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COVER STORY
In this article, software company Autodesk describes the benefits of digital over physical prototyping and details
the benefits and three industry application of its Autodesk Inventor software.
Digital prototyping brings together designdata from all phases of the product devel-opment process to create a single digital model.
This model simulates the complete product and
gives engineers the ability to better visualise,
optimise and manage their design before pro-
ducing a physical prototype.
Digital prototyping gives industrial machin-
ery manufacturers the ability to virtually explore
a complete product before it is built. By using adigital prototype, manufacturers can visualise
and simulate real-world performance of the de-
sign with less reliance on costly physical proto-
types, reducing design and production costs.
Digital prototyping moves companies be-
yond 3D modelling. It enables manufacturing
workgroups to create a single digita l model that
can be used in every stage of production, bridg-
ing the gaps that usually exist between concep-
tual design, engineering, mechanical design,
electrical controls design, manufacturing, and
sales & marketing teams.
Industry challengesIndustrial machinery manufacturers operate in a complex and
demanding environment and face unprecedented challenges
today. They are simultaneously confronted with increasing glo-
bal competition for new project opportunities and customer
requirements becoming more multifaceted and chal lenging. To
meet these requirements, industrial machinery manufacturers
often engage in engineer-to-order, configure-to-order or assem-
ble-to-order processes and operations.
Industrial machinery manufacturers struggle with increas-
ingly complex product platforms, from which product variants
and configurations are driven and the potential costs and quality-
control issues associated with them. At the same time, the need
to incorporate innovative design is essential, while managingquality and costs closely is critical to the bottom line. Successful
manufacturers must effectively collaborate with both local and
global product development teams and supply chain partners in
order to develop and deliver more complex products in less time.
Strategies for successSucceeding in this market requires an intense focus on meet-
ing customer needs. Establishing a product development
methodology that effectively utilises a product platform to
create a multitude of configurations to adapt to the customers
needs is paramount.
Whether a new product platform or a derivative of an exist-
ing one, development teams need the ability to explore a designearly in the process and communicate that design with stake-
holders and customers.
The ability to design, visualise and simulate a product from
the earliest concept phase is a prerequisite to avoiding design
errors that may not appear until the physical prototyping stage.
Just as important is the ability for multiple disciplines to com-
municate and collaborate throughout the development process,
without recreating data to meet their needs.
Implementing the right solutionThe Autodesk Inventor product line provides a comprehensive
and flexible set of software for 3D mechanical design, simula-
tion, tooling creation and design communication that helps man-
ufacturers cost-effectively take advantage of the digital prototyp-
ing workflow to design and build better products in less time.
The Inventor model is an accurate 3D digital prototype that
enables designers to validate the form, fit and function of a de-
sign, minimising the need to test the design with physical proto-
types. By enabling designers to use a digital prototype to design,
visual ise and simulate products digitally, Inventor software helps
designers communicate more effectively, reduce errors and de-
liver more innovative product designs faster.
Award winning designs with AutodeskInventorideas*is a Melbourne-based engineering services firm which
used Autodesk Inventor to provide detailed design and engineer-
ing for a massive $20m, state-of-the-art construction recycling
facility. The size of four football fields, the plant was designed to
efficiently recycle one million tonnes of discarded construction
and demolition materials per year.
In order to offer a more interactive and consultative experi-
ence that enables everyone to explore what-ifs throughout the
design process, we needed to move beyond 3D to digital proto-
typing, said Michael Percy, managing director at *ideas.The company used Autodesk Inventor software to digitally
prototype the recycling plant. This provided the flexibility to
integrate all structural and mechanical components, effectively
communicate the design and help enable rapid modification dur-
ing the many design iterations.
Digital prototyping for industrialmachinery manufacturers
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2010
Images courtesy
of ideas* and
Pacer Engineers.
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COVER STORY
Also, Autodesk Inventor software provided a platform that
enabled ideas* to more seamlessly integrate design aspects that
leveraged its investment and commitment to AutoCAD software.
By expanding on its AutoCAD skills, while adopting the new
strategy, the company could reduce the cost of transition and
decrease disruption to its production schedules.The collaborative approach helped increase overall produc-
tivity by 20 per cent and helped enable the entire project to be
installed within 10 months of the fi rst designs.
Taking the leap from 2D to 3DBased in Western Australia, Pacer Engineers (Pacer) delivers bulk
material handling and mineral processing infrastructure projects
to a range of high-profile mining and resources clients. Before
bringing on board an in-house design team, Pacer worked prima-
rily with external drafting contractors utilising two-dimensional
design software.
2D modelling required components such as structure, di-
mension and design to be outlined on separate individual draw-
ings and relied on the expertise of draftsmen to notice clashesand errors, explained Cameron Jacotine, lead designer, Pacer En-
gineers. The 2D process meant fixing problems, such as incor-
rectly placed holes and clashing pipes, was very time-consuming
and customers werent able to see the whole product while it
was being developed.
Pacer implemented a digital prototyping solution comprising
of Autodesk Inventor Suite, AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT to remain
competitive, streamline the overall design process and improve
collaboration with stakeholders.
The major benefit of us being able to digitally prototype is
the interaction with our customers. We now produce a prelimi-
nary digital prototype for first review to communicate our pro-
posal. Once this is accepted by the client, we then start on thedetailed requirements of the project and present them with a 90
per cent complete digital prototype for a hazard and operability
study, said Jon Wright, engineering manager at Pacer Engineers.
Before we implemented digital prototyping this process took
us significantly longer. Our solution facilitates a greater level of
collaboration between our client and our design expertise. As a
result our clients feel more involved in the design process and itgives them greater clarity on the outcome of their projects.
Winning business with digital prototypingAs a global leader in motion and control technology, Parker Han-
nifin (Parker) currently reaches annual sales exceeding $12bn.
To increase revenues and margins, Parker transitioned from
simply supplying parts to offering customers complete motion
and control systems. Digital prototyping has helped Parker shift
its focus by supporting a streamlined, highly efficient product
development process.
The company combines surface models from Autodesk Alias
software, electrical schematics created in AutoCAD Electrical
and mechanical design data from Inventor to create a single dig-ital model. Parker shares digital models, which are accurate dig-
ital prototypes, with reviewers and customers using the visuali-
sation tools in Autodesk Showcase and the collaboration tools
in Autodesk Streamline.
Using Autodesk solutions, over a hundred design depart-
ments around the world are able to work within a single digital
model environment, speeding design times and reducing er-
rors. By relying more on digital prototypes to validate designs,
Parker has cut back on the expensive physical prototypes it
must produce.
We cant underscore enough the value of mak ing even one
fewer physical prototype, said David Bosworth, manager of En-
terprise Engineering Systems at Parker Hannifin. With digital
prototyping, the time-to-market and cost savings are very real.Thats why we require digital prototypes for al l our parts.
Creating accurate, realistic and compelling renderings of
digital prototypes is also yielding dividends for Parker. Weve
successfully eliminated photography in the catalogues for our in-
strumentation division, said Bosworth. And were doing it with-
out tying up our precious design and engineering resources.
About AutodeskAutodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D design, engineer ing and enter-
tainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, archi-
tecture, building, construction and media and entertainment
industries including the last 15 Academy Award winners for
Best Visual Effects use Autodesk software to design, visual-ise and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD
software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest
portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets.
Contact: www.autodesk.com.au