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Case Studies

Assembly modelling helps instrument manufacturer slash development time by over 60%

Worcestershire-based Malvern Instruments is a world leader in the development and manufacture of particle sizing instruments. With a growing world-wide requirement, often driven by legislation, for tight quality control and assurance procedures in the manufacture of all manner of processed products, Malvern Instruments is currently enjoying increased sales of its range of instruments

The company’s latest product, the Ultrasizer, has been developed for research and development applications in the process manufacturing industries and uses Malvern’s new acoustic spectroscopy technology. This enables the Ultrasizer to measure particle sizes in undiluted, high concentration systems, ranging anywhere from paints and chemicals to products like chocolate and even mayonnaise.

At the beginning of the Ultrasizer development project the decision was made to adopt concurrent engineering practices and to support these with the latest computer-aided solid and assembly modelling technology, in order to shorten the development lead time to the minimum.

A multi-disciplinary team was therefore formed which included people from the marketing department, software and systems engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, manufacturing and customer support.
A new CAD system based on Siemens PLM Software’s Solid Edge mechanical parts and assembly modelling software for Windows was selected. This would replace Malvern’s existing FastCAD 2D drafting system. Initially comprising three ‘seats’ of Solid Edge running on Pentium Pro PCs, the CAD system has now been increased to eleven Pentium-based workstations, all running under Windows NT on a 100 Mbit/second local area network.

Assembly modelling

The Ultrasizer comprises some 800 individual components, each of which was modelled as a 3D solid part in Solid Edge. These were developed either from scratch if it was a completely new part or, if it was a modification to an existing part, by working from a 2D CAD file imported into Solid Edge via DXF from the FastCAD system. Solid Edge was then used to create a complete digital assembly of the Ultrasizer and its sub-assemblies.

This enabled the team to visualise and understand how the instrument would work in practice and to see how individual components and sub-assemblies interact with each other and fit into the allowable spaces. Having an accurate 3D model of the complete instrument also enabled any required modifications to be undertaken far more easily and for their consequences to be understood beforehand by all members of the development team.

In the words of Malvern Instruments’ managing director Paul Walker, ‘With Solid Edge enabling the multi-disciplinary team to build complete digital assemblies, we were able to overcome the ‘throw it over the wall to the next person’ attitude which is typical of the traditional, sequential design-to-manufacturing cycle.’
Another significant benefit of the assembly modelling capabilities of Solid Edge relates to piece part manufacturing. The 2D manufacturing drawings required on the shop floor are produced directly from the 3D model. This allows a 3D view of the complete sub-assembly to be inserted into the 2D piece part drawing so that shop floor personnel can see exactly how the part to be manufactured fits into the sub-assembly.

Successful fast track programme

Malvern Instruments’ Ultrasizer development team appreciate the close support they receive from Birmingham's SOLID Applications Ltd. in the ongoing implementation and support of what was a new technology development tool within a fast track development programme.
Using the CAD system to support a fast track development programme enabled Malvern Instruments to release the Ultrasizer to market in the planned timescale, cutting some 60% off the normal product development lead time.
 
 

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