Fresno Valves slashes build-to-order production with 3D CAD

US-based Fresno Valves says it is shaving weeks and sometimes months off the production cycle for its irrigation products, since installing SolidWorks 3D CAD. Engineering manager Sukhbir Singh says that its brass valves and vents take hours, instead of months, to make now that engineers use the software and CNC systems, instead of hand crafting casting patterns. And he claims that built-to-order fabricated gates and lifts now take half a day to make, rather than two weeks, the time it took with 2D CAD. “When we worked in 2D, drawings had to go back and forth with the customer for weeks,” he says. “It’s just difficult for a farmer or irrigation district manager to comprehend the finer points of 2D drawings and come up with a vivid picture in his or her mind. “With SolidWorks models, customers understand what we propose, and we can design better products for them faster.” That and integrating RuleStream design automation software from SolidWorks partner RuleStream Corp, has automated Fresno’s request for quote (RFQ) and engineering documentation processes, allowing the company’s sales people to visit customers’ sites and fill out online forms to configure new designs in SolidWorks software. Fresno says that 90% of the work is now done for engineers, who then detail the drawings, a process that has been reduced from a week to less than 36 hours. What’s more, custom rules enforce Fresno’s standards and best practices. Fresno has now convinced its manufacturing partners in China to use SolidWorks software, and says that’s made it easy for the company to ensure its products are accurately produced, first time, every time. Fresno uses COSMOSWorks design analysis software to optimise part weight, which can yield major savings on these and other products it ships around the world.