Biomass Engineering & Equipment provides design-build solutions, custom tailored to your specific needs. In the same spirit of growth, we took a long hard look at how we managed our specific needs. As demand has driven our growth, Engineering faced the inevitable conclusion that they were slowly being overwhelmed. Self-realization brought to light the need to improve the procedures for designing our projects. There are inherent efficiencies built into our bulk material handling equipment, and design opportunities need to keep pace. We started with the SMART Conveyors™ due to their modular nature and later hope to expand to into our full line offering.
OVER-ACHEIVING
A year and a half in the making, we employed the DriveWorks™ software system as the basis for our design modeling. The task fell on Scott Tomlinson, our automation engineer, who focused on the seamless functionality of design. During the first year of modeling, Scott set out to disprove the notion that creating automated dimensional prints was near impossible given current technology. The concept of having near perfect dimensions in a functional capacity was deemed “impossible” even by the software creators.
Scott spent months honing the algorithm, astonishingly making a breakthrough that has resulted in “near-perfect” accuracy. Hundreds of scenarios were played out to dial in the software capabilities. To date, this system has successfully proven itself on no less than seven complete projects.
PROCESS
The engineering team started this process by utilizing data for the SMART Conveyor™. The modular construction lends itself to a multitude of design scenarios. The ability to manipulate conveyor incline, length, capacity, drive speed, power requirement, placement of inlets and outlets, as well as any auxiliary components required can be verified prior to production.
We can successfully change variables earlier in the process to test and verify preflight conditions to ensure functionality. This helps to eliminate time-consuming actions and help to reduce errors downstream.
FUTURE CAPABILITIES/PLANS
Moving forward, we hope to move this design tool into a sales tool that enables our field sales engineers to accurately plan and quote jobs more efficiently. With the capabilities, they can map out customer plant layouts, test out customer design layouts for feasibility and to make modifications to improve processes. Eventually this will integrate into the quotation process to improve accuracy and expediency much earlier in the project timeline.
CUSTOMER FACING
Final deployment as a customer value-added tool that will allow engineering associates at the customer level the ability to initially design and test their layouts internally to ensure proper preparation. Thus reducing costly mistakes and downtime. Its goal is to ensure proper quality project planning, which can occur earlier in the process. It will allow for quicker design approvals. Most importantly, it will help to alleviate customer worry and miscommunication.
DISCLAIMER
This is a continuous work in progress. We are always looking for competencies to improve the development of successful outcomes. Our equipment is always on the leading edge and our processes are always working to match that output.
