Automotive Design & Production is the one media brand invested in delivering your message in print, online, via email, and in-person to the right automotive industry professionals at the right time.
Issue link: https://adp.epubxp.com/i/265555
Then, at the other end of the spectrum . . . . . . BOXX Technologies ( boxxtech.com ) builds high-end workstations, a market involving compute-intensive work that cannot be satisfed with regular workstations. For instance, a couple of years ago, a standard 2,000 x 2,000- pixel image could easily take an hour or more to render; 4,000 x 4,000 images, three to four hours. A souped-up BOXX system generated the 2,000-pixel render in 5 minutes; 4,000-pixels, 20 to 30 minutes. Where rebuilt models are rendered several times a day, the time savings can be considerable. One would think this speed-up is a result of multiple CPUs and multiple cores/CPU. Unlike rendering or simulation, which are multi-threaded processes, virtually all CAD programs are predominantly single-threaded, according to a BOXX blog, which further states, "This means that in most cases, when working with CAD software, your workstation can have all of the cores in the world and your application will only utilize one of them. Not just one CPU, one core. That's it." "Most mainstream workstation vendors build their systems based on standard components," says consultant David Cohn ( dscohn.com ). "These are excellent, reliable computers, but they don't push any envelopes. The problem is, when you run the CPU faster, it generates more heat. The top-tier vendors could certainly overclock their systems, but doing so would mean that they'd need to deal with the extra heat. Dissipating the additional heat requires something more sophisticated than passive cooling augmented with an extra fan. Simply running the CPU faster does not guarantee improved performance. The other components within the system must all work in concert with the CPU." Moreover, continues Cohn, not all CAx tasks "rely on the processor. Some, such as rotating a shaded image of a 3D model, are actually computed using the graphics card rather than the CPU." Now look inside a BOXX workstation for visualization, simulation, and other compute-intensive jobs. The 3DBoxx 8950, starting at $18,353, has liquid-cooled, dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors (incidentally, Xeon processors can't be overclocked), support for 256 GB DDR3 RAM, up to four professional-grade graphics cards (Nvidia Quadro for visualization and Nvidia Tesla for compute, according to another BOXX blog, or ATI FirePro), and bunches of internal drive bays, expansion slots, options for SATA and SSD SATA drives, and more—in a tower case about 18 x 24.7 x 7-in. BOXX uses professional-grade components; its workstations come with a 3-year warranty and are certifed for Ansys products, Autodesk Systems AutoCAD and Inventor, Dassault Systèmes Catia and SolidWorks, and many other CAx software programs. 800-243-8253 / 562-903-1929 www.ChevalierUSA.com SMART-III technology is now available in a multi-functional 2- and 3-axes CNC surface grinder. The SMART's PC-based control, combined with a user-friendly conversational TaskLink function, makes it easy to learn and operate. The SMART series produces "mirror" surface finishes on highly accurately ground workpieces that result in microfinishes of 5 RMS with a positioning and grinding accuracy of (±) 1 micron. The SMART's movements are program- mable in increments of 0.001mm and include a table size up to 24"W x 80"L. The standard spindle speed is 1200rpm to 3600rpm with a spindle power of up to 25HP (greater HP is available). Call your local dealer to see our comprehensive product line for all your machining needs. 36 AD&P; > March 2014 > FEATURE > Professional Workstations Are Still Important > Lawrence S. Gould > lsg@lsgould.com 0314ADP FEATURE Workstations.indd 36 2/18/2014 3:30:02 PM