A Solid Approach to Extrusion System Design

Enhanced quality extrusion systems produced with shorter lead times...sound good to you?
No problem.

The engineers at Granco Clark now have a state-of-the-art tool that will ultimately provide these improvements in quality and service—SolidWorks™‚ computer-aided design software.

A Smarter Image

Visualization is a critical tool for the design engineer, and SolidWorks 3D modeling software facilitates the design process by precisely and efficiently depicting solid models of complex design parts and assemblies.

While the capabilities of this tool are extensive and elaborate, the interface is friendly and flexible. Basically, the SolidWorks user begins by sketching a design on the computer screen. The program then shapes the sketch into a shaded model that can be built upon with further details and modifications.

Using SolidWorks, modeling parts and combining them into pieces of equipment mirrors the manufacturing process used to fabricate the equipment. This allows the engineers to readily see how components fit together and where interference or mal-fitting assemblies exist.

Because the 3D modeling capability of SolidWorks enables engineers to more fully analyze design elements, overall product and system design is more accurate. By contrast, in 2D CAD design, relationships between parts within an assembly become more difficult to establish as the assembly increases in complexity. This is not the case with SolidWorks. Engineers can make design edits at any stage as the model is built. The user is alerted to the resulting changes in component relationships within the design, and the design updates itself. No backtracking. No recalculating. No time wasted.

Don’t Recreate—Innovate!

Jim Visser, Granco Clark’s Chief Design Engineer, sees the enhanced design process as one of the greatest benefits of the program's use. “Once a part model is created, it can be used in many pieces of equipment without having to be recreated. Our previous system required drawings to be made over and over again.”

“SolidWorks increases the throughput in engineering,” explains John Bugai, Vice President of Granco Clark. “This allows for increased capacity with the same number of people. We can now more efficiently handle a greater number of orders. A higher level of productivity also provides us with more time to develop new products and to continue improving our existing products. Ultimately, SolidWorks will increase Granco Clark’s capacity to meet demand.”

Granco Clark is already using SolidWorks to innovate. Bugai explains that recently the company used SolidWorks to produce a new product—a quench that is twice as long as any Granco Clark has ever produced. “This double-length quench is particularly advantageous for cooling heavier extrusions and can reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental air cooling. Additionally, because air cooling typically requires a large amount of floor space, a reduced need for air cooling translates into less material in process and more available space.”

Scott Buiten, Granco Clark’s Mechanical Engineering Manager, believes that the program will make possible many such innovations. “The ability to reuse models allows us to quickly and easily adapt an existing design to our customers’ needs. Now, when there is a specialized application, we can use our base product—which has already been fully tested—as a platform to create the solution to our customers’ manufacturing challenges. This reduces the time it takes to develop these specialized solutions and makes it that much easier to supply quality, custom equipment.”

John Bugai has strong praise for SolidWorks and also a firm commitment to overseeing its success at Granco Clark. “SolidWorks is a powerful tool that will make it easier for us to provide our clients with systems solutions that will meet their individual needs. It has been clear from the beginning that our future growth and profitability are directly linked to the success of this implementation. SolidWorks will benefit everyone involved in the process and the product.”