July 2004
Info Provided By:
Mark Gilbertson
What is the key to a successful full service product
development company? Look to InForm Product Development
founders Edward Raleigh, a mechanical engineer, and
Mark Gilbertson, an industrial designer, for the answer.
The 50/50 arrangement of design and engineering ownership
is unique in the industry and they attribute this as
one of the major reasons for their success. Since 1995
InForm has been offering industrial design, prototyping,
mechanical, analytical and electronic engineering services
to clients worldwide. Their involvement ranges from
turnkey development through specific disciplines consultation.
InForm’s focus on product development is a culmination
of all disciplines working toward a common goal—a
successful and cost effective product. Their “Design
for Manufacturability and Assembly” (DFMA) process
ensures that all factors are addressed early in the
design cycle to minimize the delay and expense of downstream
modifications. “Because of the cohesive nature
of the DFMA process our designers and engineers work
seamlessly with the client and outside vendors allowing
them to compress time frames and reduce development
costs,” Gilbertson states. With a process that
allows them to design most any product whether manufactured
in low or high volumes, they have designed products
for a variety of markets including consumer, industrial,
commercial, medical, automotive and aerospace.
As a consulting firm, InForm is required to run a number
of CAD packages, but SolidWorks has been a favorite
since 1996. Gilbertson points out: “We have seen
a definite shift towards SolidWorks by our clients over
the last 10 years. From our perspective it has helped
us reduce costs and improve efficiency due to lower
startup costs, minimal training requirements and simplicity
of use. We have no reason to switch and our customers
seem to agree.”
InForm remains loyal to SolidWorks because of their
upgrade innovations and customer support. “It
has consistently performed to our satisfaction. Because
we utilize SolidWorks in such a fast paced environment,
software capability and efficiency is paramount. We
consistently ‘push the envelope’ in regards
to maximizing those capabilities and have found very
few deficiencies,” he adds.
As one of InForm’s major design tools, SolidWorks
is used by both the designers and the engineers. Gilbertson
explains that initially the industrial designers use
SolidWorks, PhotoWorks, eDrawings and Animator to “rapidly
visualize and communicate concepts to our client’s
sales and marketing teams.” From there, the engineering
group utilizes additional add-ins and SolidWorks partner
products to complete engineering analysis, mold flow
and final part design. Working in conjunction with the
chosen manufacturer they customize the databases to
their capabilities for optimal cost and time efficiency.
InForm uses several software packages to simulate real-world
conditions and test multiple "what if" scenarios
in order to improve product quality and reduce failures.
“This is a pivotal and growing element of our
engineering services. Our engineering programs are becoming
more and more complex,” Raleigh attests. They
use the Cosmos suite of products for both linear static
and non-linear finite element analysis (FEA.) Running
MoldFlow on most plastic parts optimizes the part design
from both a fill and cycle time standpoint. GearTrax
and CamTrax are “excellent tools” for drivetrain
engineering and mechanism synthesis when working with
cams.
Due to the challenging aspect of many programs, InForm
also employs proof-of-principle modeling on regular
basis to verify designs early in the development process.
They recently purchased a Dimension 3D Printer, which
Gilbertson says “is a welcome compliment to our
prototype capabilities.” The Dimension, along
with other in-house rapid prototyping processes, allows
them to customize the Rapid Prototyping process to fit
customers’ specific needs.
SolidWorks and its solution partner products have helped
InForm’s engineers and designers improve their
overall efficiency and technical accuracy. As a consulting
firm with an efficient suite of SolidWorks tools, they
are able to position themselves as a rapid, cost-effective
and broad based resource. “We can market ourselves
as a resource that can augment our client’s in-house
capabilities or provide a needed service to those lacking
our specific expertise. However, in our minds the real
benefit of SolidWorks is that it allows the designer
or engineer to focus on making the product as good as
it can be—as opposed to being hindered by overly
complex software,” Raleigh affirms.
InForm is delighted with the training, service and
support that Graphics Systems provides. Gilbertson proclaims,
“We have had a very close relationship with the
personnel at Graphics Systems. They are quick to respond
to our requests, consistently address our software support
needs and are a ready resource for new products and
supplies. We hope to continue our successful relationship
for many years to come!”
InForm Product Development is located in Sun Prairie,
WI. For more information please visit: www.in-form.com.
Or learn more about them at Graphics
Systems Corporation’s Third Annual Midwest SolidWorks
User Conference. They will be in booth #5 and will
give a presentation at 11:15 a.m.
All Designs compliments of InForm Product Development.
If your company is interested in becoming a Spotlight
Customer
contact us by email
or call 1-800-454-2233 x1117
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