New technology, better designs:
Custom door manufacturer reaches more clients with fewer errors
Dcik Hagen,
Posted
06/01/2009
If you think it,
we can build it. Sticking with this motto has allowed Schweiss
Bi-Fold Doors, Fairfax, Minn., tremendous flexibility in the design
and manufacture of both bi-fold and one-piece hydraulic
doors.
Custom Designs
While it is easier and more efficient to set up a "cookie-cutter"
assembly process, the Schweiss team prefers instead to respond to
each customer's unique demands, even if it means creating a door
that has not been done before. Schweiss learned early on to juggle
computer driven templates, metal-cutting equipment and even welding
dynamics as needed to create special doors for special needs.
Each door is custom fit to each project, including a hangar door
for Fly-In Homes; a 135-foot- (41-m-) wide door for corporate
aviation needs; "window-wall" doors for equestrian centers; a
special function bi-fold for the Minneapolis-based Guthrie Theater
(shown at top right and center); garage doors for private homes;
huge bi-folds for agricultural shops; and hundreds of doors for
airport hangars both in the United States and overseas.
Get to the
Root
Good doors start with good engineering, and AutoCAD 2007 was the
engineering blueprint for doors. But the program demanded that
engineers redraw the entire door for each new unit, which was
cumbersome and time-consuming.
SolidWorks is the newest in computer programs for drafting and
designing Schweiss doors. The program offers time savings for
Schweiss engineers, which are passed along to customers. In
addition, the newer technology virtually eliminates production
errors and keeps delivery within a much tighter time frame. It
designs even more structural strength into Schweiss doors-an
important feature, considering that airplane hangar doors must
withstand winds up to 150 mph in various locations around the
world.
SolidWorks technology bridges the gap between engineers and
end-users, offering 2-D and 3-D views of new door systems via the
convenience of a laptop computer. SolidWorks also automates changes
in any special design, again reducing the chances of costly errors
later.
With flexible and user-friendly technology, Schweiss has the
opportunity to reach more customers while offering better
products.
Dick Hagen is a business writer. For more information about
Schweiss Bi-Fold Doors, Fairfax, Minn., visit www.bifold.com.
www.bifold.com