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 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 & 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 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 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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