Leviton flips switch on innovative design with SolidWorks
North America's largest supplier of switches, plugs, lighting management systems, etc. to standardize on 300 licenses of SolidWorks 3D CAD software
CONCORD, Mass., Feb. 19, 2008 ? The White House, a Napa Valley winery, an oil rig in Canada and 90 percent of the homes in the U.S. all use electrical wiring devices from Leviton, North America ?s largest manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices. The company has purchased 300 licenses of SolidWorks® 3D CAD software to speed product development and improve global collaboration as it continues to strengthen its market leadership.
Based in Little Neck, N.Y., Leviton began as a two-person operation providing tip mantles (devices which produce light) for gas lamps in 1906. Since then, it has expanded its product set to more than 25,000 unique items made in plants in the U.S. , China , and Mexico and distributed in more than 100 countries. It sells everything from decorative wall-mounted light switches to commercial lighting systems, industrial cameras, speakers, relays, and uninterruptible power supplies. For almost 18 years the company had been using various iterations of CoCreate (now a Parametric Technology Corp. (PTC) product) prior to selecting SolidWorks, COSMOSWorks® Advanced Professional design validation, and PDMWorks® Enterprise product data management software.
?We?re dealing with 25,000 different SKUs in a fiercely competitive market,? said Scot Hale, senior manager of engineering service at Leviton. ?We could no longer endure the delays of trying to modify master files, which were mostly in 2D because the software couldn?t handle the changes in 3D. SolidWorks will make engineering changes fast, easy, and accurate, which will help us deliver more innovative products faster to market.?
Integrated design and analysis
The nature of electrical plugs, outlets, and other close-fit components mandates exact tolerances. Previously, Leviton had to outsource much of its design analysis to ensure accuracy. COSMOSWorks will enable the company to keep more product development in-house because engineers will be able to see precise fits within the design window. ?We wanted an FEA tool that engineers could use on their desktops without having to work in two disconnected applications. SolidWorks and COSMOSWorks fit the bill,? said Hale.
Leviton plans to improve internal collaboration with PDMWorks Enterprise, which will enable engineers around the world to access the latest versions of every product design, work concurrently on the same designs, and ensure version control. Engineers will also more easily share design information with sales, marketing, scheduling, billing, and other operations when Leviton integrates PDMWorks Enterprise with its Oracle database.
Leviton will also improve collaboration with customers, partners, suppliers, and others using SolidWorks? eDrawings® design communication tool. eDrawings allows users to send design files in e-mails that recipients can open, view, rotate, pan, and manipulate as if they were holding the drawing in their hands.
SolidWorks? widespread use around the world will also help make communicating with third parties easy and efficient. ?It will be great to work with a component development tool that is an industry standard,? said Hale. ?Working in native file formats with vendors is not something we?ve been able to do very often.?
Hale also expects to take advantage of SolidWorks? tool and die manufacturing partners to help further streamline production.
?Leviton?s customers demand performance, durability, and increasingly, aesthetic flair,? said Jeff Ray, SolidWorks CEO. ?Selecting SolidWorks reinforces the company?s century-long commitment to innovating better products that meet the needs of its customers, be they commercial building managers looking for sophisticated lighting systems or homeowners who want sleek light controls.?
Leviton relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Cimquest for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
About Leviton
Founded in 1906 at the dawn of the electrical era, Leviton manufactures over 25,000 different products and is North America ?s leading electrical and electronic wiring device producer. Leviton products are used in nine out of ten homes in the U.S. and Canada , and in commercial facilities, industrial plants and OEM operations. A third-generation family owned and operated business, Leviton sets the pace of progress in the industry. For more information, visit the Web site (www.leviton.com).
About Cimquest Inc.
Cimquest Inc. provides software, support, training, and consulting
for the CAD/CAM industry. Founded in 1990, Cimquest has hundreds of customers
in New York , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Delaware , Maryland , and Connecticut
. As an integrator, its goal is to partner with customers and elevate their
productivity to the highest level possible. With a full suite of products ?
including SolidWorks for mechanical design, Mastercam ® for manufacturing, COSMOSWorks®
for design validation, and Dimension 3D Printers for Rapid Prototyping ? Cimquest
offers a complete solution. To complement its product line, Cimquest has a comprehensive
support and training system unrivaled in the industry. For more information
visit the company?s Web site (www.cimquest-inc.com) or call 866-277-8778.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) brand, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, providing intuitive, high-performing software that helps product design teams develop great products. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (http://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 is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.
