Challenge
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of wastewater treatment equipment design and manufacturing by moving entirely from 2D to 3D tools while simultaneously shortening design cycles and time to market through better data management and design validation, and increased design reuse and collaboration.
Solution
Replace AutoCAD and Bentley Systems design tools with 3DEXPERIENCE® Works 3D mechanical design, validation, data management, collaboration, and communication solutions—including 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS® Premium and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional roles—on the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Result
- Cut design cycles by 30 percent
- Shortened time to market by 25 percent
- Reduced errors by 40 percent
- Increased design reuse by 100 percent
SFC Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a global company based in India, provides advanced technologies and equipment for the treatment of municipal sewage and other wastewater, as well as the handling and treatment of solid waste and systems for solar drying of sludge. SFC also provides futuristic technologies such as turbo blowers and disc filters, along with complete design, engineering, procurement, and project management services.
The company was founded in 2004 and until August 2022, used AutoCAD® and Bentley Systems 2D design tools to develop wastewater treatment systems. Lack of data management and revision controls coupled with an overall inefficient and problematic system caused delays and errors. Engineering Head Mandar Desai explains, “Cost optimization for our products was hindered by a lack of revision data. There was no effective collaboration between design members and purchase departments, and all data was stored on a local drive, making it difficult to track [historical] and revision data.”
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“With 3DEXPERIENCE Works data management, data is stored in the cloud and arranged systematically, so it can be accessed anywhere at any time, allowing seamless collaboration among cross-functional teams and improved project visibility. With these capabilities, product lifecycle management (PLM) becomes possible, with automatic tracking of design changes made by team members on the
Reducing Errors
By moving to 3DEXPERIENCE® Works solutions, SFC solved its data management and revision control issues. “With 3DEXPERIENCE Works data management, data is stored in the cloud and arranged systematically, so it can be accessed anywhere at any time, allowing seamless collaboration,” Desai notes. “With these capabilities, product lifecycle management (PLM) becomes possible, with automatic tracking of design changes made by team members on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.”
With complete control over design revisions, SFC has realized a 40% reduction in design errors and a 100% increase in design reuse. The company also leverages the simulation capabilities of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS to validate design concepts to further improve quality and performance. Desai clarifies, “Design validation capabilities enabled us to validate designs, identify potential issues, and make necessary changes to optimize costs, resulting in improved product quality and cost-effectiveness. Data migration from pre-existing 2D data to 3D was made possible by 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, streamlining the transition and facilitating better utilization of the latest design tools.”
Faster Design Cycles via Collaboration
“3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions have significantly improved data management and revision control, allowing seamless collaboration between design teams and rapid incorporation of design changes based on evolving project requirements,” Desai adds. “With 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions, we have experienced enhanced collaboration, simplified data management, and efficient design validation, leading to more successful and cost-efficient product development processes,” he concludes. Better collaboration, tight revision controls, and validation tools have enabled SFC to shorten design cycles by 30% and reduce times to market by 25% in just over a year.
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