Background on PURO
PURO’s domicile is Hyvinkää, home of the KONE elevator company. Ever since the founding in 1993 we have been deeply engaged in both R&D and project design of KONE’s elevators. By mistakes and triumphs we have grasped the essence of how to manage in 3D CAD the complex model structures of a highly configurative mechanical product like the elevator. We are all too familiar with the challenges embedded in the predominant elevator features of limited shaft space and component collision risk. And we are so familiar with the means of tackling them. A lengthy 3D CAD-project implementing Pro/Engineer as an elevator design tool in the late 1990´s set our course towards automated 3D CAD-mechanical design. To date we have stood firm by our mission.
Our areas of expertise
The foundation of our business is the 3D CAD mechanical design work we do with our clients. Sheet metal and machine design is our home turf. Typically we take part in longer client R&D projects as well as in time-based mechanical design projects relating to the client’s complete end-customer machinery deliveries. Our role can be one of the executing designer´s or the project manager´s. The predominant part of our projects are performed at client premises.
In 2002 we set out to broaden our client base by offering our services to the Finnish engineering industry. We broadened our scope of services in 2007 by introducing both FEM-calculation and 3D-visualization services. With the aim of being an industry one-stop supplier we added electrical and automation design services in the spring of 2008.
Our tools
Our prime 3D CAD tools are Pro/Engineer and SolidWorks. We have over a decade of experience of applying both software in a wide range of customer products. But our CAD-toolkit includes Inventor, NX, SpaceClaim and Vertex G4 too. And they are all subject to an in-house benchmarking monitoring developments in tool features. Although our focus is on 3D we fluently work in 2D Autocad if need be.
In CAD-model programming and automatisation we use Pro/Program, AutomateWorks, CADscripting (PrintIT, ProperIT, DriveIT) and Visual Basic.
We handle FEM-calculations with CosmosWorks and Mathcad whereas thermal flow analysis utilizes FloWorks. Our 3D-visualisation team produces marketing material on 3ds Max, Maxwell Render and Mental Ray.
Managing product configurations
Over the years we have built up a fair understanding about how to handle mechanical design of products that by their fundamental features tend to vary from one project delivery to the other. We know what the product structure should ideally look like to enable the farthest taken automation of the product configuration process using our selected 3D CAD software. Most industrially produced products require product configuring that includes:
- taking the product data into consideration
- sales variable controlled top-down 3D CAD modeling
- simplified presentation of complex product model (parameter-driven space calim-models)
- product structure modularisations and component interface definitions
- interactions with other systems, system interface programming
- PDM-system application knowledge
Reaping benefits from modular products
Empirically we can say that modular 3D CAD design methods speeds up product design as a whole, cuts costs and weeds out unnecessary duplication of product data. Lead times gets shorter and profitability improves. As a result of the uniform design process 3D CAD models are logical and reliable.
Prior to the modeling work the product structure is modularised. Project work in groups strongly benefits from a modular structure that can be broken down in smaller entities still keeping the interface definitions intact. The client’s unique product data becomes an integral part of the model. And new information created in the design process is seamlessly integrated into down-stream physical production of the product. What’s more, managing product configurations in a well structured model will be reliable and so much easier.
A well defined 3D CAD-model provides the basis for a successful outsourcing measures.
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