North Bay. To any respectable Ontarian, the town is synonymous with snowshoes, snowmobiles and, of course, freezing temperatures. However, what you should be thinking about when someone mentions North Bay is ICAMP. The brain child of Canadore College President George Burton, Director of Corporate, Community & Alumni Partnerships Brad Gavan and Manager of Corporate Relations Charles Gagnon – ICAMP (Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing & Production) will change the way any engineer views that little town north of … well, everything!

This revolutionary idea was born just over a year ago, the way most good ideas are: over dinner. Burton felt that in order to ensure industry and education would thrive in Northern Ontario, it was extremely important to think outside the box when enticing companies to operate in North Bay. With this in mind, his team began tackling the tough questions – what would bring companies to the Bay? And, after they were there, what would make them stay?

The answer was found in the creation of ICAMP. The centre will provide the resources needed for companies to have the ability to research and create new products without any heavy investment in specific technologies. It’s an industrial centre focused on product innovation, with the added bonus of opportunities for Canadore students to learn from leaders of the manufacturing industry.

Currently under construction, the facility is set to open in September of 2013. With SolidWorks 3D CAD software and Objet 3D printing technology as tools, the centre is already prepared for design and rapid prototyping. Plans for incorporating the ICAMP centre into Canadore’s curriculum, Javelin’s excited to keep everyone updated on the progress of ICAMP over the next 6 months.

Architects, contractors and college staff are all feverishly working towards making ICAMP the facility that establishes North Bay as a hub of manufacturing and production activity. There is no other school in Canada that is engineering such an innovative project – that being said, Canadore is one of the only schools worldwide to tackle such a feat. Officially trail blazers, Javelin’s ecstatic to be supporting a school on the cutting edge of technology.

More updates to come! Congratulations ICAMP!

iSkin slims for iPhone 5, image courtesy of iSkin.

Everybody knows at least 1 clumsy person. In my family, that person is me. If there are stairs, I’m falling up (or down) them. If there’s something on the floor, I’m tripping over it. If I have an expensive piece of electronic equipment (like my phone or iPod) in my hand, there is a 90% chance it will be dropped. Ok I lied. 100% chance it will be dropped. Now, while I can live with bruises due to consistently bumping into inanimate objects, living without my iPod is NOT an option. That 60 GB is the reason I don’t have more speeding tickets, am able to go to the gym without dying of boredom and can tune out my sister’s bad taste in music. That’s why I’m thankful Javelin supplies iSkin, the leader in mobile-device protection with its design software: SolidWorks.

About iSkin

iSkin is a pioneer in mobile & music device protection. Formed in 2002 with a mere 6 employees, iSkin has experienced rapid growth in their past 10 years of business. With 100+ employees, iSkin is heavily focused on design & technical innovation as a category leader in protective technology solutions. Credited as being the first company to utilize form fitting silicone to create a unique protective solution for Apple’s game changing music player (the aforementioned iPod), what sets iSkin apart from its competitors is their integration of art, fashion, music & design when creating protective pieces. This combination of strength in design and aesthetic quality creates an authentic brand that speaks to multiple demographics, genres & cultures.

Why SolidWorks?

I had the chance to chat with Bianca Jerca, Mechanical Engineer for iSkin. Here’s what she had to say on her preference for SolidWorks 3D CAD.

Personally, I’ve been using SolidWorks since 2003. When I started working for iSkin in 2010, the type of 3D software to be purchased was based on my previous experience in SolidWorks. Now, SolidWorks is the only 3D software that iSkin uses to design cases for smart phones, tablets and notebooks. The 2D layouts are used for dimensional and finishing specs, while screen shots of critical areas (as well as exploded views of small assemblies) are used in PowerPoint presentations for better communication with vendors.

Bianca also noted that in-house design and 3D modeling have given iSkin serious advantages in their increasingly aggressive competitive environment. Some of these advantages include:

• Increased Quality
• High Speed & Flexibility in changing design and mechanical solutions
• Shortened ‘Time to Market’
• Building up Libraries of Successful Solutions

About the 3D Solutions

SolidWorks 3D CAD Software: award winning complete 3D product design solution, providing your design team with mechanical design, verification, motion simulation, data management and communication tools all in ONE package!

SolidWorks Professional Annual Subscription Service: support, upgrades, new versions, special releases, add-on features & webcasts ALL designed exclusively for SolidWorks subscription service members. Improve your performance and productivity while staying competitive in your field with Javelin’s subscription service.

Caught Your Eye?

Learn more about iSkin here: www.iskin.com, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myiskin and Twitter: https://twitter.com/iskin

Let’s face it. Wednesday’s are not the most interesting day of the week, by a long shot. We all know Monday’s will pass in a haze of trying to get over the mental roadblock of realizing there’s another work week ahead (and rushing home to PVR that new Kevin Bacon TV show). Tuesday has American Idol, Pasta Specials at Boston Pizza and cheap night at your local movie theatre. Thursday (a.k.a. Date-Night Thursday, Lazy Thursday, or for our alcoholic beverage inclined friends, Thirsty Thursday) is so close to the weekend you can practically taste it. And Friday? Well, by the time Friday morning rolls around, you’re practically home free.

Here at Javelin, we want to give you something to look forward to on that dreaded ‘Hump Day’ of the week. Starting Wednesday, March 13^th, Javelin is hosting Web Wednesday’s from 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST.

What is Web Wednesday?

Web Wednesday’s will be Javelin’s little gift to all our engineering friends every Wednesday. Tune in to catch updates & exclusive content on your favourite SolidWorks products like SolidWorks 3D CAD, SolidWorks Simulation & Analysis, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, SolidWorks Composer AND more! Each webinar starts on the hour, and runs approximately 20 minutes with 10 minutes following for questions and discussions with the presenter.

What’s the Web Wednesday Schedule Look Like?

Here’s the schedule for our Web Wednesday sessions

Why Should I Attend?

Good question. Here’s the Top 3 Reasons you should let Web Wednesday’s be the shining light in the middle of your work week.

1. Get access to exclusive content, tips and tricks in a short but sweet 20 minutes
2. Have the chance to ask questions & discuss ideas in a 10 minute question period with some of Javelin’s brightest Applications Experts
3. How else are you going to get through Wednesday?

So what are you waiting for? Go register for Web Wednesday today! If you’re interested in any of Javelin’s other webinars, click here to look at our upcoming schedule.

With National Engineering Month (and the month of green beer) fast approaching, Javelin’s decided to roll out the red carpet once more to show YOU how SolidWorks 2013 is the definitive release. Application Engineer & SolidWorks Expert Extraordinaire Jake Middleton is back to highlight (in no specific order) the Top 10 Enhancements of SolidWorks 2013. Learn about …

• SolidWorks Electrical
• SolidWorks Plastics
• Previous Release Interoperability
• Conics in Sketcher
• Intersect Feature
• Section View Tool Enhancements
• CAD Administrator Dashboard
• Varying Dimension Pattern Feature
• SolidWorks Costing Enhancements
• Sub-Modeling for Simulation

In true Javelin spirit, we won’t let the month of the Irish pass without paying proper respect. All of our guests are invited to enjoy a beer following the presentation. Beer AND SolidWorks. It may just be because I’m still a University student, but I really don’t think there’s a better combination. If you, a colleague, your mom or the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow are interested in attending, register now for the event nearest you!

Dartmouth Event

WHEN: Thursday, February 21^st
WHERE: 10 Morris Drive, Dartmouth NS
TIME: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

REGISTER

Oakville Event

WHEN: Wednesday, March 6^th
WHERE: 3457 Superior Court, Oakville ON
TIME: 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm

REGISTER

Dead Ringers. Tommy Boy. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. What do these 3 movies have in common? They’re not the same genre, not from the same year, and no, this isn’t 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. The common thread is Laurie Mirsky – assistant director in over 30 films, and new owner of Toronto’s coolest 3D design & print shop, 3DPhacktory.

About Laurie Mirsky

Working his way up from assistant director to producer, Laurie has been in the film industry for over 20 years. Film production brought opportunities to work in American network giants like NBC, Universal and Paramount; it also exposed Mirsky to some of the cutting edge technology involved in making props for movies and television. Just like blockbuster movies such as Iron Man, Avatar and the Muppets discovered, Mirsky found that 3D printing was the best solution to help save time and speed up the design process. So he traded in his director’s chair and set forth to create 3DPhacktory.

About 3DPhacktory

3DPhacktory is Toronto’s One-Stop Shop for all things 3D printing. Have a model you need printed? They’ve got an Objet Connex500 ready to do the job. Need something designed? They have designers (and SolidWorks 3D CAD software) on hand to help your vision become a reality. Located in the heart of the studio district on Dundas Street East, 3DPhaktory offers more than just a service – it’s an experience. With a 24-hour turnaround and props for 2012′s Robocop and Mortal Instruments (among others) under their belt, 3DPhacktory is on their way to becoming Toronto’s Rapid Prototyping staple for Movies & Television props and set design.

About the 3D Solutions

Objet Connex 500 Printer: featuring closer-than-ever simulation on end 3D model products and superb productivity, the Connex500 Printer has the unique ability to print parts & assemblies made of multiple material models. With a wide variety of available materials and building processes, the Connex500 offers outstanding quality and accuracy while bringing your 3D design to life!

SolidWorks 3D CAD Software: award winning complete 3D product design solution, providing your design team with mechanical design, verification, motion simulation, data management and communication tools all in ONE package!

Caught Your Eye?

Check out 3DPhacktory’s website & blog! If you’re interested in more information, you can email 3DPhacktory too.

If you’d like more information on the products 3DPHacktory uses, click here!

Alcoholics have them. Dog lovers have them. Hell, even parents who are battling empty nest syndrome have them. Support groups have become a part of everyday life – whether you’re meeting with your peers to discuss the best way into Mordor (you can’t just walk …) or combat shopping addiction, peer groups offer insight, knowledge and the opportunity to rub elbows with people who love something just as much as you do! It seems only fitting that we here at Javelin are so excited to tell you about a support group all about, you guessed it, SolidWorks!

I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to go all the way to Simcoe just to talk about SolidWorks when I can do that at work? Well, the ability to network with peers and partners in the SolidWorks community not only benefits those at the meeting, but your entire company! You can better educate yourself on how SolidWorks can be used, share experiences & technical presentations that help provide valuable, real-world techniques and methodologies, and, of course, there’s always snacks to be eaten and prizes to be won!

The SWUG-Simcoe (SolidWorks User Group of Simcoe) meets every few months to eat, drink & discuss the best 3D CAD software around. This month’s meeting on December 6^th from 5:30 to 9:00, however, is of special interest to anyone that:

1. uses Javelin support
2. takes training courses
3. follows our blog
4. adores SolidWorks experts

Our very own Elite AE Alin Vargatu will be taking the stage to discuss “What’s Really New in SolidWorks 2013″. His presentation will go beyond the official “What’s New” videos by discussing all the different interesting and time saving applications for the new functionality. Not only do you get to experience Alin’s witty presentation style that has landed him multiple guest-speaking appearances at SolidWorks World, but have the chance to discuss SolidWorks with Alin! The presentation will be followed by a brainstorming session to discover new ways to use to use the new tools & techniques in SolidWorks 2013.

Interested in going? Click here to send your RSVP!

The last two weeks have been a blur here at Javelin! Between our fundraising for the Oakville Hospital, Halloween and trying to get some work done in between, I really don’t know where the time has gone. Here’s a little update as to everything that’s been going on behind-the-scenes at your favourite SolidWorks VAR …

On Monday October 22^nd, the Javelin Cares committee started our fundraising efforts for Javelin’s contribution to the New Oakville Hospital. Set to open in late 2015, the new hospital will provide the space needed to care for the 180 000 people within the Oakville community and surrounding areas. Javelin is pledging $25 000 to help equip a single-patient mother and baby room. Considering the baby boom Javelin staff are currently experiencing (which reminds me, congratulations to the newest member of the Javelin family, Daniel Vinson, who was born yesterday night!!), the donation seems extremely fitting.

As an intern here at Javelin, I’m constantly learning new things about the company – and the last two weeks were not as much of a learning experience as a growing experience. I witnessed such a heartwarming display of generosity from all the Javelin staff – from pledging a portion of each paycheque to buying 50/50 tickets, Javelin proved once again that we aim high in every project we take on. The huge hearts that make up Javelin staff raised over $10 000 in the matter to two weeks. A huge thanks goes out to the Javelin Volunteer committee & our fearless leaders John and Ted, who agreed to match each Javelin employee dollar with one of their own.

Obviously in the mood to celebrate, Javelin employees went all out for our Halloween festivities last Wednesday. The Oakville office welcomed a collection of characters, from Ted’s Oliver Twist to Christy’s amazing Scarecrow, Alex’s SOA-Grim Reaper (you know, that scary skull thing with the crystal ball and gun? yeah, THAT was wandering around our office) and Sean’s, uhm, interesting take on a Disco Diva costume. Javelin employees got more treats than tricks at our potluck lunch, complete with Amie’s to-die-for pumpkin cake. Check out the picture below of some our best costumes – and stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks at what’s up at Javelin!

Back Row: Shelley, Sean, Christy, Amie, Lauren, Barb, Kerri, Luis & Ted
Front Row: Eric, Alex, Scott & Tamer

Javelin’s SolidWorks 2013 Launch Events, of course!

From costing enhancements and conics to nested folders and the oh-so-powerful intersect feature, SolidWorks 2013 prompted Javelin’s own SolidWorks guru Alin Vargatu to deem this “the most impressive SolidWorks release ever“. To celebrate, Javelin decided to take your favourite engineering software on the road and show over 250 attendees exactly what the new release can do:

With Applications Engineers (and, more importantly, Certified SolidWorks Experts) Alex Arevalo and Jake Middleton at the helm of the presentation, SolidWorks users got the chance to dive into all the enhancements that the 2013 release has to offer. Over the course of 5 hours, attendees got to view in-depth software demonstrations, visit Javelin product tables, network with our wonderful sponsors, record a video testimonial, enjoy a delicious lunch and play a little vendor bingo (and, maybe sneak a peek at the ROM’s dinosaur exhibit like I did).

The Cambridge Mill’s Falls Room provided a gorgeous view of the Grand River and the perfect backdrop for an intimate afternoon of demos and networking; while in Ottawa, the Museum of Nature’s Barrick Salon welcomed SolidWorks users to experience the wonders of SWX 2013 on their big screen. Finally, in Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum’s Bronfman Hall held the excitement of over 130 attendees as they interacted with Javelin staff and sponsors – Torontonians’ competitive spirit was championed as attendees actively pursued filling out their bingo cards for a chance to win an Apple TV! Toronto’s launch was ecstatic to welcome Design Product News – you can watch Alex’s thoughts on SolidWorks 2013 and Ted’s update on what’s new at Javelin!

A huge thank you to our awesome sponsors (OneCAD Solutions, In-House Solutions and Applied Precision) – without your help, these events wouldn’t be possible. Thanks also goes out to the Javelin staff that helped pull everything together, Alex & Jake for running such a great presentation, and of course, our attendees! Because of you, Javelin gets to do what we do best – share our passion for innovation and provide the tools to help engineers bring their ideas to life.

Congratulations are in order for our launch events draw winners …

Jeffrey Jackson (Cambridge), Terry Young (Ottawa) and Richard Laflamme (Toronto) were the winners of the survey draw! These lucky fellows walked home with a Javelin backpack full of swag & a free training voucher.

Gary Strobel (Cambridge) and Phillip Johnson (Ottawa) were the winners of the vendor bingo draw, getting to bring home the coveted Apple TV.

Online Launch Event Coming Soon

If you missed the launch event closest to you, never fear! Javelin will be hosting an online version of the SolidWorks 2013 Launch Events in November! Register here if you’re interested in attending.