ProductNX

Business challengesImprove design communica-tion and establish comprehen-sive design intelligenceImplement a standard mold design processAdapt to complex design/ machining requirements

Keys to successCombine CAD/CAM drawings and filesImprove the efficiency of design simulation and model disassembly Utilize professional services and real-time support from the Siemens PLM Software partner

ResultsShortened the time from design concept to final assembly by 43 percentSignificantly improved design process

Use of NX enables Nova Design to enhance its “design knowledge management system”

Embracing knowledge systematizationNova Design Co., Ltd. (Nova Design) is a leading industrial design firm in China with over 200 employees. Established by SYM TAIWAN Co., Ltd. more than 25 years ago, the company’s early work focused on locomotive design services. Now it offers comprehensive solutions across industries: consumer electronics including computers and home appliances, telecommunications devices, medical equipment, fitness equipment, and trans-portation. The company’s work played a

Industrial design

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Nova Design NX helps industrial design firm shorten product development process by 43 percent

significant role in its customers’ financial success and international design awards.

Among recent achievements, the company designed and manufactured eight new show cars, including assembly in just five months, for two prominent automakers at the 2012 Beijing International Automobile Industry Exhibition.

The key to Nova Design’s powerful design capabilities lies in the company’s design knowledge management system. A critical part of that system is product lifecycle management (PLM) technology from Siemens PLM Software. For example, the use of NX™ software played a key role in facilitating the automotive project for the exhibition. Moreover, NX enables the

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company’s design-to-manufacturing pro-cess to proceed precisely and efficiently from concept to final execution.

Facilitating design changes With each new product design, Nova Design’s team considers the combination of style, market perception/performance and functionality.

“Based on our integration of global design resources and an innovative management approach, we are able to give customers a clear view of what the product would look like,” says Chen Wen-Long, president, Nova Design. “We are also making more flexible use of 3D digital simulation technology in presentations, thus promoting more accurate communication and discussion between our design team and customers, especially by combining static and dynamic virtual simulation effects.”

“NX provides remarkable capabilities for increasing speed, accuracy and innovation...”Chen Wen-Long President Nova Design

Wen-Long notes that the purpose of apply-ing digital tools for industrial design is to improve efficiency, not only by adapting to the accessibility of complex surface struc-turing and mathematic preciseness, but also by providing maximum flexibility to mechanical design engineers, including efficient design change management.

In the past, the Nova Design team could not attain the desired design perspective and accuracy by using 2D plane views, especially in the process of production development before machining and manu-facturing with sculptured molds. The com-pany found that it was impossible to attain the precision required based only on plane views. Working with flawed processes, extremely tight schedules and huge work-loads, the company recognized that it needed new solutions.

Results (continued)Increased CNC efficiency and unmanned machining precisionEnhanced resource allocationDelivered innovative, award-winning and financially suc-cessful designs

“With our exceptional experience and unique, highly efficient design knowledge system, bolstered by NX and Teamcenter, we look forward to growing success in bringing innova-tive, high-value designs to major international companies.”

“NX provides remarkable capabilities for increasing speed, accuracy and innovation in industrial design.”

Chen Wen-Long President Nova Design

Shortening the product development processThe computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) models of NX solved these issues, remark-ably enhancing the team’s design preci-sion, digital data management capabilities and, ultimately, its ability to deal with complex objects.

NX CAD enables the designers to express design features by substantiating non-uni-form, rational B-spline (NURBS) curve defi-nitions and model features, enhancing the integration with subsequent computer numerical control (CNC) machining or rapid prototyping. With NX CAD, the design team can meet the special require-ments of high-order curved surfaces. In addition, for complex object designs, the use of NX CAD enables Nova Design to bet-ter handle diversified designs and organize more productive discussions.

Using the advanced capabilities of NX, the firm’s designers are able to choose from or combine various parametric and non-para-metric features with better flexibility and efficiency according to subject matter, whether designing auto bodies, interiors, show cars, simulated light vehicles or motorcycle structures.

Based on multiple machining modes and the 5-axis, variable machining function of NX CAM, the company significantly improved CNC machining efficiency. The machining simulations enabled precise operations during subsequent unmanned machining.

Nova Design’s transportation projects have especially benefited from the use of NX. Now the firm’s designers can create a 3D engineering model; design various parts and assembly mechanisms; make interior and exterior master models and proto-types for confirmation with a 5-axis CNC machine; and assemble the final engineer-ing design for testing and verification.

After deploying NX, Nova Design short-ened its development process from design to final completion by 43 percent (from seven months to four months), and helped two prominent automakers manufacture eight new show cars within five months for the 2012 Beijing International Automobile Industry Exhibition. Wen-Long points out, “NX provides remarkable capa-bilities for increasing speed, accuracy and innovation in industrial design.”

Excellent collaborationNova Design team members use Teamcenter® software, also from Siemens PLM Software, to collaborate effectively with colleagues across six widely dispersed offices (Taipei, Taiwan; Shanghai, China; Xiamen, China; San Jose, California, United States; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Sondrio, Italy). Teamcenter is a com-plete PLM solution that enables effective data management and communication. Each part of a project can be distributed to local designers based on the best possible resource allocation.

“With the assistance of the NX solution, we have efficiently attained all of these design objectives.”Chen Wen-Long President Nova Design

Solutions/ServicesNX www.siemens.com/nxTeamcenter www.siemens.com/teamcenter

Customer’s primary businessNova Design is one of the world’s largest design consul-tancies and serves numerous industries and product catego-ries, including consumer and industrial electronics, commu-nications, medical equipment, healthcare and transportation.www.e-novadesign.com

Customer locationTaipei Taiwan

“During the entire process – from 3D design to CNC machining – it’s essential to make accurate judgments about every design link and the feasibility of all engi-neering decisions. With the assistance of the NX solu-tion, we have efficiently attained all of these design objectives.”

Chen Wen-Long President Nova Design

Enhanced competitive position“Nova Design focuses on design system competitiveness,” says Wen-Long. “The product designs we deliver to customers are not only of high quality, but also closely in line with realistic production development. Our unique competitive edge relies heavily on highly efficient pro-duction tools that can reduce unnecessary waste, while improving production operations, quality and timeliness.

“During the entire process – from 3D design to CNC machining – it’s essential to make accurate judgments about every design link and the feasibility of all engi-neering decisions. With the assistance of the NX solution, we have efficiently attained all of these design objectives.”

As an example, Nova Design’s office in San Jose conducted a local survey on humidi-fier use. Based on the responses, the office worked with the Taipei and Sondrio offices to develop an innovative design in which the main engine encircles a water tank with two built-in cylinders.

The design was sent to the Taiwan office for 3D modeling and quick prototyping before it was transferred to mainland China for mold parting and manufacturing. The whole process took only nine months from concept creation to marketing. The product sold well in various major markets across the United States, providing strong proof of the effectiveness of Nova Design’s best practices in creating successful products.

The company’s design knowledge management system has also resulted in the creation of attractive works for home appliances brands, including the flagship refrigerator series for Midea, which is equipped with the iconic L-shape handle that so artfully delivers practical ergonom-ics and compelling aesthetics. The system was also used to manage the design of the electric heater series from Airmate, which augments the trend of healthy and com-fortable products with an elegant appear-ance. Both series of products have been hits in their target markets and have won the China Red Star Design Award.

In addition, during the 2011 Beijing heavy equipment machinery exhibition, Nova Design converted a normal excavator machine into an 8-meter high excavator transformer, which attracted attention throughout the exhibition. Use of NX helped improve efficiency across opera-tions, including design, model disassem-bly, machining and final assembly. With NX, this task was accomplished in just four months. The product became a significant success across industrial media and with customers, such as Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.

The future looks brightWen-Long concludes, “With our excep-tional experience and unique, highly effi-cient design knowledge management system, bolstered by NX and Teamcenter, we look forward to growing success in bringing innovative, high-value designs to major international companies.”

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