CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
28 November 2005
Implementation Investments
Elkay Sink Designs Shine in SolidWorks Software
Elkay Manufacturing Company is using SolidWorks® 3D mechanical design software to develop new, creative product designs and speed time to market. Elkay is also deploying SolidWorks PDMWorks® product data management (PDM) application to securely store and manage design data, taking the first step toward creating a paperless office.
Headquartered near Chicago, Elkay develops and delivers a broad range of sinks, faucets, water coolers, fountains, water filtration systems, cabinets, and other related products via a network of production and distribution centers around the world. The company standardized on 22 licenses of SolidWorks software for all new sink and faucet product designs to speed and enhance innovation while reducing the costs and frustration of working with its previous software.
"The American market is dynamic and subject to the challenges of global competition. Designing innovation into new sink models that will be commercially successful is a requirement of all industry participants," said Roger Lukes, engineering systems administrator at Elkay. "SolidWorks' ease of use lets us try concepts we wouldn't have attempted with our previous 3D CAD software. We now have all of the tools we need to design, test, share, render, and safely store all of our new product designs with one affordable package."
SolidWorks has already played a crucial role in some of Elkay's recent product launches. The software's intuitive interface and advanced surfacing tools enabled Elkay to complete new product line designs in about half the time it would have taken with its previous 3D CAD software, according to Lukes. "It's a testament to SolidWorks' simplicity that you can use one 3D model for design, marketing, sales, spec sheets, and collaboration with third parties. We can also easily produce 2D drawings for our manufacturing operations."
Elkay uses SolidWorks eDrawingsT e-mail-enabled design communication tool to share designs internally with management and team members and externally with suppliers and manufacturing plants. It uses PhotoWorksT to produce photorealistic images for marketing and sales purposes. COSMOSXpressT delivers fundamental design analysis to ensure new concepts will be structurally sound. When it has fully integrated PDMWorks with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the company will be able to link product design information such as part numbers and specs to billing and scheduling. Management will also be able to more easily track consumer trends based on product information to see what designs were most successful.
"Elkay is one of those universal product brands that you may use every day and not know it," said SolidWorks Vice President of Marketing Rainer Gawlick. "But the time and energy that goes into each sink or faucet is borne out by the company's market leadership. Design innovation is paramount to commercial success, and SolidWorks gives Elkay engineers a tableau for creativity that will strengthen the company's sales."
Authorized SolidWorks reseller Graphics Systems Corp. works with Elkay for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
For more than 80 years, Elkay Manufacturing Company has been an innovative manufacturer of stainless steel sinks, water coolers, drinking fountains, and faucets for residential and commercial use. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Elkay is also the parent company of E.B. Tecnica Mexicana, Elkay Canada, Zhuhai Elkay, as well as Yorktowne Cabinetry, Medallion Cabinetry, and MasterCraft Cabinetry. For more information, contact Elkay, 2222 Camden Court, Oak Brook, Ill., 60523, (630) 574-8484, or visit http://www.elkayusa.com .
Graphics Systems is the Midwest's leading provider of CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM solutions for business and industry with 15 years in business, and over 125 years of combined engineering experience. Major product offerings through Graphics Systems include SolidWorks, COSMOS® FEA, SMARTEAM®, PDMWorks, DBWorks, MoldWorks®, Teksoft CAMWorks®, Dimension 3D printers and more. Graphics Systems has offices in Menomonee Falls, Madison, and Green Bay, Wis., in addition to Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. For more information on Graphics Systems Corporation, call 800-454-CADD or visit http://www.gxsc.com .
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