What Happened at Virtual DriveWorks World 2021

This week we were joined by over 450 DriveWorks customers, resellers and partners from 39 different countries to talk and learn about all things DriveWorks.

Whilst once again the current global situation stopped us from hosting a face-to-face event, we wanted to build on what we delivered for Digital DriveWorks World 2020 and create an even more ‘DriveWorks’ style virtual event.

The technical sessions we run at DriveWorks World are extremely valuable and are part of our commitment to Helping You to Help Yourself. We wanted to make sure we could still deliver all the engaging content, technical training, and DriveWorks fun that we know our delegates love.

With more time to prepare this year, we made sure that we could make this the best virtual version of DriveWorks World possible!

Using technology, we delivered 2 full days of learning, networking and sharing ideas – all virtually. 

Using Microsoft Teams

DriveWorks World is always a fantastic opportunity for us to get together with, and bring together, our customers, resellers and partners for learning, networking and sharing ideas.

The important conversations and knowledge sharing that take place during DriveWorks World are just one of the reasons we love the event so much. We didn’t want to lose the chats and discussions when taking the event online.

To make sure we didn’t miss out on the all-important conversations, most of the event was delivered through Microsoft Teams.

The main Teams channel for the event was the DriveWorks World TV channel where we hosted a live stream from 10am – 10pm over 2 days, totalling 24 hours!

We also set up multiple Teams meetings and channels to host our course discussions and Q&A sessions. Throughout the event, attendees could switch between the channels to make sure they got the most out of the event by tailoring it to suit them.

Introducing DriveWorks World TV

We were extremely excited to introduce the first-ever edition of DriveWorks World TV.

DriveWorks World TV was created as the hub of the event running throughout the day, from 10am-10pm (BST).

Creating a place for attendees to start their day, learn about the variety of training courses available, listen to customer presentations and hear more from the DriveWorks team.

Attendees were able to tune into the DriveWorks World TV Teams Channel anytime in-between sessions to see what was happening in the studio at DriveWorks HQ.

To end both days on a high and give everyone a chance to relax with an optional beer, as we would normally do at DriveWorks World, we even hosted DriveWorks themed quizzes on DriveWorks World TV.

Online Technical Learning Sessions 

In the run-up to DriveWorks World, our team worked extremely hard to create lots of interesting and engaging content.

In total, we created 20 technical learning courses for the event. Delivered through self-paced online learning courses put together by DriveWorks subject matter experts, the courses were designed to share knowledge and help DriveWorks users get the most from the software.

The technical learning sessions covered lots of different topics at a variety of skill levels. All of the presentations were recorded in our new ‘Digital Suite‘ and were accessed on the new DriveWorks Learning Portal.

The courses will be kept available to DriveWorks World attendees to refer back to and complete at their own pace.

What’s New in DriveWorks 19

Of course, it wouldn’t be a DriveWorks World without Glen Smith hosting a What’s New session. This year we were excited to deliver not one, but four What’s New in DriveWorks 19 sessions!

Broadcast live on DriveWorks World TV from the new DriveWorks Digital Suite, Glen shared all the exciting new additions and functionality added to our latest software release. 

The What’s New was split into four separate parts;

• General Enhancements, UX and Performance
• What’s new in Design Automation
• 3D Enhancements and DriveWorks Live
• Enhancements to DriveWorks User, DriveWorks Autopilot and DriveApps

If you have ever been to a DriveWorks World What’s New event, you will know that audience participation is a must. We encourage cheering, clapping and shouting ‘EPIC’ at your favourite features. It was great to see so many people getting involved in the chat and sharing what features they were excited about.

With so many people joining the session it was our biggest What’s New event yet!

Customer Presentations and Reseller Q & A

We know the importance of learning and being inspired by others. The conversations and knowledge sharing are always a key part of DriveWorks World.

Even though this was a digital event, we wanted to ensure our attendees could see just how many incredible things can be achieved with DriveWorks and be inspired, taking new ideas back to their own company.

Throughout the 2 days, we heard from a variety of companies who are using DriveWorks. We had customers taking to the stage to share with us the many different ways they use DriveWorks.

It’s always fascinating to see how everyone uses DriveWorks differently. There were presentations from all kinds of industries including Interior Packaging, Bridge Manufacturing, Clean Air Technology Solutions, Chamber and Cable Protection Systems and much more!

Using DriveWorks software is changing the way our customers do business.

The learning didn’t stop there. We also welcomed some of our Reseller AEs to join us for a Q&A session to share their experience with DriveWorks.

It was great to see people all around the world coming together virtually to share their love of DrvieWorks.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Virtual DriveWorks World 2021!

Throughout the event, we were joined by 483 attendees from 269 unique companies.

Behind the Scenes 

Take a look at the set up and goings-on ‘Behind the Scenes’ at DriveWorks World 2021.

Start Your DriveWorks Learning

The Community is a place for everyone.

Keep your knowledge and software up to date and ensure you’re getting the most from your DriveWorks software.

It’s quick and easy to create a MyDriveWorks account and get access to the forum, resources and learning portal.

Learning & Innovation at DriveWorks

At DriveWorks we are continuously learning and innovating. Our team enjoy sharing ideas and discussing new topics.

With such a wealth of knowledge across our teams, we see the importance of sharing and learning from one another. We are frequently delivering internal training to help develop the skills of our team.

Every Friday we have our weekly Show & Tell, where we get together and share what we have been working on.  Even during the pandemic we have continued with our weekly Show & Tell sessions over Microsoft teams.

It’s not just internal training taking place at the office. Over the years we have welcomed lots of guests from our Reseller AE’s and Customers to deliver training on-site.

The DriveWorks Training Room 

In 2019, we turned one of the buildings at DriveWorks HQ into the ‘Training Room‘.

With lots of training happening onsite, the training room is a great asset.

The extra space gives us more flexibility and offers a new space to use as our team continues to grow.

Fitted with a projection screen, 6 desks and 6 monitors, the training room has provided the perfect space for us to deliver internal training and host guests who visit the site to boost their DriveWorks technical knowledge.

We even have a 3D Printing station set up in the back of the room. We have two 3D printers here at DriveWorks HQ, an Ultimaker and a Formlabs printer.

Adapting to Virtual Events 

Due to the global pandemic, over the past year, all in-person events have been either cancelled or made ‘digital’.

Virtual events are something we’ve adjusted to very quickly. Back in April 2020, we hosted a virtual version of our annual technical training event, DriveWorks World.

Whilst the global situation stopped us from hosting a face to face event, we still wanted to provide an opportunity for DriveWorks users to learn and connect.

We made all of the downloadable content available through the DriveWorks Community and hosted live sessions including a live What’s New presentation sharing the latest features in our next release. 

With plenty more virtual events to come throughout the year such as virtual careers fairs, virtual SWUGN meetings and the introduction of our global networking event, DriveWorks Drivers, we saw just how important it was for us to have the right set up.

We have continued to invest in the best technology that allows us to deliver great content and engaging presentations.

The training room has now picked up a new name… the DriveWorks ‘Digital Suite‘.

Introducing the DriveWorks Digital Suite

Since purchasing a green screen, our set up has continued evolving and we are now proud to show you our Digital Suite.

With teleprompters, cameras and microphones we have lots of capability for recording professional and engaging content to share with DriveWorks users!

We have big plans for all the training we want to create! Here are Tom and Will from the DriveWorks team recording a presentation.

Creating Great Content

Back in December 2020, we launched the brand new DriveWorks Community, my.driveworks.co.uk. A key feature of MyDriveWorks is an entirely new DriveWorks Learning Portal.

The new Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resources for DriveWorks users to access at any time.

We have made great use of the Digital Suite when recording training for the DriveWorks Learning Portal, also for creating our presentations for Virtual DriveWorks World 2021.

The technical content at DriveWorks World will be presented through easy-to-follow courses in the DriveWorks Learning Portal. Attendees will have the ability to access the courses at a time that best suits them and work through at their own pace.

The Digital Suite makes the perfect set up for us to create lots of amazing content and deliver engaging training and presentations to you.

We’re looking forward to using the Digital Suite lots more in the future!

There’s Still Time To Register

Don’t miss virtual DriveWorks World 2021.

Register now to join us April 20th & 21st, it’s free for DriveWorks Pro Customers with Active Subscription and Reseller Technical Staff to attend.

The event is all online – so you can join us from anywhere!

You need a MyDriveWorks Community account to register.

See You At Virtual DriveWorks World, Next Week!

DriveWorks World is all about sharing knowledge. We’ve planned a packed agenda of learning opportunities, Q&As, discussions, presentations and technical courses.

We’ll be presenting DriveWorks World TV, live on air from 10am-10pm BST on Tuesday, 20th and Wednesday, 21st April via Microsoft Teams. The DriveWorks team and guest presenters will be hosting informative sessions to inspire your DriveWorks projects. We’ll also be revealing What’s New in DriveWorks 19 and asking for your feedback, suggestions and input in live discussion and Q&A sessions. 

We’ve created over 20 technical learning courses. These self-paced online learning courses have been put together by DriveWorks subject matter experts to share knowledge and help you get the most from your software. The subject matter experts will also be hosting dedicated Microsoft Teams discussion sessions for each course, so you can ask questions and discuss concepts with other DriveWorks users and technical experts.

Get Ready for Virtual DriveWorks World

Follow our tips below to get set up ahead of DriveWorks World so you don’t miss a thing!

Microsoft Teams

Download Microsoft Teams and test it out on the device you will be using throughout the event. Get set up early to avoid missing out – when sessions are full you will still be able to join but you will be restricted to view only mode.

Webcam & Microphone

Have your webcam and microphone ready to get involved in discussions, Q&As and networking opportunities. We encourage you to get involved so you get the most out of the event and get the answers you need.

MyDriveWorks Account

Make sure you know your MyDriveWorks log-in details – the community will be the hub of the event, with links to all technical courses and live sessions. If you’re having issues accessing your account, please get in touch with our team before the event.

Learning Portal Account

The technical content will be presented through easy-to-follow courses in the DriveWorks Learning Portal. Set up a DriveWorks Learning Portal account before April 20th to make sure you have the right permissions and can access everything you need to. Find out how to create an account here.

Add Sessions to Your Calendar

The full agenda will be posted in the DriveWorks Community before the event.
Take a look through the agenda and add sessions to your calendar in advance so you get reminders, or click to join them live.
See a sneak peek of the agenda on our blog.

Get in Touch With Us

If you have any questions about the event, or if you’re having trouble getting set up in the DriveWorks Community, or in the DriveWorks Learning Portal, get in touch with our team so we can help you before the event. You can reach us at events@driveworks.co.uk, or use the contact us link below.

How to Access Live Sessions and On-Demand Courses

During the event the DriveWorks World page in the DriveWorks Community will have all the links you need to get to every DriveWorks World session. Here’s a sneak peek of how easy it will be to get to the content you’re looking for:

DriveWorks World TV

You will be able to see a full schedule for each day of DriveWorks World TV. There’s just one join link, and you can drop in and out throughout both days and watch the sessions that interest you.

Technical Learning Courses

The courses will be hosted in the DriveWorks Learning Portal. On the DriveWorks World page you will be able to see the courses available for that day and access them easily.

Course Discussions

Each of the course discussion sessions will have their own Microsoft Teams link – you will be able to view the full agenda on the DriveWorks World page, and add them to your calendar or join live.

It’s Not Too Late to Register

Don’t miss virtual DriveWorks World 2021.

Register now to join us April 20th & 21st, it’s free for DriveWorks Pro Customers with Active Subscription and Reseller Technical Staff to attend.

The event is all online – so you can join us from anywhere!

You need a MyDriveWorks Community account to register.

What’s On The Agenda?

Here’s what you can expect from virtual DriveWorks World 2021

DriveWorks World TV

We’re excited to be hosting the first-ever edition of DriveWorks World TV.

DriveWorks World TV will be the hub of the event running throughout the day, from 10am-10pm (BST).

You’ll be able to tune into the DriveWorks World TV Teams Channel anytime in-between your sessions to see what’s happening over at DriveWorks HQ.

Our hosts will be joined by different members of the DriveWorks team to chat, present and share all things DriveWorks.

Look out for Customer Presentations, DriveWorks Presentations and lots more on DriveWorks World TV.

We’ll even be hosting Pub Quizzes at the end of both days – make sure to join us over there for the happy half hour! 

Online Technical Learning Sessions

We’ve created over 20 technical learning courses. These self-paced online learning courses have been put together by DriveWorks subject matter experts to share knowledge and help you get the most from your software.

The technical learning sessions cover different topics at a variety of skill levels. There will be a mix of live sessions, via Microsoft Teams, alongside on-demand courses in the DriveWorks Learning Portal.

Choose the sessions and topics that suit you and complete self-paced learning online at any time.

The full agenda will be posted in the DriveWorks Community before the event.

Networking and Sharing Ideas

Throughout the event, there will be live discussions and chat channels to connect with other DriveWorks users, discuss your projects and share ideas.

We’re also inviting a number of DriveWorks customers to share their stories and present about how they use DriveWorks software. You’ll be able to access these through the DriveWorks World TV channel.

It’s a great opportunity to learn from other people’s experiences, ideas and processes. Pick up inspiration for your own projects.

We are also excited to be offering a selection of live sessions from the DriveWorks team where you can learn more about what we get up to and how we use the software ourselves. Look out for How We Use DriveWorks presentations such as KPI Data at DriveWorks HQ and Managing Downloads for MyDriveWorks. 

What to Look Out for 

Advance your technical knowledge of DriveWorks by tailoring your agenda to suit you

The full agenda will be posted in the DriveWorks Community before the event.

Secure Your Place

Register now to join us at virtual DriveWorks World 2021.

You will need to use your new MyDriveWorks account to register, if you don’t have an account yet, it’s quick and easy to create one.

Celebrating 25 Years of SASPUG

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SOLIDWORKS User Group (SWUG) meetings, sponsored meetings and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

We were thrilled to be a sponsor and help celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the Seattle Area SOLIDWORKS Power Users Group.

This virtual celebration meeting took place on Tuesday 6th April and was attended by over 65 people. Attendees from as far away as Germany and Australia joined in the festivities.

There were several members from the SOLIDWORKS team at the meeting. Dan Wagner (Manager of the SWUG Community), Sean O’Neill (SOLIDWORKS Community Manager) and Gian Paolo Bassi (CEO SOLIDWORKS) all stopped by to congratulate the group.

It certainly was a “who’s who” in the SOLIDWORKS Community and we all came together to celebrate this long-standing, very First SOLIDWORKS User Group achieving this milestone.

Supporting the Meeting

Heather Hasz, DriveWorks Brand & Community Ambassador attended the meeting on Tuesday to celebrate with the group.

We sponsored the meeting with a $25 Amazon Gift Card ($25 for 25 years seemed to be a great idea!). The winner that evening was Dan Herzberg, who happens to be the User Group Leader for the Boston SWUG.

To celebrate SASPUG’s incredible 25 years, our team got together and wished the group all the best through a virtual greeting. In 2001, DriveWorks CEO Glen Smith attended the Seattle Area SOLIDWORKS Power Users Group meeting with Eric Beatty, his first-ever SOLIDWORKS User Group Meeting.

At 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021, we announced Eric Beatty as the winner of the 6th annual DriveWorks award for the SOLIDWORKS Group Leader of the Year. Eric’s commitment and love for the SOLIDWORKS User Group Community really makes him a leader with no boundaries!

Here’s to 25 more years, cheers and best wishes for continued success in supporting the community!

Supporting SWUG

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS Community.

If you would like us to get involved with your SWUG meetings, get in touch and tell us about your meetings!

Jeff Setzer, Technology Evangelist at GSC

Following virtual 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021, we caught up with Jeff Setzer, Technology Evangelist at GSC.

Jeff shared a number of stories of his early days with GSC (formerly Graphic Systems Corporation) and also his experiences in attending ‘world’ events over the last 20+ years.

Jeff also told us what it means to be a Technology Evangelist and how it helps the community.

If you missed it catch up on Part One here.

How many SOLIDWORKS Works Worlds have you attended?

All of them – I have been to every single “world” event; I even attended a “pre” SOLIDWORKS World event that was held in Boston in the summertime.

At the very first SOLIDWORKS World event hosted in Palm Springs, I was a presenter. If you locate the booklet for the event, I’m listed as a presenter on a product called “PhotoWorks”.

If anyone remembers the palm tree art from the event, we used that graphic to make our own polo shirts for the three of us from GSC to wear to the event.

Having been to every single SOLIDWORKS World/3DEXPERIENCE World, do you have a favourite?

That’s a hard question! First, I will say that I loved the Disney locations. Whether it was at Coronado Springs or the Swan and Dolphin.

My most memorable event was the 1^st year it was held in New Orleans; I believe that was SOLIDWORKS World 2000. Traveling to New Orleans was a first for me and a bit foreign. I was not familiar with the area and where I would be staying. During this time, the reseller portion of the event was ahead of the event – so we spent an entire week there.

The reseller ‘special event’ was held at Mardi Gras World – I believe that year the customer special event was held at a bar that must have been at least 5-stories! By the end of the week, I was ready to go home!

It was in New Orleans where I learned about cajun and creole cooking – I took a real liking to it.

If I had to mention another SOLIDWORKS World favourite location, it would of course be San Diego – you cannot beat the location and the events held in the Gas Lamp District.

This isn’t a very easy question for you as someone who has so much experience attending these events, but do you have a favourite or most impactful speaker?

There have been so many people over the years – it’s so hard to choose! Remember, I also get to attend the Reseller General Sessions as well so there are many people I have listened to over the years that have had an impact on me. I would start by saying that at SOLIDWORKS World 2007 during the What’s New skit when Leonard Nimoy came out and was listing some of the functionality. That was really cool to see him on stage and how that was all tied in together.

As far as General Session speakers I would have to say that at SOLIDWORKS World 2011 when Gene Krantz and Jim Lovell took to the stage to talk about their Apollo 13 experience. That was simply amazing to hear them tell their story in their own words.

At SOLIDWORKS World 2017, listening to Anousheh Ansari tell her story was also inspiring. You can see there may be a theme here with my interest in outer space.

Of course, it’s always great to see people like the guys from the MythBusters talking about their experiments and seeing how the Orange County Choppers team were using SOLIDWORKS in their design was great. Honestly, I didn’t know who the OCC guys were but it was really cool to see them using SOLIDWORKS on their show.

As you know, this year 3DEXPERIENCE World was a virtual event. As someone who has attended every world event, I’d love to get your perspective and have you share your experience with us.

There was so much technical content to take in this year – with back-to-back sessions it was hard to schedule in time for breaks as I didn’t want to miss something.

While I prefer the live, in-person events, it was great to have so much content available that I could go back and rewatch. Having the recordings available was great as you didn’t have to pick and choose sessions and miss others.

During the in-person events, there are so many opportunities for networking and I spend a lot of time talking with customers and exploring technologies.

In between some of the sessions, I would explore the Partner Pavilion and the product showcase to see what’s new and how the software is being used.

Overall, I think this year was good and that there was so much content but I look forward to being back in-person next year.

As you know – DriveWorks turns 20 years old this year. You have worked with our team long enough I’m sure you have a fun memory to share…

Actually – I attended a weeklong training on DriveWorks at their UK offices. It was probably late 2001 or early 2002 when I flew to the UK for training. This was my very first international trip – I had to get my very first passport for this trip. My flight was out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a connection through Philadelphia before heading onto Manchester, UK.

Once we landed in the UK, Kerry Gibson and Maria Sarkar collected us from the airport. There was another American with me – Paul Gimbel. As this was my first international trip – the flight was an experience itself but so was the car ride to the hotel (adjusting to the cars being on the other side of the road as well as the steering wheel being on the other side of the car – whoa!)  Kerry and Maria dropped us off at our hotel in Knutsford.

We ate well that week – we dined at a small Italian place the first night, the second night we ate at the Inn. On the menu board was something called “Steak and Kidney Pie” which I thought sounded good. It was served with something called “Bubble and Squeak” and when Maria asked me what I thought it was, I thought it had something to do with a baby chick being deep fried (which of course it wasn’t!).

Editor’s note: Bubble and squeak is a dish made from cooked potatoes and leftover vegetables mixed together.

At the time, DriveWorks was located in a shared office space that they shared with another company. We spent a week there – we learned quite a bit about DriveWorks.

It was an exciting time for the software – and just like other software, there were updates being made up to the week we were there (I remember installing a few updates to address some functionality while there).

In addition to learning DriveWorks – they all took care of us to make sure we had a true “American in England” experience.

We learned about “elevenses” (that’s a short break taken around 11). We had something called a “Bacon Butty” (which is a bacon sandwich!).

We learned about Pimms with fruit, that a pint is MUCH bigger in the UK than the US – oh and that spirits seem to be a bit stronger in the UK.

Hitting the pub was a great way to spend the end of our learning days as well. Oh – and that’s where I discovered Kronenbourg – that’s my go-to beer now when I can find it.

Since that time, I’ve not flown to the UK – that was my one and only trip.

Jeff, you spend so much of your time learning new technology, but we happen to know that you have a fascinating hobby. Let’s get into that…

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. We would spend a lot of time traveling to Huntsville, Alabama to visit my grandparents – but also to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Funny, as later in life that was where I would go for Intergraph training.

As you know I didn’t become an astronaut, but space has always been something I’ve been interested in. Maybe it’s the science of it all – hunting down celestial objects and learning more about them and the nature of the universe. Of course, that leads us to talking about my telescopes which are a huge interest of mine.

How many telescopes do you own?

Currently, I own about 47 telescopes. In my normal rotation, I probably use about 5-6 of them. When I was younger in the 1980s and early 90’s the telescopes I wanted to buy were really expensive. Now, as the technology has changed, people want the more ‘techy’ ones which means I can get the old manual ones I like at very reasonable prices. The optics in our telescopes don’t really change, but everyone wants computerised, “find it for me” telescopes which is fine with me – I’ll take your grandparent’s scope for your garage-sale price any day!

Some of the telescopes that I own are quite big – there is one that I own that I need a 6-foot ladder in order to use. I also use old, classic Celestron telescopes quite a bit – especially the ones manufactured by Vixen for Celestron back in the day. They are wonderfully made and work as well today as they did decades ago.

One of the things I enjoy about this pastime is that I am part of an astronomy club (the Northern Cross Science Foundation, named after the constellation Cygnus) and we do a lot of astronomy outreach. With the pandemic that has changed – but in ‘normal’ times we would attend about 30-40 events a year.

Often, we would be at a school, observatory, or state park. I really enjoy showing people things like the planets (such as Saturn and its rings). The outreach and education part are things that I really enjoy as much or if not more than the observing.

Funny, in my professional career, I love to learn and use CAD, 3D printing and I’m always learning about new technologies.

In this hobby, I’m pretty old school with the equipment I use. With my astronomy and telescope activities, I prefer the simple equipment available.

It was a pleasure speaking to Jeff, learning more about his background, working at GSC, his experience of attending many ‘Worlds’, and hearing about his love of telescopes!

VanAire Inc, headquartered in Gladstone Michigan, develop Engineered Valve Automation Hardware. The company predominantly works with metal and makes parts that connect valves and actuators on pipelines.

We caught up with Ismael Lopez, CAD Administrator at VanAire, at a recent DriveWorks Drivers event where he spoke about his experience of using DriveWorks over the last 7 years.

Ismael is the DriveWorks Administrator at VanAire and was first introduced to DriveWorks at DriveWorks World in 2014.

Beginning the DriveWorks Journey

VanAire have been using DriveWorks since 2006. Initially, the software was used solely as a design automation tool for the engineering team. Engineers with SolidWorks were able to configure new brackets using DriveWorks Pro User to generate the manufacturing data.

When Ismael joined the team, the company wanted to see what more they could achieve. The first step was to further streamline their Design Automation projects.

Although the original projects saved time, they relied on stepping through several forms and had not been optimized for user experience. Ismael reduced the number of forms, streamlining the process. By doing this VanAire sped up their design automation project even more.

What used to take 15-20 minutes has now been cut down to 3-4 minutes. This includes generating all the manufacturing data and drawings.

As the company had already invested in DriveWorks they knew it would make good commercial sense to expand its use to other teams.

Introducing DriveWorks to the Shipping Team

The Shipping Team were one of the first non-technical teams to be introduced to DriveWorks, with the target of automating the creation of shipping labels.

Before using DriveWorks, the manual process of creating shipping labels involved using an excel spreadsheet and a member of the design team creating the label, attaching it to the PO and then sending it over to the Shipping Department.

To automate this process, VanAire used DriveWorks Autopilot. All the information required is saved in SQL, and a database connector is able to pull that information at the back end.

The project itself creates a label, saves a label and prints out the correct number of labels automatically.

Ismael expands on this, saying:

“Everything is done automatically and DriveWorks has made that very easy for us, as we used to have lots of issues with the previous manual system.”

Integrating DriveWorks with their ERP System

With the label project exceeding their expectations, VanAire moved on to their next DriveWorks project;  integrating DriveWorks with their ERP system.

Using ODBC connectors, they were able to start pulling information from their ERP system, into DriveWorks.

They then took this integration a step further and decided to connect their ERP system even more by including SOLIDWORKS designs in the ERP system.

Now, using DriveWorks, they can create a specification, have it in the ERP system, and print it.

Before implementing DriveWorks, this process could take up to two hours, before the information was even created within their ERP system.

Automating Costings with DriveWorks

VanAire wanted to implement DriveWorks into even more of the company’s systems. Costings was the next division to implement the software.

Ismael has been able to pull some information from the ERP system itself and he has also created a feature-driven costing system.

The new costing system takes into account specific features and sizing, as well as how long it actually takes to make the parts.

Before implementing DriveWorks, it could take up to a week to get actual costing if it was a big order. Using DriveWorks, Ismael has been able to drop it down to seconds for each part.

The sales team were introduced to DriveWorks at this point and the software has now been implemented company-wide.

Sales Team Running  Specifications

The Sales team can now run specifications themselves, meaning the design team have more time to focus on innovative R&D projects.

The sales team can also instantly access information, such as the customer’s purchase history.

This means they know their customers better, which in return leads to more positive relationships and continued custom.

Ismael says:

“DriveWorks has made the whole process from the customer’s initial inquiry, to getting a quote and receiving their order much easier and quicker.”

VanAire’s Response to Covid-19

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VanAire decided to create an online configurator for their customers to use.

A customer can access the site and select their product combination. This information is not only submitted to the website but directly to DriveWorks.

All the data is generated automatically, including the model. It also triggers an email that is sent to the customer with the quote for their selection.

Continued Success

Over the past 14 years, VanAire have achieved a lot with DriveWorks and completely innovated the way they work using the software.

DriveWorks has been implemented across the whole business and as we can see through the creation of their online sales configurator, the company is showing no signs of slowing down.

We can’t wait to see what the next 15 years holds for VanAire and DriveWorks!

Suitable for Any Industry

DriveWorks product configurator software is used by companies of all sizes. It’s suitable for any industry where quotes or 3D files and drawings are part of the sales to manufacturing process.

See how versatile and customizable it is by having a go with our online configurator examples on www.driveworkslive.com

Emerging Tech Trends in Manufacturing 

The introduction of the new digital age has brought with it many modern manufacturing technologies, most of them specifically relevant to ‘Industry 4.0’ – the fourth industrial revolution, associated with automation, data exchange, digital technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the ‘Internet of Things’.

Therefore, a lot of the manufacturing technologies innovating production and industry are also relevant to this fourth wave of technological advancement.

Over the past year, we have seen how the global pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital. In particular, we have seen how this had affected manufacturers, forcing many to shift the way they think and use technology.

Results of a poll of several hundred U.S. manufacturing executives conducted by Deloitte in November 2020 found that more than three-quarters (76%) expect their companies to increase investment in digital initiatives, and to pilot and implement more Industry 4.0 technologies, in the year ahead.

In February, the Global Manufacturing & Industrial Summit released a report looking at trends that will dominate the manufacturing sector in 2021. The report explores how organisations are turning from crisis mode to recovery mode, as we continue to progress into the new year.

As part of this shift, the manufacturing industry is predicted to undergo huge changes during 2021.

Increased Investment In IIoT

One of the first trends the report looks at is Investment in Industrial Internet of Things. Though the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a more common, widespread technology in the manufacturing industry, it remains at the top of trends lists year after year for its adaptability and innovation – Hitachi Solutions

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to connect and monitor operational components with unprecedented ease and efficiency. The digital connectedness of the manufacturing process enables organisations to continuously modify and improve their processes using accurate, real time data that will aid efficiency, reduce waste, and improve the overall quality of products.

For instance, using smart sensors, remote supervisory control and data acquisition, IoT is able to drive industrial advancement by improving safety, streamlining manufacturing and delivering cost savings on record levels.

Taking this concept further, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will become a major element of Industry 4.0, enhancing mobility, flexibility and resilience on an unparalleled level. The IIoT has the potential to transform traditional, linear manufacturing supply chains into dynamic, interconnected value chains that can incorporate ecosystem partners in a more interconnected way, driving industrial connectivity, productivity, and performance across the world.

As a result of this potential, Forbes expects more than $267 billion to be invested globally in IoT technology over the next five years, with the majority of the investment being made in manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.

Glocalisation

At the start of January 2021, Forbes took a look at Manufacturing Tech Trends To Look For In 2021. One of the key trends pointed out by Forbes was the ‘Move to Glocalisation’.

Glocalisation is the combination of the words ‘globalisation’ and ‘localisation’. It is a term that is used to describe a type of business that has been seeing more and more growth, a type of business that is distributed globally but adjusted to meet local needs as well.

Due to the effects of the pandemic on international borders and business travel, Forbes predicts that many companies will focus on balancing localised and globalised business options in order to stay competitive.

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), and leading professional services firm, PwC, launched a report outlining the 2021 key global trends that will enable manufacturers to succeed at glocalisation. The report highlights that companies must regionalise their footprint, increase the use of robotics for manufacturing and logistics, and change the cost model for production and sourcing.

The report states that amid these emerging themes, COVID-19 has ensured that the case for moving from global to ‘glocal’ operations has gained significant momentum. Reflecting on various global perspectives where the pandemic has accelerated efforts by industrial companies to make inflexible global footprints more agile and responsive to demand.

A Surge in 3D Printing 

Another trend reported by Forbes is a ‘Surge in 3D Printing’. According to the Association of Supply Chain Management, COVID-19 gave the world “a glimpse into how 3D Printing can be used temporarily to alleviate the strain on supply chains during demand surges and shortages, as it did with medical equipment.”

In May 2020, we looked at How Manufacturers Are Pulling Together in the Fight Against COVID-19 and how 3D Printing played a huge role in this. We saw how manufacturers were rapidly switching and upscaling production through the use of 3D Printing. Complex parts could be made anywhere with the power of advanced digital design and 3D Printing.

“The supply chain disruptions of 2020 pushed many companies to radically rethink their design & manufacturing strategy,” says Brad Rothenberg, founder and CEO of 3D Printing software company nTopology.

Inventors are combining 3D Printing with traditional processes creating unique combinations of parts that perform better with lower cost that can be manufactured closer to the customer, all while being more sustainable.

Robotics

Back to the GMIS report on trends that will dominate the manufacturing sector in 2021, and another focus is on Robots and Cobots.

As reported by BeeKeeper.io ‘Robots on the factory floor are growing at warp speed thanks to their declining cost and increasing capabilities’.

The pandemic saw a huge uptake of factory robots, with companies of all sizes leaning on automation to keep their factories running. Digital insights site, Diginomica believes that in 2021, cobots will no longer be a pandemic-inspired experiment, but a critical necessity to sustain required automation and output throughout the year.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, there are a record 2.7 million industrial robots operating in factories worldwide, with robotic shipments up 41% over 2018, particularly in non-automotive workplaces. These figures are likely to grow in 2021.

Robotics allow faster production by reducing the risk of human error or injury, increasing the speed of production, and their systems can be updated as soon as the technology becomes available. As a result, incorporating robotics into manufacturing processes allows organisations to reduce costs and waste, all whilst improving quality.

Collaborative robots (cobots), automated guided vehicles (AGV), autonomous mobile robots (AMR), intelligent logistics, and robotic sorting systems are likely to see high levels of demand in 2021. These robotic and automation systems are expected to grow along with the recovery in logistic, warehousing, packaging, and semiconductor sectors.

Automation 

Automation in manufacturing is not a new concept, but the level of adoption and its application has boomed over the past ten years. The wider availability and lowering cost of implementing automation has allowed cutting-edge automation technology to reach more areas of the sector and throughout the world, and as a consequence, automation is changing the way manufacturers ‘make’.

With manufacturing automation, organisations are reducing costs, optimising workflows, and increasing their bottom line. It is a critical trend that will only grow as more companies along the value change adopt this approach.

Forbes report that despite the doomsday headlines of years past, it’s clear by now that automation is not just replacing existing work but instead, creating new work.

Digital Connectivity

Supply Chain Technology

In 2020, the manufacturing and food processing industries were severely impacted by the global pandemic. From closed facilities to rigid communication channels, it was difficult for some to remain flexible. As a result, 94% of Fortune 1000 companies experienced disruptions in their supply chain.

In 2021, digital connectivity will be one of the dominating trends in manufacturing and food processing. Businesses will be looking to digitally connect as many aspects of the production process as possible to stay ahead of further disruptions.

Digital Transformation on the Factory Floor

The pandemic reminded manufacturers about the fragility of relying on labour, access to physical space, and centralised factories halfway around the world to produce goods.

Fortunately, advanced technology – sensors, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, cloud computing, edge computing, and 5G network infrastructure – has proven to increase supply chain resiliency for manufacturers who adopt it, reports Forbes.

 Digital Twins

According to Deloitte’s 2021 Manufacturing Industry Outlook report, Digital twin technology could support new levels of resilience and flexibility in 2021, and can help prepare manufacturers for any future disruptive events.

Deloitte’s poll of manufacturing executives identified that 24% of executives who plan to invest in digital technologies believe digital twin technology will be the most important technology in which their company will invest in 2021 (tied for first with augmented workforce efficiencies).

Using a digital twin, a manufacturer can virtually recreate a product, its production, and even simulate its performance in the real world without having to “bend metal” or take any other physical action.

Digital twins offer a wide range of benefits, including increased productivity, by reducing development time for new products and avoiding costly defects. But perhaps the greatest opportunity for digital twins in a post– COVID-19 world is their ability to enable the flexibility and agility that manufacturers may need to respond to the unknowns of the constantly shifting “new normal”.

Edge Intelligence

Forbes report that in 2021, agility will be critical. For example, collaborative robots, require manufacturers to become better equipped to respond to changing situations, since cobots make real-time, complex decisions during the task they work on with humans.

To get there, computing power and data processing must shift to the “edge,” or closer to where the data is being created, in order to reduce latency and boost processing.

“Moving to the edge will protect the safety and security of the workforce,” says Flavio Bonomi, board advisor to Lynx Software Technologies. “At the same time, it helps manufacture goods in a more agile, efficient manner.”

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