Alignex Sales & Marketing Blog Archive

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, those 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.

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.