The Challenge

TriPyramid Structures, Inc., manufactures custom hardware for elegant buildings around the world using a complete palette of materials, ranging from common construction materials to high strength stainless steels, titanium, and carbon fiber composites. The company needed a 3D CAD system to create more difficult designs – products that have complex shapes or require special analysis or complex machining.

The Solution

We looked at several 3D design programs and chose SolidWorks CAD software because it was focused on mechanical design and offered advanced capabilities for complex design as well as analysis at a reasonable price. The solid model lets us visualize the product, and with SolidWorks Simulation we can do a quick-cut analysis for a better understanding. The combination of SolidWorks and SolidWorks Simulation saves days and dollars, eliminating the first two rounds of prototyping. Using SolidWorks eDrawings to collaborate with customers also shortens cycle time. In addition, the amount of time it takes to go from a completed solid model to a milling machine is literally measured in minutes. As shapes or manufacturing procedures get complex, SolidWorks CAD software has enabled us to distance ourselves from our competitors and do more and more complex work that they turn down.