Apex CNC teams up with DezignWorks
to build the Dynamic Choppers 'Epic'.
Scott
Tudury, Apex CNC uses DezignWorks
software to quicken the process of reverse engineering parts for this awesome
bike which finished in with a top few select others in the AMD World Championship
of Custom Bike Building,
The
full story of the build of 'Epic' will be featured on the cover and in an in-depth
feature in 'Barnett's Magazine' issue #63 in 2008.
Epic
will also be covered on the new television channel called the Smithsonian
Channel in 2008.
The
ideas for this awesome bike built for the 2007 World Championships and Artistry
in Iron at Las Vegas Bike fest came from many minds including the legendary Scott
Tudury (owner of Apex CNC and former owner of Flathead Power). Scott did much
of the one-off machining needed for the build using DezignWorks software.
Read more by downloading the Epic
Adventure 3.51 MB (PDF)
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Orange Country Choppers speeds
reverse-engineering with DezignWorks software.
Orange
County Choppers has garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their custom
motorcycles. Established as a business in 1999, the shop grew out of Orange County
Ironworks, a steel fabrication enterprise founded nearly 30 years ago by custom-chopper
builder and rider Paul Teutul Sr. OCC jumped on the custom-bike scene at Daytona
Biketoberfest 1999 with "True Blue," a classic chopper built in the
basement of Paul Sr.'s house.
Since
then, the company has continued to design and manufacture high-end customized
choppers, specializing in theme bikes. American Chopper is a reality television
program that chronicles the company's latest creations. The program can be viewed
on the Discovery Channel, Mondays, at 10 PM EST. Orange Country Choppers is currently
in the process of creating their own product line.
Recently,
SolidWorks Express spoke with Jason Pohl, an artist/designer at OCC about the
company's use of DezignWorks and SolidWorks® software.
What
process did your company use to complete reverse-engineering tasks prior to using
DezignWorks?
"Previous to using DezignWorks, we relied on a drafting
board, calipers and a ruler."
What
challenge led you to consider/choose DezignWorks?
"We needed to
to accelerate our CNC parts line."
What
type of digitizing devices are you using with DezignWorks?
"We're
using Faro rocks — we have two of them."
Using
DezignWorks insures that all geometric elements are parametric, fully editable,
and conform to the feature-based intelligence of SolidWorks software. What is
the benefit of this capability?
" It allows us to rapidly capture
vital data that we could not capture with our existing process. We' can then parametrically
change the cosmetic values of the part. With DezignWorks and SolidWorks fully
integrated with one another, we're able to use assembly capabilities of SolidWorks
to generate data for the shop floor."
Why
is it important to be able to conduct real-time reverse engineering on multiple
parts and assemblies?
"The fabricators will come to us with paper
templates or existing parts. We now have the ability to digitize these parts and
cut them out much faster and more accurately than with our previous method."
Why is it
a benefit that DezignWorks is fully integrated into the SolidWorks property manager?
"By being integrated into the SolidWorks property manager gives
us constant feedback about the digitizing process. Probe movement as well as location
and depths for cuts and extrudes. By using the locked plane or locked surface,
wizard planes and surfaces are visible."
How
much faster is your design process with DezignWorks?
"200 mph or
super fast."
Does
using DezignWorks allow your company to accept jobs that it could not accept prior
to using DezignWorks? Please explain.
"With
DezignWorks, we now have unlimited capabilities. We can reproduce any part accurately
and do it fast."
Download
OCC
- DezignWorks 519 KB (PDF)
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EJM
Aerospace increases reverse-engineering efficiency by 200% with DezignWorks software
EJM
Aerospace Services is an 8A aerospace company specializing in rapid-response design,
engineering, FAA certification, and analysis. The company employs on-site structures,
electrical, avionic, composite, aerospace and certification engineers and FAA
DARs and DERs.
EJM
provides custom modifications, avionics upgrades, and aircraft structural enhancements.
They are specialists in providing on-site installation, integration, and management
support worldwide. The company also provides lightweight fiber-composite engineering
design, analysis, and FAA certification. EJM can also manufacture mechanical,
electrical, structural and composite kits.
The
company's manufacturing capabilities include wire harnesses, metalworking, CNC
machining, welding, water jet-cutting, chemical coating, and painting.
Recently,
SolidWorks Express spoke with engineer Greg Prince about the company's use of
DezignWorks software.
What
processes did you use to provide reverse-engineering services to your customers
prior to using DezignWorks?
"We
used plumb bobs, string, masking tape, tape measures, calipers and several helpers."
What
challenge led you to evaluate and then choose DezignWorks?
"For quite
a few years we reverse engineered many different aircraft parts. I remembered
thinking 'man, it would be nice to find software that would do this for me.' At
that time, software was available but it was costly and did not provide a final
scanned item in a 3D part. It was a time-consuming process to convert scanned
data into a usable 3D model."
What
types of digitizing devices are you using with DezignWorks?
"We
are using a CMM 6 axis Faro arm."
Using
DezignWorks insures that all geometric elements are parametric, fully editable,
and conform to the feature-based intelligence of SolidWorks software. What is
the benefit of this capability?
"With
DezignWorks, you can scan a part, run an analysis using COSMOSExpress software
to ensure the my part is structurally sound, and pending the results you can make
changes to the scanned part, for example, to make it thicker, change the radius,
or whatever necessary to design a part that is structurally sound. Next, you can
make DWGs and/or assemblies and everything updates as you make chagnes. In the
past, I would scan a part for a customer. The customer's goal was to reproduce
the parts. Once I scanned the part into SolidWorks® software, I could then
create a mold of that part. At any time during the design process if I have to
make a change to my part, my mold model, assembly, and drawings all change at
once. This eliminates human error, saving time and money."
Why
is it important to be able to conduct real-time reverse
engineering on multiple parts and assemblies?
"To remain competitive
in today's marketplace, you need to provide customers with fast, accurate and
reasonably priced services. It's that simple.
How
much faster is your design process with DezignWorks?
"Using
DezignWorks, we have increased our efficiency by 200%, especially when reverse
engineering complex shapes and contours."
Does
using DezignWorks allow your company to accept jobs that it could not accept prior
to using DezignWorks? Please explain.
"Using
DezignWorks has significantly expanded our existing market share and has also
opened new opportunities. We can tackle the biggest reverse engineering jobs.
In many cases, we need to meet very tight tolerances. With DezignWorks, we can
honestly say that we can give our customers exactly what they need plus or minus
.002 on an inch. That is unheard of in the reverse-engineering world."
Download
EJM
Areospace Services - DezignWorks 358 KB (PDF)
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