CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
10 November 2008
Implementation Investments
A Greener Recipe for Clean Drinking Water; Trojan Technologies uses SolidWorks 3D CAD and Simulation Software to Develop Disinfection Systems Based on UV Light
Which would you prefer in your drinking water: bleach or light?
That’s the easy choice made every day by residential, commercial, and municipal customers of Trojan Technologies, a Canadian company whose systems disinfect drinking water with ultraviolet light. More than 60 designers and engineers at Trojan use SolidWorks® 3D CAD software and SolidWorks Flow Simulation software from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) to custom-design and configure systems for each client.
“We’re not adding anything to the water, we’re just shining light through it to alter the DNA structure of harmful microorganisms like E.coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium, effectively destroying the reproductive systems in the cells,” said Jason Cerny, one of the company’s senior mechanical designers. “SolidWorks and SolidWorks Flow Simulation software are important tools in this endeavor, letting us create better systems faster in more competitively sized packages. We no longer have to leave extensive room for error and build projects a little larger than they need to be. We’ve also dramatically reduced the number of prototypes we need to build – prototypes that can exceed $50,000 for municipal systems – as well as the errors that can crop up in projects designed in 2D.”
Based in London, Ontario, Trojan Technologies used SolidWorks to design and build the largest UV disinfection system in the world, made up of 56 water disinfection units, for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The facility is capable of treating up to 2.2 billion gallons of water each day.
Trojan claims the largest installed base of UV systems in operation on the planet. UV rays penetrate bacteria and viruses, destroying their ability to function and reproduce. The process is simple but effective, destroying harmful microorganisms without adding chemicals or changing the water's taste or odor.
Trojan has used SolidWorks for a decade and, according to Cerny, now needs to build only one-third of the costly prototypes it once did. He credits the effectiveness of SolidWorks Flow Simulation software and the accuracy of 3D CAD for the improvement. Trojan has recently begun using SolidWorks Enterprise PDM software to accelerate design by working efficiently around the clock, with the implementation of an offshore engineering team in Bangalore, India.
“Safe, clean drinking water is one of the most important things in the world,” said Efrat Ravid, director of marketing and alliances for Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. “It’s reassuring to know that Trojan is driving the technology forward and using SolidWorks software to do that.”
Trojan relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Javelin Technologies for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
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