The manufacturer needed flow simulation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis capabilities to show air flow performance, which prompted NAMM management to decide to replace the previous design software that the company had been using with SOLIDWORKS® solutions.

“There were no integrated flow simulators for use with [Autodesk®] Inventor that we had confidence in, so we made the decision to move to SOLIDWORKS Premium for design and structural simulation, and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation for simulating air flow in our products,” Dossantos recalls.

He adds, “We need to be able to produce air flow performance answers fast when clients request them, and the integration between the SOLIDWORKS Premium and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation solutions gives us the ability that we need to quickly perform flow simulations and increase the efficiency of heat transfer by optimizing air flow in our products.”

In addition to quickly developing and launching the Airkitek brand in the U.S. since moving to SOLIDWORKS, NAMM cut prototyping costs by 20 percent while developing its breakthrough TermoTransfer Technology, a system of louvers that not only exhaust heat but also draw in the fresh air, increasing heat transfer efficiency as a result. “SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation is really good for making disruptive designs without negatively affecting heat transfer efficiency,” Dossantos stresses.

The company also used SOLIDWORKS Visualize to create marketing imagery and to slash photography costs through the use of photorealistic renderings.

Using integrated SOLIDWORKS design and simulation tools, NAMM created and launched its Airkitek brand, developing an entire line of LEED-compliant, high-quality products for the American market.

“As the Airkitek name signifies, we are leveraging technology to become true ‘architects of air’ when it comes to HVAC equipment,” NAMM Business Developer Abraham Alarcon says. “The ability to run flow simulations with SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation allows us to quickly address any concerns that prospective customers may have, give them confidence in the performance of our products, and prove the effectiveness of our products as we expand internationally.”