signs Corporation
White Electronic Designs Corporation
C A S E S T U D Y
The Display Systems Division (DSD) of White Electronic Designs Corporation (WEDC) is
a leading manufacturer of flat-panel LCD displays for use in specialized applications
that require custom enhancements. Bright sunshine, excessive movement, and constant
vibration are examples of the harsh conditions under which WEDC displays must reliably
function. The different types of custom display requirements that have surfaced in
recent years created the need for greater productivity, agility, and flexibility in DSDs
product development group, in order to capitalize on emerging opportunities. These
needs prompted DSD to reassess its CAD tools Autodesk Inventor
�
and CADKEY
�
in
late 2003, according to Andrew Robinson, associate mechanical engineer.
We believed that using Inventor and CADKEY software was holding us back in some
respects, Robinson explains. We had both systems because of the merger and realized
that we were doing a lot of remodeling as a result of going back and forth between the
two platforms. We were also experiencing difficulties in communicating with vendors
because we had to deal with a large number of file conversions and IGES translations.
We were looking for a single system that was easier to use, more capable, and better
suited to meeting our needs and goals.
DSD evaluated Pro/ENGINEER
�
CAD software and the SolidWorks
�
mechanical design
system before selecting the SolidWorks Office Premium suite of product development
software. The company chose SolidWorks software because of its ease of use, integrated
PDMWorks
�
product data management (PDM) system, advanced visualization capabil-
ities, sheet-metal design tools, and additional integrated applications.
We found out about SolidWorks software from one of our sheet-metal vendors,
Robinson recalls. When we saw the section-view capabilities, we knew SolidWorks was
the right solution. With flat-panel displays, all the elements rest closely together in a
very tight space. The ability to look inside using section views is so much more efficient
than estimating how parts align.
Enhanced visualization compresses design cycles
Since implementing SolidWorks Office Premium software in early 2004, DSD engineers
have used the software for design modifications and new product design. Robinson says
that by using SolidWorks software on the design of a new industrial-type monitor for
use in factory settings, he was able to meet an ambitious seven-week design deadline,
cutting the design cycle by 35 percent. The product, which carries the code name
Arago, was the first product that DSD developed completely in SolidWorks software.
SolidWorks software enables us to better visualize our designs. One of the reasons we
were able to complete the design for Arago so quickly was that we could see inside the
design, Robinson explains. When you are sticking a bunch of pins and screws in a
small space, you need to be able to see inside to determine which interferences are
intended the pins and screws and which are not. We used section views almost daily
to determine how components align. White Electronic Designs Corporation
(WEDC) is a leading manufacturer
of memory chips, semiconductors,
keypads, and specialized LCD (liquid-
crystal display) panels. Formed
through the 1998 merger of Bowmar
Instrument Corporation (White
Microelectronics) and Electronic
Designs, Inc., the company operates
separate business units, one of which
is its Display Systems Division (DSD).
This division develops enhanced optical
LCD solutions and ruggedized
displays used in outdoor industrial,
commercial, and military applications.
DSD provides design, manufacturing,
and certification services in the devel-
opment of highly reliable display
systems for military, transportation,
and industrial markets. Representative
applications include medical monitors,
commercial avionics, portable outdoor
instrumentation, shop floor controls,
and point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
I L L U M I N A T I N G E N H A N C E D F L A T - P A N E L D I S P L A Y D E S I G N W I T H S O L I D W O R K S O F F I C E P R E M I U M Shortened design cycles by 35 percent Improved management of product design data Eliminated need to redraw models Enhanced design communications
Enhanced design visualization is one of the
reasons why WEDC has been able to decrease
its product design cycles by 35 percent with
SolidWorks software. SolidWorks and PDMWorks are registered trademarks and PhotoWorks and eDrawings are trademarks of SolidWorks Corporation. COSMOSWorks is a registered trademark of Structural Research and Analysis Corporation.
Inventor is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. �2005 SolidWorks Corporation.
All rights reserved MKWEDCSENG1105
Integrated PDM, sheet metal, and configurations
The combination of the integrated PDMWorks PDM system, sheet-metal-specific
functionality, and configuration capabilities also contributes to the productivity gains that
DSD has realized. PDMWorks software replaces the nonintegrated document control
system that DSD had in place before implementing SolidWorks Office Premium software.
Arago was made almost entirely of sheet metal. I relied heavily on SolidWorks sheet-
metal capabilities to get out my flat patterns, which our vendor was able to work with
directly, Robinson notes. Configurations also boost productivity. We use config-
urable design tables to produce different configurations of assemblies and parts from
a single model instead of remodeling each configuration separately, which we used to
do quite a bit.
DSD anticipates additional productivity gains and cost savings once it deploys the
COSMOSWorks
�
analysis tool to reduce the battery of tests for example, drop, vibra-
tion, humidity, and temperature analyses which it performs for all new products.
Improved design communication
By implementing SolidWorks Office Premium software, DSD has also gained a suite of
robust design visualization and communication applications, including PhotoWorks rendering, SolidWorks Animator animation, and eDrawings design communication
software. These tools enhance DSDs capabilities for presenting, explaining, and com-
municating design concepts to customers and vendors.
We designed a tool that aligns and glues an optically clear, silicone-type material to the
antireflective glass on the front of a display, Robinson says. Using SolidWorks soft-
ware, I created an AVI file to simulate how the tool will function for a customer.
SolidWorks design communication capabilities enable us to communicate more effec-
tively, giving our customers greater confidence in our expertise and designs.
W W W . S O L I D W O R K S . C O M
White Electronic Designs Corporation
Display Systems Division
21333 NW Jacobson Road
Hillsboro, OR 97124
Phone: +1 503 690 2460
Fax: +1 503 690 2490
www.wedc.com
VAR: CAE Northwest, Portland, Oregon The Display Systems Division (DSD) of
White Electronic Designs Corporation
(WEDC) is a leading manufacturer
of flat-panel LCD displays for use in
specialized applications that require
custom enhancements for military,
transportation, and industrial cus-
tomers. In 2004, the company evaluated
available CAD systems to help them
boost productivity and enhance flexi-
bility, in order to capitalize on emerging
custom display opportunities. DSD selected the SolidWorks Office
Premium suite of product develop-
ment software because of its ease
of use, integrated PDMWorks
product data management (PDM)
system, advanced visualization cap-
abilities, sheet-metal design tools,
and additional integrated applications.
By deploying SolidWorks software,
the company shortened its design
cycles by 35 percent, improved its
management of product design data,
eliminated the need to redraw models,
and enhanced its design communica-
tions with customers and vendors.
SolidWorks sheet-metal and configuration capabilities, along
with the integrated PDMWorks product data management
system, have contributed to productivity gains at WEDC.
SolidWorks Europe
Phone: +33 4 42 15 03 85
Email: infoeurope@solidworks.com
SolidWorks Asia/Pacific
Phone: +65 6866 3885
Email: infoap@solidworks.com
SolidWorks Latin America
Phone: +55 11 3818 0980
Email: infola@solidworks.com
SolidWorks Corporation
300 Baker Avenue, Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 1 800 693 9000
Outside the US: +1 978 371 5011
Fax: +1 978 371 7303
Email: info@solidworks.com