M4 brings a breath of fresh air to mechanical engineering and plant design
A new version under a new brand name offers increased productivity for mechanical engineering and plant design, together with an improved holistic 3D design experience
Cambridge, UK and Pittsford, NY – 13 February 2020: With M4, CAD Schroer introduces its fully redesigned CAD product line. Designers and Plant Engineers can now look forward to the most advanced design experience ever. The new product line-up brings together all the functionality required for mechanical and process plant design.
New version under a new brand
With the release of version 7.0, CAD Schroer combines its MEDUSA4 and MPDS4 software products into a single CAD suite. “As a result of the restructuring, all of our CAD products now operate under the common M4 brand name, and will be able to better meet the needs and wishes of our customers,” said Michael Schroer, CAD Schroer’s Managing Director.
M4 PLANT – designed for factory and plant engineering professionals
Professional users love the power, reliability and productivity of MPDS4, which now goes by the new name of M4 PLANT. It is designed to take full advantage of an integrated software solution, delivering robust features with the highest possible performance, and working seamlessly with other sites. M4 PLANT version 7.0 is packed with new features and component catalogues that provide an unprecedented design experience. Existing tools and interfaces have also been further optimised to meet the demands of new market requirements.
Stronger 2D/3D integration for layout planning
2D layout is an integral part of the offer preparation and project planning processes for many companies. Engineers value the ability to create simple 2D layouts in M4 and then quickly visualise them in detail in 3D. This integration is based on a comprehensive toolset that enables designers to position 2D equipment symbols on a 2D layout and then automatically view the design as a full 3D model at the click of a button.
With version 7.0, M4 introduces even more possibilities to create integrated 2D/3D layouts. For example, component catalogues have further been expanded, enabling production layouts to be created even faster. Integrated auto-routing now connects multiple conveyors to produce entire production lines, and it even caters for variations in height. Further tools allow an integrated adaptation of the 3D design from the 2D layout, up to the adaptation of individual 3D models of machines.
“Our customers’ requirements for integrated 2D/3D design have played a major role in developing the new version,” says Mark Simpson, Product Line Manager at CAD Schroer. “With M4, we have gone one step further, giving our customers a powerful tool that enables them to create their layouts with unparalleled speed and 3D integration”.
Holistic 3D design experience
The 3D software for plant design offers a comprehensive range of modules for a comfortable, convincing and integrated design experience for entire process plants. Intelligent P&IDs can be created which then serve as the basis for subsequent 3D pipework design. Modules are also provided for pipework and steelwork design, and for laying out electrical cable trays and HVAC ducting. M4 PLANT even has a module to automatically generate fully dimensioned piping isometrics from the 3D pipework model, ready for fabrication.
More advanced 3D pipework design
With version 7.0, the tools and catalogues provided for plant design have been expanded and optimised. In order to allow rapid design and to evaluate the results even better, M4 has added significant new P&ID functionality. Additional manufacturer-specific catalogues are also now available for 3D pipework design, together with additional options for configuring and detailing bills of materials. The production of piping isometrics also benefits from many innovations, so that the most extensive isometrics can now be optimally generated, and bending tables can now be exported directly in machine-readable format.
“In 3D plant engineering, it has always been important for us to provide our customers with the right tools to enable them to carry out integrated plant design. With the new version, we are taking this a step further and even enabling integration with production,” says Mark Simpson. “For us it’s all about supporting our customers’ processes. To do this, we also adapt our software to facilitate substantial increases in productivity”.
Next generation CAD
CAD Schroer’s former MEDUSA4 2D software is now known as M4 DRAFTING, starting with version 7.0. The origins of the MEDUSA4 software date back to the early days of computer aided design, and since then it has been continually developed and enhanced for higher performance. This is also the reason why many companies prefer this software when it comes to the creation of extensive 2D drawings. Here M4 DRAFTING shines with its clear structure and high-performance with very large drawings. CAD Schroer will continue to maintain this tradition and offer its customers many innovations in the coming versions to help them increase their engineering productivity.
Also in version 7.0 the functionality and performance of the CAD software has been further optimized. “Our customers recognise the difference in performance and know what M4 DRAFTING can do even at a very high level of detail. The software’s extensive CAD and PLM interfaces also ensure that our customers reach their design goals safely, quickly and with high quality,” says Mark Simpson.
With M4, CAD Schroer combines the MEDUSA4 and MPDS4 software products into a single CAD suite
“M4” is the new brand and refreshes the mechanical and plant engineering with a holistic 3D design experience