Business Need

Our Client was a manufacturing company that produces industrial metal forming machinery. They had designed a complex articulated fixture that would support the parts of a thin-walled pressure vessel liner during welding.  Then the tool would collapse for removal through the vessel’s neck hole, before the liner was filament wound by its manufacturer.  Our client did not have capacity to complete the manufacturing drawings for this fixture, and still meet schedule on all open projects.  Both money and commitments were at stake.  If the documentation for the articulated fixture could be completed on schedule, our client would meet commitments.




Solution

There were 110 fabrication and assembly drawings required.  These were drafted with aerospace tolerancing, using full GD & T, per ASME Y14.5, with geometric form controls.  All fits were checked, and feature size and placement were adjusted to create guaranteed fits, which consumed about 15% of the task’s hours.  Tolerancing in general consumed about 25% of the effort.  We worked at a blistering pace, sometimes producing up to 15 Solid Edge drawings per man day.


Benefits

The tank was critical to its end user, a major aerospace government contractor with a massive project.  Delay could have cost millions.  We delivered the final, checked drawing package a day before our deadline.  Our Client sent the documentation out for fabrication on time.  When the fabricated fixture parts arrived, everything fit, assembled, and worked as designed, without rework or scrap, due to ingenious Solid Edge design, combined with meticulous tolerancing, and fast, expert drafting.  Our Client was able to deliver the working fixture to their customer on plan, and collect full payment without penalties.

SOLD ADVANTAGE CASE STUDIES :
CELL CONCENTRATOR : FUEL TANK TOOLING : PATHOGEN DETECTOR : SOLID EDGE IMPLEMENTATION