Packaging Machinery Designers Face Five Big Challenges, says DS SolidWorks
Solutions Catch Problems Early and Drive Cost Out of Designs
CONCORD, Mass., USA, May 18, 2009 – Designers of packaging machinery face an increasingly daunting set of challenges, but with the right tools designers can help their companies prevail in a competitive marketplace.
Five discrete challenges are contributing heavily to packaging machine design success or failure, says Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks). DS SolidWorks explores these challenges and solutions in a whitepaper called “Streamlining the Design of Packaging Machinery,” and in a podcast and Web site (www.solidworks.com/packaging). The company is using this same framework to optimize SolidWorks® 3D CAD software for packaging machinery design.
Packaging Machine Design Challenge # 1: Cost
A design team’s ability to drive down cost from the earliest stages of a proposal dictates its success in winning contracts and securing profit margins.
Challenge # 2: Flexibility
Customers are demanding packaging machines that do more than just one thing and can quickly adapt to a range of changing tasks. The same machine, for example, might need to package candy one day and cookies the next.
Challenge # 3: Reliability
Buyers of packaging machines will no longer tolerate equipment that fails to work as advertised. This means machines must handle specified capacity without interruption or failure. Packaging line slowdowns and shutdowns can devastate profits.
Challenge # 4: Modularity
Customers expect packaging equipment that is configurable based on the job at hand, and is upgradeable as improved equipment becomes available. Packaging machine operators should be able to swap out components as easily as PC users swap out graphic cards.
Challenge # 5: Energy Consumption
Energy is expensive, and choosing the right motors, actuators, and controllers can dramatically affect power consumption – a critical concern for both the environment and the bottom line.
“When you make machines with thousands of parts doing more jobs than ever with less room for error on thinner margins, poor design decisions can devastate projects,” said Craig Therrien, DS SolidWorks product manager and whitepaper author. “Conversely, innovation can launch you to new levels of success.”
In the whitepaper, DS SolidWorks proposes a combination of software capabilities, methodologies, and best practices to address the packaging design challenges. Solutions involve 3D simulation, integrated control software, configurations, and proper specification.
“Packaging machine design can be particularly challenging with many dynamics involved in finessing tough-to-handle products through our packaging lines,” said Marc Monaghan, engineering systems manager for Hartness International, a South Carolina packaging solutions provider. “Project timelines are also more aggressive than ever, giving us much less time to develop designs with iterations of physical prototypes. This is where the integration of 3D modeling, analysis, and control development in SolidWorks products allows us to identify potential issues and opportunities for innovation long before the first part is produced.”
“Packaging machine designers want to design the machine, select the right controls, preview everything moving on the screen, and detect any weaknesses, failure points, or interferences as they make their decisions,” said Kathleen Maher, senior analyst, Jon Peddie Research. “The approach defined by DS SolidWorks enables them to do this and helps ensure little problems don’t grow into big ones.”
Click here to download the free whitepaper and here to listen to a podcast with Craig Therrien. For more information, visit the Packaging Design Web site at
www.solidworks.com/packaging.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).
About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design – DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA). For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/.
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