| Developer(s) | PTC |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1987 |
| Stable release | Creo Elements/Pro 5.0 M070 / December 16, 2010[1] |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Type | CAD software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | ptc.com/products/creo-elements-pro |
Creo Elements/Pro, a product formerly known as Pro/ENGINEER is a parametric, integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE solution created by Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). It was the first to market[2] with parametric, feature-based, associative solid modeling software. The application runs on Microsoft Windows platform, and provides solid modeling, assembly modelling and drafting, finite element analysis, and NC and tooling functionality for mechanical engineers. The Pro/ENGINEER name was changed[3] to Creo Elements/Pro on October 28, 2010, coinciding with PTC’s announcement of Creo, a new design software solution.
Versions for UNIX like systems were discontinued with the release of version 4.0. [4]
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Creo Elements/Pro (formerly Pro/ENGINEER), PTC's parametric, integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE solution, is used by discrete manufacturers for mechanical engineering, design and manufacturing.
Created by Dr. Samuel P. Geisberg in the mid-1980s, Pro/ENGINEER was the industry's first successful rule-based constraint (sometimes called "parametric" or "variational") 3D CAD modeling system.[5] The parametric modeling approach uses parameters, dimensions, features, and relationships to capture intended product behavior and create a recipe which enables design automation and the optimization of design and product development processes. This design approach is used by companies whose product strategy is family-based or platform-driven, where a prescriptive design strategy is fundamental to the success of the design process by embedding engineering constraints and relationships to quickly optimize the design, or where the resulting geometry may be complex or based upon equations. Creo Elements/Pro provides a complete set of design, analysis and manufacturing capabilities on one, integral, scalable platform. These required capabilities include Solid Modeling, Surfacing, Rendering, Data Interoperability, Routed Systems Design, Simulation, Tolerance Analysis, and NC and Tooling Design.
Companies use Creo Elements/Pro to create a complete 3D digital model of their products. The models consist of 2D and 3D solid model data which can also be used downstream in finite element analysis, rapid prototyping, tooling design, and CNC manufacturing. All data is associative and interchangeable between the CAD, CAE and CAM modules without conversion. A product and its entire bill of materials (BOM) can be modeled accurately with fully associative engineering drawings, and revision control information. The associativity functionality in Creo Elements/Pro enables users to make changes in the design at any time during the product development process and automatically update downstream deliverables. This capability enables concurrent engineering — design, analysis and manufacturing engineers working in parallel — and streamlines product development processes.
Creo Elements/Pro is part of a broader product development system developed by PTC. It connects to PTC’s other solutions that aid product development, including Windchill, ProductView, Mathcad and Arbortext.
Like any software it is continually being developed to include new functionality. The details below aim to outline the scope of capabilities to give an overview rather than giving specific details on the individual functionality of the product.
Creo Elements/Pro is a software application within the CAID/CAD/CAM/CAE category, along with other similar products currently on the market.
Creo Elements/Pro is a parametric, feature-based modeling architecture incorporated into a single database philosophy with advanced rule-based design capabilities. The capabilities of the product can be split into the three main heading of Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing. This data is then documented in a standard 2D production drawing or the 3D drawing standard ASME Y14.41-2003.
Engineering Design
Creo Elements/Pro offers a range of tools to enable the generation of a complete digital representation of the product being designed. In addition to the general geometry tools there is also the ability to generate geometry of other integrated design disciplines such as industrial and standard pipe work and complete wiring definitions. Tools are also available to support collaborative development.
A number of concept design tools that provide up-front Industrial Design concepts can then be used in the downstream process of engineering the product. These range from conceptual Industrial design sketches, reverse engineering with point cloud data and comprehensive free-form surface tools.
Analysis
Creo Elements/Pro has numerous analysis tools available and covers thermal, static, dynamic and fatigue finite element analysis along with other tools all designed to help with the development of the product. These tools include human factors, manufacturing tolerance, mould flow and design optimization. The design optimization can be used at a geometry level to obtain the optimum design dimensions and in conjunction with the finite element analysis.
Manufacturing
By using the fundamental abilities of the software with regards to the single data source principle, it provides a rich set of tools in the manufacturing environment in the form of tooling design and simulated CNC machining and output.
Tooling options cover specialty tools for molding, die-casting and progressive tooling design.
| Name/Version | Build Number | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pro/ENGINEER (Autofact 1987 premier) | R 1.0 | 1987 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 8.0 | 1991 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 9.0 | 1992 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 10.0 | 1993 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 11.0 | 1993 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 12.0 | 1993 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 13.0 | 1994 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 14.0 | 1994 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 15.0 | 1995 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 16.0 | 1996 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 17.0 | 1997 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 18.0 | 1997 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 19.0 | 1998 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 20.0 | 1998 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 2000i | 1999 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 2000i2 | 2000 |
| Pro/ENGINEER | R 2001 | 2001 |
| Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire | R 1.0 | 2002 |
| Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire | R 2.0 | 2004 |
| Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire | R 3.0 | 2006 |
| Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire | R 4.0 | 2008 |
| Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire | R 5.0 | 2009 |
| Creo Elements/Pro | R 5.0 (as of M065) | 2010 |
In June 2011, PTC released a new line of design products, called the Creo family. This incorporates core technology from Creo Elements/Pro (formerly Pro/ENGINEER). The Creo Elements/Pro (aka Pro/ENGINEER) line, ends here.
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