Food Processing Machinery Manufacturer Sets New Reverse Engineering Standard
As a family run business, pride themselves in providing their customers with flexible, efficient and innovative solutions to meet the full range of food processing and food manufacturing needs, from a stand-alone conveyor to fully automated processing lines. As acknowledged market leaders, they are continually looking ahead, planning to meet the needs of the future through active research and development.
Each project presents a unique challenge, from feeding stuffing mix into a sandwich to testing the tenderness of fresh peas. Beyond making the equipment efficient in its operation, Dodman ensures that the design is safe and easily accessible for hygiene, an important factor for equipment within the Food industry.
The Evolution of Technology at Dodman: Andrew Chase, a key team member at Dodman, began his career as an apprentice design draftsman in the 1990s. Over the years, technology has dramatically evolved. Metal cutting, once done by hand, is now executed with laser cutters, offering greater precision and ease. The introduction of 3D scanning has been another game-changer, revolutionising the way Dodman approaches design and manufacturing.
Andrew’s team consists of multiple design engineers who oversee the entire process—from site surveys to designing concepts, managing manufacturing, and installation. While Dodman primarily serves the UK market, they also have a significant European export business. Their specialisation in bespoke solutions sets them apart from other providers.
Integrating Mesh2Surface: Dodman’s adoption of Mesh2Surface came alongside the integration of 3D scanning into their operations. Recognising the potential benefits of incorporating a professional-grade reverse engineering (RE) solution into their process, Dodman carefully evaluated various options before choosing the Artec Leo scanner and Mesh2Surface software. The Artec Leo’s ability to operate standalone, without the need for a connected laptop, was particularly advantageous for use in the food industry. Patrick Thorn, the supplier of Artec 3D scanners, expertly demonstrated the advanced capabilities of Mesh2Surface, which seamlessly integrates with SolidWorks—Dodman’s preferred CAD software.
Andrew and his team appreciated that Mesh2Surface is built to run directly inside SolidWorks, eliminating the need to switch between different software environments when completing a reverse engineering task. They also found that Mesh2Surface was better able to handle very large and dense 3D data than other SolidWorks plugin software options, some of which proved laggy and prone to crash. After a year of evaluation, Dodman was so convinced of the solution that they invested in nine licenses of Mesh2Surface for SolidWorks, a testament to their confidence in the software.
A New Standard in Reverse Engineering: Mesh2Surface has since become integral to Dodman’s workflow, enabling them to undertake projects that would have been impossible with traditional methods. The software offers many tools that provide significant value to the reverse engineering process. For instance, when only partial scanning was possible due to physical access limitations, Dodman was able to successfully reconstruct a large tank structure after only being able to scan around 20% of its surface.
The ease of learning Mesh2Surface was another significant advantage. One of Dodman’s engineers, who was not classically trained in SolidWorks, managed to largely self-learn the software using the provided tutorials, showcasing its user-friendly design.
Case Example: Reverse Engineering a Glatt Mobile Vessel One of Dodman’s projects involved reverse engineering a Glatt mobile vessel for a pharmaceutical production line. The original vessel was approximately 10-15 years old and approaching the end of its life. A direct replacement was needed to keep the production line running. Still being in use meant that access to the part was very limited, typically restricted to less than 24 hours.
Without CAD data available, Dodman faced a significant challenge. Traditional measurement methods of such vessels involved tape measures and cardboard templates, and and was time consuming to measure up, often requiring multiple visits if the machine was unable to be out of action for any length of time. However, with 3D scanning and Mesh2Surface, the capture process was completed in just a few hours on-site, with the reverse engineering to CAD taking a couple of days.
The accuracy and speed of this process have been well recognised by Dodman’s customers, some of which will no longer accept the traditional (cardboard and tape measure) approach. Scanning captures every detail, allowing for later design changes without the need for additional site visits. The process also minimises the risk of errors, which are more common in manual measurements.
The Dodman Approach: Dodman’s team understands that scanning is just the beginning. The real engineering work lies in transforming the scanned data into manufacturable designs. While Mesh2Surface’s tools make this process as quick and easy as it can be, this still requires an engineering mindset and a deep understanding of sheet metal fabrication, ensuring that designs are practical and can be built with the available plant and materials.
The Benefits of Mesh2Surface: Mesh2Surface has enabled Dodman to tackle complex projects that would have previously been unfeasible. For example, they successfully scanned and recreated a potato dicer, which required fitting a new machine into the exact space of the old one, with very tight tolerances to ensure operator safety. The finished dicer was millimetre-perfect, slotting precisely into the space of the original it replaced.
The software’s ability to handle large data sets without slowing down has been a significant asset, allowing Dodman to scan entire factory sections and incorporate them seamlessly into their designs.
Professional reverse engineering is not just about creating assets in a generic CAD format. From a manufacturing perspective, the end result should be a bill of materials. As Andrew explained, “It’s not enough to draw simple tubes to represent pipework/hollow section, it has to be drawn to a pipework standard, or, for example, using standard pieces of box section that can be sourced and manufactured.”
For more information: www.quicksurface.com
