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BAKERY EQUIPMENT MAKER SHRINKS DESIGN TIME AND REDUCES REWORK |
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Mixing client satisfaction
with profitability
AMF Canada designs and manufactures
the complete line of baking
equipment from mixers and makeup
equipment to slicers, baggers and postpackaging
solutions as well as washing
machines for the bottle industry. Much of
its equipment is customized and under
contract to be delivered by a certain date.
This puts product design on the critical
path for profitability.
ìWhen designs have errors, that can
delay delivery because some amount of
rework is usually required,î according to
Marc Stringer, AMF Canadaís CAD coordinator.
Because missing a delivery date
might cause a client to look elsewhere the
next time for its baking equipment, management
often authorized overtime, cutting
into the profitability of the project.
With the goal of reducing design errors,
Sherbrooke, QC-based AMF Canada
(amfbakery.com) decided to upgrade from
2D AutoCAD to solid modeling. Stringer
looked for a program that would be easy to use
and also would allow a gradual
move into 3D. The flexibility to move
slowly into 3D was important because the
company had a great deal of legacy AutoCAD
data it wanted to continue to
use. Also, it had done some customization
with macros to streamline the transfer of
information from drawings to bills of
material to the companyís MRP system.
The solid modeling software that best
met AMF Canadaís requirements was
Solid Edge from UGS (ugs.com/solidedge).
Its ease of use ensured that it wouldn't sit
on a shelf. Indeed, after a five-day training
program conducted by the reseller
(Automadesign of Bromont, QC), designers
were fully productive. Not only that,
they were very happy to have the new
capabilities. ìThey saw going to 3D as a
blessing,î Stringer says.
The reputation and stability of UGS
was a factor in AMF Canada's selection of
Solid Edge, as was the support of
Automadesign (automadesign.ca). In addition
to providing training, the reseller
helped Stringer set up the design system so
that the macros and drawings created with
AutoCAD were easily accessible to designers
working in Solid Edge. Today all new
machines are designed in Solid Edge using
a hybrid approach that incorporates legacy
2D and bill of material information
whenever applicable.
Designers develop new machines by
creating assemblies of solid models in
Solid Edge prior to actual physical assembly.
Some of their machines are large
assemblies, such as a new oven that consisted
of around 10,000 parts. The ability
to view these complex virtual machines on
the screen and rotate them to any angle
has made it possible for designers to detect
and fix errors prior to having parts made
or assembly done. Another advantage is
that when drawings are created from accurate
solid models, the drawings are accurate
as well. ìDrawings are clearer and we
can make lots of views,î says Stringer.
ìThe people on the shop floor are finding
it easier to understand things.î
The move to 3D is enabling the company
to attract talented young people who
learned 3D in school. ìFor mechanical
engineering, 2D is out and many new engineers
do not want to work with old drawing
methods,î Stringer explains. ìSolid
Edge helps us attract those people.î
The Solid Edge-based design process
is working out as planned, according to
Stringer. Assembly time has been reduced
from 15 to 20% because rework on
complex sheet metal assembly has been
almost completely eliminated. The
design phase has been reduced as well.
For machines that take advantage of
Solid Edgeís parametric design capability,
the design process has been cut by as
much as 50%.
This article was supplied by Solid Edge.
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