Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
SUCCESS METRICS
- Cut production time by 20 percent across the board
- Reduced time required to shape guitar necks by 30 percent
- Eliminated many secondary operations
- Increased production throughput with improved tooling
The Challenge
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is a leading manufacturer of stringed instruments, including electric, acoustic, and bass guitars as well as guitar amplifiers. While the company handcrafted guitars and used 2D design tools for many years, the 2002 acquisition of the JACKSON guitar brand brought more complex geometry challenges that required 3D design technology to drive manufacturing.
The Solution
Fender chose SolidWorks CAD software – first deployed on the JACKSON and FENDER STRATOCASTER lines and now used companywide – because it is easy to use, includes advanced surfacing capabilities, and integrates well with CAM applications. By deploying SolidWorks, Fender cut production time by 20 percent across the board, reduced the time required to shape guitar necks by 30 percent, eliminated many secondary operations, and increased production throughput with improved tooling.
"By using SolidWorks, we have reduced manufacturing time by at least 20 percent across the board, and have boosted production throughput by creating better tooling and taking advantage of better CAM programming.”
Previous CAD: AutoCAD
Products(s) Used: SolidWorks Standard
Benefit: Value, 2D/3D Integration, Ease of Use, Integration
VAR: GoEngineer
