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EJM Aerospace increases reverse-engineering efficiency by 200% with DezignWorks software

EJM Aerospace Services is an 8A aerospace company specializing in rapid-response design, engineering, FAA certification, and analysis. The company employs on-site structures, electrical, avionic, composite, aerospace and certification engineers and FAA DARs and DERs.

EJM provides custom modifications, avionics upgrades, and aircraft structural enhancements. They are specialists in providing on-site installation, integration, and management support worldwide. The company also provides lightweight fiber-composite engineering design, analysis, and FAA certification. EJM can also manufacture mechanical, electrical, structural and composite kits.

The company's manufacturing capabilities include wire harnesses, metalworking, CNC machining, welding, water jet-cutting, chemical coating, and painting.

Recently, SolidWorks Express spoke with engineer Greg Prince about the company's use of DezignWorks software.


What processes did you use to provide reverse-engineering services to your customers prior to using DezignWorks?

"We used plumb bobs, string, masking tape, tape measures, calipers and several helpers."

What challenge led you to evaluate and then choose DezignWorks?

Faro Arm scan of a motorcycle engine with SolidWorks rendering of the part

"For quite a few years we reverse engineered many different aircraft parts. I remembered thinking 'man, it would be nice to find software that would do this for me.' At that time, software was available but it was costly and did not provide a final scanned item in a 3D part. It was a time-consuming process to convert scanned data into a usable 3D model."

What types of digitizing devices are you using with DezignWorks?

"We are using a CMM 6 axis Faro arm."

Using DezignWorks insures that all geometric elements are parametric, fully editable, and conform to the feature-based intelligence of SolidWorks software. What is the benefit of this capability?

"With DezignWorks, you can scan a part, run an analysis using COSMOSExpress software to ensure the my part is structurally sound, and pending the results you can make changes to the scanned part, for example, to make it thicker, change the radius, or whatever necessary to design a part that is structurally sound. Next, you can make DWGs and/or assemblies and everything updates as you make chagnes. In the past, I would scan a part for a customer. The customer's goal was to reproduce the parts. Once I scanned the part into SolidWorks® software, I could then create a mold of that part. At any time during the design process if I have to make a change to my part, my mold model, assembly, and drawings all change at once. This eliminates human error, saving time and money."

Why is it important to be able to conduct real-time reverse engineering on multiple parts and assemblies?

With DezignWorks, this 1948 Indian motorcycle motor cover was reversed engineered in just 5 days from using a CNC machine to machine the part from a solid block of 7075 aluminum.

"To remain competitive in today's marketplace, you need to provide customers with fast, accurate and reasonably priced services. It's that simple."

How much faster is your design process with DezignWorks?

"Using DezignWorks, we have increased our efficiency by 200%, especially when reverse engineering complex shapes and contours."

Does using DezignWorks allow your company to accept jobs that it could not accept prior to using DezignWorks? Please explain.

"Using DezignWorks has significantly expanded our existing market share and has also opened new opportunities. We can tackle the biggest reverse engineering jobs. In many cases, we need to meet very tight tolerances. With DezignWorks, we can honestly say that we can give our customers exactly what they need plus or minus .002 on an inch. That is unheard of in the reverse-engineering world."

Contact information

EJM Aerospace Services

Greg Prince
Engineer

gprince@ejmaerospace.com
Phone: 850-682-1069
Web: www.ejmaerospace.com

Interview with DezignWorks user:
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