FL Smidth of Denmark, the world’s leading supplier of cement production technology, has selected SolidWorks(R) software as its 3D mechanical design standard because it will dramatically increase the company’s engineering efficiency and productivity in designing cement-making equipment and plants. FLS is implementing 200 licenses of SolidWorks software for full production use in early 2005. SolidWorks will let engineers more quickly design products like kilns, mills, coolers, burners, and related electrical systems in three dimensions. FLS engineers will work more efficiently by graphically conceptualizing products they are designing, avoiding errors caused by work that could be automated, detecting interference among parts and systems, and generating multiple designs from a single model.
The company, a longtime AutoCAD(R) 2D software user, first began using SolidWorks software in its pre-heater design department, where highly complex "cyclone" technology is applied to the cement making process. SolidWorks confirmed the efficiency, accuracy, and productivity benefits of 3D design in this department and gave F.L. Smidth the confidence to standardize on SolidWorks for all of its 3D design going forward.
"In our detailed evaluation, we clearly identified the benefits we would obtain with 3D," said Magnus Rimvall, F.L. Smidth’s vice president of information technology. "Working in 3D with SolidWorks will significantly increase our efficiency by enabling us to design a machine once and then customize the design simply by feeding dimensions and other parameters into a template design. No longer will we have to create separate drawings for each new order. Laying out our plants in 3D will enable us to more efficiently design multiple, separate systems with full awareness of other systems being designed simultaneously. Moreover, 3D is an effective way to improve customer satisfaction and acceptance by communities hosting the plants we build. SolidWorks software is the logical choice since it is the standard in 3D design with a worldwide customer base that continues to grow at an impressive pace."
