Written by dudaFebruary 21, 2023

Engineering & Design 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

Morten Hugo Bennick, CTO and Senior Partner at Scandinavian Digital and internally regarded as “Mr. Config,” provides insights into why many companies still resist automating engineering processes, instead relying heavily on the human brain to tackle challenges that could be resolved in minutes using Symbolic AI.

With over 20 years of expertise in configuration, Morten speaks with authority, emphasizing that symbolic AI is no joke—it’s a powerful critique of companies that aim to stay competitive yet fail to adopt modern solutions like digitalisation, task automation, and configurators. Scandinavian Digital is leading the charge in changing its clients’ daily results and engineering efficiency through the application of symbolic AI.

Symbolic AI plays a protagonist role in the configurators Scandinavian Digital employs. These configurators transform data input into symbolic outputs—such as 3D models, 2D drawings, and other engineering assets—allowing complex engineering challenges to be solved quickly, efficiently, and with minimal error. As Morten explains, “Anything can be configured,” and in order to improve engineering tasks and results… it must be!

The reality of “never-ending engineering” isn’t just a notion, it’s a costly, time-intensive issue that symbolic AI can alleviate. According to Morten, engineering processes will not end completely, but they can be significantly reduced, saving companies substantial time and resources. This reduction in repetitive engineering tasks means skilled professionals can shift focus to innovation, data security, and strategic goals rather than spending months on tasks that could be streamlined to a week or less. Furthermore, the automation of these processes ensures that critical knowledge stays within the company, rather than leaving with departing employees. You can see the benefits of using symbolic AI for CPQ and design automation across Scandinavian Digital’s six value areas.

Morten advocates for automated engineering processes with confidence, stating, “We expect that the investment will reach break-even within 1-3 years.” He adds that using Symbolic AI not only reduces errors but also grants engineers more time for innovation, increasing growth opportunities for the company.

Scandinavian Digital offers a comprehensive process for organizations looking to modernise, beginning with CPQ (Configure, Quote, and Price) and extending to advanced Design Automation projects. Through Symbolic AI, Scandinavian Digital provides end-to-end solutions that deliver long-term value, enabling companies to operate smarter, faster, and with greater precision.

For companies ready to embrace the future of engineering, Scandinavian Digital is here to transform your engineering bottlenecks with symbolic AI.

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Written by dudaAugust 11, 2022

The 5 FAQs about ETO Automation

The most frequently asked questions about ETO Automation answered by the Scandinavian Digital experts!

At SD we are constantly questioned about what ETO Automation is, the benefits and what the relevance is to the industry.

Q: What is Engineering-to-Order Automation?
A: ETO Automation allows companies to reduce errors and the time used to manually modify heavily engineered models and elevates the quality of the design outputs. By creating processes and rules to catch engineering knowledge, a configurator delivers a 3D model, which is based on specific parameters defined by the client. Any modification needed is quickly implemented by changing the parameters and consequently a new 3D model is created.

Q: For which companies would it be relevant to automate the engineering work?
A: Companies with complex products within the industries of mechanical engineering, process, cement, mining, renewable energy, dairy and similar industries where there is high degree of product customization for each customer requirement.

Q: Why should companies consider supporting the Engineering Order Execution with ETO automation?
A: It is in essence a “must-have” if you want to beat the competition. The world is moving towards increased automation and if you do not obtain the first-mover advantage, your competitors will. The payback time is between 1 to 3 years and ETO Automation should be on the top of the winning agenda of all companies that spend time in customized engineering during the proposal stage or order execution of products.

Q: How does ETO Automation work ?
A: ETO Automation enables companies to capture all engineering knowledge in rules by utilizing a configurator platform. The outcome can be used both in a commercial setting but and also at the engineering level. Based on user inputs, ETO Automation will generate 3D models and 2D drawings automatically, as well as the bill-of-materials (BOM), and will ensure a high consistency and in the quality of the output. The time used for making proposals or order work is reduced from weeks to hours or even minutes.

Q: What tools are used for ETO Automation ?
A: We use Tacton Software integrated with CAD Systems from SolidWorks , AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor or PTC Creo.

Q: Why choose Scandinavian Digital to automate the Engineering Order Execution with ETO Automation?
A: The approach of a high-level team can definitely change the pace of a digital transformation and facilitate profitable growth for the customers. SD is probably the most experienced team world-wide when it comes to combining product configuration, design automation, modularization, standardization, IT integrations, change management and strategic advisory. Having already a considerable portfolio of automated products, we have – to date – never encountered a problem which could not be configured and automated.

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Written by dudaAugust 4, 2022

Supplier integrations

Through a collaboration between an engineering to order company and one of their supplier the team behind Scandinavian Digital have implemented a web based solution. This maintain up-to-date information about suppliers and integrates directly with them by accessing the suppliers configuration program from the companies configuration platform. In short two configurators in different companies finding the best solution.

Complete, accurate and well-maintained supplier records are crucial for the smooth running of engineering company business operations. It helps in improving efficiency, productivity and significant reduced lead time.

The company configurator is implemented with a supplier’s configurator which means the two configurators will “negotiate” the most optimum solution during sizing and pricing of the equipment.

The configurators platform is a highly modularized web-based system with a web API that allows to create new interfaces for engineering software tools like SolidWorks, Inventor, SmartPlant, MathCAD, STAAD.Pro, Excel to be used a cloud-based services. This technology enables the end-users to have easy knowledge of the engineering tools they use via the configurator platform.

The configurator fulfills the industry 4.0 standard and can work directly with suppliers for calculating correct prices and retrieving the correct customized product documentation based on the specification created by users.

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Written by dudaAugust 4, 2022

The future is in 3D

Engineering documentation in 2D is regarded by many as the only legal documents accompanying a contract for the purchase of a technical product. It is (wrongly) thought that only 2D drawings can represent technical details and instructions about manufacturing as well as measures for accepted tolerances.

A product model in 3D can fully represent the same information – and more – as in a regular 2D drawing. Manufacturing instructions and tolerances can be built into the model and, what is even better, the 3D model can be fed directly into an industrial robot for manufacturing.

If printed 2D documentation is still required, this can be automated from the 3D model itself. 3D functionality and representation can even be contained in a PDF with the so-called MBD format.

Contact Scandinavian Digital for more details and examples.

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Written by dudaAugust 2, 2022

Reduce lead times in the proposal and order execution

Scandinavian Digital has helped companies reduce engineering lead-times and elevate quality standards for a wide range of complex products within the heavy engineering industry. All through a user-friendly interface which appeals to individuals from both technical and non-technical backgrounds.

The configuration tool supports and optimises the daily workflow for sales, proposals, orders and spare parts. The system automatically generates various types of output needed to support the proposal and order execution process, including proposal documents, parts lists, instruction manuals, technical data sheets as well as full 2D and 3D documentation and more.

The proprietary Scandinavian Digital configurator currently interfaces to MathCad, STAAD, Dassault SolidWorks and Enovia, Autodesk Inventor, SmartPlant, MS Office and PDMWorks. This supports the configuration process through a one-point-of-truth concept in order to link into complex calculations, engineering data, design rules, technical specifications and product lifecycle information that are to be managed outside of the configurator.

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.

A configuration platform for any engineering company would contain a wide range of products. Below is a single example of the several hundreds of products that the Scandinavian Digital team has developed with some of its key features.

Industrial Fan

Should the duct turn up/down/right/left ? Should the fan be radially or axially oriented ? Which of possibly 360 degrees should be chosen for mounting (with impact on load calculations) ? Which of 3 different materials should be used for fan blades ? Should the motor voltage cater for the EU or US market and which of 3 efficiency ratings and 23 possible power outputs should be chosen from the 3 different available suppliers?

The preceding initial questions would give close to 3.6 million possible combinations and would not even take into consideration the internal combinations of the mechanical design itself.

Shown above is a single of the more than 100 billion possible fan configurations, complete with i.a. motor, ducting and frames

Ending up with more than 100 billion possible combinations for this – at first glance – simple product, the time it took to finalise the engineering work during order execution was inacceptable for the customers and it was estimated that a considerable amount of the market was lost due to long lead times in order execution.

Prior to the arrival of Scandinavian Digital, previous engineering was overly manual and based on a principle of reusing earlier orders and adjusting stored template designs – the few existing rules were found scattered around in documents, worksheets and bespoke calculation programs.

Further, 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.

Now it is possible to keep track of all variants with a configurator-based design. Selecting and sizing the correct fan variant was very important for the company for which an optimisation of the entire E2E flow ended up being the target.

During the initial discussions with Scandinavian Digital, it became apparent 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.

The fan configuration model is now capable of generating automated documentation in both 3D and 2D as well as complete parts lists including the Bill Of Materials (BOM).

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Written by rodrigoaJanuary 29, 2022

SD is an official reseller for Tacton’s Design Automation solutions in the Nordics and DACH regions

Scandinavian Digital partners with the Tacton team.

Adding to its business services, Scandinavian Digital will now sell and deliver Tacton’s best-of-breed Design Automation solutions in the Nordics and DACH regions for the full range of computer-aided design (CAD) systems (SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor and PTC Creo). The partnership will enable more design and manufacturing companies to optimize their engineering and design processes through software, training, and full-service manufacturing business solutions. Scandinavian Digital has already delivered more than 200 Design Automation models to major clients in these regions, and has plans to further expand Tacton’s presence as an official reseller.

Engineers today are under incredible pressure to generate 2D and 3D CAD drawings on time due to custom designs. They must constantly update or create new drawings as needs change, resulting in significant human labor. To address this, Tacton Design Automation creates comprehensive 2D drawings and 3D models of bespoke, customized products and parts automatically, allowing engineers to focus on other higher value tasks. As a result, companies can eliminate costly design errors, reduce lead time, cost of hours and goods, and improve product quality. Further, there is no programming or IT expertise needed, making it fast and easy to introduce and update products.

“Our partnership with Scandinavian Digital will allow us to expand our company’s reach in key regions, and offer our leading Design Automation solution to more joint customers,” said Viveka Tengö, VP Global Channel and Alliances at Tacton. “With our solutions, customers can accomplish design projects in a much shorter time and with a standardized quality. We are helping sales and engineering teams work better together and increase their efficiency to drive their organization’s bottom line. This partnership is key to making this a reality for today’s leading companies in the Nordics and DACH regions.”

“We are very satisfied with our partnership with Tacton,” said Simon Nielsen, CEO and Co-Founder at Scandinavian Digital. “Tacton’s state-of-the-art Design Automation tool coupled with Scandinavian Digital’s strong knowledge in product complexity helps customers easily utilize 3D CAD models to empower their businesses. Tacton’s Design Automation is a game changer for any company with complex engineered products.”

“This partnership will help advance our mutual goals in the Nordics and DACH regions,” said Morten Hugo Bennick, Managing Partner at Scandinavian Digital. “With this solution, manufacturing teams can feel assurance and support to configure their products with 100 percent valid configuration and significantly reduced errors and costs. In fact, we’ve already seen success with managing hundreds of Design Automation projects for Tacton, and look forward to our future growth.”

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