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Efficient CAD Designing with ANSYS SpaceClaim: A Billet Designs Case Study
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Functional Applications - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
- Procurement
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Time Sensitive Networking
Services
- Hardware Design & Engineering Services
The Challenge
Steven Aguirre, the owner of Billet Designs, a small engineering firm, was faced with the challenge of balancing various aspects of his business, including product design, marketing, order fulfillment, sales, manufacturing, and general product line development. His primary task was to design a CO2 dispenser for a beverage growler, with the aim of creating an optimal product while efficiently utilizing limited resources within a typically short product development cycle. A few years ago, Aguirre had shifted his business model to outsource assembly, order fulfillment, and inventory management, allowing him to focus on product design. He had experience with popular 2-D and 3-D CAD tools, but he needed a more efficient way to create 3-D models and make changes quickly. The tools he had tried were either too cumbersome or inadequate, making speed and efficiency a significant challenge.
About The Customer
Billet Designs is a small engineering firm that offers a wide variety of services to its clients. These services include product design for automotive and consumer products, programming, automation, PLC controls, and robotics. The firm's main focus is on the design of electromechanical components of consumer products. The company is owned by Steven Aguirre, who is responsible for balancing various aspects of the business, including product design, marketing, order fulfillment, sales, manufacturing, and general product line development.
The Solution
Aguirre decided to try ANSYS SpaceClaim, a 3-D modeling software. He was immediately impressed by its simple user interface, minimalist approach to menus, buttons, and options, which was perfect for an engineer like him who was not a dedicated CAD engineer. He quickly learned how to create a model and the best practices for adding dimensions. SpaceClaim provided him with the flexibility to start with an idea and then change his design in any way he wanted without any penalties. Aguirre found the SpaceClaim repair tools invaluable for cleaning imported geometry or modifying design mistakes. In one instance, a CNC shop said they could machine something as a cast part, but not as currently designed. Using SpaceClaim, Aguirre was able to alter the design by filling in some rounds, changing draft angles to zero, and pulling some surfaces. Within 15 minutes, the part was optimized for machining.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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