CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
27 May 2009
Implementation Investments
Ulysse Nardin Gains Time for Design With Autodesk Inventor Software
It used to take Ulysse Nardin, one of the world's premier makers of fine mechanical watches, four years to develop the complex insides of a new watch that can contain as many as 400 moving parts. The process has been cut in half using Autodesk Inventor software.
Autodesk has named Ulysse Nardin as the Inventor of the Month for May 2009 for bringing its watches to market in 50 percent less time with fewer physical prototypes.
Few products pack so much mechanical complexity into such a small area as fine watches. Working with a 3D model in Inventor, Ulysse Nardin designers can visualize how the gears and springs fit with other components as they design. This capability makes it much easier to identify and fix interferences early in the design process. Designers can also optimize the position of mechanical parts that integrate with external portions of the watch, such as the case or the watchband, which are initially drawn in 2D by a conceptual designer.
The Inventor of the Month program recognizes innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using Inventor software - the foundation of the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping. A digital prototype is a 3D digital model of the entire end product, used to virtually explore and validate a product before it is built to reduce the necessity of constructing physical prototypes.
"Having a clear 3D view is a significant advantage," said Loic Pellaton, technical manager at Ulysse Nardin. "Autodesk Inventor helps us to place parts and explore different options very quickly. It has significantly accelerated the most complicated aspects of watch design."
Digital Prototyping Speeds New Product Development
By using Inventor software in collaboration with Autodesk reseller and training partner HURNI ENGINEERING SARL to explore and hone digital prototypes, Ulysse Nardin has reduced the need to produce multiple rounds of physical prototypes. Because watch movements are largely refined during the design phase, the company produces just one physical prototype instead of three. This streamlining helps Ulysse Nardin realize its vision twice as quickly when developing and introducing new product lines.
To help refine its watch cases, Ulysse Nardin designers also use Autodesk Showcase software to create accurate, photorealistic images of digital prototypes created in Inventor, enabling more efficient decision making. For example, design teams can visually explore a wide range of decorative and watchband options without having to produce a single physical prototype.
"From the beautiful case to the movement Ulysse Nardin watches are renowned for, Digital Prototyping helps us to create the kind of watches people dream of owning," said Pierre Gygax, executive vice president of production at Ulysse Nardin.
For more information about Autodesk Inventor of the Month, contact IOM@autodesk.com.
About HURNI ENGINEERING SARL
Located in the heart of the Watch Valley, HURNI ENGINEERING SARL is a leading provider of design and engineering solutions to the machine and the watch industry. Mainly active in the French part of Switzerland, HURNI ENGINEERING offers knowledge and experience to clients through technical support, training and consulting services. In 2009 HURNI ENGINEERING was awarded "Best Digital Prototyping Partner" by Autodesk in Central Europe. For more information please visit http://www.hurni.ch.
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