Arronet Uses SOLIDWORKS and Robotic Automation to Reinvent Boat Building
Boat manufacturer uses SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to build better aluminum boats faster while boosting quality, efficiency, and sustainability to meet customer demands.
Challenge
Design multiple boat models, including every single part, and keep production in-house, and virtually test their products to reduce time and cost.
Solution
Optimize hull shapes and lifting strakes to be the highest quality and most efficient designs using integrated SOLIDWORKS modeling, design, and flow simulation to reduce physical prototyping.
Results
- Replaced costly prototype iterations with less costly simulation iterations
- Reduced fuel usage based upon optimized designs
- Reduced waste with more sustainable designs
- Drove boat hull innovation by flow analysis
The founding brothers of Arronet Teknik AB began designing and manufacturing aluminum boats from their Öregrund, Sweden, facility in 1992. Co-founder Niklas Von Arronet explains that they were among the first to create a “car on water”—a heated boat with front and rear doors that could be closed, enabling travel in comfort.
The company’s philosophy is to keep production in-house whenever possible, thereby reducing transport, increasing efficiency, and enabling a more sustainable approach to production. “We fabricate everything from sheet metal, weld with robots, and paint in-house,” says Niklas Von Arronet’s brother and co-founder Håkan Von Arronet. “It gives us more control and helps us stay environmentally responsible.”
Innovating with Passion
The Arronet brothers’ approach is unique in the marine industry. From start to finish, every boat is built from raw sheet metal under one roof. Each model is customized and fully welded in-house to prioritize stability, seaworthiness, and durability. “We’ve been building boats since we were kids, and today we use that same passion to deliver the highest quality product possible to our customers,” notes Niklas.
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“We had to test design changes outdoors, often in freezing conditions. Now we iterate faster [with SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation] from the warmth of our design office, and with better results.”
Keeping production in-house gives the company full control over quality and ensures the timely availability of components because they make them themselves. One of the biggest advantages of their hands-on approach is the ability to continuously improve the product. Niklas emphasizes, “Håkan and I drive boats every day, year-round—whether it’s dark, snowing, or sunny. That constant real-world testing helps us make the boats better and better.”
Producing Quality Faster and More Efficiently
That philosophy of continuous improvement extends to how Arronet designs and manufactures boats. The design team, led by Eric Von Arronet, has spent myriad hours optimizing hull shapes and lifting strakes for the highest quality ride possible using Dassault Systèmes’ SOLIDWORKS® and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation. “We’ve tested countless hull and strake combinations to improve comfort, handling, and fuel efficiency using SOLIDWORKS,” explains Eric.
Before adopting SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation software, testing new designs was a tedious physical process. Arronet can now design more quickly and with greater precision in the digital environment than they ever could through physical trial and error. Before Flow Simulation, Eric recalls, “We had to test design changes outdoors, often in freezing conditions. Now we iterate faster [with SOLIDWORKS] from the warmth of our design office, and with better results.”
Designing for Sustainability
The team is currently developing a new concept featuring optional hydrofoils. Niklas Von Arronet describes this as “the new way of traveling on water.”
Products:
- SOLIDWORKS Standard CAD
- SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard
- SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional
- SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
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