Written by dudaAugust 8, 2023

Overlooked value potential with Supplier Integration

Supplier integration plays a crucial role in achieving operational excellence, driving innovation, reducing costs, and consequently improving customer satisfaction with better results. By building strong relationships and integrating suppliers into business processes, companies can create a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic and complex business environment. The Scandinavian Digital team, expert in Supplier Integration implementation presents a “6 value areas” diagram, where supplier integration values areas divided in Lead Time, Cost Transparency, Cost of Quality, Cost of Hours, Project Time and Partnerships.

Scandinavian Digital Supplier Integration 6 Value Areas

To comment on the values, we invited our CFO Christian Andersen, key player to these 6 areas to be established as our value areas. Starting with Lead Time, he explains as: “Supplier integration will significantly reduce lead time by streamlining product specification and procurement processes, enabling seamless configuration and ordering, and improving communication with the supplier, resulting in faster project turnaround and enhanced operational efficiency.” 

Continuing talking about the areas, Cost of Transparency stands out as a very important one since it becomes easier to compare prices based on your needs. In addition, it becomes much easier to discover and compare various solutions. If they from a technical point of view, all are according to the requirements, then the optimal choice have the lowest cost since additional overperformance, or oversizing will only add extra cost to the project the end customer initially did not ask for. Still talking about cost but with the focus on quality, Christian adds: “Uniform information leads to fewer errors in a configurator environment, resulting in a better cost of quality.” The last cost area that we talk about in our values is the Cost of Hours, since automating repetitive tasks facilities better utilization of the team, it is possible to focus on more value adding tasks while avoiding unformal procedures that may lead to the loss of critical information. As our CFO says: “Secure and structured flow of information bring back faster results”.

The fifth value area, Project Timing, is a consequence of the previous areas. With shorter Lead Time, better transparency of cost, lower errors on the cost of product, reduced use of Hours and Partnerships, the Project managers will experience a solid foundation for delivering large and complex project on time, as specified by end customer and within the agree time.  

The partnerships are a great way to end all of the areas and no further explication is needed as Christian states: Supplier integration fosters stronger partnerships by improving collaboration, enhancing communication, and facilitating a seamless exchange of information and resources, leading to mutual growth, increased business opportunities, and improved overall efficiency.

 

Christian Andersen, Scandinavian Digital’s Senior Partner and Chief Financial Officer


The concept from Scandinavian Digital is to be a facilitator between manufactures, product– and project companies, and suppliers offering a platform for both vendor and buyer.  The use of web API’s helps to provide a secure and centralized space for sharing information, conducting transactions, and collaborating on various activities. It’s possible to facilitate communication, document sharing, and real-time updates on order status, delivery schedules, and product specifications.

In this environment, suppliers can switch roles with manufacturers. After all, often the supplier requires technical information to create or assemble their product before bringing it to market. We can say that this type of platform is a two-way street that can be highly beneficial for long-lasting partnerships with a good cost-benefit ratio, low lead time, high quality, and minimal errors in the process due to automation.

Our CFO, Christian Andersen, responsible for leading many of the supplier integrations projects signed by our team makes sure to state what the SD team brings to the table, “In a certain way we broader the market for the companies as well as for the suppliers. We display their products in an easier way to the right target group. And consequently, the more complex the product is, the more work can be automated and less errors made in the entire process.”

 Another important part of Supplier Integration is the Advanced Analytics and Reporting, since data provide valuable insights into supplier performance, supply chain risks, and cost optimization opportunities. “Supplier integration is one of the most overlooked areas to reduce lead time and costs of goods in projects companies.” this is a statement of our CFO, reaffirming that Supplier Integration is a must to enhance end to end processes in projects, especially considering that it is very often overlooked or not solved in large companies since is require top-management buy-in for the end-to-end process optimization.

With Supplier Integration projects for products like gears, elevators, fans, filters, and hydraulics listed in our curriculum, it becomes evident to our team that Supplier Integration has the potential becoming a game changer within and beyond an organization. For that reason, it’s important with top-management buy-in in order to avoid sub-optimization in individual departments. For that reason, Scandinavian Digital have developed a well-proven framework to safeguard, the integration project offers a multitude of advantages, primarily by effectively connecting individuals with their specific needs in a trustworthy environment for both sides. 

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Written by dudaJuly 25, 2023

Documentation Generation and Management using Design Automation

Documentation generation and management are critical aspects of machinery manufacturing companies, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information about product designs and associated data. In machinery manufacturing, Design Automation and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools like SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, PTC Creo, along with software platforms like Tacton, play a vital role in facilitating efficient documentation generation and management.

Design Automation refers to the use of CAD tools and configurators to automate design tasks and processes, offering engineers and designers the ability to generate designs, make modifications, and create documentation quickly and accurately. Within the Scandinavian Digital benefits showcase, Digitalisation takes a prominent position among the six core value areas. It holds particular significance for manufacturing companies, offering valuable advantages.

 

2D drawing of the Bag Filter – Scandinavian Digital Product

When you save information in a digital document or in the master model of your product, it goes beyond mere reliance on human memory. This significantly aids in ensuring repeatability in the future, as the data remains preserved even if the person responsible is no longer available. Losing that individual does not result in the loss of valuable data, thus providing added security and continuity.

Our partner and head of the Indian office, Vivek Nagarajan, expert in Design Automation with more than 15 years of experience, explains the relevance of this part of the DA process: “Design Automation gives our customers the power to document the present, preserving knowledge for the future. The documentation becomes a valuable asset for not just the current project but also for upcoming ones. This accumulation of knowledge, facilitated by automation, establishes a foundation for continuous learning and empowers organizations to build on past successes.”

 CAD tools specifically tailored for machinery manufacturing provide comprehensive features and functionalities to create, modify, and visualize 3D models and 2D drawings, assemblies, and manufacturing drawings. These tools empower design automation by enabling users to capture and reuse design intent, automate repetitive tasks, and generate accurate documentation directly from the CAD model. 

In the context of machinery manufacturing, CAD tools offer several features that enhance efficiency and precision in documentation generation, Automated Drawing Creation is one of them, being a highlight of our work with clients. CAD tools enable the automatic generation of 2D drawings from 3D models, providing machinery manufacturers the ability to define drawing templates with standardized title blocks, borders, and other annotations. When modifications are made to the 3D model, associated drawings can be updated automatically, ensuring that all documentation remains synchronized and accurate.

Another important part of the documentation generation is the Bill of Materials (BOM). Machinery manufacturing often involves complex assemblies and subassemblies. CAD tools facilitate the creation of BOMs, listing all the components and parts required for manufacturing a machine. BOMs can be automatically generated from the CAD assembly, including part numbers, descriptions, quantities, and other pertinent information. This simplifies the process of creating and managing accurate BOMs, reducing errors and ensuring consistency across the documentation. The generation of BOMs are also relevant to other areas, besides engineering, inside a machinery manufacturing company, for example, the Supplier Integration team.

The Bill of Material of the Industrial Bag Filter

When the topic is: Software Integration. We can tell that some software integrates to common CAD tools and have the potential to benefit machinery manufacturers. Platforms like Tacton, which provide additional capabilities for automating configuration, quoting, and documentation generation processes. These platforms seamlessly integrate with CAD tools like SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, PTC Creo and leverage product configurators to generate customized designs and associated documentation based on customer requirements. Such integration streamlines the management of complex product configurations and ensures the generation of accurate and detailed documentation.

Design automation simplifies documentation generation and management, allowing engineers to focus on innovation. Automated tools seamlessly create documentation as part of the design process, enhancing knowledge sharing and project execution.
Giving the word again to our partner, Vivek Nagarajan to conclude the benefits of the topic, “With design automation, the once tedious task of managing documentation becomes a seamless and effortless process. Automated documentation is not just a convenience but a necessity in today’s fast-paced and information-driven world. As design complexities increase, and project timelines shorten, automation becomes indispensable for managing the vast amounts of data and knowledge generated throughout the design lifecycle.”, stated.

And this is a game changer for machinery manufacturing companies, leveraging design automation, CAD tools like SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, PTC Creo, and software platforms like Tacton are crucial for efficient documentation generation and management. These tools provide features such as MBD, automated drawing creation, BOM generation, revision control, and integration with software platforms, thereby streamlining the process, enhancing productivity, reducing errors, and delivering high-quality documentation to support the machinery development process.

You can watch the Bag Filter DEMO signed by the Scandinavian Team with the configuration of the product and the documentation automatically generated below:

 

 

 

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Written by dudaJuly 14, 2023

Engineering & Design Automation is accelerating the outcomes for both manufacturers and customers in the wind energy industry.

Design automation can bring significant benefits to the wind turbine industry, especially when it comes to dealing with orders for distinct types of soils and terrains.

The layout of a wind turbine refers to the arrangement of its various components, such as the tower, blades, and nacelle. When designing and building wind turbines, the goal is to optimize their layout to achieve the most efficient and cost-effective energy generation.

By optimizing the layout of a wind turbine with mechanical configuration, it is possible to save time in the manufacturing and assembly process. Exemplifying, a well-designed layout can reduce the amount of material required for construction, which can decrease the time and cost of production. Similarly, an optimized layout can also make it easier and faster to assemble the various components of the turbine, which can result in considerable time savings for each order.

Private wind turbines, also known as small-scale or residential wind turbines, are wind energy systems designed for individual homes, farms, or businesses.

Optimizing the layout of wind turbines can lead to cost savings, improved efficiency, and faster construction times, all of which can be beneficial for wind energy companies and their customers.

Engineering & Design automation can bring significant benefits to the wind turbine industry, particularly when it comes to dealing with orders from different types of soils and terrains. By automating the design process, wind turbine companies can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver more customized and accurate solutions to their customers in a faster way.

The colors on wind turbines can be customised based on client preferences and the surrounding environment. For land-based turbines in green landscapes, incorporating green elements helps them blend in with the surroundings. Red lines are often added for safety and visibility, marking moving parts. A configurator can be used to visualise and select colors, considering onshore or offshore placement. This customisation ensures visually appealing and safe integration of the turbines.

Another example of customisation, using DA (Design Automation) the automation software can take into account factors such as soil density, moisture content, and other geotechnical factors to determine the most appropriate foundation design for a particular location.

Watch in this DEMO wind turbines being configured and placed in different environments, showcasing their installation on various types of soils and terrains:

 

Our team has knowledge when it comes to wind turbines, and our main deliverable to clients in this industry is the rapid production of 3D models and comprehensive documentation. For instance, we provide detailed 2D drawings with all the necessary specifications and a complete bill of materials.

One of the benefits we already pointed to is the speed, by automating the design process, wind turbine companies can reduce the time it takes to design and build each turbine. This can be especially important when dealing with orders from different geographical locations, soil types and the terrain may trigger a unique design of components.

Highlighting the cost savings, design automation reduces the reliance on manual labor, resulting in fewer engineering hours. This enables wind turbine companies to offer more competitive prices to their customers or to have a higher profit margin.

To have a full overview of the value Design Automation brings you can check our 6 VALUE AREAS.

In conclusion, the wind turbine and wind energy sector can greatly benefit from engineering and design automation, as well as product configuration. The aforementioned benefits, such as cost savings, faster 3D modeling, comprehensive documentation, and increased competitiveness, demonstrate the positive impact of automation and standardization in this industry. Embracing digitalization and leveraging advanced technologies can drive efficiency, enhance productivity, and support the continued growth and sustainability of the wind energy sector.

Watch below a wind turbine being configured by our team using Tacton Design Automation Studio:


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Written by dudaJuly 4, 2023

Applying Design Automation in the Food Industry: Fermentation Machinery Configuration DEMO

In the fast-paced world of the food industry, dairy processing equipment plays a vital role in ensuring efficient production and maintaining high product quality. However, the global market faces challenges, particularly in terms of high operating costs and risk of losing key engineers. In this article, we explore how Scandinavian Digital, with its extensive experience in the food industry, especially in the powder and dairy sectors, has harnessed the power of Design Automation to transform the business for customers in the manufacturing dairy machinery sector.

By embracing digitalisation, our team has paved the way for enhanced efficiency, improved product quality, and reduced costs in the dairy processing industry.

At Scandinavian Digital, we utilize Design Automation to meet the distinct requirements of our clients. Through the integration of the Tacton Design Automation plug-in in popular CAD solutions like PTC Creo, Autodesk Inventor, and SolidWorks, our clients can swiftly customise machinery models to align with specific needs within minutes.

The flexibility offered by our solution enables seamless integration of client preferences, resulting in precise 3D models, 2D drawings, and Bill-of-Materials. This reduces the time spent by engineers in designing equipment or accommodating changes requested by clients. The capability to customize equipment to meet individual requirements directly translates into improved customer satisfaction and heightened operational efficiency.

Fermentation is a critical process in the food industry. Therefore, the Scandinavian Digital experts recognizes the significance of the natural preservation method and has used Design Automation to show different types of configurations for a fermentation machinery, you can have a look at our DEMO that perfectly illustrates and states some of the benefits aggregated to the EDA (Engineering & Design Automation):

The adoption of Design Automation in the dairy machinery industry brings numerous benefits. Our team ensures the preservation of valuable knowledge and expertise by digitising product rules and storing them in the product model. This digitalisation enables non-experts to configure intricate products, generate accurate 3D models, 2D drawings, and Bill-of-Materials, even without in-depth product knowledge. It streamlines maintenance processes and empowers manufacturers to utilize data-driven insights for ongoing enhancements. By leveraging digital tools, manufacturers can elevate food safety standards, decrease operational costs, and consistently provide customers with top-quality dairy products.

Scandinavian Digital has effectively tackled the issues of expensive operations and improved efficiency, product quality, and customisation by utilising Design Automation and Product Configuration. As the dairy processing sector embraces digitalisation, Scandinavian Digital remains at the forefront, guaranteeing a promising future for dairy machinery innovation, sustainability, and excellence.

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Written by dudaJune 12, 2023

What happens after the implementation of Engineering & Design Automation?

We have been talking a lot about all the benefits the companies can achieve and how would be to implement EDA (Engineering & Design Automation). However, one of the hot topics at the moment is: What comes after EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) is implemented in a company? We interview our Lead Engineer, Jan Petersen, he oversees many of our Engineering and Design Automation implementation projects and its ready to give his overview on the topic.

Jan Petersen is the Lead-Engineer at Scandinavian Digital

Q – The number one questions is: what will happen with the workforce since the execution hours are reduced?

Jan Petersen – This is always the first question! EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) is changing the focus of the product owner away from standard order execution, towards innovation and development. Because the standard orders are handled by EDA, the time freed up will be redirected to product care with both the continuous maintenance of the configurator, data and rules, and development of the future features.

Q –  Can you develop more on the benefits after the implementation?

Jan Petersen – Yes, order execution normally has a hard time scaling fast according to the order backlog, with EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) it is now possible to handle more orders with the same size team or smaller. The result is a cost reduction because it is now possible to scale the throughput without needing adjustments to the execution team. Reducing the execution time also leads to a subsequent reduction in lead-time.

When implementing EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) you are digitalizing the product rules and design to increase the repeatability of the documentation and consequently have less errors. This is possible as new projects are generated from one master model, this mitigates wrong calculations and mistakes on the design when doing a manual execution.

In conclusion… with continuous product enhancement, based on the feedback from orders executed, you will keep improving your products and handle new orders with reduced need for engineering solutions for these orders. A long term benefit for example, is energy optimization.

Q – How does this impact other parts of a company?

Jan Petersen – The initial impact will be the reduced need for the product owner or group in relation to orders. After launching there will be a transition period where the new setup will be tested and adjusted to ensure future order handling will flow unimpeded. On the longer-term Sales will be impacted as more focus will be on improving the product and ensuring the product portfolio fits the market needs.

Q – How are customer projects impacted?

Jan Petersen – Speed! Customers, both internal and external, will get orders faster due to the heavily reduced execution time. The sales teams will have faster response times and be able to capitalize on this to have a reduced delivery schedule. Having the delivery schedule shortened will impact all subsequent steps in the project and in the end, it should mean production will start earlier.

Q – What if the customer has special requests? For example, Customisation of the product.

Jan Petersen – The answer is: this can be handled through EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) as well! You will not have the full benefit of EDA (Engineering & Design Automation), however it is possible to directly use the parts where no change is made like for a standard project, focusing your engineering effort on the customized parts.

For example, if you need to change locally, like the in- or outlet on a product, you have configured to the closest configuration, make the changes and the rest of your product will retain full EDA.

Q –  How does this impact the management team?

Jan Petersen – In the immediate time after launching EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) product maintenance will be the key word. Setting up the owners and teams around EDA to handle feedback and getting procedures in place to implement the highest priority fixes and features.

Moving away from a firefighting mindset, into preventing the need for immediate fixes and implementing the fixes on the master model, will result in a more stable higher quality product. This will be noticed elsewhere in the organization from the people at site commissioning all the way through the quality department, project management and back to Engineering.

So Jan it’s possible to see enormous impact in different areas after implementing EDA. Do you believe that EDA (Engineering & Design Automation) implementation for big manufacturing companies is a must and if so, why?

Jan Petersen – From an engineering perspective definitely! You have competition and if you are competing with other companies delivering similar type of equipment you are measured on speed, price, and quality. With EDA you will be able to deliver high quality fast, the price will be less of a factor, since return of investment is reduced by the shortened time from order to commissioning. As a consequence, companies not implementing DA are more likely to become less competitive and have problems scaling their business.

Watch a shorter version of the full interview:

 

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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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