If you design washing machines for Whirlpool or trucks for Ford, you probably do it on Siemens NX. This level of product design and engineering involves numerous stages and large collaborative teams, which is one reason corporations turn to NX. It’s meant to be a robust solution aimed at manufacturing businesses who want to streamline their design and product processes and have greater flexibility to meet deadlines and reduce costs.
Yet, Siemens is striving to make NX more appealing to small and mid-size businesses instead of just thousand-seat OEMs.
To have a broader appeal, Siemens is packaging select features of NX instead of selling the whole platform and now you can test-drive these packages for free to see if they’re right for you.
But first, let’s cut to the chase: it’s not possible to get Siemens NX for keeps without paying cash unless you’re a student. However, with 16 different types of free trials, you can test the software out for exactly what you plan to do with it, which is a nice bonus from Siemens. After all, you’re job may mean that you need to master just one element of the full platform.
Here we’ll go into how to check out all of what NX can do without paying anything, well, for 30 days at least.
What Is Siemens NX For?
Siemens NX is the pinnacle of product design, engineering, and manufacturing software. Compared to another fantastic option, AutoCAD, NX has more tools beyond CAD, including simulation, CAM, product lifecycle management (PLM), finite element analysis (FEA), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to name just a few.
This means that if you are new to the world of CAD and CAM, you will find the learning curve incredibly steep. Indeed, with the range of different sub-products, add-ons, and variations of the software it can be difficult to pinpoint which NX product is right for your business.
If you have prior experience with CAD and CAM software and are looking into alternatives, Siemens NX is generally viewed as being more difficult to learn in comparison to something like AutoCAD. However, once you get past that, NX shines in terms of functionality, features, and what you can achieve with the software.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to get a free trial of the different Siemens NX software elements, what to expect in terms of usability and learning curve, and the standout features that make NX unique.
Getting Started With NX
To help get you up to speed on the usability of the software, there is a support center and support services but access to these is restricted to registered Siemens users or those who have purchased the software. The best information portal for NX is undoubtedly the community forums and these are packed with active users, useful tips, guides, and FAQs. The community section has different sub-topics such as NX design and response times are generally quick.
Generally, NX is divides into two parts and has several modules. Because not every employee in every company needs the full scope of the platform, NX is fully functional in smaller silos. For example, perhaps you’re purely working on product design and no need for the electronics or simulation modules. This keeps the price of the solution down.
NX CAD vs. NX Manufacturing
NX CAD is purely for design and development and encompasses the entire CAD scope, including creating workflows, automating designs, and end deployment. On the other hand, NX Manufacturing takes care of the whole process and allows businesses to transform their manufacturing in various areas, including additive manufacturing, tooling and fixture design, and robotic programming.
Both sides are comprehensive and have some of the most robust features and tools available. The customization and flexibility are also fantastic as there is a range of sub-products, cloud services, and industry-specific tools if the base NX version isn’t what you need.
Available Features
What makes Siemens NX such a versatile package is the features and flexibility. At its core, the CAD/CAM software has eight central functions:
- Additive Manufacturing
- CAM software
- CAD for NC programming
- Part Quality Control
- Robotic Programming
- Tooling and Fixture Design
- Production Line Planning
- Data and Process Management
Additive Manufacturing
For additive manufacturing and working with 3D printers, Siemens NX offers a complete solution and covers the entire process from initial design to end production and implementation. To start, NX gives you complex additive manufacturing design tools including the ability to optimize surfaces and lattice structures and the complex geometrics you need can all be created at scale too.
With a completed design, NX then helps you prep the AM machine to get the best end result which includes placement, orientation, and the use of supporting parts in the build tray.
Before jumping straight into the print and potentially wasting material and money, NX offers 3D build simulations, too. This means you can preview the print without using any resources and check for imperfections or areas that could be improved. As a result, the NX AM tools help you get better prints, the first time.
Tooling and Fixture Design
An area where NX excels is tooling and fixture development. At its most basic, the software enables businesses to improve automation, and enjoy a quicker development process for these items used for molding and 3D modeling.
For example, NX facilitates the design and positioning of fixtures used in manufacturing and molding. This includes automatic drawing creation and associated documentation, but also simulation of the fixtures in action, i.e., how they work in their open or closed positions, and the effect this has on their strength.
NX also has a versatile set of tools for mold design which includes everything from initial product analysis and cavity development, through to creating the mold structure and design validation. You can easily incorporate company standards into the process and create templates to streamline the production of future molds.
Robotic 3D Printer Programming
If your manufacturing businesses uses robotics in the 3D printing, machining, production, or assembly line, NX has a range of robotic programming tools and functions. For machining, robots can be programmed for precise, multi-axis work including grinding, polishing, trimming, and de-burring.
The NX AM Multi-Axis add-on provides the solutions necessary to setup and drive multi-axis and hybrid robotic 3D printing systems. There’s even comprehensive simultaneous 5-axis AM path planning for robots and machine tools, and you can create a simulation to validate your multi-axis AM machining setup and analyze its performance via a production digital twin.
Moving down the process, NX then offers programming for pick-and-place functions such as tool loading and machine tending which can help improve automation and production capacity.
This can all be combined together using NX to create complex robotic work cells that include multiple robots each performing different functions. This could be ideal if your business already uses robotics and wants to improve efficiency or is considering implementing robotic systems to revolutionize your manufacturing processes.
NX Scan to Part
Especially handy for reverse engineering, this product enables you to import facet data from scanning physical objects, eliminating the need to map surfaces, create solids or manually recreate geometry. NX’s
convergent modeling technology also enables you to combine facets, surfaces and solids in one model without converting data. CAD industry standard format translators are included, as well as the capability to run a variety of automated applications.
P&ID Design
A specific feature of the Siemens NX suite is its P&ID Design ( piping and instrumentation diagram) capabilities. Using the software, you can create complex piping and instrumentation diagrams in 2D which is nothing exceptional. However, while creating the 2D plans, it maintains a link to a 3D space model too which allows for easier implementation, 3D diagramming from 2D plans, and essentially an improvement in a businesses’ P&ID Design workflow.
Drafting & Documentation
Drafting and documentation is just as important as creating 3D models and NX has a superb set of tools in this area of CAD. You can easily create 2D engineering drawings and hybrid plans that contain both 2D and 3D layouts. If you have a set of 3D models to work with, NX can automatically create 2D drafts and drawing views to save you time and effort. Additionally, it has an extensive set of annotative tools so the design process can be effectively documented.
How to Get The Free Versions & Free Trials
Siemens offers a range of 30-day trials for the various software packages, add-ons, and tools within the NX framework.
There are no functional restrictions, meaning these are the full versions, but as per the Siemens Terms of Service, trial software is for evaluation purposes only and cannot be used for production or commercial purposes.
These online cloud trials allow you to try any NX software as a service (SaaS) or cloud-connected products. No installation is needed, so you can start designing in minutes.
Below is a simple step-by-step guide for accessing the 30-day free trials:
- Visit the Siemens NX Homepage.
- Click “Try Now” under the NX Software heading (this opens the NX trials homepage).
- Click on the preferred trial version.
- Register for a Siemens account, or use your Google or LinkedIn to register.
- Enter your company info (name, country, contact number).
- Tick the two boxes to accept the terms and conditions.
- Click “Submit”.
After submission you must wait for confirmation and further details about accessing the trial, which are sent via the email address used for the account login.
The 30-day free trials are a great way for experienced CAD/CAM software users to get to grips with how NX works and see which of the individual products could be suitable for their business. Fair warning: The trials are not geared towards hobbyists or those looking to learn CAD basics.
If you’re not sure which trial to start with or which one is for you, read on.
NX CAD & CAM Software Trials
The NX CAD & CAM trials are divided into the six functionalities below. You can access several at the same time but it’s worth it to take a few weeks with each along, if you have the time, to really get the hand of it.
- NX CAM: CNC machine and robot programming, multi-axis milling and turning, plus features to improve machine productivity and uptime.
- NX Core Designer: Powerful CAD tools and 3D modeling for both parametric and direct modeling.
- NX Advanced Designer: A more feature-rich version of NX Core Designer with capabilities to work with sheet metal plus a myriad of shaping, routing, and surface analysis tools.
- NX Mold Designer: Streamline the molding process with mold part design, tool design, validation, and tool assembly layout.
- NX Mold Connect: Improves workflow, reduces manual tasks involved with molding, and allows for collaboration between OEMs and suppliers.
- NX Scan to Part: Reverse engineering tools allowing for the import of 3D scans that can be integrated into your existing designs.
NX Solution Trials by Industry
Aside from the standard CAD and CAM software trials, Siemens NX has a range of industry-specific trial solutions to demonstrate the bundles of products and the typical workflow you’d need for design and manufacturing in this markets.
- Part Manufacturing CAD/CAM
- Mechanical Product Design for Aerospace & Defense
- Mechanical Product Design for Automotive
- Mechanical Product Design for Consumer Products/Retail
- Mechanical Product Design for Electronics
- Mechanical Product Design for Industrial Machinery
- Mechanical Product Design for Medical Devices
- Mechanical Product Design for SMB
- SMB Engineering and Manufacturing Collection
- Design Simulation for SMB
- E/E Systems Development for Aerospace & Defense
- E/E Systems Development for Automotive & Transportation
NX Free Student & Paid Academic Editions
It’s best to get them while their young engineers in school is the thought behind Siemens’ free student edition of NX and the academic edition for institutes of higher learning.
This edition has everything you’ll need to learn the key elements of NX, including 3D design tools for solid, surface, wire-frame, and synchronous modeling; a full suite of CAM programming tools to program 2- to 5-axis and multifunction CNC machine tools; and tools for freeform shape modeling, surface continuity, analysis, and visualization. This version supports output to 3D printing formats.
Student Edition Rules
To ensure that professionals don’t use this free version for real commercial projects, Siemens has thrown some wrenches in the works. For example, the displayed output of tool path information has “limited precision” so you can’t really get an exact part. Plus, any CAM data generated is not available for post-processing. Siemens has also added watermarks to all printed and plotted data and you can’t even import student-edition NX filed into the commercial version of NX.
This software is not available to students under the age of 14.
Academic Edition Rules
The Academic Edition comes with the same level of support and updates as the commercial customers receive. Plus, academic institutions get instructor material plus an online library with more than 1,000 courses for less than the cost of one textbook, the company says. There are academic user groups and academic special interest groups supported and hosted by Siemens. This version of NX can include loan licenses for students to use at home for completing assignments and continued learning.
NX Academic Edition is available to accredited academic institutions only, such as universities, technical colleges, trade schools, and high schools. The software is intended for classroom training and research projects only. Academic institutions are licensed to install NX on as many computers as needed. In the event your institution can’t yet adopt the NX Academic Edition, Siemens also offers the NX Learning Edition which delivers a single user version of NX.
The cost of a license for the Siemens NX Academic Edition can vary depending on your location, the specific version of NX, the size of your institution, and any discounts or promotions that may be available.
New Features in NX 2023
The latest iteration of Siemens NX is NX 2023 released in June 2023. This is part of a continuous release cycle.
The latest version includes numerous additions and a particular focus on sustainability offering a set of “tools that will assist manufacturers in meeting not only their functionality requirements, but also assist in reducing environmental impact,” the company says.
The new Sustainability Impact Analysis allows businesses to look at the impact their production process has by evaluating 30+ different environmental impact factors. This means that businesses can more easily meet their sustainability commitments and ensure their processes are as environmentally conscious as possible.
The new Appearance Manager is a fantastic tool that allows you to create photorealistic 3D renders of assemblies and parts. The final appearance is often something missing in CAD/CAM software, so this is a great addition. Not only is a 3D render created, but NX has introduced an extensive library of materials and colors for creative flexibility.
An issue in design and product development is the continual need for prototypes and physical testing. NX’s new Performance Predictor aims to eliminate this and allows users to simulate parts in real-time and modify them in a range of ways such as design options and materials used. As a result, product development can be more efficient, but your business is also given greater flexibility to try out new ideas.
The NX Molded Part Designer is a new tool aimed at improving efficiency in the design and creation of molds. Instead of creating 3D models for the individual mold parts such as snap joints and ribs, you can instead incorporate them using the Molded Part Designer library and thus reduce development time while still maintaining the same level of control and accuracy.
System Requirements & Pricing
Below are the minimum and minimum system requirements to run the latest version of Siemens NX – NX 2306:
Minimum System Requirements
- OS: Windows 10 32-bit or later
- Processor: 3+ GHz or higher, or Apple M Series Chips, or Intel Core-i7 Chips
- RAM: 8GB
- GPU: N/A
- HDD Space: 8GB for installation
How Much Does a Siemens NX License Cost?
Siemens NX has a varied price structure based on the different software bundles. This means businesses pay only for what they need and there is no wasted cost. Current packages include the Siemens NX Mach 1 XaaS, Mach 2 XaaS, Mach 3 XaaS, NX CAD license, NX CAD cloud-connected packages, NX Workflow products, and NX for Manufacturing products.
NX Mach CAD Pricing
The NX Mach CAD solutions are pre-packaged and cater to all stages of product development from initial design through to end production. You can extend and enhance the functionality of the Mach series with add-on modules.
- NX Mach 1 is an entry-level solution bundle for creating and editing designs of typical mechanical components and assemblies, with solid modeling and drafting, basic freeform modeling and sheet metal design. NX Mach 1 XaaS: $684/month, $8,203/year.
- NX Mach 2 Provides enhanced design capabilities, including flexible printed circuit board (PCB) design, validation checking, user-defined features, rendering and more. NX Mach 2 XaaS: $879/month, $10,548/year.
- NX Mach 3 provides more advanced tools for assembly design, advanced freeform modeling and surface analysis, design optimization and molded part validation. NX Mach 3 XaaS: $1,157/month, $13,884/year.
NX CAD Licensing
Licenses for NX CAD can be purchased with add-on tokens of either 50 or 100. This means businesses can add/remove modules they need and create a customized license with no wastage. Prices are available on request.
- NX Value-Based Licensing – 50 Count
- NX Value-Based Licensing – 100 Count
NX CAD Cloud-Connected Pricing
The Cloud-Connected products work on a subscription model and are essentially parts of the underlying NX software packaged into individual products.
This allows for better scaling and cost-savings as businesses can pick the specific cloud solutions they need as opposed to paying for a blanket license cost. All NX CAD Cloud-Connected packages prices are available on requested, but include:
- NX Core Designer
- NX Advanced Designer
- NX Mold Designer
- NX Scan to Part
- NX Drafting and Layout
NX Workflow Pricing
These two NX add-ons are aimed at improving workflow within Siemens NX and between other software and giving specific design functionality.
- NX Mold Connect: Price available on request
- NX Fibersim: Price available on request
NX for Manufacturing Pricing
This group of products have specific workflows for part digital manufacturing and include everything from CAD modeling, CAM programming to CNC machining.
- NX CAM 2.5-Axis Milling XaaS: $208/month, $2,495/year
- NX CAD/CAM 2.5-Axis Milling XaaS: $704/month, $8,442/year
- NX CAD/CAM Turning XaaS: $727/month, $8,719/year
- NX CAM 3-Axis Milling XaaS: $483/month, $5,796/year
- NX CAD/CAM 3-Axis Milling XaaS: $942/month, $11,302/year
- NX CAD/CAM Multi-Axis Mill-Turn XaaS: $1,173/month, $14,074/year
- NX AM Fixed-Plane: Price available on request
- NX AM Multi-Axis: Price available on request
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