Radio frequency equipment maker Bird Technologies has reduced new product design time 75 percent and can re-design existing models up to 180 times faster using new computer-aided design (CAD) software technology.

The breakthrough at the Solon, Ohio-based company provides Bird Technologies with a competitive edge over its rivals, according to John Winter, mechanical engineering manager. The use of Solid Edge software with synchronous technology from Siemens Digital Industries Software allows Bird engineers to iterate more designs more rapidly for its customers and successfully enter new markets.

Accelerated new product design

Classic history-only-based modelers use a feature approach to create and edit models. But these modelers require a lot of preplanning time to handle unforeseen changes that frequently arise. Conversely, history-free modeling is fast, but featureless, with limited automated design capability.

Synchronous technology provides the best of both worlds, enabling the use of highly automated features and dimensions that facilitate flexibility and near-instant performance. Winter was originally trained to design using a structured history tree of features but quickly adopted synchronous technology.

Better re-use of imported data

Bird Technologies also benefits from synchronous technology when making design changes. Winter used an example of having computer boards that are too large for any of the card guides the company buys. The only solution was to redesign the guides and manufacture them in-house.

Using Solid Edge with synchronous technology, Winter obtained a 3D model of the guide with no design features, a so-called “dumb model” from the original manufacturer. He imported the model and rapidly made the edits needed. “To redesign this part to make it fit in our application took 10 seconds using synchronous technology.

Bottom-line impact

Bird Technologies views Solid Edge with synchronous technology as a business differentiator. Winter believes using synchronous technology helped him earn a recent job promotion. “I know my project manager is very excited when I’m finished with a design really early. And I use some of the free time as a way to iterate more designs, so I am not just getting a design out but getting the best design out,” Winter says.