Implementing SOLIDWORKS design, SOLIDWORKS Simulation Analysis and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation has shown vast benefits for two of the products in the Linear Composites Portfolio - ParaFence and ParaFil.
REDUCING RISK WITH SPEEDY ANALYSIS
The ParaFil product is a range of high-tenacity TECHNICAL FIBRE ropes with nominal breaking loads of up to 1500 tonnes force. The ropes are connected to third party infrastructure using proprietary terminations to allow efficient transmission of the forces. SOLIDWORKS has vastly reduced the time required to design customer-specific terminations and also allowed a greater range of simulations to be performed during the optimisation stages of the design process. Designs experience very large loads so there is a need to be precise as the result is critical. SOLIDWORKS allows engineers to know not only if a design will fail but the behaviour and deflection characteristics. The speed and ease with which different loads and different scenarios can be analysed has reduced production time. Engineers can quickly reach the best design and with confidence.
COMPLETE CONTROL AND UNDERSTANDING OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Another of Linear Composite’s products, ParaFence, used to be out-sourced to Aerodynamic specialists, causing delays in product development and additional costs which were passed on to the client. Now, with SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, engineers are able have a complete understanding of the product performance. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be simulated in the same environment as the model and displayed in an easily to understand, visual and raw format. This brought another factor to the attention of engineers, they realised that they had better knowledge of not only the product but the forces in the surrounding environment and how any changes effected the vicinity as a whole. Additionally, the interface between the CFD and 3D CAD environments in SOLIDWORKS allow the results from the CFD to be fed back into the mechanical design of the fence structure. This was a massive breakthrough for the company. Bringing this analysis in-house means there is no longer a back and forth workflow between engineers and external contractors, each project can be optimised in a shorter time period, more cost effectively and with better products as an end result- good news for both Linear Composites and their Clients.