CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
29 March 2010
Implementation Investments
RND Automation Tackles One-of-a-Kind Machines with Autodesk Inventor
RND Automation & Engineering LLC uses Autodesk Inventor software to effectively design customized automation solutions for a wide range of customers including manufacturers of hydraulic valves, contact lenses and insulated beverage containers.
Autodesk, Inc. named the Sarasota, Fla.-based RND Automation as the March Autodesk Inventor of the Month for the company’s work with clients to manufacture and assemble products more efficiently and precisely with less waste.
“When you’re building a custom automation machine for a client, there’s no template to work from because you’re creating something that’s never been built before,” said Sean Dotson, president of RND. “Digital Prototyping becomes absolutely essential to creating a workable design for a production-ready machine that can operate in a factory environment. With Inventor software, we can test our concepts and make sure that they’re going to work before we start cutting any metal or procuring parts.”
Digital Prototyping Simplifies Challenging Projects
With the assistance of Tampa, Fla.-based Autodesk reseller Tata Technologies, RND has successfully used Inventor software since its first release on a wide range of projects, tapping almost every area of the software’s functionality:
For a hydraulic valve manufacturer, RND created an automated assembly machine that was 22 feet long and 8 feet wide, with 16 different assembly stations and four articulated robot arms. RND designed, visualized and simulated the entire machine using Inventor, enabling them to fully visualize and analyze operation of each assembly station before any materials were purchased.
To create a portion of a machine that manufactures disposable contact lenses, RND needed to design mechanism that was capable of moving heavy weights up and down at rapid speeds. RND used Inventor software’s finite element analysis (FEA) functionality to analyze the forces placed on the linkages to help ensure the overall design was strong enough to withstand the pressures of daily operation.
Tervis Tumbler is the leading manufacturer of insulated beverage containers for hot and cold drinks. RND used Inventor software’s animation capabilities early in the design phase to show Tervis how each assembly station would function and at what precise location the fully assembled product would exit the machine.
“Inventor software is helping RND move beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. In helping bring the benefits of automation to clients in a broad array of industries, RND is competing and winning against competitors with its custom automation machine designs,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk.
About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program
Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the users of Autodesk Inventor software, which takes manufacturers beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking innovation. For more information about Autodesk Inventor of the Month, contact IOM@autodesk.com.
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