Motovated > News > Newsletter December 2011

Hi everyone,

Well it's been a good year here at Motovated, and we've had the opportunity to work on some fantastic projects. However the year hasn't been without its challenges, especially for those dealing with the Canterbury quake and recovery effort - we're certainly looking forward to a Christmas holiday! The good news is that 2012 is also looking very positive and there is renewed commitment to R&D from our clients. We certainly hope that you're seeing the same thing!

We've got a very busy year lined up already, with a number of projects, seminars and workshops planned for the New Year that will see us presenting right around NZ with local Economic Development Agencies and a number of other industry professionals. These will be well worth attending, with plenty of great information on design and analysis right through to fund raising and commercialisation.

In this issue we also have an update on the CANSUG meeting, KiwiRail's Tranz Scenic Carriages, another joke and puzzle, as well as an FEA tip for meshing complex models. Our complimentary desktop calendars are also in the post, feel free to drop us an email if you would like a copy.

Merry Christmas and we look forward to catching up in the New Year!

Jonathan Prince
Managing Director
jonathan.prince@motovated.co.nz

---

Motovated's 2012 Desktop Calendars

Our 2012 complimentary desktop calendars are in the mail. If you haven't received your copy by the New Year, please drop us an email and we will put you on our calendar list and send you one ASAP.

We also have a PDF copy available for downloading on our gallery web page, and some preview images below!

---

Holiday Office Hours

Motovated will be officially closed from:

Thursday 22nd December 2011 and re-opening on Monday 9th January 2012

We will be in email contact over the holiday period, please let us know if you need work processed during this period and we will see what we can do... and you can always contact Jonathan Prince on 021 582 199!

---

Dunedin and Invercargill Seminar Follow-up

The Dunedin and Invercargill seminars went really well, with some great discussion throughout. The focus of these seminars was around the Kiwirail project that we recently completed and the fantastic collaborative effort between all the companies involved.

Thanks to Kiwrail, Hillside, Holmes Solutions for their participation, and Engineering Dunedin, Upstart and Venture Southland for their support of these events.

---

Events Update

Canterbury SolidWorks User Group (CANSWUG) Update
	On Thursday 8 December the Canterbury SolidWorks User Group (CANSWUG) met at ENZTEC. It was a great evening with a tour of ENZTEC, Josh Hately from Intercad gave a presentation on the design of Ford Performance Vehicles new supercharged V8 and Gary Brinsden from 3D Printing Systems displayed the latest in low cost rapid prototyping. Ben Allwright from Talbot Technologies deserves congratulations for winning the modelling challenge with his ring helix!
Upcoming Product Development Seminars
	Jonathan has more seminars scheduled for next year, pencil in these dates to make sure you don't miss out... - Nelson, end of January 2012 - Palmerston North, beginning of March 2012
More KiwiRail News
	The KiwiRail AK carriages used on the Tranz Scenic lines are getting a bit of lime light in the press. Motovated designed the bogies (the connection between the carriage and the track) for these cars. See our KiwiRail case study for an explanation of the project. Read the 3 News article New carriages debut on South Island's rails. Read The Press article World-class scenic transport on stuff.co.nz

---

Tips & Tricks: Fast and Easy Meshing!

We all know how frustrating it can be to get analysis models to mesh. Here is a quick look at the SolidWorks "Curvature Based Mesh" tool, which can significantly cut down the time spent meshing your complex models! In this tip we compare the global element size and meshing time for the Standard and Curvature Based Meshers - you might be surprised at the result! Read more here

---

JOKE: Warning labels

The following warning labels are found on actual products...so make sure you choose your Christmas presents carefully! On stockings: Not to be used in the commission of a felony. A warning on an electric drill: "This product not intended for use as a dental drill." On a child's buggy: "Remove Child Before Folding" On Nytol Sleep Aid: "Warning: May cause drowsiness" Puma shoe box - Average Contents: 2 Superman outfit - Does not enable wearer to fly Birthday Card for a 2 year old - Not suitable for children under 3. Shirt label: "Do not iron while wearing shirt"

---

Outsmart your colleagues...

Figure out which of the three elements of the nine elements displayed are part of the figure.

Send your correct answer to competition@motovated.co.nz to be in with a chance of winning a $50 Mitre 10 voucher.

---

Answers to last issue's puzzle

Check your answer to Octobers's question here: This was a challenging one, which unfortunately no one got right this time!

Answer: 15 squares and 37 triangles.

---

Thanks for your time and support. We look forward to working with you and continuing to provide the best engineering services possible. Jonathan and the team at Motovated. "engineering your vision"