SUN announced about new SmartConnect schematic tool for manifold design.
The direct link where you can read more about this online application is here . In addition SUN offers the free webinars how to use it.
This is a very interesting feature which really simplifies the preparing work of manifold design. The online application is free and required a free registration only. Before this time it was a pretty complicate algorithm to indicate connections between cartridges’ ports. Now you just draw a hydraulic schematic (easy drag and drop SUN components) and with next step you get ready to use manifold design drawing set.
I used SUN manifold design before and tried to use it now with SmartConnect – I see the difference, and it is really improving and great feature.
I think the next step from SUN to be components’ placement optimization. I really like the idea of free online manifold design, but on the other hand, I found the complicated design from SUN has not optimal components placement and always manual correction required. And the problem with it – it hard to do in CREO because at the end we get STEP file which impossible (or very hard and uncomfortable) to modify. But anyways, this online application can give you some idea how to place components in the space and this is a good basis for your own manifold design. This is why I at least recommend to pay attention to QuickDesign with SmartConnect tool.