3DEXPERIENCE World 2023: Breaking the Boundaries of 3D Design

On Wednesday, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 came to an end. This gathering for users of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Works, including of course SOLIDWORKS, encompassed three days of discussions, announcements and of course workshops. And with the last physical 3DEXPERIENCE World event taking place in 2020, the excitement was understandably palpable in Nashville, Tennessee as finally the community was able to gather together once more.

This return after the pandemic was definitely on the mind of attendees, even reflecting itself in the theme of the event. Presented by Gian Paolo Bassi, Executive Vice President of 3DEXPERIENCE Works, this year the theme is the power of imagination, inspired at least partly by the actions of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bassi explained, “The visual world that you created with the platform, gave everybody the freedom to imagine and crate new solutions for an emergency that came out of nowhere and could not have been expected. It showed that knowledge is less important than imagination, because knowledge is limited while imagination has no limit. Our imagination empowered us to fight back and so the power of imagination is the theme of 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023.” After having the opportunity to attend event, we took a closer look at what you might have missed.

The opening stage at 3D Experience World 2023

Announcements at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023

One of the main takeaways from 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 was definitely the importance of collaboration. This was shown especially through some of the main announcements that were made at the event. Namely, the platform will be expanding cloud access to everyone.

According to Bassi, From July 1st, 2023, every seat of SOLIDWORKS will include cloud services. Not only that, but from the same date, everyone with a SOLIDWORKS license will be able to share 3D designs with anyone in the world, allowing for critical feedback on designs and great collaboration. He noted that the decision is a way to empower users and to allow them to continue to perform amazing feats. He noted especially that they hoped it would lower the barriers of access to technology.

At the event itself, attendees were free to go to the playground to test the technologies themselves

Beyond this, the speakers put an emphasis on a number of other exciting projects in works for the platform. Automation especially seems to have gained in importance, allowing for ease of use for users to test and examine their design before even making it. This also reflects ongoing trends in 3D printing in general, where automation is becoming more important as users increasingly industrialize.

Moreover, Bernard Charles, Chairman of the Board & CEO Dassault Systems, noted that the company would continue to work not only on the ecosystem that they are building (note that 3DEXPERIENCE Works was born as a way to gather together all the programs offered by Dassault, allowing users easier access to what they need) but on continuously improving the quality of work that users would have access to. AI especially was mentioned as key to gathering the necessary data and creating even better designs.

But that is not all, the company also has released 3DEXPERIENCE for business users, allowing for the same streamlined, data-based process, but specifically designed to help build a company. Charles expanded, “The future of imagination is very well associated with the future of design and new design techniques. Then through those we are also able to transform our companies.”

3DEXPERIENCE World for companies is a new project that Dassault hopes will help startups and companies to grow

The Rise of the Digital Twin

Unsurprisingly another big talking point at the conferences this year was the importance of simulation, both for businesses and for designs. Through improved simulation, users should be able to get more accurate testing to better plan parts or even plan out factories. Furthermore, at 3DEXPERIENCE World, attendees were also able to learn about the importance of digital twins.

Defined by IBM as “a virtual model designed to accurately reflect a physical object,” digital twins can be used for any number of purposes. For example, in 3D printing they are often the scanned parts that are turned into a design and then printed, useful when recreating spare parts. It could also be useful in medical applications.

Simulation and digital twins were a key focus point at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023

Or at least that was what we heard from Dr. David Robinson from the Boston Children’s Hospital who was one of the speakers at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023. He has been using digital twins as a way to improve success rates through surgical planning for pediatric cardiac surgeries. More specifically, they can take CT scans to perfectly replicate the heart of each patient, important considering the fact that children often have significant geometric variabilities in their bodies. These scans can then be used for pre-operative planning. 

The 3D Printing Presence at the Event

Compared to previous years, it should be said that 3D printing seemed to have less of a presence, at least physically, at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023. Unlike previous years, we only noted two 3D printing companies that had booths: Markforged and Nexa3D. Though this also could be a result from the design to put more of an emphasis on the “playground” rather than just traditional exhibitors.

But that does not mean that 3D printing was not present. Indeed, a number of 3D printing projects made using 3DEXPERIENCE Works were on display at the event. For example, during the general conference on the first day, we were introduced to Ilya Mirman, Head of Marketing and Sales Operations at Verve Motion. Verve Motion is creating a high-performance exosuit that could help industrial workers when lifting heavy items at work, protecting notably their backs from damage. Though the entire exosuit is not 3D printed, they did turn to Nexa3D’s XiP 3D printer to create important parts as a way to accelerate time to market. Not only that, but Mirman also showed his own personal projects, 3D printed guitars made using generative design.

Captain Rex was designed in SOLIDWORKS and 3D printed using a number of different technologies

On the floor of the show, we also saw a number of projects that were created using additive manufacturing. EXOSAPIEN Technologies, who also were on the main stage, were showing a full 3D printed exoskeleton which included 3D printed controls. There was also a replication of Captain Rex, the robot which used to be the pilot in Disneyland’s iconic “Star Tours” attraction. This moving, talking robot was 3D printed using a variety of technologies including SLA, FDM and even metal 3D printing.

In any case, it goes without saying that paltforms like 3DEXPERIENCE Works are a key part of 3D printing as design is such a crucial component. As such, having several days to learn and hone skills can only be a benefit for users of the technology. You can also learn more about the show in our video below, showcasing some of the most interesting projects from the event.

Did you attend 3DEXPERIENCE WORLD 2023? What did you think of the event? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*All Photo Credits: 3Dnatives