3D CAD software enables engineers to conduct more “what-if” scenarios for hoisting equipment used in the automotive, steel, railroad, and rapid transit industries

CONCORD, Mass., Jan. 28, 2008 — When rail companies need to repair locomotives, or nuclear power plants need to service reactors, they often rely on specialized heavy lifting equipment from Whiting Corporation. To design and manufacture this massive equipment, Whiting relies on SolidWorks ® 3D CAD software. Whiting’s multi-ton overhead cranes and rail maintenance equipment handle everything from radioactive nuclear waste to subway cars for clients like Bechtel National, Amtrak, BNSF, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York.

For more than 120 years, Monee, Illinois-based Whiting has been building heavy-duty industrial cranes. It now specializes in delivering overhead cranes, foundry equipment, and rail transportation maintenance equipment. The company standardized on 20 licenses of SolidWorks software for all new project designs. It also uses COSMOSWorks® design analysis and PDMWorks® Workgroup product data management (PDM) software to streamline product development and speed product delivery. SolidWorks and COSMOSWorks help Whiting ensure design accuracy, which is paramount for cranes that must meet exact safety standards set forth by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other watchdog groups.

“We found that we were spending a lot of time checking designs and fixing issues with our 2D AutoCAD® software,” said Ed Slota, transportation product manager at Whiting. “SolidWorks has helped us meet growing time-to-market pressures because it allows us to finish designs quickly and accurately. Faster design means we’ve been able to conduct more what-if scenarios to find the best approach. Improved product visualization early in the design process has also been essential. This design visualization and validation gives us confidence that our equipment will deliver on the promises we make to our customers.”

Whiting’s first full project in SolidWorks was a rail car truck repair hoist used to lift rail car trucks to a working height so crews can repair or replace components. SolidWorks’ visualization and part interference features enabled engineers to quickly model the product and troubleshoot any errors prior to production.

Slota expects COSMOSWorks to play a critical role in the future as more engineers use it. “Analysis at the design stage is new for us,” he said. “Previously, it has been the realm of a separate analyst team. Incorporating it in the design phase helps us get the design right up front, which cuts costs and keeps production moving.”

PDMWorks Workgroup allows multiple engineers to work on large assemblies to accelerate design time. PDMWorks also ensures version control, quick document retrieval and audit histories so Slota and other managers can track which engineer completes what task.

“Industrial-strength crane development requires CAD software that lets engineers focus on solving critical design challenges, not software workarounds,” said Rainer Gawlick, SolidWorks vice president of worldwide marketing. “Whiting has a solid reputation for paying attention to the details that matter to its clients, and that precision shows up in its cranes at work every day.”

About Whiting Corporation

Launched in 1884 as a foundry equipment manufacturer in Detroit, Whiting Corporation has since specialized in delivering overhead cranes, foundry equipment, and rail transportation maintenance equipment. Clients use Whiting equipment for a variety of markets, including freight and commuter rail, nuclear power, automotive, steel mills, refuse handling, metal service centers, foundries, hydroelectric plants, fossil fuel plants, and paper mills. For more information, visit the Web site (www.whitingcorp.com).

About FISHER/UNITECH
FISHER/UNITECH, established in 1993, provides Product Lifecycle Management solutions to discrete manufacturing companies. The company’s focus is on process improvement for product development. Process improvement is obtained through the integration of advanced software solutions to replace legacy systems. The applications include CAID, CAD, CAM , CAE, PDM, KBE, Reverse Engineering, and Rapid Prototyping. Professional services are offered for design automation and data management, providing customers with a full service, one-stop source for complex PLM systems. The company offers advanced web-based delivery of education programs with its interactive, instructor-led 3DU. Please visit the company’s website at www.funtech.com or call 800-816-8314.