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There is no room for error when manufacturing leak testing systems and other specialized equipment. For this reason, Vacuum Technology Incorporated (VTI) of Oak Ridge, Tennessee must utilize the most advanced 3D mechanical design software available when developing these systems for its customers.

VTI designs and manufactures customized helium leak testing systems; calibrated leak standards; gas analysis systems; and vacuum systems and components. VTI serves manufacturers in the automotive, refrigeration, air conditioning, and consumer products industries as well as national laboratories.

Manufacturers use its leak testing systems to verify their products do not exceed maximum leak rate specifications. This helps ensure they do not ship products to their customers that will not perform adequately. VTI leak test systems are often a final quality check.

Laboratories use VTI gas analysis systems to analyze gases in a process to determine what gases are present in a vacuum. They will also use the vacuum systems to create ultra high vacuum, high purity atmospheres to conduct experiments and tests.

The goal at VTI is to meet customer requirements at the lowest cost. Since VTI specializes in custom systems and components, it strives to offer the most competitive price, which is usually comparable to or less than off-the-shelf products that may not even fit the application.

VTI wanted to reduce its concept-to-manufacturing cycle time and lower costs in order to transfer savings to customers. It had been using AutoCAD^® 2000i for all its 2D and 3D design and drafting needs, but determined it needed to adopt a more focused mechanical design software package with robust 3D solid modeling capabilities to meet its objectives.

Dwayne Haskell, project manager at VTI, decided to evaluate several popular 3D packages including Autodesk Inventor™, Autodesk^® Mechanical Desktop, Pro/Engineer^®, and SolidWorks^®. Working with AEC CAD Solutions (www.aeccad.com) of Knoxville, Tennessee, Haskell conducted a thorough evaluation of other available 3D products, focusing much of his attention on SolidWorks. AEC CAD Solutions, playing a critical role in the evaluation of the Autodesk products, demonstrated both Autodesk Mechanical Desktop and Autodesk Inventor, but ultimately recommended Autodesk Inventor software based on VTI’s design needs.

"Dwayne was really looking for a solution that would leverage his existing AutoCAD 2D legacy data and utilize it to create 3D solid models to more clearly communicate with VTI customers and the shop floor," said Barry Counts, mechanical product sales for AEC CAD Solutions. "We asked Dwayne if we could come to his site and look at his application and AutoCAD 2D drawings to show him how to bring them into Autodesk Inventor and create 3D models in Autodesk Inventor."

Detector Outgas & Backfill Manifold Assembly

AEC CAD Solutions was able to demonstrate the ease and speed at which VTI could accomplish these design tasks. They also demonstrated how to create assemblies and detail drawings. Finally, they then made changes to the model to show him how it updated his detail drawings and assemblies. According to Counts, "Dwayne was very pleased with the result."

After an extensive evaluation, VTI selected Autodesk Inventor for 3D mechanical design and is maintaining its AutoCAD 2000i software for 2D work such as electrical and plumbing schematics and some simple proposal concept drawings. They also use the software to communicate with customers who have standardized on AutoCAD. By offering DWG compatibility from the source, Autodesk Inventor can easily import legacy data from AutoCAD drawings for design reuse or export design drawings in DWG format for downstream AutoCAD users.

Once VTI had decided to make the move to 3D design with Autodesk Inventor software, they worked with AEC CAD Solutions to conduct training for the design team. In addition to the manufacturing industry, AEC CAD Solutions provides services and sales for GIS and architectural industry professionals requiring computer-aided software or programming solutions.

VTI is currently using Autodesk Inventor to design leak testing systems. A typically time consuming part of the design process is the constant modifications that are required. According to Haskell, "Making modifications in Autodesk Inventor is infinitely easier. I timed a change in the first week I started using Autodesk Inventor that would have taken me two hours in AutoCAD; it took nine minutes in Autodesk Inventor! This type of change could occur as often as once per day during the design phase of a project."

VTI also achieved faster delivery times due to less shop rework. They were able to create more accurate designs. With Autodesk Inventor, VTI is able to tweak a design quickly and inexpensively before they cut metal.

"Our cost savings are realized in reduced shop rework. The 3D capability of Autodesk Inventor helps us better envision and define our designs before we build than we could ever do in 2D with AutoCAD," added Haskell. "We are getting more detailed, ‘thought-through’ designs with Autodesk Inventor."

Using Autodesk Inventor, VTI was able to improve communication with the shop. By adding the color shaded isometric views to its fabrication drawings, the fabricators can better visualize what the orthogonal views are representing.

"We have significantly reduced the number of mistakes in fabrication caused by misinterpretation of a drawing. This will save us thousands of dollars annually on rework labor and materials," said Haskell.

Another advantage of Autodesk Inventor is its ability to facilitate communication between a manufacturer and its customers. Haskell explains, "Autodesk Inventor has enabled us to experience better communication with customers. Our customers are not machine builders, so they often have difficulty envisioning a 2D drawing. With Autodesk Inventor we can show them shaded 3D perspectives so they are practically looking at the final machine. After having earlier reviewed the product in Autodesk Inventor, one customer commented when looking at a completed machine for the first time, ‘No surprises; that’s exactly what I thought it would look like!’"

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