A year after introducing its company-wide “synchronous” initiative, Siemens PLM Software has announced the second release of its Solid Edge modeling and drafting software to incorporate the cutting-edge technology. Solid Edge with Synchronous Technology 2 improves on the part and assembly modeling capabilities of previous releases, features a new sheet metal application and a built-in tool for finite element analysis, and integrates product data management capabilities by way of Microsoft SharePoint technology, the company said. The underlying synchronous technology, which Siemens is deploying selectively across its sprawling product catalog, aims to divorce product designers from the history function by providing a history-free design process that incorporates features-based modeling. The technology’s real-time model adjustments allow engineers to create designs more quickly and ultimately get products to market faster, according to Siemens PLM officials. In the latest release of Solid Edge, users will find synchronous technology extended to the tools for complex feature creation and advanced sketch editing. In addition, as part of its effort to ease the 2D to 3D transition, Solid Edge now “turns 2D dimensions from imported drawings into 3D driving dimensions during model creation, so users can edit 3D designs based on the intent from 2D,” according to the statement accompanying its release. Sheet metal designers will find synchronous technology underlying the tools they use, including a history-free design application for modeling straight brake sheet metal parts. “Synchronous technology brings new levels of productivity to the sheet metal environment so users can create models with less pre-planning, make changes with unbounded flexibility, and reuse and edit supplier data more effectively,” Siemens PLM said in a statement. For companies looking to simulate finite element analysis (FEA), the latest version of Solid Edge offers an optional tool that helps designers validate parts and assemblies. The add-on tool relies on Femap software for FEA and NX Nastram solver technology — both of which are incorporated into the Solid Edge user interface for easy access. The latest offering also taps Microsoft’s SharePoint collaboration tool as the foundation of Solid Edge’s data management application, Insight. “Solid Edge Insight running on SharePoint Server adds design data management to enterprise collaboration for small and mid-sized businesses,” said Don Richardson, director of Microsoft’s global innovation and PLM industry strategy, in a statement. The combination of Insight and SharePoint aims to facilitate better collaboration, faster workflows, and improved security. Solid Edge with Synchronous Technology 2 will ship to customers this summer, according to Siemens PLM.