CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
8 February 2005
Implementation Investments
Leading Automotive Supplier Chooses Autodesk Manufacturing Solution to Streamline Design Process and Improve Communication with Partners and Customers
Autodesk Inc. announced that Trostel, Ltd., a global automotive supplier, has standardized its U.S. manufacturing operations on Autodesk's 3D design and data management solutions, including Autodesk Inventor® Professional, Autodesk® Vault, and Autodesk® ProductstreamT software products. This combination of 3D mechanical design software and Autodesk's data management solution is helping Trostel create, manage and share design information across all of the company's production sites, improving communication with customers and partners, boosting Trostel's responsiveness to demand, and increasing its revenues.
Trostel produces custom seals, precision rubber molded products, and mixed compounds for automotive customers around the world. The company implemented Autodesk's manufacturing solution in its three U.S. manufacturing facilities, using it to create virtual 3D designs and test them with finite element analysis (FEA) tools. With Autodesk's products, Trostel decreased design iterations from five to four, improving engineering productivity 15 to 20 percent. Using the Autodesk solution to manage design data and track revisions electronically, Trostel has been able to reuse proven designs, further increasing engineering productivity. Trostel plans to use the Autodesk solution to share design information securely with internal and external team members, additionally speeding the revision process.
"Autodesk Inventor Professional's 3D design capabilities make it easier for our cross-functional teams to visualize the end product and conduct a higher quality design review," said Jim Rezler, vice president of technology at Trostel, Ltd. "What's more, with Autodesk's manufacturing solution, we have the means to manage design changes in near real time and safeguard our intellectual property in a secure, central repository. It's a huge improvement over saving design changes locally."
By reducing the time and cost spent on developing physical prototypes, Trostel also saw improvements in its product design cycle. Because every Trostel design iteration is lab tested, eliminating a single prototype results in significant cost savings. Shorter product design cycles enable Trostel to handle more business without adding resources or staff. In fact, the company plans to triple its new product design programs in 2005, driving expected sales growth of 25 percent from 2003 to 2005.
As engineering becomes more collaborative at Trostel, revision level and version control are more important than ever to maintaining QS 9000 and ISO 9001 certification. Before implementing the Autodesk manufacturing solution, Trostel engineers archived design data on different local and network sites, making it difficult to track and control. With the Autodesk manufacturing solution, Trostel now manages design information centrally, simplifying the compliance process.
Trostel also has found that Autodesk software enhances collaboration across the supply chain. By streamlining communication and using Autodesk web-based design reviews, Trostel is saving, on average, three days per job with tooling vendors. In addition to improving supply chain collaboration, Trostel is using Autodesk software to win additional business from customers. The company recently earned a multi-million dollar contract by harnessing the power of Autodesk Inventor® Series, the world's best-selling 3D mechanical design software, and the specialized design tools in Autodesk Inventor Professional to create a 3D simulation demonstrating complex product functions.
"Faced with incredible global competition, forward-thinking automotive suppliers are enlisting their supply chain partners to help them win customers' business," said Robert Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. "By reducing design cycles and sharing up-to-date product information securely with trading partners, companies such as Trostel are finding competitive advantage."
Trostel receives support from Autodesk Premier Solutions Provider MasterGraphics for software installation, hardware, deployment, data migration, training, services, and more. MasterGraphics has been serving architects, engineers, and designers for over 50 years, providing complete reprographic services, supplies, and CAD solutions for the industry. MasterGraphics continues to help Trostel meet customer demands with ongoing service and technical support.
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