Case Studies Accelerating Development of Clean Energy Technologies with SOLIDWORKS Solutions

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	Accelerating Development of Clean Energy Technologies with SOLIDWORKS Solutions

Accelerating Development of Clean Energy Technologies with SOLIDWORKS Solutions

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)
Applicable Industries	Renewable Energy Utilities
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Predictive Maintenance Process Control & Optimization Remote Asset Management
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration Training
Challenge	Sunfire GmbH aimed to accelerate the development of innovative, clean energy systems for off-grid power and heat generation, industrial gases and fuels production, and energy storage. The company needed to integrate mechanical design and electrical design workflows and connect product data management and enterprise resource planning systems. This integration was crucial to streamline design workflows, reduce the number of prototypes, and accelerate development. The challenge was to produce prototypes more quickly and make necessary changes to both mechanical and electrical components in a unified system. Read More
About Customer	Recognized as one of the 10 most innovative companies in the world, Sunfire GmbH is a leading German developer and manufacturer of clean, efficient solutions for off-grid power and heat generation, industrial gases and fuel production, and energy storage. The Dresden-based firm’s vision is to make clean energy available wherever and whenever it is needed. The company develops and produces fuel cell solutions for cleaner power, as well as electrolyzers and power-to-liquid technologies. By realizing its vision, Sunfire aims to bridge the gap between the energy, transportation, industrial gases, and heat supply sectors—replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. Read More
Solution	Sunfire GmbH decided to add SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D design, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic, and SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional product data management software to its existing installation of SOLIDWORKS Professional mechanical design and SOLIDWORKS Premium mechanical software solutions. This integration allowed Sunfire to bring its entire development effort onto the same platform, saving time and enabling additional integration and automation via its ERP system. The company also formalized and unified its mechanical and electrical design workflows, providing the organizational efficiencies required to advance its development efforts. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)

Applicable Industries

Renewable Energy

Utilities

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance

Process Control & Optimization

Remote Asset Management

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Training

Challenge

Sunfire GmbH aimed to accelerate the development of innovative, clean energy systems for off-grid power and heat generation, industrial gases and fuels production, and energy storage. The company needed to integrate mechanical design and electrical design workflows and connect product data management and enterprise resource planning systems. This integration was crucial to streamline design workflows, reduce the number of prototypes, and accelerate development. The challenge was to produce prototypes more quickly and make necessary changes to both mechanical and electrical components in a unified system.

About Customer

Recognized as one of the 10 most innovative companies in the world, Sunfire GmbH is a leading German developer and manufacturer of clean, efficient solutions for off-grid power and heat generation, industrial gases and fuel production, and energy storage. The Dresden-based firm’s vision is to make clean energy available wherever and whenever it is needed. The company develops and produces fuel cell solutions for cleaner power, as well as electrolyzers and power-to-liquid technologies. By realizing its vision, Sunfire aims to bridge the gap between the energy, transportation, industrial gases, and heat supply sectors—replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.

Solution

Sunfire GmbH decided to add SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D design, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic, and SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional product data management software to its existing installation of SOLIDWORKS Professional mechanical design and SOLIDWORKS Premium mechanical software solutions. This integration allowed Sunfire to bring its entire development effort onto the same platform, saving time and enabling additional integration and automation via its ERP system. The company also formalized and unified its mechanical and electrical design workflows, providing the organizational efficiencies required to advance its development efforts.

Impact #1	Since implementing SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D design software, Sunfire has completely integrated its development processes, resulting in shorter design cycles, fewer errors, and elimination of redundant tasks.
Impact #2	The integrated SOLIDWORKS mechanical and electrical design software has enabled Sunfire to reduce the number of prototypes required by 30 percent.
Impact #3	With the single SOLIDWORKS mechanical and electrical design environment, Sunfire can pinpoint issues during design that would have been discovered only during prototyping without this type of integration.

Impact #1

Since implementing SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D design software, Sunfire has completely integrated its development processes, resulting in shorter design cycles, fewer errors, and elimination of redundant tasks.

Impact #2

The integrated SOLIDWORKS mechanical and electrical design software has enabled Sunfire to reduce the number of prototypes required by 30 percent.

Impact #3

With the single SOLIDWORKS mechanical and electrical design environment, Sunfire can pinpoint issues during design that would have been discovered only during prototyping without this type of integration.

Benefit #1	Reduced number of prototypes required by 30 percent.

Benefit #1

Reduced number of prototypes required by 30 percent.

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Overview

Accelerating Development of Clean Energy Technologies with SOLIDWORKS Solutions

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit