n the latest release of its Solid Edge CAD program, Siemens PLM Software has extended the role of Synchronous Technology in an effort to accelerate product design tasks and allow engineers to shift focus away from mastering CAD software to thinking more about actual design. In addition to making Synchronous Technology pervasively available throughout the CAD platform, Solid Edge ST3 delivers a variety of enhancements around simulation and data management in addition to more than 1,000 customer-driven improvements sprinkled throughout all modules of the platform, according to Karsten Newbury, Siemens PLM Software's senior vice president and general manager of the Velocity Series and Solid Edge business. Synchronous Technology, accessible for sheet metal design operations and parts modeling in earlier versions of Solid Edge, is now available throughout the CAD tool, including all assembly applications such as piping, frames and wiring. Solid Edge ST3 also delivers for the first time a synchronous-based part-to-part associativity, allowing users to establish and alter design intent before, during or after the assembly design process. One of the standout features of the new Solid Edge ST3 release is its ability to support both synchronous and non-synchronous (ordered) features in the same integrated environment. With this capability, engineers can tap synchronous features for doing fast and flexible design edits while adding ordered features for the design of process-type parts such as cast or machined parts. In addition, ordered features in existing models can be selectively moved into the synchronous environment, further increasing flexibility and ease of use, Siemens PLM Software officials say. Analysts said the extension of Synchronous Technology throughout Solid Edge will foster engineers' ability to innovate. "Synchronous Technology has the capacity to perform a wide variety of design tasks in a fraction of the time it takes with a traditional approach," said Ken Versprille, PLM research director at consulting and research firm, CPD Assoc., in a prepared statement. "This could provide engineers with more time for creativity and innovation, resulting in better product designs, produced faster." For 2-D users making the conversion to 3D, Solid Edge ST3 has a new capability for merging 2-D drawings with existing 3-D models. As a result, manufacturing dimensions on 2-D drawings can now be automatically transferred into the corresponding, imported 3-D model. In addition to Synchronous Technology advances, Solid Edge ST3 also builds on the software's already existing simulation capabilities. New simulation functionality in the platform includes torque and bearing loads, user-defined constraints and new ways to connect assemblies such as bolt and sheet metal edge connectors. There are also new model simplifications and visualization tools allowing engineers to see what's going on inside the model, and refinements to the simulation can be done using Synchronous Technology or ordered methods. On the data management front, Solid Edge ST3 with the Insight data management solution now leverages Microsoft SharePoint 2010 to extend collaboration to a wider range of CAD and non-CAD users. With this capability, users can tap into SharePoint's project management, business analytics and social media capabilities. There is also a standalone Bill of Materials (BOM) editor delivered with the Solid Edge embedded client so non-CAD can create product structures. Finally, the Solid Edge ST3 upgrade also takes a page from users, adding thousands of customer-driven improvements. There is new functionality in the areas of sheet metal, piping and frame design in addition to assembly management and drafting. Sheet metal improvements include new closed corner types, etching of part numbers and other geometry and manufacturing-specific features such as tabs for production or transportation purposes. New multi-cultural drawings allow the mixing of character sets from multiple languages on a single drawing and there is a streamlined user interface designed to reduce mouse travel, improve the ability for customization and to maximize the graphics workspace area.