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Vero Increases Efficiency - 01/12/2006
Vero software produces 50% reduction in tool design times Unhappy with the performance and functionality of their previous CAD/CAM software, designers at Doncaster based plastic injection and die casting tools specialist Senior and Dickson Limited have undertaken a 100% conversion to Vero International Software's VISI-Series software solution.
Furthermore, the conversion was taken in a single sweep, the company's three designers finishing work with their old software on a Friday evening and fully embracing VISI-Series the following Monday.
"This says volumes for VISI-Series in terms of its ease-of-use and the speed that the design team took on board its many advanced functions. Furthermore, on average we have reduced tool design times by as much as 50% since the move to VISI-Series," explains Chris Hodgson, Technical Director at the plant.
"We now only use the old software when we are re-visiting or amending older jobs, and many of these we have transferred into VISI-Series because of its greater speed and functionality."
Senior and Dickson offer a total mould and die manufacturing service and are particularly committed to product design. Using its first hand experience of injection moulding, tool making, rapid prototyping and manufacturing, the company feels that by becoming involved with a project as early as possible, it is able to offer the customer the best design and manufacturing solution.
"Our previous software was slow to use and because the surface and solid modelling functions operated independently of each, other processes such as blending were difficult and time consuming to achieve," continues Chris Hodgson.
"Now, using VISI Series with its hybrid modelling system we have achieved huge improvements in speed and sophistication of designs and the whole area of product design within Senior and Dickson has moved to a new platform.
"As an example of how the software has contributed to greater design functionality, Paul Talbot, a senior design engineer at Senior & Dickson highlights a design project undertaken for BB Plastics of Mirfield, West Yorkshire, a leading producer of polycarbonate drinking glasses.
"Responding to the move towards using drinking glasses made from polycarbonate on the grounds of safety, BB Plastics asked us to prepare mould tool designs which faithfully mirrored conventional glass designs. Major considerations were aesthetics of the finished product and total compliance with volume criteria established by weights and measures," explains Paul.
"Our brief was simply - here is the original, design an identical 'glass' that can be moulded in polycarbonate."
Apart from creating a faithful copy, there were to be no sharp edges or visible split lines so the mould tool was created in VISI-Mould and based around creating a solid cavity and solid core with the 'glass' ejected from the base of the mould.br />
Furthermore, in order to fully comply with weights and measures accreditation there is a maximum 5 millilitres tolerance, which must be maintained throughout manufacture. Weights and measures inspectors audit the accuracy of the volumes of the glasses every three months so ongoing accuracy is imperative.
Using the VISI-Modelling module, a rendered model was created for three different glass volumes - 20 fl oz, 12 fl oz and 9 fl oz. After customer approval, the STL files were used to create rapid prototype samples and once these had been produced, checked for quality and volumetric accuracy, the mould tools were manufactured. Tools produced were single, two, and four impression with hot runner feed.
In total, Paul Talbot assesses that the design operation was achieved in 50% of the time it would previously taken with the criteria concerning aesthetics and volumes comfortably met.
Concluding, Mr Talbot highlights the features of VISI-Series that have particularly impressed the design team at Senior and Dickson.
"It is a true hybrid modeller for solids and surfaces and the ability to work in solid, surface or wire frame - or a combination of all three - is impressive and useful, particularly when demonstrating the finished product to customers.
"We are also impressed by the blending tools which allow us to construct blends straight onto the solid model. And when we have to re-draft, all of the calculations of affected features are automatically updated - this saves considerable time."
Senior and Dickson operate three suites of the VISI-Modelling software, which uses a combination of the industry standard Parasolid solid modelling kernel and the power of Vero's own surface modelling development. |
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