Machine Tools On-the-Fly? Yes, Thanks to Digital Prototypes
Who could have guessed that building machine tools on-the-fly would make for a good business model?
Richlin Machines
in Farmingdale, N.Y., does just
that, custom engineering lathes for cutting
whatever a customer makes.
“We have been building small lathes
for years, targeting the niche market for
machine tools that cut parts from round
stock less than 1-in. diameter for pens,
watches, medical stents, and the like,”
says company president Jeff Richlin.
“But a few years ago, offshoring forced
us to layoff about 60% of our staff. We
decided customization was the only
way to go. So we started from scratch,
building a basic machine from functional
components in Inventor 3D CAD
software. The library now includes several
different models.”
Because we use 3D digital prototypes,
it’s easy to change them or add
legacy parts,” says Richlin. “In fact, the
software helps us go from idea to installation
in only four weeks. We just drag
and drop add-ons to a basic platform to
design custom, turnkey machines. Once
a customer sees 3D models designed
around its requirements, the quotation
process usually goes quickly.”
Richlin Machines showcased its lathes at Autodesk World Press Days
2008 in San Francisco. Also of interest
there: A Chinese automobile
manufacturer.
When it comes to Chinese auto
design, the best approach is to marry
East and West, says Design Director
Li-Chih Fu of Nanjing Automotive
Corp. “For one project, we wanted to
create a vehicle targeted to at those 28
years old and younger,” he says. “The
design eventually got shelved, but the
project illustrates how to design cars
in China for China. We aimed for a
modern, edgy aesthetic with a Chinese
twist. The design combined elements
from Western modern art with those of
ancient Chinese sculpture.”
Fu says his company still uses clay
models and rendered photos but is
on the verge of going completely digital.
“We sketched the concept car in
Autodesk AliasStudio software starting
with a racy belt-line to give the
vehicle a dynamic expression. Next
came building a clay model by hand,
then using a scanner to get data for
the 3D digital model. Our designers
then tweaked it to get an agile-looking
vehicle with hints of an SUV,” he says.