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A happy CUSTOMTOOLS user: ID Teknik

A happy CUSTOMTOOLS user: ID Teknik

May 18, 2018 12:00 am (CET)

ID Teknik is a small company providing 3D design services to various industries. The company has been founded in 2010 and it is located in Hadsten, Denmark. ID Teknik's Ivan Knudsen uses SOLIDWORKS 3D design software in his work. Ivan has a long history using SOLIDWORKS and knows it practically inside out. After trying out ATR Soft's CUSTOMTOOLS add-in software, he hasn't done a single design project without it.

My customers consist of companies doing special machinery for almost any use: wind mills, food processing devices and industrial robotics.

SOLIDWORKS knowledge, CUSTOMTOOLS as a helper

After founding his own company, Ivan met in a co-project Tim Rosendal Halvorsen, who introduced him to CUSTOMTOOLS. As an old SOLIDWORKS support technician, Ivan has a vast knowledge of the software. Knowing that, most of the his customers ask Ivan's help in improving their CAD systems. With a new customer, Ivan observes the first two weeks the customer's workflow. Then he sets up their systems so that they have less unnecessary manual tasks, which would take time and cause mistakes. This Ivan does with the help of CUSTOMTOOLS.

When I write, I make a lot of misspellings, which would potentially produce inconcistensies to part naming. With CUSTOMTOOLS I can check the spelling with Google, and write the correct part name. And next time I need the same part name and start typing it, CUSTOMTOOLS will suggest the correct name from the history.

This is a huge help and time saver, because one doesn't have to type the whole part name, but just the beginning of it. It also prevents a lot of mistakes and inconsistencies in part naming.

It's not a big thing, but it is something you have to do with every single new component. So time saving in this will have a big effect on the cost of a project.

DXFs automatically for sheet metal bending

Cutting profile function is a huge time saver for Ivan. Every time he's finished doing a project and saves a drawing, CUSTOMTOOLS will create PDFs and DXFs for sheet metal bending - automatically!

Recycle your designs

Copy is one function Ivan uses a lot. Quite often he takes a previously designed component, copies it and uses it as a basis for a new object. This saves a lot of time, because he doesn't have to start designing everything from scratch. The same goes with copying and re-using the whole project. Also when creating a totally new item, CUSTOMTOOLS suggest a lot of item properties from the history - reducing the amount of work needed.

When creating assemblies and new parts using the copy function, I'm already two steps ahead with the drawings.

No more outdated PDFs

When Ivan is done and satisfied with all of his designs, he opens the main assembly and starts the batch conversion to get all the needed drawings in one folder.

When I'm sending the drawings to a workshop, I can be sure, that every single file is there and up-to-date.

Save time, avoid mistakes

Ivan estimates saving about 20 % of his time during a design project because of using CUSTOMTOOLS, when compared to not using it. And after making one single drawing, it would normally take 5-10 minutes to create the needed files and to find them for sending via email to the workshop. With CUSTOMTOOLS the whole assembly with 100 drawings can be processed ready for emailing in just 5 minutes.

Just doing that with CUSTOMTOOLS, will save me a whole work day per project. Not to mention all the mistakes that I have avoided with my always updated drawings.

Ivan's customers are often surprised, how he can make his drawings so much quicker than they do. Then he reveals his helper tool - CUSTOMTOOLS. After that, first thing they ask is how can they get one as well!

Writer:
Mika Hanski, Project and Communications Manager

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