The conveyor belt, designed for a fish factory at Laaiplek on the West Coast, was assembled in just five working days with the design work being done in Pro/ENGINEER a software solution developed by PTC and locally distributed and supported by Centurion-based productONE.
 
Paulie Burger, a draughtsman at Cape-based Schreuder, says: The client had strict deadline expectations with regards to the conveyor belt it needed to be finished for the fishing season. Schreuder not only met the deadline finishing the project in four weeks - but produced a product that, it believes, comes to the market with a real competitive edge, he adds.
 
All the parts, for instance, were laser-cut, while the belt itself has the capacity to manage 180 tons per hour, Burger continues.
 
By using Pro/ENGINEER - and spending more time on the design stage, we actually easily made the deadline. The design stage was fast and efficient, and our client was able to share in developments at every stage along the way, he adds.
 
Interestingly, Schreuders competitors, who use a 2D design system, told the client that the project could only be completed in eight weeks. The combination of Pro/ENGINEER and Windchill ProjectLink reduced our product development time by 50% from 320 hours to 120 hours. This, says Burger, translated into cost savings of R30 000.