Southern Beams Builds the First Industrial-Grade Solar Generator

Solar electric power generation company builds an industrial-grade mobile solar generator with SOLIDWORKS that eliminates the delays and costs of fixed infrastructure

Challenge

Building the first mobile solar generator built for large scale projects, which must be easy to transport and set up.

Action

Implement SOLIDWORKS to become the central hub for the company’s collective engineering expertise. By adopting SOLIDWORKS advanced sheet metal tools and integrating new manufacturing processes with Dassault Systèmes DELMIA, the company has achieved product development capabilities previously unattainable.

Results

  • Remove the disconnect between structural, mechanical, and electrical systems
  • Create a single source of truth within the design
  • Shortened development and production cycles
  • Cut production time

Most solar generators aren’t made for real work. They’re too small, too weak, or too complicated to be practical in the field. Dragon Wings generators are different.

Dragon Wings solar generators were developed by Southern Beams Builds, Inc., and are already powering construction sites, EV charging stations, live events, and industrial operations, all of which can’t afford downtime. Dragon Wings is a heavy-duty, mobile solar power station capable of running industrial-grade equipment off-grid, silently and sustainably.

“Dragon Wings exemplifies what mobile solar innovation can achieve, providing a seamless, scalable, and eco-friendly energy solution without the logistical hurdles of construction or permits,” emphasizes Southern Beams Builds CEO Dr. Ryan Wartena in a recent press release. Dragon Wings is an integrated solar microgrid. It's the size of a 20-foot shipping container, and it has expandable scissor armatures that expand to an overall width of 84 feet.

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Silent Power That Delivers

With its 60-panel photovoltaic wings, Dragon Wings can generate 70 to 150kWh of energy each day and store that energy on board via 75kWh to 450kWh lithium battery capacity. That means running heavy-duty tools, recharging fleets of EVs, or keeping industrial processes online without a drop of diesel.

Dragon Wings are not just solar panels on wheels. They are designed for harsh environments, rapid deployment, and total autonomy. Consider some of the key features:

  • Quick setup: Panels open in two minutes and are ready to power in five minutes.
  • Passive operation: Panels automatically close at night or in high winds.
  • Monitored and controlled via mobile app.
  • Produces energy on- or off-grid.

Dragon Wings delivers AC power in 30kW and 60kW units, with the ability to chain multiple units to produce up to 1000kW (a megawatt) of mobile, silent, fuel-free energy.

Related Resources

CNC機械加工で成功する方法

現代は、製造業、特に中小企業(SMB)のメーカーにとって容易な時代ではありません。長引く世界規模のスキル格差が、不安定なサプライチェーンと相俟って、中小企業は生産需要を満たすことが困難になっています。幸いなことに、CNC機械加工技術の進歩と、AIやロボットなどの急速に進歩している技術は、こうした課題を解決する上で助けになります。このeブックの内容は次のとおりです。CNC機械加工の導入に伴う現在の課題熟練の機械工が持つ知識を取り込む方法機械加工オペレーションを標準化し、再利用のために保存する方法DELMIA Machiningと3DEXPERIENCEプラットフォームの利点今すぐダウンロードいただき、中小企業がDELMIA Machiningを活用して、高度な機械加工機能の展開を加速し、うまく生産需要を満たす方法をご確認ください。

eブック

Having an industry-standard piece of software [like SOLIDWORKS] has made it easier to work with machine shops, sheet metal shops, or whomever we're talking to for part production.

Wil Gering

Director of Production

southern-beams-design-with-solidworks

Design Through Manufacturing

For Southern Beams Builds Director of Production Wil Gering, the transition to SOLIDWORKS® was pivotal. Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS is now the central hub for the company’s collective engineering expertise, which enables the realization of the Dragon Wings system. By adopting SOLIDWORKS advanced sheet metal tools and integrating new manufacturing processes with Dassault Systèmes DELMIA, the company has achieved product development capabilities previously unattainable.

SOLIDWORKS has enabled the company to streamline the process and simplify collaboration internally and with vendors externally. Gering notes, “Having an industry-standard piece of software [like SOLIDWORKS] has made it easier to work with machine shops, sheet metal shops, or whomever we're talking to for part production.”

SOLIDWORKS also helped solve a critical gap. A major challenge in the Southern Beams Builds development cycle was a disconnect between the structural mechanical and the electrical and control teams. The lack of integration led to delays, increased costs, and considerable frustration. “That’s been a huge stumbling block for us in our production processes in the past,” explains Gering. “The SOLIDWORKS model has truly become our single source of truth.”

southern-beams-design-installation

Simplifying EV Infrastructure

It often takes more than a year to install permanent electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and it’s expensive. Dragon Wings offers a flexible alternative: a mobile, modular system that combines solar panels and battery storage. The solar generators solve space and power challenges by delivering reliable energy on demand, whether for day-to-day needs or in remote and emergency situations. Industrial solar that works anywhere, sets up in minutes, and doesn’t need permits? That’s a roadmap to energy independence.

Dragon Wings isn’t following trends. It’s a workhorse. A clean, smart, rugged solar generator built for people who need power where and when it matters. Southern Beams Builds let go of retrofitting old ideas and built the future from scratch.

southern-beams-final-design-with-solidworks

Engineered for the Future

Southern Beams is preparing to extend its digital thread into DELMIA for end-to-end product life cycle management. “[We are] taking that now fully featured SOLIDWORKS model and pushing it all the way through to DELMIA,” says Gering. “We can have our entire product process from design, engineering, manufacturing, operations, service and maintenance all in one place and on the same page.”

Products:

  • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Premium
  • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Visualize
  • DELMIA NC Shop Floor Programmer
  • Collaborative Industry Innovator
  • 3DSwymer

Learn More About SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works

知的資本を活用して技術人材の不足に対処

製造業はグローバルに見て、移行期にあります。サプライチェーンの混乱、技術人材プールの縮小、製造拠点をリショアリングする企業の増加などの傾向が強くなり、製造業者は生産需要を満たすことが困難になっています。自社の競争力を高めるための新しいテクノロジーの採用に関しては言うまでもありません。 このeブックでは、CNCプログラミングによる知識の取り込みが、メーカーにとってどう役立つかをご紹介しています。 CNCの専門家の知識を標準化されたプログラムに保存 機械加工用のテンプレートを作成して、プログラミング時間を短縮 ミスを削減し、機械工の生産性を向上 CNCの専門家のナレッジ ベースを活用して、新しい機械工を育成 今すぐダウンロードいただき、テクノロジー分野の人材不足に対処し、生産性を向上させるために、自社の知的資本をどのように活用できるかをご確認ください。

eブック

中小企業に適したテクノロジーを活用して製造オペレーションを強化

ビッグ データ、クラウド コンピューティング、AIなどの新しいテクノロジーを導入することで、世界の大手メーカーが効率性や俊敏性を高めることができるのは間違いありません。しかし今は、製造業の中小企業(SMB)もこうしたテクノロジーを利用できる時代です。 さらには、ビジネスのデジタル トランスフォーメーションに着手する際に、多額の予算や際限ないITリソース、現地の大規模な人材プールを確保する必要はありません。そして何より、小規模メーカーには、大企業が得られない隠れたメリットがあるかもしれません。そうしたメリットを実現する方法をご紹介します。 本ホワイト ペーパーでは、製造業向けデジタル ツールを実装することで、次のことを達成する方法をご説明します。 俊敏性と競争力を高める サプライ チェーンの問題を軽減する データ主導の意思決定を行い、効率化を図る 保険の補償範囲を失うことにつながるサイバー攻撃を防止する 本ホワイト ペーパーをダウンロード して、デジタル トランスフォーメーションの取り組みに必要なテクノロジーを導入することで、どのように競争上の優位性を獲得できるかをご確認ください。

ホワイト ペーパー

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