Written by dudaMay 23, 2023

How to use Engineering & Design Automation to guarantee more sustainability and product quality in the Packaging Industry?

At Scandinavian Digital we are problem solvers. Our motto is: Anything can be configured. Our experts have never encountered an issue that couldn’t be resolved until now, this what our CTO Morten Bennick affirms. In the packaging industry, machinery manufacturing possess several challenges such as high costs, limited flexibility, frequent breakdowns, maintenance and repair difficulties, and integrating new technology. Other issues include low efficiency, slow production rates, and a lack of customisation options. Problems, which we can solve or reduce by using Engineering & Design Automation. 


Customisation is one of the greatest benefits of using EDA (Engineering & Design Automation), especially because we can configure a machine with exactly the client’s needs in mind, considering the product they work with and the production they need to achieve. In our six value areas when using Design Automation, we present benefits such as up to 88% reduction in lead time, an increase in sales up to 30% three years after implementing DA (Design Automation), not to mention the solution to one of the industry’s biggest complaints, which is costs. The cost reduction through product quality control is estimated to be up to 60%, referring to the amount of errors that are reduced and even completed eliminated.
 
Using Engineering & Design Automation helps clients to bring their product to the market faster as the same way contributes to deliver orders in a quicker way. Design automation helps companies bring products to the market faster by streamlining and accelerating the product development process. DA tools enable the automation of repetitive design tasks. By creating predefined rules and constrains. Using the integrated Tacton plug-in to CAD platforms as SolidWorks, PTC Creo and Autodesk Inventor,  the engineers can work in their preferred CAD environment. TDA Studio has the ability to generate only valid product variants, paramethic designs and the result is CAD models without errors. Through mapping configuration logic to your CAD parts, you can connect Tacton’s product configuration model to your CAD system’s parts and parameters. This ensures product integrity. The 2D drawings and the documentation as Bill of Material is created automatically in seconds.   

Design Automation allows different machinery customisation.


Correct sizing, another relevant theme already explained by our experts (Read more: Correct sizing is a critical point to cost reduction and sustainability in the manufacturing industry – Scandinavian Digital ) is another factor to reduce cost and improve sustainability in the packaging industry. After all, Sizing plays a crucial role in the manufacturing industry as it directly affects the quality and functionality of the final product. With an accurate sizing it is possible to reduce costs by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. On the other hand, incorrect sizing can result in waste, rework, and increased costs. This is a great way of reducing cost and creating a more sustainable process. 
 
We firmly believe that Engineering & Design Automation represents the essential next step for packaging manufacturers to accelerate industry innovation and proactively address existing challenges. Fortunately, we already possess the ideal solution to facilitate this necessary transition.  
 
Do you want to continue this conversation? Contact us: info@scandinaviandigital.com 

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Written by dudaMay 4, 2023

GEA Process Engineering A/S speeds up engineering with Scandinavian Digital’s solutions

Scandinavian Digital was chosen as partner to help GEA PE A/S automate engineering processes to improve quality and reduce engineering time. GEA´s purpose is “Engineering for a better world” and together with SD GEA PE A/S has embarked on a journey of true digital transformation which both delivers better products for the market as well as a leaner and better workplace for GEA PE A/S’s employees with a reduction of trivial repetitive work and elimination of rework.  

At its core, the “Automation of the Engineer-To-Order process” automates all technical CAD 3D models and 2D drawings during engineering execution. Time savings for GEA PE A/S are significant, but even better is the fact that the documentation is now consistent throughout all stages of the engineering execution, ultimately leading to the customer receiving a better product faster. 

Kári Holgarsson, Director Engineering Support, Rune Skovgaard-Petersen, Vice President Technology, Simon Nielsen, Scandinavian Digital CEO and Sten Krog Duerlund
Senior Director Product Engineering, Technology

The SD team has a profound experience in the successful automation of CAD engineering for complex products. In the past many years, the SD team has automated 250+ complex products – either very large engineering constructions and/or a complex combination of engineering components with a multitude of rules. At GEA PE A/S, SD is currently doing the same and rolling out the concept for 18 of GEA PE A/S’s key products. 

According to Rune Skovgaard-Petersen, Vice President Technology (TECH) the “automation of the engineering processes of these products will be a significant improvement for our entire organisation”. 

Beyond the simple automation of engineering processes, GEA PE A/S can now build on the existing solutions to further reduce cost and lead time in other areas. Building the foundation for systems engineering and collaborate globally to further drive productivity and results.
 

GEA Group is a EUR 5.2 billion company on the German MDAX, headquartered in Düsseldorf. More than 18,000 employees across 62 countries and 5 divisions develop and deliver highly specialised process equipment for Powder, Liquid, Separation, Flow Refrigeration and Monitoring with the Food, Chemical, Farming, Dairy and Healthcare industries. 


Simon Nielsen, CEO, Scandinavian Digital. 

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Written by dudaApril 13, 2023

Engineering & Design Automation will reduce the Global Carbon Footprint


During Earth Month, our main theme is Renewable Energy, and we want to highlight how Engineering & Design Automation can be beneficial in this industry. This is a crucial time for the future of our planet, and by using EDA, companies can find better ways to produce products and processes that are more sustainable. Our goal is to collaborate and help companies achieve their sustainability objectives.  

 With that in mind, we invited Gösta Schwarck, Senior Partner and COO of Scandinavian Digital for an incredible chat about how EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) can help reduce the global carbon footprint.

 

Q: Can you start explaining how EDA has this power?  

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Absolutely. Engineering & Design Automation is a process that involves using software tools to automate the engineering process. By using Scandinavian Digital’s proprietary AI algorithms and linking this to CAD and PLM systems, a product or system’s performance is engineered under various conditions and engineers can output billions of different configurations of very complex equipment designs. Optimisation parameters typically target ideal process performance or optimal fit-for-purpose but lately a specific focus has been to output the most energy-efficient products and systems. This can ultimately help reduce the global carbon footprint. 

Q: That sounds promising. Can you give a specific example of how engineering & design automation has helped reduce carbon emissions in practice? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Sure. Last year we worked on a large drying chamber for the food and pharmaceutical industry, where we were able to optimize the design to reduce waste. By using engineering & design automation tools, we were able to avoid the repetitive waste of a surface area corresponding to 50 m2 on average for each order of this equipment. As the equipment was always made of 3 mm stainless steel sheet metal the total mass of this surface area was 1.2 tons or 24 tons annually. In our calculations of emissions, we included both Scope 1 and Scope 2 and we computed the saved carbon footprint to 141 thousand CO2e – each and every year for this product alone!  

Q: That’s impressive! Would you have more examples? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Certainly! We are currently working on a project for a large customer in the offshore wind turbine generator industry. This particular task is different from other typical engineering design automation assignments, as the customer simply wants to make use of our advanced AI optimisation algorithms to have an optimal layout of the different elements that make up the entire offshore production platform. Not only can our AI algorithms do this, but we have also proven a reduction of roughly 3% in the weight of the entire platform. This might not sound as much but would actually result in a reduced carbon footprint of 450 thousand tons CO2e – for each of the platforms. And there are more than 20 platforms in this Wind Farm…!
 

Q: It seems that engineering design automation really has an environmental impact!  

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Yes definitely! And I truly believe that the full environmental impact of our projects is even larger than what we typically think. 

Q: Would you mind elaborating on that? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: By using the same configured 3D model throughout the entire supply chain, from design to commissioning, we can ensure that the product is right the first time and avoid the need for rework. This can help reduce the amount of energy and materials needed to produce the product, ultimately reducing carbon emissions. 

Q: Can you tell us more about the benefits of Engineering  & Design Automation beyond reducing carbon footprint? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Certainly. One of the main benefits is that it reduces lead-time by up to 88%, which allows companies to respond faster to customer needs and stay ahead of their competitors. Additionally, companies that implement Engineering Design Automation often see a 25-30% increase in sales after three years, as customers tend to buy more from a supplier that is now literally open 24/7. 

Another benefit is the reduction in the cost of poor quality (COPQ). By implementing Engineering & Design Automation, companies can reduce the number of claims, rework, incidents, and errors, which can lead to a COPQ reduction of 50-65%. 

Companies also benefit from a reduction in the hours spent on order execution and the preparation of customer quotations, with a typical reduction of 75-90%. This frees up time and resources for other important business activities, such as innovation and product development. 

Finally, there is typically a 5-10% reduction in the cost of goods sold (COGS) due to the optimization of designs. The reduction in material waste achieved in the design of the large drying chamber we mentioned earlier is part of this COGS reduction. 

Q: It sounds like there are many benefits to implementing Engineering & Design Automation beyond just reducing carbon footprint. Can you tell us more about how the software works to achieve these benefits? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Our software uses algorithms and machine learning to optimize designs and prevent errors and rework. By creating 3D models that can be used throughout the entire supply chain until commissioning, we can reduce lead time and avoid rework. Additionally, our software searches for improvements in manufacturing and transportation processes and can also lead to cost savings. 

Q: Are there any challenges to using engineering & design automation tools? 

COO of Scandinavian Digital: Yes, there are challenges, such as the need for specialized skills and knowledge. However, the benefits can be significant. Simulation tools allow engineers to model how a product or system will perform under different conditions and optimize it for maximum efficiency. This can result in products that use less energy or materials, which can ultimately reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, engineering design automation tools can help reduce the need for physical testing, which can save time and resources. 

It’s exciting to see how technology, such as Engineering & Design Automation, can help address environmental challenges like reducing our global carbon footprint. At the Scandinavian Digital Team, sustainability is a top priority for all our client projects, alongside numerous other benefits. If you’re interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to inspire you in a brief meeting.

 

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Written by dudaMarch 21, 2023

Correct sizing is a critical point to cost reduction and sustainability in the manufacturing industry

Sizing plays a crucial role in the manufacturing industry as it directly affects the quality and functionality of the final product. Correct sizing ensures that the product fits its intended purpose and performs as expected, while incorrect sizing can lead to problems such as poor performance, decreased efficiency, and even safety hazards. In counterpoint, there are many benefits such as efficiency and reduce waste in the manufacturing process. For example, if a part is too large, it may be more difficult to manufacture, and may require more material to produce. 

Correct sizing also ensures that the product is of high quality, performs well, and meets the desired specifications. This helps to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business. 

Cost-effectiveness is a very important benefit. With an accurate sizing it is possible to reduce costs by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. On the other hand, incorrect sizing can result in waste, rework, and increased costs. A case study by the Lean Enterprise Institute found that a company was able to reduce material waste by 30% and increase productivity by 50% by improving their sizing process. This resulted in significant cost savings for the company.

A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that dimensional measurement errors can increase manufacturing costs by up to 12.5%. This includes errors in sizing, as well as other measurements such as roundness, straightness, and flatness. An additional factor to consider when selling equipment is the accurate sizing of the product based on customer requirements. If the equipment you offer is oversized for the customer’s needs, there is a significant chance that you may not win the order. Consequently, it is crucial to provide appropriately sized solutions tailored to the specific requirements of each customer, as inaccurately sized equipment can also lead to lost orders.

Overall, correct sizing is critical in the manufacturing industry to ensure that products meet the required specifications established by clients, perform well, and are safe for use. By minimizing waste, maximizing efficiency, and avoiding costly errors, companies can save money and improve their bottom line.

To learn more about our services or watch DEMOS with the signature of the Scandinavian Digital team, you can contact us here.

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Written by dudaMarch 7, 2023

Engineering Design Automation improving food safety and sustainability for the food industry

Engineering automation can provide numerous benefits to the food industry, including improvements in food safety and sustainability. By automating the engineering process, the industry can better control contamination during food and ingredient processing. This involves adhering to safety and hygiene regulations during the design or redesign of machines, taking into account the specific requirements of each location, size, and product.

Additionally, EDA (Engineering Design Automation) aid companies to match regulatory compliance as well and ensures that production processes are documented.

Another important aspect to consider is the safety of workers who operate the equipment. Just as parameters are established for food safety, rules are also created to maintain the safety of those who operate the machines. During the design of automation systems, new safety features such as doors, alarms, and lockers can be installed to monitor key parameters such as temperature and pressure in real-time. This ensures that food is processed under controlled conditions while also protecting the safety of workers.

High-quality food products can be achieved not only through safety measures but also by ensuring accurate measurement and control of ingredients. A well-configured equipment or system can achieve this, resulting in consistent and superior food products. This consistency is particularly valuable for companies that have established themselves in the market or are striving to do so. With a consistent product, clients receive the same high-quality food repeatedly, or even an improved version of it. Additionally, the configuration of these systems can monitor and control the entire production process, ensuring that each step meets the necessary specifications.

Sustainability is another crucial topic that has become a global trend and necessity. Automated systems can play a key role in reducing waste by optimizing the utilization of resources like energy and water, as well as reducing spoilage and waste during the production process. These systems can also help minimize food waste by ensuring that products are packaged and transported in a manner that reduces spoilage and waste. Investing in automation is an excellent way to drive innovation and growth in the food industry while also promoting sustainability.

The main countries where engineering automation is a focus are US as a leader, Germany that is known for its advanced manufacturing industry, Japan has a long history of automation as well as the Netherlands that is a leader in agricultural technology and automation and some others as Australia, Canada and China.

The Scandinavian Digital Team has experience in the food industry, with one of the most skillful teams in configuration and automation in the world, we can affirm that one of our clients saved at least 20.000 men hours last year and achieved consistency and a higher quality in at least 17 equipment.

Watch our industrial filter being configured, this is one of our products for the food industry to dry powder.

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Written by dudaFebruary 21, 2023

Engineering Automation is key for Innovation

To attain long-term success and stay ahead of the competition in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive business environment, organizations must prioritize innovation. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, companies that prioritize innovation generate 2.6 times more revenue growth than companies that do not. When we talk about engineering companies, automation is one of the key points to drive innovation. 
 
In the manufacturing industry, automation has the potential to increase productivity by up to 30%, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. Not only the productivity can be boosted, it is also possible to increase revenue, improve efficiency, reduce costs, gain a competitive advantage, upgrade customer experience, and consequently enhance the company´s reputation. 
 
Automation plays a vital role in driving innovation by enabling organizations to streamline their operations, reduce errors, and free up time for more innovative work. In order to make the most of skilled and costly employees, it is important for companies to leverage automation, allowing these people to play a significant role in the organization’s innovation journey. 
 
When engineers prove their ability to adapt to this changing market conditions and meet the evolving needs of the company. This can build a strong team that will be ready to deliver much more, stay ahead of the curve and succeed attracting new customers and keeping existing ones.

As the importance of focusing on innovation to maximize the potential of a skilled workforce has already been stated, cost saving becomes a crucial aspect to be highlighted, particularly in the manufacturing industry. The role of innovation in engineering companies is to identify cost-saving opportunities by developing new technologies or processes that can reduce costs. As an example, the development of energy-efficient products can assist in reducing energy costs and escalate a company’s profitability. 
 
Automation in manufacturing processes is not only determining for reducing errors and improving production speed but also drives innovation, resulting in faster time-to-market for products and product quality. Additionally, fostering a culture of creativity within companies and building a stronger brand can help organizations to adapt to the rapidly changing marketplace.

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Written by dudaFebruary 13, 2023

The future of CPQ in sales automation looks promising

CPQ, or Configure Price Quote, is a type of sales automation software that helps sales teams create accurate quotes and proposals for customers in a faster and efficiently way. There are no doubts about CPQ being a valuable tool for sales teams aiming to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of their sales processes. By automating many of the manual tasks involved in quote creation, CPQ enables sales teams to focus more on selling and delivering a better customer experience. 

We could point several other benefits too, as better visibility and control over the quote creation process, allowing the company to see how quotes are being generated, how pricing is being calculated, and what options are being offered to customers. Also, CPQ can supply a more personalized and seamless customer experience, allowing sales teams to tailor quotes to individual customers’ needs and requirements upgrading the customer experience and having a high approval rate in the first proposals influencing in the companies gains.

Not deviating from the focus: the future. When we talk about the future of CPQ in sales automation it is very promising with many advancements. The market expects that CPQ will adopt some trend in the coming years and improve as a growing software. In the actual world it is not possible to succeed without following some trends and a highlight today is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) and machine learning technologies that for sure will play a significant role in CPQ, providing intelligent insights and recommendations to sales teams and improving the accuracy of quotes and proposals even more.

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Written by dudaFebruary 8, 2023

Design Automation for Embedded Systems

The Scandinavian Digital team has expertise in both product configuration and full system layout design, including plants for plastic recycling, chocolate production, embedded systems for cement manufacturing, and many others. This comprehensive approach to design automation can bring significant benefits to manufacturers, both in terms of operational performance and overall management. 
 
A system layout in machinery denotes an arrangement of different elements and systems within a manufacturing facility or production line. It includes the right placement and arrangement of machines, tools, workstations, and other components to enhance the use of space and ensure efficient and effective operations. 

Recycling Plant – Scandinavian Digital Embedded System

The system layout can have a relevant impact on the complete productivity and efficiency of the manufacturing processes. Circumstances like the placement of machines, the flow of materials and products, and the ease of access to equipment affects the speed and quality of production. 

An effective system layout will take into consideration factors such as the size and capacity of machines, the materials and products being produced, and the flow of workers and materials through the facility. The goal of a system layout in machinery is to optimize the use of space and resources, increase efficiency and productivity, and ensure the quality and consistency of the final product.

One of the main benefits of configure a full system layout is scalability, automating systems can help to control large and complex projects more effectively, making it viable for organizations to scale up their operations as projected or as needed. Another point to be highlighted is the possibility of a better cost control, after all it will reduce the time and resources required for manual processes, assisting to control costs and improve profitability. 
 
And to conclude, configure a full system will reduce time to market of products, owing to the fact that a suitable configuration will speed up the design and engineering processes and consequently allow products to be brought to market much faster. 

 

Watch how we configured the Full Plant on Soliworks with Tacton Design Automation Studio: Full System DEMO – Autodesk Inventor – YouTube

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Written by dudaJanuary 20, 2023

The outputs of implementing Engineering Automation

These are 10 aftereffects of implementing Engineering Automation:

    • One product model for all commercial requirements.
    • Easy to configure for non-technical people.
    • Configurable down to the detailed technical requirements.
    • Able of being extended to a sales configurator.
    • Capable of outputting sales Documents automatically.
    • Proposal documents, sales order documents data sheets and more.
    • Automated generation of 3D CAD models.
    • Automated generation of 2D Drawings.
    • Automated product sizing and engineering designs.
    • Automated generation of Technical Documents.
      BOM (Bill Of Materials), BOQ (Bill Of Quantity), Step-Files, flat patterns, manuals cost calculations, etc

Now, that you know the return you can have with the implementation. Let’s see one of our products, the 3D models, 2D drawings and Technical Specifications.


 

Watch the configuration DEMO here.

Industrial Bag Filter: Small Capacity (2D drawings and Technical Specifications).

The Scandinavian Digital team developed three types of an industrial Bag Filter: Small, Medium and Large capacity. The different configurations were generated from the same model using Tacton Design Automation Studio. For this project we calculate that the amount of engineering hours saved was around 80% from days to hours.

In addition to the relevant reduction in engineering time we have 5 more important points: Higher quality because of the reduction in errors on-site and in manufacturing workshops also centralized design changes due to a pre-established master model, faster sales with an almost immediate response to customers and to conclude gains throughout the supply chain, for example, manufacturing, sourcing and logistics.

The models used within the configurator are described in an efficient programming language which makes it easy to build the product structure, attributes and other product/business rules, and speeds up response times seen from an end-user perspective.

The Technical Specifications are on the right up corner.

Industrial Bag Filter: Medium Capacity (2D drawings and Technical Specifications). 
Before the SD solutions, the existing engineering process was deemed too costly and error-prone by management and the risk of introducing even minor errors in the design due to simple human oversight was sought eliminated. 

Sometimes it is shown that not only the engineering work should be in scope but rather the full customer flow; from the initial creation of a quotation over the manufacturing at the production workshop, to the final delivery, installation and commissioning at the customer site.

Industrial Bag Filter: Large Capacity (2D drawings and Technical Specifications).

 

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Written by dudaJanuary 5, 2023

The end of never-ending engineering

Scandinavian Digital senior partner Morten Hugo Bennick, our Mr Config.

The Scandinavian Digital Senior Partner Morten Hugo Bennick, our Mr. Config, presents to us an overview on why companies still choose not to automate their processes and why they keep depending on the human brain to solve challenges that could be otherwise solved in minutes using a configurator. Engineering processes are never-ending and the Scandinavian Digital team is ready to help companies with this challenge.

The most successful products have a tendency to grow more complex with time, increase quality and decrease their price, for example, cars, mechanical watches, wind turbines and smartphones. Morten starts with an affirmation: “Anything can be configured”. And in order to improve engineering tasks and results… must be! The Engineer expert continues the conversation explaining why this never-ending engineering should end. “It will never end, however it can be reduced. why? Costs a relevant amount of money and time to the companies. And it is possible to have a smarter and cheaper process.” states the SD senior partner.

When we talk about “The end of never-ending engineering”, we are talking about skillful people working on a project that could be reduced from 3 months to 1 week, people who could be focus on innovation, deadlines, investment, data storage and protection after all when the engineer leaves the company he takes with him all his knowledge about the product and processes and last but not least the payback time. Reassuring the benefits of the automation of the engineering processes, he states: “We expect that the investment will reach a break-even within 1-3 years”. And he doesn’t stops there: “Consequently, with a configurator you have less errors, more time for Engineers to innovate and better chances of growing the company”.

The Scandinavian Digital Team offers a complete process for companies, starting with CPQ (Configure, Quote and Price) and main the product of the company that is Design Automation projects. To sum up, our expertise is automating the entire process and delivering long-lasting value to our customers.

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