. Student
mechanical engineering teams tackle class-based projects with 10-12
companies every year. Using SolidWorks ensures easy sharing of designs with
these companies, whose engineers typically use SolidWorks themselves.
Students work with companies like 3M, FMC, Fluor, Halliburton, Lockheed
Martin, and Shell. SolidWorks is a popular CAD choice in several of the
region’s industries, including oil and gas, and many graduates report their
SolidWorks experience has proven very beneficial to them in their line of
work.
Students on the Texas A&M Racing Team used SolidWorks to design their
championship car that beat 30 teams from around the world in the 2009
Formula Hybrid competition. The team won first place in the overall hybrid,
design, presentation, endurance, and autocross classes with the highest
score in two decades.
“A Texas A&M engineering education is a complete and well-rounded
preparation to enter the workforce and make an immediate contribution to an
employer’s success,” said Wittneben. “SolidWorks is a key ingredient in that
preparation.”
Texas A&M relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Texas Engineering
Systems, LP, for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
About Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systems S.A. subsidiary, is
a world leader in 3D solutions. The company develops and markets software
for design, analysis, product data management, documentation, and
environmental impact assessment. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD
technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them
design better products.
For more information, visit
www.solidworks.com. or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America,
call +1-978-371-5000).
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See Also
SolidWorks website
TenLinks
SolidWorks Directory - Top Ten sites, books, services, 3rd party
tools, more, by TenLinks.com
SolidWorks Reading Room - feature articles, reviews, news, by
CADdigest.com
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Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external
sources and used as is.
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