Time reduction for generating 3D models and drawings

Time is one of our most valuable resources. Knowing how to manage and optimise it in order to meet established deadlines is a complex challenge for many companies, especially in the industrial sector. During the design and production process, various complications can arise that lead to more hours being spent than initially planned on a specific task, causing projects to extend beyond expectations.

In some cases, producing manufacturing drawings can become a slow and cumbersome process, involving repetitive tasks for engineers, as certain designs require manually placing each component one by one. In these situations, the ideal approach is to rely on tools or applications that streamline the entire development process, thereby optimising resources and improving efficiency.

Throughout our experience, we have worked on multiple cases where the challenge was to reduce the time required to generate 3D models and manufacturing drawings. One of these success stories is GRI – Gestamp Renewable Industries, which aimed to accelerate the 3D design process of wind turbine towers.

What problems did we identify?

In this specific case with GRI – Gestamp Renewable, following a detailed analysis of their workflow, we identified the following issues:

• Manufacturing documentation was incomplete due to tight deadlines, which prevented full 3D model generation
• Model data was not connected to the rest of the required technical documentation
• The existing application was limited and prone to errors
• Weldable components had to be placed one by one, which required excessive effort and was therefore often not completed

How did we solve it?

The first step was the implementation of an automated wind turbine tower design process. How? By using DriveWorksXpress.

DriveWorksXpress is a simplified version of the DriveWorks solution that enables design automation based on predefined parameters. Through a form-based interface, the tool automatically generates part designs or components that are largely similar, with variations in key parameters such as height, thickness, or length.

Thanks to this approach, we were able to automatically generate 3D designs, assemblies, parts, and drawings from predefined templates.

In addition, we automated the insertion of weldable components into the models, a task that previously had to be performed manually. We developed an application that places pre-designed components into the assembly. By providing the element to be inserted along with its coordinates, the system automatically positions each component within the design.

Alongside this, we also created a tool to export 3D model property data into a file, enabling better control and validation of the information used in the design process.

What did we achieve?

Following the implementation of the above measures, we achieved the following improvements:

• Reduced the time required to generate 3D models and manufacturing drawings for wind turbine towers, leading to better resource optimisation and a clear competitive advantage for the client
• Complete generation of the 3D model, including all internal weldable components
• Reduction of errors during project preparation
• Elimination of manual data entry in associated technical documentation

Undoubtedly, this solution allowed us to address the challenges faced by the client and make this project a success for both parties.

Thank you to GRI for their trust in us.