SolidWorks Case Studies

T
his book is a sampling of first-hand

accounts from some of the thousands
of SolidWorks customers around the
world who are getting more design and engineering work done with less effort.
SolidWorks, the premium brand in affordable 3D CAD software, offers the most timesaving innovations of any CAD solution available.
Learn about some of the challenges that
SolidWorks customers across a variety of
industries have met and the results theyve
achieved, including greater product innovation,
improved quality, and substantial savings.
CONSUMER
EDUCATION
ELECTRONICS
ENERGY
ENTERTAINMENT
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INDUSTRIAL
MEDICAL
INDUSTRY CASE STUDIES
SCIENTIFIC
TRANSPORTATION
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 2001 SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved. MKICSV2ENG0701
Bratislava, Slovakia
Industrial design firm

expands market share.
endis & Kierulf provides complete design services, ranging

from concept and design to finished product drawings. Our
firm consists of two designers working together over the
Internet, one located in West Slovakia and the other in
Broadened professional design services.
Middle Slovakia. We needed a reasonably priced, intuitive CAD proProduced digital
gram that would enable us to
models and technical
drawings.
SolidWorks software satisfies
concentrate on the design
Presented product
our needs for a low-cost, PCprocess, while allowing us to
designs over the
compatible solution with inteInternet.
produce digital models and
Expanded market
grated
Internet
features.
The
technical drawings that could
reach to include
ability to present models over
be used for production, toolWestern Europe.
the
Internet
and
the
capabiliing, and manufacturing. We
ties of the Parasolid programalso needed a solution that
ming core convinced us to invest in the program.
would enable daily collaboraThe ease of modeling in 3D with full control of shapes
tion over the Internet, so that
virtually eliminates design limitations. Other prowe could work effectively
grams that we considered did not offer the same
with each other as well as with
ease-of-use and were too expensive or required
our clients in Western Europe.
high-end computers. SolidWorks has made
professional industrial design possible in
the emerging economies of Eastern
Europe, giving us a chance to catch up
with the rest of the industrialized world.
solid Solution
case N o. 75
Bendis
& Kierulf
CONSUMER
The ease of modeling in

3D with full control of
shapes virtually eliminates
design limitations.
Exhibition lights designed

for Klem Products GmbH,
Munich, Germany
Bjorn Kierulf
Principal Designer
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 2001 SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.
Easton, PA, U.S.A.
George Nagle
Director, Operations Engineering
Arts supplier delivers

beyond imagination.
inney & Smith, Inc., a leading manufacturer of arts and crafts

materials for children, had been using Pro/ENGINEER software, but needed realistic solid modeling software that
would allow the companys design team to more fully explore their
Removed boundaries
to the design teams
imaginations. The new software also needed to be easy to use so
creativity.
others could share in the
Shortened the learning
curve for employees
design process. The marketOur team considered using
who lacked CAD
IronCAD, but instead chose
ing department, for examexperience.
SolidWorks software for its
ple, wanted realistic product
Reduced development
time from months to
ease-of-use,
especially
for
users
designs for quick and thordays.
who lacked 3D CAD experiough design evaluations.
Launched product in
ence. We have also simplified
three months.
our design process by using
PhotoWorks software. The photorealistic image
capacity has proven itself extremely useful, allowing us to design products in
days, instead of months. Our
ability to create high quality
graphics means the marketing
department can begin product
evaluations before prototype
parts are made.
solid Solution
The photorealistic
images are the next best
thing to actually having
the item in hand.
case N o. 85
Binney &
Smith B
CONSUMER
Binney & Smiths Color Wonder

product was designed using
SolidWorks software.
SolidWorks is a registered trademark and PhotoWorks is a trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. All other
company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 2001
SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.
Toronto, Canada
CONSUMER
Miles Keller
President/Designer
arbon Design, Inc. designs a wide variety of consumer

products, including ergonomic office furniture. The company needed easy-to-use software that ensured design conProduced creative,
cepts would be efficiently engineered, put into production, and
complex designs.
brought to market. We needed a powerful design tool that could
Increased productivity
quickly turn concepts into a
by a factor of two.
production reality. In terms of
Reduced development
After carefully considering
time by half.
both SolidWorks software
product support, we required
Launched product in
and Pro/ENGINEER, we
a high degree of support from
nine months.
chose SolidWorks because we
both the software manufacneeded to efficiently and cost-effectively proturer and its local reseller.
duce 3D CAD data for production tooling for
our clients. The FeatureManager, for example,
allows us to retrace steps and edit where necessary. We also use PhotoWorks rendering software
to create photorealistic images that allow clients to
more thoroughly review designs. SolidWorks provides us the flexibility to work with complex shapes
and assemblies. SolidWorks has reduced product
development time by half, allowing us to cost-effectively design more complex assemblies that are composed of a wide variety of materials and require
many different production methods.
Carbon
Design, Inc.
solid Solution
The SolidWorks data translated

perfectly every time, capturing
the complex curvilinear shapes
used frequently by our firm.
case N o. 94
Industrial designer cuts

development time in half.
Ergonomic Task Chair
SolidWorks is a registered trademark, FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered trademark, and

PhotoWorks is a trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 2001 SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.
Gumnedd, Wales
CONSUMER
Engineering Ltd.
The most beautiful design
in the world is of no value
if it cant be produced efficiently. SolidWorks allows
us to model components
step by step, as they would
be manufactured.
Fred Hall
Technical Managing Director
MM Engineering Ltd. manufactures high-quality, innovative products for the rock-climbing, mountaineering, and
industrial safety markets. The company wanted an
advanced 3D CAD tool to provide its design staff with the power
Shortened the design
cycle by 50%.
and flexibility necessary to create a completely new line of camEliminated redundant
ming devices. The designers
material to produce a
used the concept of a hoopWe were using AutoCAD LT,
robust, long-lasting
product.
but switched to SolidWorks
stemmed design, but faced
Developed a unique
software because of its easy
the challenge of making it
family of hoopstemmed camming
integration with manufacturlighter weight and stronger
devices.
ing processes, flexibility, and
than anything that had been
Achieved sales
3D visualization capabilities.
previously produced. They
volumes three times
higher than estimates.
SolidWorks
provides
us
the
knew they had to include 3D
flexibility to consider many
shapes in the manufacturing
options during the design phase before comprocess to make the
mitting to a final design. With the old 2D
devices efficiently.
package we relied on prototypes,
which were time-consuming, limiting, and expensive. We also use
PhotoWorks photorealistic rendering
software to present products to our sales
department and retailers. By deploying SolidWorks,
we have shortened our design cycle by 50%, reduced
design errors, and realized sales three times higher
than initial projections.
solid Solution
DMM
case N o. 76
Climbing company reaches

new heights with 3D CAD.
Hoop-stemmed Camming Device
Montreal, Canada
ontreal-based Ritvik Holdings, Inc. is the worlds second

largest marketer of toy building blocks, with products
sold in more than 100 countries. The company wanted
to incorporate more complex shapes, surfaces, and assemblies into
Removed unnecessary
phases from the develits designs while shortening the product development cycle. To
opment cycle.
achieve this, the design team
Designed more complex shapes, surfaces,
decided to upgrade their engiWe considered AutoCAD and
and assemblies.
Pro/ENGINEER, but chose
neering tools and software to
Eliminated the need
for costly prototypes.
a 3D CAD package.
Created animations to
short learning curve, 3D
aid sales support and
assembly capabilities, and
market research.
design focus. And by integrating 3D Quickfill and SurfaceWorks, we were
able to realize rapid prototyping of assemblies,
implement automatic mold development, and elimiLil Dump Truck
nate two entire phases from the design cycle. In addition, we use the graphics capabilities to create product renderings and animations for sales support and
market research, functions that in the past required
prototype production. As a
result, we are using the
time-savings to push more
on the limits of design.
solid Solution
Holdings, Inc.
Toy manufacturer makes

Mega Bloks assemblies a snap.
case N o. 86
Ritvik
CONSUMER
Real-time collision detection capabilities

enable us to detect problem areas, and fix
them before we build a single prototype.
Thats what I call rapid prototyping.
Ritvik engineers use 3D Quickfill

from C-MOLD in conjunction with
SolidWorks software to perform
mold design and analysis.
Daniel Bourgeois
Vice President of Research and Development
San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
CONSUMER
Manufacturing
SolidWorks is like a
freight train for data
each change instantly
and accurately reflected
throughout the design.
Jeff Sand
Cofounder/Vice President of
Research and Development
witch Manufacturing advances the technology of snowboard bindings to help create the perfect connection
between the snowboarder and the terrain. Competing for
limited retail space and consumer awareness in an overheated
Shortened design cycle
from ten months to
market, Switch needed to accelerate its product cycle and deliver
four months.
design innovations faster
Eased management of
large assembly files.
than its competitors.
Only SolidWorks software
Improved reliability of
offered the easy-to-use, innodesign data and drawing documentation.
vative 3D mechanical design
Streamlined vendor
capabilities that Switch needbidding process with
ed to speed the development
eDrawings.
process, while enabling more
design changes and refinements. The dramatic
results for Switch include enhanced quality,
consumer appeal, and significant time-savings. With
SolidWorks, Switch was able to reduce the product
design cycle from ten months to four months. The
design team also uses fully integrated add-on solutions including PhotoWorks rendering software and
COSMOS/Works FEA software.
solid Solution
Switch
case N o. 79
Snowboard-binding designer
flies high with SolidWorks.
X-Team Snowboard Binding
Shizuoka, Japan
oshiba Carrier Corporation is the worlds largest manufacturer of residential and commercial air conditioning
machinery. To meet its demanding business objectives,
the company needed a product approach to the design process
Reduced product
design cycle from two
that would help reduce lead-time by 50% and improve overall
weeks to three days.
business efficiency by 30%.
Shortened the leadtime for trial manuFollowing a successful pilot
facture from 40 days
project, the company stanto five.
dardized design operations
Improved product
quality by 30%.
on SolidWorks 3D CAD softEliminated the need
ware. The company also uses
to build expensive
a variety of partner add-on
prototypes.
solutions such as Power Cube
and Die Mold, introduced to them by SolidWorks
VAR Nippon Steel Corporation. The company
achieves additional efficiency with internally
developed enhancements built with Visual Basic.
solid Solution
Corporation
Air conditioning manufacturer

heats up productivity.
case N o. 95
Toshiba
Carrier
CONSUMER
Air Conditioning Unit
SolidWorks is the
motivating force
behind our work.
Mitsukuni Sano
Air Conditioning Design Manager
Paris, France
CONSUMER
Vendme
Concept
endme Concept designs jewelry for customers of Place

Vendme, a prestigious jewelry quarter in Paris, France.
The firms design process involved the production of wax
Shortened production
prototypes, which were then sent to a jewelry foundry. Cofounder
cycle to four months.
and designer Marc Hermouet wanted to shorten production time
Cut development costs
by reducing, if not eliminatby 50%.
Reduced the need for

ing, the need for time-conWe chose SolidWorks softcostly prototypes.
ware for its 3D solid modeling
suming wax prototypes. He
Expanded market
capabilities. With SolidWorks,
share, producing 60
also wanted to expand the
new designs in less
we
can
complete
both
the
firms design capabilities
than two months.
design and prototyping phaswhile providing customers
es of our designs in a week. Production occurs in
with a realistic preview of
just four months, representing time-savings in
designs. The firm had previexcess of 50%. In terms of market share, we
ously used a surfacing-only
have designed nearly 60 new pieces in less than two
design program, but decided
months. We also use PhotoWorks photorealistic softto evaluate 3D software.
ware to add a more realistic luster to the jewels. This
way, customers can instantly see how the finished
piece will look before its made.
I can modify
the design in just five
minutes and produce
new geometry instantly,
automatically updating
both the drawing and
the 3D model.
solid Solution
case N o. 77
Jewelry designer
dedicated to 3D.
Vendme Concept uses SolidWorks software

to create custom jewelry designs.
Marc Hermouet
Designer/Cofounder
Colorado Springs, CO, U.S.A.
CONSUMER
David Clement
Engineering Director
Xportation
portation Safety Concepts, Inc. (XSCi), an engineering,

development, and consulting firm, has been studying and
designing a solution to address the hazard of using rearfacing infant safety seats in the front seats of automobiles equipped
Realized a 200%
reduction in the
with airbagsthe cause of numerous deaths across the United
design cycle.
States. XSCi needed a mainCompleted prototype
design in less than
stream CAD system to quickXSCi chose SolidWorks 3D

one month.
CAD software for its short
ly design and develop a proPatented a unique,
innovative design.
learning curve, assembly featotype of its airbag-safe infant
Generated significant
tures, complex modeling capaseat to attract the attention of
interest among government officials, the
bilities, integration with analyfederal regulators and leading
media, and industry
sis
tools,
and
value.
By
deployleaders.
infant seat manufacturers.
ing SolidWorks, XSCi slashed
its design cycle by 200%, patented its innovative
design, received an invitation from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test the prototype, generated significant media interest, and initiated licensing discussions with major infant seat manufacturers. For Finite Element Analysis, XSCi uses
COSMOS/Works.
solid Solution
Not only are we

unlimited in our
ability to create
very complex
shapes, were also
better prepared to
interact with plastic
injection molding
firms.
case N o. 88
Infant seat developer

redefines safety standards.
Safety Concepts, Inc.
Airbag-Safe
Infant Seat
Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
EDUCATION
Timothy W. White
Student, Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee
t the Milwaukee School of Engineering, students must

complete a senior design project prior to graduation. To
assist students with their final projects, the university
wanted a solid modeling program that provided ease-of-use
Selected SolidWorks
for its ease-of-use.
and enough power to handle complex 3D drawings. SolidWorks
Completed the entire
and Pro/ENGINEER softproject in ten weeks.
MSOE installed SolidWorks as
ware packages were both
Rendered photorealistic images using
its primary solid modeling
evaluated and purchased.
PhotoWorks.
software, but students could
Presented designs to a
company that has
choose from a variety of prosince begun production
grams in order to complete
based on the design.
their projects. Though familiar with CADKEY software, student Tim Whites
team chose SolidWorks software as the design
platform for their senior design project, citing a preference for the native solid modeling environment
instead of using AutoCAD with a 3D add-on. The
entire project was completed in just ten weeks,
including the time required to learn SolidWorks,
design the proposed linear actuator, and then draw and modify
the actuator using SolidWorks.
The design project team used
PhotoWorks software to create compelling images for a
presentation given to Jordan
Controls, Inc.
solid Solution
The project was completed

in just ten weeks, including
the time to learn SolidWorks,
design the linear actuator,
plus draw and modify the
actuator in SolidWorks.
case N o. 96
Design project hits the mark

with 3D CAD.
School of Engineering
Linear Actuator
Guilherand-Granges, France
ELECTRONICS
Montel
SolidWorks has significantly increased our

productivity, thanks
especially to its
ease-of-use.
Eric Dubois
Engineer
n its effort to make urban life easier, Ascom Montel designs

and manufactures advanced electronics for a variety of industries including telecommunications, banking, public transIncreased productivity
portation, highways, and public infrastructure. The companys five
through ease-of-use.
activities share and optimize the latest technological advancements
Reduced reliance on
ranging from the Internet to
costly prototypes.
After evaluating several 3D
the microchip card.
Improved the flow
of communication
software programs, we chose
throughout the design
team.
SolidWorks for its ease-ofReacted more quickly
use. As a result, we have
to customers changing
shortened our design cycle
needs.
and significantly increased
productivity. Utilizing SolidWorks, we have
reduced our dependence on costly prototypes,
which means we can react more quickly to our customers changing needs. We also use PhotoWorks
rendering software to create photorealistic 3D
images. This has greatly improved communications
throughout the entire design team.
solid Solution
Ascom
case N o. 78
SolidWorks brings
technological savoir-faire.
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation.

All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective owners. 2001 SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.
Tempe, AZ, U.S.A.
xxess Technologies manufactures and designs electronic

key recognition and duplication systems, and vendingstyle engraving systems for the retail market. The design
Shortened product
teams primary challenge was to create large assemblies while
design time from
checking fit, form, and function with other vendors and designseven to three weeks.
Decreased product
ers working on the project.
development costs
We tried using PT/Modeler,
by 40%.
but needed a solution that
Reduced design errors
by 65%.
would allow us to more easily
Improved internal comreorder features and create
munication of designs.
assemblies. We decided on
SolidWorks software primarily for its ease-ofuse but also for its sheetmetal package. We also
use PhotoWorks rendering software as a valuable way of sharing ideas within the company and
with customers. Using SolidWorks software we
reduced our design cycle from seven to three weeks.
We also use SolidWorks
Animator and SolidWorks
Toolbox, a time-saving,
extensive library of standard 3D parts.
solid Solution
Bryan Solace
Mechanical Designer
Electronics manufacturer
finds key to success.
case N o. 87
We immediately discovered the benefits of

the SolidWorks sheetmetal capabilities.
ELECTRONICS
Axxess
Technologies
Electronic Key Recognition

and Duplication System
West Columbia, SC, U.S.A.
ELECTRONICS
ryoTech, Inc., a privately held spin-off from NCR

Corporation, develops innovative cooling systems for personal computers used by designers, engineers, and other
power users. The company needed the most advanced and costShortened design
cycle from one year
effective design and engineering tools available to capitalize on
to three months.
market opportunities and
Realized 80% savings
in CAD costs.
stay ahead of competitors.
KryoTech chose SolidWorks
Increased processor
software for its short learning
Specifically, the company
performance by
curve, assembly features, inteneeded an easy, fast, power30% over noncooled
systems.
gration
with
advanced
analyful, and affordable CAD sysImproved product
sis add-on software, and value.
tem with both assembly and
design with full range
By deploying SolidWorks,
of add-on software.
fully integrated engineering
KryoTech slashed its design
features including heat transcycle from one year to three months, realized an
fer analysis, computational
80% savings in CAD costs, increased
fluid dynamics, and CNC
processor performance by 30%, and
machining capabilities.
reduced system size and number of components. The companys SuperG system, which uses an AMD Athlon
chip, was the first commercially
available personal computer to shatter the 1-GHz processing barrier.
KryoTech uses a variety of add-on
solutions including COSMOS/Works
FEA analysis software, COSMOS/Flow
fluid flow software, and CAMWorks
manufacturing software.
solid Solution
case N o. 97
Computer cooling systems

developer breaks barriers.
KryoTech,
Inc.
SolidWorks is easy to
use and so much more
intuitive than other
CAD software.
Lew Wayburn
Mechanical Engineer, Advanced
Technology Development Group
KryoTech SuperG Cooling System
Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.
SolidWorks is a faster, more

logical approach to design
and development. As a result
we increased our assembly
sales by about 30%.
Westcode
Semiconductor assembly
manufacturer boosts sales.
estcode Semiconductors Ltd. is one of the worlds

major manufacturers of high-performance power
semiconductor products, producing a comprehensive
Shortened product
range of silicon power products including thyristors, diodes, and
design time by 60%.
power transistors. The companys Long Beach sales office had
Lowered design costs
been using AutoCAD, but
by 50%.
Reduced design
We chose SolidWorks softbelieved they could increase
errors by 30%.
ware for its part modeling,
productivity with a CAD
Increased sales of
assembly modeling, and drawpackage that would more easassemblies by 30%.
ing
capabilities.
SolidWorks
ily accommodate changes,
offers us a fast, logical approach to product
updates, and a high degree of
design and development, allowing us to show
customization. They needed
customers detailed product designs, complete
to present the product clearly
with exploded views and varied configurations
and precisely to customers,
within an assembly. With SolidWorks, we can submit
and provide their suppliers
a quote in two days and if the customer is interested,
with enough detail to manurapidly generate an individual drawing for each
facture, schedule, and deliver
component. The time-savings range from a half day
added accessories.
to a week.
solid Solution
case N o. 117
Gonzalo Martinez
Sales Engineer
ELECTRONICS
Semiconductors Ltd.
Phase Control
Rectifier Assembly
Houston, TX, U.S.A.
ENERGY
he 1998 merger with Dresser Industries made Halliburton

Energy Services (HES) the global leader in the manufacture
of products for oil and gas exploration and production. It
Saved 700 working
also created challenges in integrating the design and manufacturing
days ($500,000) in six
practices utilized at HES facilities worldwide. To maintain the commonths.
panys market position, HES
Standardized product
design worldwide.
initiated efforts to automate
We chose SolidWorks 3D
Facilitated the global
CAD software because it is
design, streamline manufacsourcing of parts from
any HES plant.
easy to use and provides an
turing, and implement compaAchieved consistency
open API for accelerating
ny standards for engineering
in product engineering
design tasks and replicating
and producing products. We
and manufacturing.
component designs worldhad been using a combination
wide. SolidWorks also provides us with outof CADDS5, CADAM,
standing
3D visualization capabilities and
AutoCAD, and other packoffers the flexibility necessary for integration with
ages, but we had to find a way
other technologiesnamely, PDM (Matrix) and
to get to market faster. We
CAM (Unigraphics). By using the SolidWorks API
knew we needed to integrate
for our AutoPrograms, we saved about 700 working
CAD, CAM, and PDM, and
days ($500,000) in just six months, standardized
made a conscious decision to
product design, facilitated the global sourcing of
focus on PC-based products.
parts from any HES plant, and achieved consistency in product engineering and manufacturing.
solid Solution
case N o. 90
Refining product design and

manufacturing standards.
Halliburton
Energy Services
Weve saved six months on the

design of a new downhole safety
valve by using SolidWorks.
Kent Beck
Technology Director
Threaded assembly modeled in

SolidWorks using SmartMates,
configuration management, and
API functionality
Dresden, Germany
ENERGY
Prftechnik
Dresden GmbH
The most important

benefit is bringing
products to market
faster and designing
more products in the
same amount of time.
Thats why we moved
to SolidWorks.
Ullrich Clemens
Engineering Manager
IGHVOLT Prftechnik Dresden GmbH, a world leader in

the design, manufacture, and implementation of high-voltage testing systems, faced the challenge of effectively competing in a highly specialized market. A major obstacle was the
Launched a new product line without incurcompanys 2D AutoCAD design software. It had proven itself inefring additional costs.
ficient for the handling of the
Reduced design cycles
by 35 to 40% for the
After their review of several
large assemblies that are comcompanys traditional
3D CAD packages, including
mon to HIGHVOLT systems
products.
SolidWorks , Pro/ENGINEER ,
Met needs for faster
and a standard requirement of
and more effective
, and
Mechanical
Desktop
the companys new arc-supmanagement of large
assemblies.
Solid Edge software, the
pression coils product line.
Enabled creation of
company
decided
to
standardRecognizing the value of a 3D
detailed and complete
ize on SolidWorks because of
engineering drawings.
CAD environment for improvits fast ROI, large-assembly
ing productivity, reducing
capabilities, and production-level engineering drawing
design costs, and developing
support. By deploying SolidWorks, HIGHVOLT realized
new products, HIGHVOLT
a 40% reduction in the design cycle for traditional prodconducted a rigorous, multiucts. The company uses PhotoWorks rendering softstep evaluation of 3D CAD
ware so clients can review detailed design concepts
packages.
prior to manufacture. Using
eDrawings, a SolidWorks
innovation that allows easy
sharing of CAD drawings via
email, the staff can also present complex drawings in a
manner that is simple to
understand and interpret.
solid Solution
HIGHVOLT
case N o. 98
High-voltage testing system

maker sparks innovation.
Exciter Transformer PEO 100/50

of an HVAC Series Test System
Houston, TX, U.S.A.
ENERGY
Kvaerner
Oilfield Products
With SolidWorks, our
team has been able to
productively use the software within an extremely
short period of time.
Steve Shimonek
Senior Project Designer
vaerner Oilfield Products is a leading worldwide supplier

of subsea and surface oilfield production systems, risers,
control systems, and umbilicals. Our design team wanted
Shortened developto shorten development time, eliminate design errors, and reduce
ment time by 50%.
material costs. To achieve this, we needed to design, develop, and
Cut material costs
rapidly enhance products in a
by 35%.
Eliminated 35%
We evaluated Solid Edge and
3D environment. We were
of errors.
Mechanical Desktop, but
using both AutoCAD and
Reduced time-tochose SolidWorks software
Pro/ENGINEER, but needed
market by 25%.
because
it
offers
the
most
software that provided interadvanced features, while providing the highest
ference detection and a 3Dease-of-use. The sketching functionality and
product interface, both of
compatibility with third-party analysis software
which are critical factors when
were also key elements for choosing SolidWorks.
designing 15,000 p.s.i. workThe software is cost-effective, includes excellent suping-pressure equipment. In
port, and provides outstanding multidirectional
addition, the software needed
detailing capabilities. We also rely heavily on the parato be accepted and supported
metric capability between models and drawings. As a
internationally to allow multiresult of using SolidWorks, we have
ple engineering groups to
reduced our design cycle by 50%,
interface their equipment into
accelerated the sales prooverall field solutions.
posal process, increased
component accuracy,
and reduced manufacturing problems.
solid Solution
case N o. 81
Oilfield products manufacturer

strikes it rich with 3D CAD.
Side valve tree assembly, installed

remotely in 10,000 foot water depths
for gas and oil production on the seabed
Logan, UT, U.S.A.
ENTERTAINMENT
case N o. 91
Amusement ride manufacturer

climbs to new heights.
solid Solution
&S Power, Inc., a high thrill vertical amusement ride manufacturer, is the first company to design, produce, and successfully operate a pneumatically launched roller coaster
Shortened design time
ride. With a market that has extended globally to more than 20
by 25%.
countries, the challenge was to efficiently design a complicated
Cut development costs
roller coaster train that guarby 20%.
Improved product
anteed both excitement and
We evaluated several different
quality by 25%.
3D CAD packages, but discovpersonal safety. We had been
Increased market
ered that SolidWorks offered
using Mechanical Desktop
share by one third.
the
best
solution
for
simplifysoftware, but needed easy-toing the design process. Within months, we cut
use 3D software that had the
design costs by 20%, while the Windows interpower to handle large and
face and excellent support lowered the learning
complex assemblies.
curve for designers lacking 3D CAD experience.
SolidWorks gives us the ability to work with part,
assembly, and drawing files separately. This means
smaller file sizes that are easier to manage. Another
Large assemblies
SolidWorks advantage is that file types can be easily
demand an extremely
converted from one type to another, so designs can be
shared with users of other CAD and CAM solutions.
powerful program.
SolidWorks has proven itself powerful, stable, and
SolidWorks is the only
capable
of handling the design of large assemblies.
software to meet this
S&S Power, Inc.
challenge.
Rhodes Wilkinson
R&D Engineer
Roller Coaster Train

South Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
Bucyrus
International, Inc.
Before SolidWorks, we
didnt discover visibility
problems until the
machine was assembled
on the shop floor.
ucyrus International, Inc. is a global leader in the manufacture of shovels, drills, and draglines for the surface mining
industry. With products both large and costly to manufacture, the company needed a logical way to design and market its
Shortened design
cycle by 25%.
products, minimizing and often eliminating the need for prototypes.
Reduced FEA analysis
Bucyrus decided to evaluate
time by 20%.
various 3D mechanical design
Bucyrus chose SolidWorks
Improved product confidence level by 25%.
software for its ease-of-use, 3D
systems in an effort to extend
Pushed the parameters
visualization and animation
the boundaries of the surface
of the surface mining
capabilities, and close integraequipment market.
mining equipment market,
tion with PDM and other
improve design productivity,
analysis tools. The designers use Matrix PDM to
and create accurate computer..
manage SolidWorks data, COSMOS/Works for
visuals.
FEA analysis, and SolidWorks Animator and
PhotoWorks to produce animations and graphics of
machine designs. The dynamic assembly capabilities
in SolidWorks allow them to perform clearance
checks on assemblies and moving pieces to ensure
there are no interference problems. SolidWorks gave
Bucyrus designers the confidence and agility to
develop a revolutionary new productthe 795B
Electric Mining Shovel with Hydraulic Crowd
which pushes the parameters of the surface mining
equipment market.
solid Solution
case N o. 99
Excavation equipment firm

digs in for the long haul.
795B Electric Mining Shovel with Hydraulic Crowd
Derrick Juul
Bucyrus Designer
Stuttgart, Germany
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
raunhofer TEG, a process engineering design group located in Stuttgart, Germany, was recently asked to design and
manufacture sensor devices for an automatic ultrasonic
railroad wheel-set testing station (AURA). The group wanted a
Cut product development time by half.
3D CAD program for parametric modeling, so there would be a
Reduced product
full associativity between
development costs by
more than 40%.
We were using AutoCAD and
parts, assemblies, and drawImproved product
Unigraphics, but switched to
ings. We needed software
quality by 99%.
SolidWorks software for the

that was easy to use because
Decreased frequency
powerful integration of feaof design failures.
we were constantly adding
tures like drag-and-drop, the
new members to our team
ability to open multiple windows, and the conusually students and freevenience of right-click accessibility to modeling
lance engineers.
functions. We use PhotoWorks software to render photorealistic images. This way, we can more easily explain and describe design details to fellow team
members and customers. Using SolidWorks, we have
cut development time by half
and significantly reduced the
frequency of design failures.
solid Solution
case N o. 82
Process design group stays

on track.
Fraunhofer
TEG
Automatic Ultrasonic
Wheel-Set Testing Station
With SolidWorks, we designed

and built a product with more
than 84 subassemblies and
over 5,000 partsin fewer
than six weeks!
Jon Hoyle
Prototype Design Manager
Ontario, Canada
INDUSTRIAL
utomation Tooling Systems, Inc. (ATS) is the global leader

in the design and manufacture of turnkey automated manufacturing and test systems. Their equipment is used by a
variety of manufacturers, including automotive, computer/electronTrained more than a
dozen designers to use
ics, healthcare, and consumer products, which use ATS to reduce
COSMOS/Works,
costs and achieve higher qualan analysis program
integrated with
After evaluating Mechanical
ity production. ATS also manSolidWorks software.
Desktop , Pro/ENGINEER ,
ufactures plastics and metal
Implemented companywide design standards.
and I-DEAS/Master Series,
precision components and
Reduced drafting and
ATS selected SolidWorks softsubassemblies utilizing its
structural errors.
ware because of its short learnown custom-built manufacElevated customer
ing curve, large assembly capacommunications
turing systems, process
using PhotoWorks,
bilities,
compatibility
with
knowledge, and automation
SolidWorks Animator
legacy data, and 3D visualizaand eDrawings.
technology. ATS needed to
tion and animation capabilities. By
upgrade from 2D to 3D to
implementing SolidWorks, ATS realized productivity
boost productivity, improve
improvements, implemented company-wide design
quality, innovate products,
standards, eliminated drafting/drawing errors, miniand expand its market.
mized structural errors through integrated analysis,
improved product quality, elevated the level of communications with its customers, and introduced a strategic
product, the SuperTrak high-speed pallet transport
system. ATS uses SolidWorks Animator and
PhotoWorks to produce animations and graphics of
systems, and uses eDrawings to share these drawing
and model files with colleagues and customers.
solid Solution
case N o. 92
Accelerating automated pallet

assembly with SolidWorks.
Automation
Tooling Systems, Inc.

SolidWorks provides the best
customer service and DWG
import/export capability of
any 3D package out there.
Paul McDonnell
ATS Mechanical Design CAD Coordinator
This SuperTrak high-speed pallet

transport system was designed with
SolidWorks software.
Greenville, SC, U.S.A.
artness International manufactures custom packaging

machinery for a variety of consumer and commercial
product makers. To stay competitive in a fast-changing
industry, the company needed to deliver a new product to market
Enabled significant
new product design
in two months. The company's 2D CAD software did not offer the
innovations.
capabilities the engineering
Shortened development cycle from five
Hartness chose SolidWorks
staff needed to meet that tight
to two months.
software for its easy-to-use,
timeframe.
Optimized machinery
intuitive, 3D solid modeling
performance.
capabilities. With SolidWorks,
Eased design reviews.
designers can quickly explore
part and assembly alternatives in real time to
optimize machinery performance. Hartness is
able to design assemblies and test them before
building any parts, shortening the design and manufacturing cycle from five months to just two months.
solid Solution
Olivier Duterte
Product Manager
case N o. 100
We had formal training for two

days and started making parts on
the third. Two months later, the
machine was delivered on time!
Packaging manufacturer
speeds innovations.
Hartness
International
INDUSTRIAL
The Dynamic Accumulating

Conveyor System (DYNAC)
intelligently regulates the
flow of products during
packaging and packing.
SolidWorks is a registered trademarks of SolidWorks Corporation. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 2001 SolidWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.
Elgin, IL, U.S.A.
INDUSTRIAL
Engineering
Company
Using SolidWorks, we
can design the machine in
solids, visualize parts and
assemblies, and conduct
interference checking and
collision detection all in
less than one hour.
Jim Daffron
Engineering Manager
aumiller Engineering Company designs and builds automated machinery for manufacturing operations. The
companys specially designed rotary continuous motion
and rotary indexing machines drive production lines in a variety of
cycle by 20%.
industries, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, consumer
Visualized the behavior
goods, and medical products.
of automated machinery assemblies.
We chose SolidWorks softTo maintain its leadership
Produced problemware for its superior ease-ofposition, Haumiller needed to
free, production-worthy
use, PC platform, and powerreduce its design cycle by
machines directly from
design data.
ful
3D
visualization
capabili20%. To achieve this the
Conserved energy and
ties. By visualizing the behavdesign team needed a better
maximized mental
ior of automated machinery
resources.
way to reconcile the behavior
assemblies
in
SolidWorks,
we
of individual parts within an
are shortening our design cycle, eliminating
assembly, without resorting to
costly rework, improving machinery performance,
costly prototype tests. They
and speeding product delivery. With SolidWorks, we
decided to upgrade from their
expect to exceed our design cycle reduction goal,
2D AutoCAD drafting packcompressing the product development process
age to more robust
by more than 30%, allow3D solid modeling
ing us to concentrate
software.
our energy and mental
resources on real engineering challenges.
solid Solution
Haumiller
case N o. 83
Machinery manufacturer
visualizes 3D assemblies.
Using SolidWorks software,

Haumiller designed this packaging
machine to handle plastic bottle caps.
Tokyo, Japan
Machine tool manufacturer

cuts development time in half.
akino Milling Machine Co., Ltd. manufactures machining centers, NC electrical discharge processing
machines, FMS, and other metal mold processing
machine tools. The company decided to adopt a 3D CAD environCreated collaboration
across all divisions
ment to better visualize its designs. The challenge was to select
throughout the entire
project.
software that allowed designShortened the design
ers and nondesigners to colMakino chose SolidWorks

cycle.
software for its power of visulaborate in the product develDecreased development costs by 15%.
alization and ease-of-use.
opment process.
Reduced machine
Using SolidWorks, Makino
dimensions by twowas able to concurrently engithirds.
neer its V33 Vertical-machining Center, allowing designers and nondesigners to visualize the product in 3D, beginning
with the conceptual stage of the design. Using
SolidWorks, the company was able to reduce development costs by 15%, shorten development time
from one year to eight months, and deliver a
product capable of high speed processing, all within a super-compact size.
SolidWorks provides superior

ease-of-use which has led to much
shorter development cycles.
solid Solution
case N o. 112
Makino
Milling Machine
Company
INDUSTRIAL
Makino V33 Vertical-machining Center
Makoto Sato
Research and Development
North Billerica, MA, U.S.A.
INDUSTRIAL
Matrix
atrix Automation Group designs and builds custom

assembly, packaging, and production machinery for a
variety of industries. Overall, the company wanted a
faster way to deliver affordable automation equipment. Matrix
Reduced design time
from sixteen weeks to
engineering decided to replace their 2D AutoCAD design softa few days.
ware because it prevented
Decreased the time
to generate multiple
Matrix
considered
using
them from catching design
isometric views to
less than one minute.
Pro/ENGINEER, but chose
flaws before they resulted in
Improved the

costly fabrication errors.
companys project
comprehensive 3D modeling
cost margins.
Increased the leeway
capabilities. The company is
in competitively pricable to generate multiple
ing its own services.
views quickly and detect
interference and collision problems early in the
design cycle. SolidWorks file compatibility lets them
save detailed drawings of SolidWorks models as
AutoCAD files, complete with dimensions, notes,
and other annotations assigned to the appropriate
layers. Configuration functions in SolidWorks allow
Matrix to change parameters of projects they
have already completed to meet the
specifications of new customers,
compressing months of redesign time
into a few days. The company also
uses PhotoWorks to create photorealistic views so customers can understand
designs more quickly.
Automation Group, Inc.

SolidWorks eliminates
mistakes that are difficult
to detect in 2D drawings.
Richard Higgins
Vice President of Engineering
solid Solution
case N o. 101
Automated equipment
designer streamlines with 3D.
Assembly machine designed with SolidWorks
Novara, Italy
INDUSTRIAL
Pierluigi Sacchi
Owner
leader in the design and manufacture of machinery for producing molded plastics, Polivinil s.r.l. has helped customers
worldwide create molded plastics for more than 30 years.
The company specializes in the development of molds, machinery,
Shortened design
cycles by 40%.
and production systems for manufacturing everything from houseSignificantly reduced
hold containers to decorative
time-to-market.
Reduced design costs

Before selecting SolidWorks
garden fixtures. The company
by 40 to 50%.
software, Polivinil conducted
needed to upgrade its design
Gained agility, versaan extensive evaluation and
tools in order to respond to
tility, and efficiency.
analysis
of
available
3D
CAD
rising demand and increaspackages based on ease-of-use, service and suping competition. The strateport, and solid modeling capabilitiesin particgy called for the engineering
ular, the ability to model complex 3D shapes.
group to migrate from 2D
The move from 2D to 3D design tools has made
drafting tools to a 3D CAD
the engineering group more agile, versatile, and effienvironment.
cient, resulting in reduced costs, shortened design
cycles, and faster time-to-market. With SolidWorks,
Polivinil expects to
maintain its competitive edge and extend
its leadership position
as a manufacturer of
molded plastics.
solid Solution
With a reasonable
range of values and
minimal manual input
by the designers, we
can quickly design
families of products of
various dimensions
and capacities.
case N o. 107
Plastics manufacturer
extends competitive edge.
Polivinil s.r.l.
Rotomolding Machinery
Assembly
Tokyo, Japan
Sumitomo
Manufacturer excels in
custom machinery market.
case N o. 113
Heavy Industries Ltd.
INDUSTRIAL
solid Solution
umitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., a leading manufacturer of

continuous casting equipment, wanted to reduce development costs and shorten lead-times for the production of their
core business productscustom-designed, large-scale industrial
Reduced design period.
machinery. To achieve their goal, Sumitomo decided to purchase
Cut development costs.
Shortened FEA time
an automatic design system
from several days to
that would allow easy access

We chose SolidWorks softjust six hours.
ware for its ease-of-use and
to 3D data.
Improved communication process between
variety of functions. Using
design and manufacturSolidWorks, we have signifiing divisions.
cantly improved our design
The biggest advantage
process for creating continuous casting equipto using SolidWorks is the
ment. The automatic design of the machines roll
repeated simulations we
unit is just one improvement made. By entering
the required specifications into tabular calculation
can make without incurring
software, we automatically create databased 3D modactual production costs.
els and present proposals to customers more quickly.
Toshiharu Tanaka
Senior Engineer
Our engineers have reduced development costs and
Planning & Control Department
shortened lead-times by running product simulations
Machinery Group
in SolidWorks prior to entering the
actual production phase. The design
staff uses PDM and other analytical
software to shorten analysis time
and improve the sharing of data
between our design division and
manufacturing division.
Continuous Casting Machinery (CCM)
developed using SolidWorks software
and SolidWorks Piping software
Solon, OH, U.S.A.
INDUSTRIAL
Company
Possibly the greatest

strategic benefit of solid
modeling is the leverage it
provides in performing
downstream functions.
wagelok Company, a leading supplier of precision fluid system components, maintains one of the worlds largest industrial manufacturing and distribution networks. Product lines
include valves, fittings, and related components for leak-free hanReduced time-tomarket by 100% and
dling of liquids and gases. After assessing its design process, the
engineered a new
product line in less
team decided to upgrade to a
than a year.
The team chose SolidWorks

more efficient 3D solid modLowered costs and
software for its ease-of-use,
eling technology. The goal
shortened lead times
while improving
short learning curve, parametwas to generate designs more
service.
ric design capabilities, assemefficiently and reduce prodImproved enterprisebly modeling, and integration
wide engineering conuct development time.
trols through product
with downstream applications
data management.
such as FEA, CFD, and PDM
Cut development
cycles by integrating
software. Using SolidWorks,
add-on analysis and
Swagelok designers engineered an
simulation solutions.
entirely new product line for the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets in less
than a yearapproximately half the time of more conventional systems. The company has reduced costs
and lead times, while improving service
and maintaining the industrys highest quality standards.
solid Solution
Swagelok
case N o. 102
Fluid system component firm

speeds time-to-market.
Assembly modeling capabilities ensure

accuracy and proper fit between the
parts of fluid system components, such
as Swageloks DR Series Sanitary Valve.
Andrew Dougherty
Manager of Product and
Technology Development
Valparaiso, IN, U.S.A.
Leader in firefighting devices

gains more ground.
Stewart McMillan
President
ask Force Tips, Inc. (TFT), a leading global provider of firefighting equipment, manufactures nozzles and other
devices designed to make firefighting safer and more effective. TFT is the only company with 14 nozzles that meet the stanReduced design cycle
by nine months.
dards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). TFT
Created successful
needed to move from 2D
product that revolutionized firefighting safety
TFT decided to standardize
AutoCAD to a robust, easyand effectiveness.
on SolidWorks mechanical
to-use 3D CAD system to creAccelerated mold credesign software because of its
ate complex castings and
ation with automated
tooling add-on solution.
user
friendliness,
assembly
assemblies, and reap the benProduced user manual
capabilities, documentation
efits of automated tooling.
graphics in minutes
creation features, and integrainstead of weeks.
tion with machining applications. To automate its tooling and CNC machine
functions, the company implemented SURFCAM
software. The SolidWorks solution enabled TFT to
slash its product design cycle by a factor of
four, speed creation of documentation
graphics, and introduce a product that revolutionized the firefighting industry.
solid Solution
Development easily
went four times faster
because of SolidWorks.
case N o. 109
Task Force
Tips, Inc.
INDUSTRIAL
With its elegant accelerometer

shut-off assembly and unique swivel
design, the Blitzfire is the only portable,
high-capacity deluge device a single
firefighter can operate safely.
Cambridge, England
INDUSTRIAL
With SolidWorks, even

users with no previous 3D
modeling experience are
able to pick up the system
rapidly and easily.
Robert Ison
Project Leader
aar, plc was established in Cambridge, England a decade ago

to meet the growing worldwide demand for new printing
and ink jet technologies. Following a successful launch on
Improved design
the London Stock Exchange, Xaars manufacturing division decided
accuracy and product
to launch a new printhead aimed at the semi-industrial market.
quality.
Xaars existing 2D design softExpanded design
staffing options
We chose SolidWorks software

ware could not accommodate
through a short
learning curve.
as our 3D mechanical design
the complexity and accuracy
Increased productivity
tool, based on a compelling
demanded by the products
by an estimated
combination of performance,
40 to 50%.
design. The company decided,
Enhanced sales
affordable price, and ease-oftherefore, to evaluate 3D CAD
presentations with
use.
The
SolidWorks
solution
photorealistic images.
packages instead.
proved easy to learn, enabling
users to quickly exploit the systems capabilities.
Xaar realized an estimated 40 to 50% increase in productivity as well as significant time and cost savings.
We use PhotoWorks rendering software to create photorealistic images for sales presentations and proposals.
solid Solution
Xaar, plc
case N o. 114
Ink jet technology company

gets 3D design productivity.
CEO Graham Wylie with

Technology Demonstrator
Taiwan, Republic of China
INDUSTRIAL
Yu Hou
Industry Co., Ltd.

Our intelligent packaging
machine can pack eight
hundred cans per minute,
adjusting its own speed
automatically. Thats
exceptional.
Weng Chia-Jung
Project Engineer
u Hou Industry Co., Ltd. manufactures packaging machinery, including liquid-filling and bottle packaging equipment, for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and
health and beauty supply markets. The company needed to more
Designed larger,
more complicated
easily present product concepts to customers, and the design team
assemblies.
needed to shorten the prodShortened development period by 40%.
We chose SolidWorks softuct development cycle while
Improved product
ware for its ability to analyze
improving overall product
quality.
structural design and to make
quality.
Increased market
it easier to understand fluids
share by 20%.
in motion, a concept important
to the design of liquid-filling equipment.
SolidWorks makes it possible to create families of
parts, reducing the amount of hard-drive storage
required to save files. SolidWorks also gives us the
ability to quickly change dimensions or exchange
components, making it possible to design
large assemblies. In addition, the Windows
interface makes the software easy to use, lowering the teams learning curve. We also integrated PhotoWorks rendering software
so we can more easily explain designs
to colleagues and customers.
Overall, SolidWorks has been
an extremely cost-effective
addition to our design team.
solid Solution
case N o. 103
Equipment manufacturer
exceeds expectations.
Automatic Packaging Machine Y-35A
Luebeck, Germany
case N o. 108
GmbH & Co., KG
LLTEC is the world's leading supplier of laser mask

marking systems. Their lasers are used in a number of
products, including ophthalmologic instruments that can
Shortened design
detect and thereby prevent retinal conditions such as glaucoma.
period by half.
The design team was using AutoCAD design software, but needReduced design
ed to reduce the design time
errors by 80%.
Lowered 3D CAD
We evaluated a full range
of new lasers and markinglearning curve.
of CAD software including
system components. They
Increased product
Pro/ENGINEER, Solid Edge,
needed to shorten the prodesign capability.
and Mechanical Desktop,
duction time used to produce
but chose SolidWorks software for its simplicthe larger assemblies that
ity. SolidWorks offers a distinct time-saving
included these components.
advantage compared to other CAD systems,
allowing us to double our productivity. With
SolidWorks, we have significantly reduced
the need for redesign. In fact, we have eliminated nearly 80% of design errors on our more
complex products.
solid Solution
ALLTEC
Laser manufacturer
hits the mark.
SolidWorks is the best

solution in terms of
price and performance.
Frank Winkler
Engineer
MEDICAL
Ophthalmologic instrument for

measuring the internal eye
pressure of a seated patient,
by aid of a stereo microscope
Orlans, France
Medical equipment company

designs 3D operating table.
Bruno Torcheboeuf
Design Department Manager
LM, the premier provider of medical lighting equipment, designs, manufactures, and distributes surgical
equipment for operating rooms around the world.
Groupe Getinge, the parent company, specializes in the design of
Reduced design time
by 30%.
sterilization and sanitization products. After the acquisition,
Enabled engineers to
ALM challenged itself to
view the designs from
different aspects.
After evaluating several prointroduce innovative prodAdded more functiongrams, we chose SolidWorks
ucts, reduce development
ality into a reduced
space.
software because it is powercosts, and shorten design
Allowed the company
ful,
provides
parametric
capacycles. To achieve this, the
to anticipate future
bilities, is totally associative,
medical requirements.
design team needed paraand
offers
dynamic
testing.
metric 3D CAD software.
With SolidWorks, we designed an operating table
capable of total radiological access. The product
includes a moving plate composed of more than six
hundred parts, with movement combinations dependent on its six motorized axes. Overall, SolidWorks
has increased our product design quality, reduced
development times, and allowed us to anticipate
medical requirements more accurately.
solid Solution
With SolidWorks, we can

design products faster and
with more precision.
case N o. 115
ALM-
Groupe Getinge
MEDICAL
ALM-Groupe Getinge used SolidWorks to

design this operating table, capable of
total radiological access.
Danvers, MA, U.S.A.
MEDICAL
he Electromedical Division of Siemens, a recognized

leader in the critical care marketplace, sought to develop
a monitoring system that would provide hospitals with
Cut component design
ultimate functionality. The result is the INFINITY Patient
time by 25%.
Monitoring System. A key component of the system is the
Reduced prototyping
SC 9000XL patient monitor.
and tool modification
costs.
Siemens chose SolidWorks

The company needed an intuShortened lead-times.
CAD software because of its
itive, easy-to-use CAD system
Accelerated turnaround
superior ease-of-use. By deployto streamline the design cycle
of change requests.
ing SolidWorks, Siemens introof the monitor and accelerate
duced a breakthrough product, cut component
time-to-market.
design time by 25%, reduced prototyping and tool
modification costs, and empowered its engineers
with the freedom to visualize, experiment, and
refine product designs.
Siemens
solid Solution
case N o. 104
Medical equipment maker

speeds time-to-market.
SC 9000XL Patient Monitor
Medical Systems
Instead of tearing our hair
out to manage the software,
we enjoy the freedom of having
more time to explore, iterate,
and have fun with it.
Per O. Hoel
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Ibaraki, Japan
TRANSPORTATION
Automotive
Machinery Group
SolidWorks has revolutionized our design process, for

less than half that of highend CAD.
Masayuki Sato
Chief Engineer
Information Systems Department
itachi Ltd. Automotive Products Division is a tier one

manufacturer of a wide variety of automotive-related
machinery. Products include engine power train
Increased the accuracy
machines, electrical accessories, and car-loaded information and
of design information,
communication devices. The companys challenge was to select a
due to the integration
of design and analysis.
3D CAD software package
Reduced prototype
that would foster divisionHitachi chose SolidWorks softphase to a single trial
manufacture.
ware for its ease-of-use, simpliwide collaboration across the
Produced a prototype
fied data conversion capabilieight design groups within
in one week instead of
ties, and affordability. The softthree weeks.
the Automotive Products
wares short learning curve
Division. Hitachi engineers
cycle by conducting
was
another
benefit.
Hitachi
carefully evaluated more than
analysis, trial manufacture, and interferimmediately
saw
future
growth
200 design options, often
ence checks at an
potential
in
the
design
group,
earlier stage.
using the companys actual
due to the rapid adoption of
data for testing purposes.
SolidWorks software by its design staff. The company
has since installed nearly 100 seats of SolidWorks software across the eight design groups at the Automotive
Products Division. The result has been
faster creation of analytical data and a
shortening of the trial manufacture
phase from three weeks to just one
week. The greatest benefit, however, is
the designers ability to conduct design
analysis, trial manufacture, and interference checks at an earlier stage in the
production process. This has significantly reduced the companys design cycle.
solid Solution
Hitachi
case N o. 110
Automotive machinery group

accelerates design process.
Hitachi Turbocharger
British Columbia, Canada
Professional
rofessional Components Ltd. designs specialty vehicles for

the urban and disabled markets. The firm needed to compete
with much larger companies that were equipped with considerably more resources. Also, low barriers of entry into the aluShortened product
design period from one
minum fabrication industry created competition from above and
year to three months.
below. The larger firms had a
Reduced product
development costs
We considered Solid Edge,
lower cost per employee base,
by 75%.
Mechanical Desktop , and
better proximity to raw mateEliminated the cusPro/ENGINEER, but were very
rials, stronger purchasing
tomers requests for
prototypes.
softimpressed
by
SolidWorks
power, more experience, and
Produced a product
wares short learning curve and
more volume. To remain
much lighter than the
integration with Microsoft
competitions.
competitive, we needed to
Office
products.
We
use
both
respond better to our cusMicrosoft Excel and Visual Basic to drive the
tomers and adapt better to
inventory, ordering, and parts management from the
shifts in the market. We needSolidWorks drawings. This eliminates the need to pured software that could give us
chase other third-party materials-management softaccurate sheetmetal layouts
ware. We also use PhotoWorks rendering software to
with the ability to communicreate images for presentations and manuals.
cate with laser and water cutCustomers have come to expect the additional inforting machinery.
mation that SolidWorks provides, giving them confidence in their purchase while adding
credibility to our firm.
solid Solution
David Smith
President
Vehicle manufacturer
streamlines production.
case N o. 116
Weight and center of gravity

calculations enabled us to
design a much lighter and
stronger product than the
competition. Actual weight
was within ten poundsnot
bad for a 3000-pound product!
TRANSPORTATION
Tundra II Minibus
Components, Ltd.
Oxfordshire, England
With SolidWorks,
we design concepts
faster and easier than
ever. Its like sketching with solid metal.
Steve Prentice
Designer
teve Prentice Design Limited is a UK-based automotive consulting firm specializing in power train concept design.
Their newest challenge was to design a low-cost, lightweight, fuel-efficient engine capable of 100 bhp @ 6500 rpm. The
Generated solids
from under defined
team thought 2D or wireframe CAD would hinder their creative
sketches.
process, so they decided to
Created greater
level of definition
We considered Pro/ENGINEER,
look for a robust parametric
in less time.
but SolidWorks software
solid modeling package that
Developed complete
concepts in days
impressed us with its well
guaranteed ease-of-use.
instead of months.
featured and robust solid
Edited designs into difmodeler. SolidWorks allows us
ferent configurations.
to build concepts quickly,
almost as though sketching with solid metal.
We generate solids from under defined sketches, create parts within assemblies, and edit designs
into different configurations. In 18 months, we have
completed more concept projects than ever before,
taking them to a greater level of definition in less
time than customers believed possible. SolidWorks
also provides package dimensions, masses, and major
stresses in days, instead of months. We use a variety
of add-on solutions, including Working Model and
COSMOS/Works for first-pass stress analysis, and
PhotoWorks for rendering photorealistic images for
proposals and presentations.
solid Solution
Design
Limited
Automotive consulting firm

designs breakthrough engine.
case N o. 105
Steve
Prentice
TRANSPORTATION
Three-cylinder 1.4 Litre

Concept Engine
Hilliard, OH, U.S.A.
TRANSPORTATION
Technologies, Inc.
With SolidWorks, I
anticipate where some
functionality should
be, or how it should be
used, and it works just
like I imagined.
Sean Tillinghast
Vice President of Engineering
eldon Technologies, Inc. is a leader in the design and

manufacture of illuminating devices and electrical
control systems for specialty vehicles including
ambulances, fire trucks, and school buses. Facing fierce competiShortened the design
cycle by at least 25%.
tion and industry consolidation, the company needed to streamline
Introduced the first
its design process and deliver
combination halogen/
strobe warning light.
The companys design team
breakthrough products more
Optimized material
chose SolidWorks 3D CAD softrapidly without sacrificing
usage.
ware for its superior ease-ofquality or reliability. Weldon
Accelerated product
use, PC platform, and powerful
delivery.
decided to deploy a 3D paraparametric design capabilities.
metric CAD system for paraWith the short learning curve, extensive data
metric optical design
translators, and intuitive Windows-compliant
interface, we were well into parametric optical
design of a new warning lamp concept after only two
weeks. And in terms of promoting new
concepts, we were able to provide
the sales team with a high quality,
3D model they could rotate and
explode. This allowed them to
effectively market prototype concepts early in the product launch
process, while allowing us to incorporate valuable feedback into the
design. SolidWorks has shortened
our design cycle by at least 25%
and even as much as 50% when we
tap additional SolidWorks features.
solid Solution
Weldon
case N o. 106
Lighting company becomes

innovative electronics supplier.
Patented QFL Series Combination Halogen/Strobe Warning Lamp
Solihull, England
Waste removal firm shortens

production time by 20%.
John Kilmaine
Cofounder and NE Director
hale Tankers Ltd., the leading European manufacturer

of liquid waste tankers and high-pressure jetting equipment, supplies the majority of local waste authorities,
Reduced overall
independent waste contractors, and water companies with specially
production time by
designed waste removal and transportation systems. In an effort to
20% including
assembly, inspection,
reduce production time, proand testing.
We evaluated two 3D solid
vide faster product delivery,
Provided faster product
modelersSolidWorks and
enhance design creativity to
delivery.
Solid Edgebefore selecting
Enhanced design
develop more stylized prodcreativity to develop
SolidWorks
solid
modeling
ucts, and establish standardmore stylized products.
software because of its short
ized parts to cut costs and
Established standardized parts to cut costs
learning curve, 3D visualizaspeed time-to-market, Whale
and speed time to
tion capabilities, design focus,
market.
Tankers decided to upgrade
and value. By deploying
its 2D engineering tools to 3D.
SolidWorks, we have realized a 20% reduction in proThe company had been using
duction time, created our first standardized parts for
a 2D Claris CAD program on
the GullyWhale, and developed a stylish design for
Apple computers.
the SMARTWhale. Whale Tankers has since grown to
become the largest manufacturer of specialized liquid waste tankers and
high-pressure
jetting
equipment in Europe.
solid Solution
With SolidWorks, the

first prototype is more
like the final product.
case N o. 111
Whale
Tankers Ltd.
TRANSPORTATION
SMARTWhale Tanker

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his book is a sampling of first-hand

INDUSTRY CASE STUDIES

Industrial design firm

endis & Kierulf provides complete design services, ranging

The ease of modeling in

Exhibition lights designed

Easton, PA, U.S.A.

Arts supplier delivers

inney & Smith, Inc., a leading manufacturer of arts and crafts

Binney & Smiths Color Wonder

arbon Design, Inc. designs a wide variety of consumer

The SolidWorks data translated

Industrial designer cuts

Ergonomic Task Chair

SolidWorks is a registered trademark, FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered trademark, and

Climbing company reaches

Hoop-stemmed Camming Device

ontreal-based Ritvik Holdings, Inc. is the worlds second

Toy manufacturer makes

Real-time collision detection capabilities

Ritvik engineers use 3D Quickfill

San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

X-Team Snowboard Binding

Air conditioning manufacturer

Air Conditioning Unit

endme Concept designs jewelry for customers of Place

Reduced the need for

Vendme Concept uses SolidWorks software

Colorado Springs, CO, U.S.A.

portation Safety Concepts, Inc. (XSCi), an engineering,

stream CAD system to quickXSCi chose SolidWorks 3D

Not only are we

Infant seat developer

Safety Concepts, Inc.

Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.

t the Milwaukee School of Engineering, students must

The project was completed

Design project hits the mark

SolidWorks has significantly increased our

n its effort to make urban life easier, Ascom Montel designs

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation.

Tempe, AZ, U.S.A.

xxess Technologies manufactures and designs electronic

We immediately discovered the benefits of

Electronic Key Recognition

West Columbia, SC, U.S.A.

ryoTech, Inc., a privately held spin-off from NCR

Computer cooling systems

KryoTech SuperG Cooling System

Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.

SolidWorks is a faster, more

estcode Semiconductors Ltd. is one of the worlds

Houston, TX, U.S.A.

he 1998 merger with Dresser Industries made Halliburton

Refining product design and

Weve saved six months on the

Threaded assembly modeled in

The most important

IGHVOLT Prftechnik Dresden GmbH, a world leader in

High-voltage testing system

Exciter Transformer PEO 100/50

Houston, TX, U.S.A.

vaerner Oilfield Products is a leading worldwide supplier