CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
29 January 2007
Implementation Investments
Shanghai Electric Group Awards Top Honors in SolidWorks Design Competition
A seven-month competition between 270 product designers and 42 subsidiaries of $3.7 billion Chinese electrical equipment company Shanghai Electric Group has concluded with the company awarding top honors to one of its subsidiaries that used SolidWorks® software to design a complicated steam turbine component, SolidWorks Corporation announced today. The contest concluded a year that saw Shanghai Electric adopt SolidWorks software as its standard 3D CAD solution.
The Shanghai Electric subsidiary won the competition for its design of a 600 megawatt supercritical steam turbine reheat valve series. The company organized the contest to give its technical staff an opportunity to hone their skills on SolidWorks software.
"The SolidWorks 3D Design Contest helped Shanghai Electric Group create an environment that encourages innovation," said Shanghai Electric CEO Huang Dinan. "It took us to a higher level by giving our employees realistic challenges, which in the end enhanced their ability to use the software to its greatest potential."
In addition to improving employee skills, the contest's goals were to study and improve existing production processes to promote innovation, and to raise the company's overall design technology proficiency.
"The SolidWorks contest's success embodies the spirit of teamwork we've developed at Shanghai Electric," said Zhou Shanhu, president of Shanghai Electromechanical Labor Union and vice director of the contest organization committee. "The contest not only provided a showcase for our design skills, it contributed to an environment that promotes collaboration and cooperation between different design teams."
Shanghai Electric purchased over 100 SolidWorks licenses for its engineering academy and design teams, which develop products ranging from elevators to fossil fuel generators. SolidWorks software is part of Shanghai Electric's efforts to strengthen its market leadership through faster product development, cost reduction, and information sharing between design groups. The company will acquire additional SolidWorks licenses as part of a multi-year strategy to make SolidWorks the preferred 3D CAD platform.
Shanghai Electric Group has subsidiaries operating in 10 industries, including power generation, transmission and distribution, electromechanical integration equipment, transport equipment, and environmental protection. Its air conditioners, package and print machines, fossil fuel generators, and elevators are the top sellers in their markets. While two Shanghai Electric subsidiaries have used SolidWorks for three years, the rest of the company is now standardizing on the 3D CAD software to further grow market share.
SolidWorks will work with Shanghai Electric Group to continue developing comprehensive training programs so engineers can quickly learn how to model and develop specialized parts, component libraries, and other tools aimed at streamlining the entire design process. SolidWorks will coordinate a "train the trainer" program to teach key engineers who will train engineers at the company's subsidiaries.
"Shanghai Electric is one of the largest manufacturers in one of the fastest growing markets in the world," said SolidWorks Chief Operating Officer Jeff Ray. "Standardizing on SolidWorks gives it the power to dramatically reduce design time and costs while exploring new design options to meet its customers' needs and continue to grow."
Shanghai Electric Group relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Sino Consultant for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
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