Medical devices Helena Laboratories

Medical device maker enables CAD data preservation and stable future using with synchronous technology

Product Helena moves to Solid Edge Solid Edge ahead of modeling kernel change of SolidWorks; use of Solid Edge enables 100 percent Business challenges CAD system to CAD system data Need to redesign popular conversion product but ensure data longevity Clinical laboratory instrument and Avoid SolidWorks kernel reagent manufacturer change and major data Helena Laboratories is a clinical laboratory reconversion instrument manufacturer. Its clients Leverage 18 years of 3D include major medical centers, small hos- wireframe data pitals, large reference laboratories and Simplify process for key small private doctors’ laboratories. With veteran designers hundreds of laboratory products and more than 40 registered patents, Helena Import of purchased parts continues to be a market leader in Need to reduce very large the design and development of new diag- SolidWorks data files nostic tests. Need secure data manage- In 2007, Helena switched from an aging ment future Undertaking this and other major design 3D wireframe design tool to SolidWorks® work using SolidWorks seemed logical. software, the popular computer-aided But recent press and blog posts from Keys to success design (CAD) system from Dassault SolidWorks users that Dassault planned to Systèmes Solidworks Corporation. Find a way to protect CAD remove the ® software modeling Recently, Helena decided to redesign one data’s shelf life kernel from its SolidWorks product of its most popular electrophoresis sample Convert SolidWorks data to worried Helena. handlers. Handlers are used in applications Solid Edge using synchronous such as forensics, molecular biology, technology Before the redesign projects could begin, genetics, microbiology and biochemistry. Helena needed an answer on the Convert 3D wireframe data to The issue was that replacement parts SolidWorks kernel change reports. Solid Edge using synchronous for the unit were becoming scarce technology and Helena needed to redesign it with Billy Oliver, a long-time SolidWorks user new components. Move from complex history- and design engineer at Helena, started based modeling to synchro- reading in 2010 about SolidWorks moving nous technology to another modeling kernel. The veteran

www.siemens.com/solidedge Keys to success continued Implement Teamcenter soft- ware Rapid Start for CAD data management

Results 100 percent SolidWorks to designer says Helena didn’t want to rede- the Teamcenter® software Rapid Start con- Solid Edge data conversion sign its products in SolidWorks if the mod- figuration (formerly Teamcenter Express) eling kernel was changing. To understand for product data management. Bypassed multi-year data con- the impact, he cites one of the products version delays caused by ker- needing redesign contains about 2,000 The synchronous technology dividend nel change uncertainties unique parts at 12,000 pieces per unit. Bob Sarrine, a long-time design engineer Cut design and edit time at the company, said most of Helena’s data Eliminated difficult ordered- “Our SolidWorks channel partner told us remains in the old 3D wireframe format. feature design processes to we would have to wait for details. The “Redesigning it in SolidWorks was less than leverage creativity and value added reseller (VAR) says SolidWorks smooth,” says Sarrine. The issue was the experience of design team had not told them anything, that they complex process of history-based model- knew about as much as I did from the ing. He explains, “When we bought Veteran engineers able to SolidWorks blogs. So I called (SolidWorks); SolidWorks, I thought we shouldn’t have to convert valuable wireframe I needed to know. They confirmed the ker- design this way. It’s not the way we think. designs nel change. When I picked up Solid Edge and synchro- Synchronous technology nous technology, I got it, fast and easy.” leverages all imported “We don’t want to waste valuable supplier data resources, time and money to keep imple- Oliver started working at Helena in 2007, Solid Edge data files menting changes. It will be years before shortly after the company bought licenses much smaller and easier to SolidWorks can convert into the Catia ker- for SolidWorks use. “Helena knew they work with nel,” says Oliver. “I don’t want to have to needed to upgrade and they went with the redesign our products twice or stagnate Future of CPDM enabled SolidWorks marketing machine,” says for 10 years.” with expandability to full Oliver. “It’s all marketing. The hook was a

Teamcenter lot of companies were using it, so it must Once the kernel change was confirmed, be the best.” Helena switched to Solid Edge® software. Helena now achieves 100 percent conver- Oliver notes, “Our two main engineers sion of its SolidWorks and CADKEY® soft- never really liked history-based modeling. ware wireframe designs into Solid Edge It was clumsy for them. They thought it and preserves its valuable data. There was way too difficult. They get synchro­ were added business and technical bene- nous technology and they’re excited about fits too, such as the ability to upgrade to it. Bob (Sarrine) was going through some

“When I picked up Solid Edge and synchronous technology, I got it, fast and easy.”

Bob Sarrine Design Engineer Helena Solutions/Services Solid Edge www.siemens.com/solidedge

Customer’s primary business Helena specializes in clinical laboratory instruments. Solid Edge tutorials one day and was actu- direction and why they are not fixing bugs, www.helena.com ally giggling. He would get frustrated just interface stuff, etc. The kernel change when using SolidWorks tutorials.” is going to be long and painful.”

Customer location Sarrine says that after he had gone Oliver notes several other comparisons Beaumont, Texas through a few Solid Edge tutorials, he that led to Helena’s switch: “There’s more United States decided to design an airplane structure sophistication in Solid Edge than containing a lot complex curves. “I just SolidWorks, sheet metal design for exam- push a button and boom, it’s there. I don’t ple. You can tell Solid Edge is the original “It will be years before see how this Solid Edge implementation and SolidWorks is the clone, using Siemens SolidWorks can convert into can possibly fail,” he says. PLM Software’s Parasolid technology that the Catia kernel. I don’t want was not invented by SolidWorks. It to stagnate for 10 years.” Helena has 18 years worth of 3D wire- (SolidWorks) has run into a dead end “Solid Edge in the last three frame design data that represents about because they can’t use Siemens PLM to four years has been work- 10 major products still in the market. Software’s synchronous technology. Solid ing on a technological evolu- Moving that data to a new CAD system is Edge is leading the field in direct modeling tion while SolidWorks has very important to Helena. “Synchronous with synchronous technology.” been working on menu bar technology blew me away, especially the icons, shading and colors.” ease of importing CAD data like our 3D Product data management leadership wireframe data,” says Oliver. Helena also had concerns about its CAD Billy Oliver data management in the future with Design Engineer CAD technology leadership SolidWorks. “We need a stable path for the Helena In a recent post on the Dezignstuff blog, next 5 to 10 years,” says Oliver. “We found “When we bought Oliver suggests that SolidWorks users that stability with Teamcenter Express and SolidWorks, I thought we should “run not walk” away from their soft- it’s expandability to full-blown Teamcenter shouldn’t have to design this ware. He cites several observations from from Siemens PLM Software. The way. It’s not the way we his research that ultimately led to the Solid SolidWorks path seemed uncertain to us.” think. When I picked up Solid Edge license purchase: “Solid Edge in the Edge and synchronous tech- last three to four years has been working nology, I got it, fast and on a technological evolution while easy.” SolidWorks has been working on menu bar icons, shading and colors. Everyone on this Bob Sarrine blog has been com­plaining over the last Design Engineer few years about SolidWorks development, Helena

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