Alignex Mechanical Division Sales & Marketing Blog

Re-Invest now to be ready for the economic rebound that’s to come

Major media spouts doom and gloom every night on the evening news. Large manufacturers with billions in overhead and owed pensions are struggling to develop a successful business model for the 21st Century. Meanwhile, with much less publicity, small and medium sized businesses are weathering the current economic storm quite well. In fact some are even thriving in this economy. In the December 28th Star Tribune article entitled Growing UP in a down economy, several manufacturing companies in the upper Midwest were highlighted as being at capacity and growing. What sets these companies apart? According to the article, there are three key factors:

1. Companies thriving in the midst of a global recession tend to be innovative and offer customized, high-tech and engineering services in niche industries.
2. "Nimble small companies can take advantage of [this economy] if they have invested previously in their own plants and equipment," said Bob Kill, CEO of Enterprise Minnesota, the quasi-government business assistance group that helps small manufacturers pare waste and raise productivity.
3. Cliff Waldman, an economist with the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, noted that today's trendsetters often are firms that previously updated their plant equipment, streamlined production processes or worked to enhance efficiencies, delivery time and ultimately, profits.
   

At Alignex, we offer a number of technologies that can improve the way manufacturers go to market and manage their engineering process. First and foremost, SolidWorks 3D Design Software is recognized as an industry lead for its ease of use and productivity tools which helps engineers design better products, faster. Virtual Design Analysis like SolidWorks Simulation can reduce prototyping costs as well as materials costs by testing new designs as they are being created. Data Management Solutions like SolidWorks Enterprise PDM can provide the access and workflow for concurrent engineering, making your engineering team more efficient and allowing your organization to better re-use previous engineering in future designs. Documentation tools like 3DVIA Composer can help bring new products to market faster by utilizing 3D design data for product documentation as well as marketing materials. Design Automation tools like DriveWorks and TactonWorks helps environments where custom manufacturing yields many "same as, but different" products by allowing for variable engineering specifications to custom configure the design without having to re-engineer it each time. Finally, CAM tools like SolidCAM allow for machining instructions to be developed in the same window as the design, including the ability to update the machine code immediately after design changes are made.
The bottom line is, if you don't plan to survive this economic downturn, stay with the status quo. On the other hand, if you plan to weather this storm and want to come out stronger on the other end, now is the time to invest in your future. By investing now, you can be in a better position to accelerate your production when the economy gets back on track.

3D Solid Modeling – “The Aftereffect” by Al Switzer

For more than 20 years, industry experts, technologists, CAD dealers and visionaries have been touting the advantages of 3D design and manufacturing. As 3D tools have become friendlier to operate, able to run on practically any respectable computer and cost a fraction of what first-generation solid modelers demanded, it would seem obvious that companies abandon their 2D security blankets and upgrade to 3D CAD. However a surprising number of companies that design and/or manufacture products have not yet made the leap to 3D - and most of them have very legitimate reasons. We, at Alignex, still hear regularly, "our products are so simple, there's no benefit in bothering with 3D" or, "we tried 3D and most of the things we do here are still faster in 2D".

Truth be told, there are a lot of design tasks that can be done faster in 2D than in even the most state-of-the-art, industry-leading 3D CAD systems. Surprised? Don't be. Imagine a simple part that needs to be stretched, holes moved or re-sized and then printed out. 2D will win this contest every time.

So, why should an organization that has not yet justified the move to 3D at this point consider it more strongly now? Aside from the intrinsic benefits of 3D solid modeling (improved visualization, being able to ensure things fit together right the first time, etc), there is an "Aftereffect" of 3D that is less talked about or even completely ignored because the spotlight is usually focused solely on parts modeling, assemblies and drawing creation. And the more simplistic a company's product(s), the more likely it's the Aftereffect that will drive them to 3D.

Not to be left out of my message, for you that have made the switch to 3D and are satisfied with the reduction in scrap and re-work, things fitting together right the first time, modernizing the aesthetics of your products and designing new products faster, congratulations and all; but you've really done yourselves a disservice by not leveraging The Aftereffect.

So what is "The Aftereffect"? It's a phrase that we here at Alignex have coined to explain the opportunities for improved product development that can only occur after implementing a 3D design tool.

Examples:

• Utilizing an integrated CAM System and developing tool path directly from the 3D data.
• Design Validation to simulate the behavior of product designs without physical prototypes, over-designing or risking warranty issues.
• Implementing Engineering Automation tools for "same-as-but-different" product designs where the output can be a complete B.o.M. for manufacturing/purchasing, real-time web-based visuals of the custom design in 3D, custom quoting, etc.
• Product Documentation based on 3D data for assembly instructions, services manuals, installation guides, parts catalogs, training documents, etc.

Companies still using 2D to design their products are switching to 3D not for the traditional reasons but for productivity gains and cost reductions only attainable with The Aftereffect.

Companies that have been using 3D for years have now seen their productivity gains level off or innovation reaching a plateau. They're looking for their next boost in profitability and competitive advantage. For them, the answer lies in leveraging The Aftereffect.

Want to know more? Click on the links in the Aftereffect examples (above) or fill out this form to let Alignex know your product interest.  Alignex will be hosting a series of Webinars and Live Seminars on various Aftereffect topics in the coming months.  Watch for the events on the Alignex Seminar Page.

Al Switzer
Mechanical Sales Director
Alignex, Inc.

SolidWorks Design Software on the Discovery Channel by Mike Bailey

I'm a huge Discovery Channel fan. From Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs and Build it Bigger to How It's Made and Extreme Engineering, there is always something on that network related to how our world works and the people who are making it a better place. In 2005, Orange County Choppers discussed how they use SolidWorks to create and build parts for their custom bikes. They even made a SolidWorks bike (shown).
I saw that bike and the bike they made for HP at SolidWorks World last winter in San Diego and both were sights to behold and very popular with the visitors at the Product Showcase where they were displayed. They will probably both be on display again at SolidWorks World 2009 next February in Orlando, Florida. Click here for more information about how to attend.

Now, there is new show I'm excited about on Discovery Channel called, Prototype This! Each week a group of engineers takes on the task of designing and creating a machine to tackle a theme problem for the show. Last week, they added a hydraulic lifting system with Omni-directional wheels to a mid-sized truck to allow it to park itself in tight spaces and even hoist itself over another parked car when no spaces were available. (See Photo)
These guys are very ambitious and come up with really creative solutions for the problem they are attempting to solve. The reason I bring them up, if you haven't already guessed, is that they use SolidWorks for design and custom fabrication projects. They have a great video on their website that describes how SolidWorks fits into their process. (From the Link, go to the Design Room for the video on SolidWorks.) Watch the show Wednesdays at 9PM Central. This week, they attempt to make a Six-Legged All-Terrain Vehicle.

At Alignex, we're always excited to see what our customers are making with the software and support we provide. We really feel like we're contributing, in our own way, to making our world better. If you have a cool product you'd like to share with us, we would be happy to showcase it on our website and let you tell the story of how it developed and what role SolidWorks and/or Alignex helped make it happen. Contact me directly or tell your Sales or Support representatives about your interest.

Mike Bailey
Marketing Manager
Alignex, Inc.

Product Data Management (PDM) What, Why, When? by Mike Lamora

I meet with at least one or two customers a week in regards to Product Data Management. Each customer has unique goals or challenges important to them but some of the recurring topics I hear on a weekly basis include:

• Control - engineering information is complex/difficult to manage (parent/child relations, etc)
• Time - finding the right information quickly
• Error elimination - reducing mfg waste, working on the latest revision
• Enterprise connectivity - sharing of info with other business systems (ERP/MRP)
• Collaboration - communicating info to others and concurrent engineering
• Certification - assisting in standards to obtain/retain FDA/ISO/FAA/TQM certifications

PDM in brief
In today's business, companies generate many forms of product information from engineering documentation, CAD drawings, sales/marketing information, BOM's, technical manuals, product specifications, simulation studies, vendor information, digital photos, CAM files, etc. This intellectual property are some of the most valuable assets your business possesses.

What is PDM? Back in my early days when I was designing equipment we had a Reprographics Department. This area was a huge room in the building which contained all the master drawings in drawers that Judy was the gatekeeper of. To make a change to a drawing we needed to check out the drawing, make our changes and have Judy update the record in a hard copy book.

Today, the challenge is to maximize the time-to-market benefits of concurrent engineering while maintaining control of your data and making it accessible to the people who need it - when they need it. The way PDM systems cope with this challenge is that master data is secured in a 'vault' where its integrity can be assured and all changes to it monitored, controlled and recorded.

Reference copies of the master data, on the other hand, can be distributed freely, to users in various departments for design, analysis and approval. The new data is then released back into the vault. When a 'change' is made to data, what actually happens is that a modified copy of the data, signed and dated, is stored in the vault alongside the old data which remains in its original form as permanent record.

This is the simple principle behind more advanced PDM systems. To understand it more fully, let us look separately at how these systems control raw product data (Data Management and Process Management).

What is Data Management?
Manufacturing companies are usually good at systematically recording component and assembly drawings, but often do not keep comprehensive records of attributes such as 'size', 'weight', 'where used' etc. As a result, engineers often have problems accessing the information they need. This leaves an unfortunate gap in their ability to manage their product data effectively. Data management systems are able to manage both attribute and documentary product data, as well as relationships between them, through a relational database system.

With so much information being generated, a technique to classify this information easily and quickly needs to be established.

Classification is a fundamental capability of a PDM system. Information of similar types should be capable of being grouped together in named classes. More detailed classification would be possible by using 'attributes' to describe the essential characteristics of each component in a given class. Think of attributes as Google keyword searches you can use in your vault.

Common ways of classifying this data include: Classification of Components, Classification of Documents, and Customer
Product Structure. Having your data structured this way in a database will allow you to search by a combination of attributes. In addition, this data can be shared with external business systems such as ERP/MRP systems. (More on this later)

Who uses PDM?
In earlier years, PDM systems were expensive, complex and hard to use. Typically these systems were reserved to just the engineering staff. Today PDM is just as important as the engineering tool because many people in the company will leverage that data. Some departments include, but not limited to:

• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Quality
• Sales and Marketing
• Purchasing
• Technical Publications
• Document Control
• Regulatory Compliance
• Project Managers
• Vendors

Workflow Management
Today, companies have multiple workflow processes important for their day to day business. Back in the days when I had to check the drawing out of the Reprographics Department, we had to create an Engineering Change Order (ECO). An ECO for us back than was a hand written document describing the change and had multiple people on a distribution list for approvals. This also contained copies of the documents that needed to be changed and was all crammed in a nice manila folder. This folder was often "lost in translation" or importance diminished because it was a manual process and time required to complete the task.

Some PDM systems allow you to take the manual process and map it electronically. We can have documents routed through different people/departments for electronic approval and automate tasks that were once done manually. For example, checking a document back into the vault and bumping the revision can also generate a Bill of Materials to be shared with an ERP system or automatically generate a PDF.

Enterprise Integration
Most companies are utilizing some form of ERP/MRP system. Typically information generated from engineering is shared with these systems. For example, if you are not utilizing a PDM system today, chances are you have redundant tasks of someone manually typing in BOM information into downstream applications multiple times.

Often times, that person is someone in engineering who isn't the best at data entry, they'd rather be doing some nifty engineering work and it's expensive to have them spend time punching BOM data into ERP system. Most PDM systems have the capabilities to share information and automate the exchange of this data.

What are the Benefits of implementing a PDM solution?

• Reduced Time-to-Market
• Improved Design Productivity/Collaboration
• Improved Design and Manufacturing Accuracy
• Better use of Creative Team Skills
• Data Integrity Safeguarded
• Better Control of Projects
• Better Management of Engineering Change
• A Major Step Toward Total Quality Management (ISO9000, FDA, FAA, etc.)

In earlier years, PDM systems were complex and hard to use. Typically these systems were reserved to just the engineering staff. Today PDM is now mainstream and a tool just as important as the CAD tool because almost everyone in the company will utilize the information.

At Alignex, we have in-house experts to deploy a solution tailored to your business. If you would like to learn more about how PDM can benefit you, contact me for the first step in the discovery process.  Let us know how we can help your organization develop a comprehensive and easy to use Product Data Management implementation.  Fill out the form linked here to learn more.

Mike Lamora (mlam@alignex.com)

Sales Consultant

Alignex, Inc.

Innovate or Evaporate

I have been fortunate to be in the business of working with and helping various companies for nearly the last 20 years.  In the spirit of partnership, I want to start sharing info I have come across with people like you.  My goal is to have a monthly blog entry by ME that has valuable info that may interest you.  The idea is that its something quick that should not take more than minute for your review.

I recently participated in a study conducted by the Aberdeen Group on Best-in-Class performance of engineering organizations and the strategies they employ.  They published a paper titled "The Engineering Executive's Strategic Agenda - Designing for the Enterprise and the Environment".

You can read the article here: http://aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/4902-RA-engineering-executive-strategic-agenda.asp

Some key takeaways I found in the article included:

Top 3 pressures executives are faced with:

• Shrinking development schedules is the top pressure (60%)
• Rising raw material costs (33%)
• Decreasing product price-points (28%)

Best-in-Class Performance
Companies today fall in 3 basic tiers,  the top 20% (Best-in-Class), the middle 50% (Industry Average) and the bottom 30% (Laggard). 

The criteria was based on:

• The percentage of their products that meet the release to manufacturing target dates
• Customer or market requirements
• Product cost targets
• Engineering phase development costs

Strategies of the Best-in-Class
What are the Best-in-class doing differently?

• Assessing product performance early
• Capturing and redeploying engineering knowledge
• Designing in a modular fashion
• Developing plans to protect intellectual property
• Deploying lean principles to their organization

Required Actions to achieve Best-in-Class performance
Organizations must:

• Assess product performance digitally in the design phase with simulation and analysis applications
• Correlate simulation and test results with computer aided technology applications
• Assess product regulatory compliance, quality, serviceability, and cost with specialty applications and plug-ins
• Create, track, and manage interfaces as well as map requirements and product capabilities down to subsystems and  subassemblies
• Deploy Lean methodologies in the engineering organization to gain operational efficiencies

At Alignex, we have been helping companies achieve best in class performance for decades.  If you or a colleague have been tasked to make improvements in any of these areas I would welcome the opportunity for us to discuss how we can help with a free consultation and analysis of your current operations.  I look forward to discovering the possibilities!

Mike Lamora
Email: mlam@alignex.com