CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
17 September 2007
Implementation Investments
Designed in SolidWorks, Foster Refrigerators Take a Licking and Still Keep Chilling
One of the largest commercial refrigerator manufacturers in Europe is using SolidWorks® 3D CAD and COSMOS® design analysis software to develop units that take a beating every day in industrial kitchens and other foodservice environments around the world. Foster Refrigerator has cut development time by as much as 50 percent, and reduced prototyping costs by as much as 30 percent after standardizing on SolidWorks software.
For more than 40 years, Foster Refrigerator has set new benchmarks for a broad range of products including blast chillers and freezers, refrigerated storage cabinets and counters, walk-in cold rooms, refrigeration systems, prep stations, ice makers, water coolers, and special refrigeration and temperature monitoring equipment for professional bakers. The company standardized on SolidWorks to speed new product design and reduce costs for the hundreds of different customized models it sells.
"Our products don't get much respect in the average restaurant kitchen," said Andrew Hodges, senior development engineer at Foster. "Kitchen staff only care that they work. So we have to make sure they're durable, that they perform as we say they will, and that they meet the unique space and temperature needs for every customer. SolidWorks gives us the accurate design visualization, sheet metal capabilities, and table-driven modeling to constantly improve our products so they continue to perform to our customers' demanding expectations."
Using SolidWorks has enabled Foster to cut sheet metal design time in half and reduce the number of prototypes it builds from three to one for most every project, streamlining time to market and significantly reducing costs. The software also makes it easy for Foster to generate the geometry and other data needed for manufacturing, accelerating production and reducing the typical back-and-forth between designers and manufacturing engineers. "SolidWorks paid for itself in less than two years. That ROI, along with a rich feature set, is why we chose SolidWorks after an intense evaluation," said Hodges.
Foster uses COSMOSXpressT design analysis tool to test the load strength of brackets and similar features to make sure they can stand up to the hundreds of times doors are opened and shut in restaurant kitchens. The company also uses SolidWorks PDMWorks® Workgroup product data management software to securely store all design information, maintain version control, and allow multiple engineers to work concurrently on one design.
"Refrigerators may seem like an afterthought in industrial kitchens, but their reliability and durability are absolutely crucial," said SolidWorks Marketing Manager, Europe Simon Booker. "Foster refrigerators have an industry reputation for performing at their best day in, and day out, despite the constant use. That's attributable to quality design, and a passion for getting it right every time."
Foster Refrigerators relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Solid Solutions Management for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
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