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Success Story
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Solios Thermal turns up the heat with Autodesk Inventor®
"Inventor is the quantum leap
that we have been waiting for."
Derek Lewis, MIS Manager,
Solios Thermal
"Inventor was an eye-opener,
especially as the demonstration,
which focussed on fabrication
and assembly, was exactly
right. Inventor was just what
we were looking for."
Dave Flavell, Technical
Manager, Solios Thermal
"With Inventor’s kinematics it
has been possible to check that
everything fits and works
properly. We now get it right
first time on site, wherever it
may be."
Paul Hughes, CAD Manager,
Solios Thermal.
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Solios Thermal
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Solios Thermal use Autodesk Inventor® to enhance its
reputation in thermal engineering.
Quantum Leap
Aluminium was first recognised and named in 1808 by the British engineer Sir Humphrey
Davey. It is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is produced at a
global rate of nearly 60,000 tonnes per day. In less than 200 years, this metal has
transformed the world: it is light, ductile and malleable. It is an excellent conductor of
heat and electricity. It can be cast, rolled or extruded into an infinite variety of shapes. It
is corrosion resistant. It can be recycled repeatedly with no loss of properties. Solios
Thermal, the new name for Stein Atkinson Stordy, is all about aluminium. It is the
company’s justifiable claim that, "…we melt it, hold it, refine it, cast it and ultimately
recycle it."
Solios Thermal has a worldwide reputation check the functioning of their designs as
in thermal engineering: designing, supplying well as communicate them to clients and
and installing advanced equipment for the more easily win design approval. Better
aluminium industries in every design means fewer design changes during
continent. Such equipment includes melting, manufacturing and better communication
holding and heat treatment furnaces in with site staff with the responsibility for
addition to the IDEX® range of decoater equipment installation and commissioning
kilns. The company operates in a highly - often many thousands of miles from the
specialised field with a limited number of factory. However, up to that point, possible
competitors. There are companies that solutions were expensive. From vendor
make equipment for particular process demonstrations it seemed that these high-
stages, but only Solios Thermal, part of the end systems were more appropriate for
Solios Division of Groupe Fives-Lille, supplies large enterprises making consumer
the complete solution. Solios Thermal electronics, vehicles and aeroplanes.
employs 100 people worldwide and operates
globally from its purpose-built facility in Exactly the right demonstration
Wombourne, West Midlands. Like so many Solios Thermal’s first venture into 3D came
other successful companies, Solios Thermal with Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop®. Paul
is constantly seeking to drive unnecessary Hughes again, "We carried out a detailed
cost out of its operation. This is why it has evaluation of its capabilities. Following the
implemented an Autodesk Inventor 3D training, we could see the benefits. We
design solution supplied and supported by could actually see that everything fits in 3D.
Alta Systems, one of Autodesk’s most If the model was right, so were the draw-
successful resellers. As Derek Lewis, MIS ings." However, Inventor was emerging as
Manager at Solios Thermal puts it, "Inventor the product for the future, offering ease of
is the quantum leap that we have been learning and use and a fast rate of
waiting for." development. Two years ago, the company
had a free 30-day trial of Inventor. This was
Better design means fewer changes followed by attendance at a workshop
Paul Hughes, CAD Manager at Solios given by Alta Systems at their offices in
Thermal says, "A lot of our equipment is West Bromwich. Dave Flavell, Solios
assembled on site. This means that no one Thermal’s Technical Manager and his team
ever sees it until it is completed. Unless the went in force. He recalls, "Inventor was an
design is right, there is a real risk of missing eye-opener, especially as the demonstration,
site deadlines. Up to now,‘knife and forking’ which focussed on fabrication and assembly,
on site has been the industry norm." Solios was exactly right. Inventor was just what we
Thermal was an early adopter of 2D CAD, were looking for." Things moved quickly
although its initial system was phased out from that point. A report convinced the MD
in favour of AutoCAD® in 1995. Derek Lewis to authorise the acquisition of an Inventor
says, "For best results we needed everyone system. Paul Hughes adds, "We were already
on CAD. AutoCAD was the only choice. We an existing Autodesk customer and
needed affordable compatibility across the upgrading to Inventor seemed the way
group, with our customers and with our forward. As we carried out our evaluation,
suppliers." He adds, "But we have to move we were contacted by at least three well-
with the times to keep our lead, hence our known `market leaders in 3D' CAD vendors.
interest in 3D design." The design teams at To be honest each software package had
Solios Thermal were aware that with a 3D merit, but in reality Inventor won hands
CAD system they could better visualise and down in regard to ease of use. We were
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producing working drawings in a few days,
instead of weeks as we felt would have
been the case with other systems."
Opening the door to opportunity
Inventor was installed and ready for use by
the designers immediately on their return
from training. Shortly afterwards, Solios
Thermal secured an order for the
replacement of two furnace doors and
associated lifting gear for Hillside
Aluminium in South Africa. Paul Hughes
says, "This was the ideal starting point. We
used customer-supplied drawings,
designed and analysed the door and
proved to the customer that it would work.
In fact, the initial door as specified by the
customer would have fouled the plant’s
roof trusses. Thanks to Inventor, we found
this before we went to site. On site
rectification would have cost a fortune."
Hughes adds, "This was a new customer, so
in a sense it was a brave step. It was a small
job, but because of the way it went in we
now have orders from them for complete
new furnaces."
Inventor helps win orders
How was the initial Inventor experience
overall? Paul Hughes reports, "At first we
were taking longer to produce working
drawings from Inventor compared to 2D
AutoCAD. As with any new software, the
learning curve was steep, but we soon got
up to speed. As we manufacture a proportion
of our smaller product designs here in our
own workshops, we have the advantage of
feedback directly from the shop floor. We
found the shop floor engineers welcomed
the 3D views we added to our 2D working
drawings. Design intent was now perfectly
clear, eliminating the possibility of misinter-
pretation. The issue of `blue' job cards, a
practice that indicates drawing errors and
authorises drawing modifications, has
reduced significantly since the introduction
of Inventor. We are innovating. Potential
customers now see what they are going to
get before they get it. We use Inventor to
show prospective customers their own
shop layout with our equipment in place. It
has been particularly valuable to show
customers how platform elevations, access
ladder positions and handrailing areas
comply with health and safety requirements.
Such discussions at the proposal stage
allow non-engineering personnel to
understand the design without the need to
interpret 2D drawings. We are sure this use
of Inventor helps win orders."
Saving days on site
The IDEX® System is a thermal de-lacquering
system that removes organic materials such
as paints, oils, plastic and rubber from the
surface of shredded aluminium scrap. The
kiln consists of inner and outer tubes
variable in length and diameter depending
on throughput required. The shredded
material is introduced by an inlet chute and
brought to temperature by radiant &
convective heat from gases passing
through a concentric rotating tube. The
organic coatings are volatilized, then carried
by the gas stream into the afterburner
where their energy is released by
combustion. The gases are then recirculated
through the tube making the whole
process highly thermally efficient.
Movement of the material through the kiln
is controlled initially by a scroll and then by
flight plates fixed to the outer tube. Proper
operation of the kiln relies on critical
clearances between the inner tube, scroll
and inlet chute. It has always been difficult
to position the inlet chute at the correct
angle so that it avoids contact with the
axially mounted inner tube and the rotating
scroll. If handrailing, platforms and stairways
are required, the kiln is too large to be
transported in one piece to site and so
significant amounts of on site fitting work is
usually required. Paul Hughes is happy with
the outcome, "With Inventor’s kinematics it
has been possible to check that everything
fits and works properly. We now get it right
first time on site, wherever it may be."
New design standards
Inventor has had a significant impact on
Solios Thermal: directly in terms of better
design, reduction in engineering changes
and on site rectification; a significant but
confidential reduction in the cost of ‘getting
it right – first time’. In addition, Derek Lewis
notes, "It has been a chance to review and
update our procedures to take advantage
of the way Inventor works. You do need to
spend time understanding the process and
adapting to it; don’t just plunge in without
thinking about it." He adds, "We are now in
the process of setting new design standards
and we are looking again at modularising
our designs – something previously not
possible."
Never been done before
Solios Thermal is now extending the use of
Inventor into new areas. According to Derek
Lewis, "Within a few weeks of starting a
project for Pechiney Rhenalu our site
engineers were using a laptop and video
projector at design review meetings. Now,
everyone knows exactly what they are
looking at and there are no surprises.
Inventor has become an essential tool for
solving language problems." Paul Hughes
supports this, "Our customers tell us this
has never been done before. Some of them
are now considering using Inventor
themselves."
Motivation, commitment and willingness
Paul Hughes has advice for those thinking
of following the Solios Thermal example:
"Choose a 3D CAD system with a large user
base and with proven software under
continuous development. Don’t rush the
training; we started with a basic course,
went on an assembly course after three
weeks of consolidation, then a drafting and
detailing course after a further six weeks
consolidation." He also recommends: "Don't
force new technologies on to people who
aren't overly keen to use it. Identify key
personnel in the design teams who want to
be part of your new technology.
Enthusiasm is a great quality and ensures
people will approach problems with a
positive attitude and look for solutions,
rather than excuses. It’s not the age of the
user that counts; it’s the motivation, the
commitment, the willingness." His final
word? "Inventor will do for 3D what
AutoCAD did for 2D."
www.solios.com
www.altasystems.co.uk
www.autodesk.co.uk/inventor
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