Factory Design Suite – What is it?

Most of us hear Factory Design Suite and wonder what we would use that software for. Factory Design Suite is a new suite of software that can greatly improve efficiencies for those whose job responsibilities include laying out a factory floor. It helps users bring in machine models from different vendors, arrange them in different configurations and help ensure that everything will work within the space allotted. It also allows you to generate your own factory assets from Inventor, for a custom layout that you will be confide in.

Do you spend a lot of time running to the plant floor with a tape measure? Why do that when you could check your design in a virtual world? We have been prototyping manufacturing items and assemblies for years in the computer world. It makes perfect sense to take that one step further and prototype the equipment, placement and function before we actually try to install it.

Ever start installing things and find out that conveyor #3 runs into a support beam? Factory Design Suite can run interference checks and let you see that conveyor #3 runs into the beam and allows you to make adjustments long before any equipment has arrived from the vendor. When you are in the heat of the battle and trying to get equipment up and running, the last thing you need is a last minute adjustment. It burns up time, and cost real dollars for every minute the new piece of equipment is on site not running.

Let’s look at the issues that Factory design can help with:

1.       The need to reduce factory design and layout time
2.       The need to clearly communicate factory layout ideas in 2D and 3D
3.       The need to detect equipment clashes
4.       Spending a lot of time doing manual tape measurements of the factory floor
5.       Spending a lot of time manually creating and updating section drawings
6.       The difficulties of working with suppliers that use other CAD formats
7.       The need for a focused factory layout solution

Factory Design Suite is a perfect solution to these common plant layout issues.

Let’s look at the features of the software that can help with these issues:

1.       The power of AutoCAD and Digital Prototyping. Use existing CAD data as a basis for your 3D factory layout
2.       2D/3D visual layout environments. Lets you easily try what if scenarios by dragging 3D models around on top of your 2D floor plan.
3.       Large library of factory assets. Includes conveyors, material handling, hand rails and stairs and other facility equipment that can be resized and reused.
4.       Custom factory asset creation. Use your Inventor models or models imported from your equipment suppliers to build custom factory assets.
5.       Factory design efficiency. Automated tasks such as creation of plan views and section views save time and make the layout phase less time consuming. Also allows the use of scanned in existing equipment or facilities to eliminate running to the floor and using a tape measure to measure existing building or equipment restrictions.
6.       3D factory visualization and analysis. Collaborate with your team and reduce installation costs by analyzing the digital factory model for clashes and space problems before they become real life problems onsite.

Different flavors of the software:

Factory Design Suite Premium:

- Create or import 2D layouts
- Drop intelligent 3D factory content on top of the 2D floor plan
- Easily try different “what if” scenarios
- Communicate ideas and building proposals in 3D

Software included:
AutoCAD® Architecture
Autodesk® Inventor®
Autodesk® Navisworks® Simulate
Autodesk® Vault®
Autodesk® Factory Design Utilities

Factory Design Suite Advanced:

- Analyze clashes and space constraints
- Simulate movement of material
- Design, visualize, and simulate factory equipment
- Automate customization of commonly used assemblies

Software included:
AutoCAD® Architecture
Autodesk® Inventor®
Autodesk® Navisworks® Manage
Autodesk® Vault®
Autodesk® Factory Design Utilities

This software is fairly easy to use, and gives you all the tools you need to complete a plant design in a timely and efficient manner. You will end up with a very professional proposal and be able to convey your designs quickly and efficiently. So don’t wait, try it out for yourself.

This link gives you a video preview of what this software can do for you:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/limage?siteID=123112&imageID=15361683&id=6834016&preview=1

If you have any questions or want to look at the pricing for this new design suite, please give us a call here at Hagerman & Company.

This page last edited on Tuesday, March 15, 2011