“You probably have a Thule product; you will have certainly seen them out on the road; now you know they are designed in SOLIDWORKS. With so many companies throughout the world in such a diverse range of design challenges using SOLIDWORKS, we always find it interesting to see products creating value for their customers. Ultimately, that is what new product development is all about” said Managing Director at Innova Systems Mark Bradford.
Thule represent the premier brand in multipurpose roof racks, and has standardised on SOLIDWORKS design software to quickly introduce smart innovations for transporting bicycles, boats, skis, snowboards, luggage and more.
Thule challenges itself to offer a “perfect fit” across a staggering range of gear and vehicle brands whose rooflines vary across models, styles, and years. In every case, Thule tests its racks to be strong enough to carry the appropriate cargo, plus whatever the customer has loaded on top of it, at 90 mph, in buffeting crosswinds, and on bumpy, twisty roads. Carriers must last for years under such conditions, and preferably outlive the car. They must lock the gear down, yet be simple for anyone except a thief to unload. And, in the tradition of the brand, they must look great.
“We face a lot of design challenges, and SOLIDWORKS helps us meet them with intuitive software for designing products, configuring them for all kinds of vehicles, shortening the prototyping cycle, and collaborating within and beyond the organisation,” said Joe Flaherty, technical design manager, for new product development.
A recent breakthrough product developed in SOLIDWORKS is a new “foot” – the piece of the carrier that attaches to the car. The foot includes an integrated AcuTight Tensioning Tool which is a built-in torque gauge, to ensure the rack is tight enough without over tightening. “When a customer asks how tight is tight, we as engineers should provide the answer,” said Flaherty. “Now we do.”
Thule has a rigorous protocol for testing new products. Engineers attach the physical prototype to a vehicle, take it out on a dirt track, fill the rack with the gear it’s intended to carry, then add more weight to simulate customer overloading. Then they speed around the track, aiming for holes and bumps until the rack proves it will do its job. It’s time-consuming and expensive when a prototype fails, so Thule engineers use SOLIDWORKS Simulation software to help ensure the prototype passes the test with minimal renditions. “In its ability to predict behaviour and save work, it’s like a time machine on your desk,” said Flaherty.
Thule also saves time by sharing designs with business areas around the world in the SOLIDWORKS native file format those units use. At its headquarters in Sweden, Thule’s product development department has used SOLIDWORKS since 1996. In fact, they were one of Sweden’s first SOLIDWORKS users. Thule’s manufacturing partners globally also use SOLIDWORKS, so there’s never a need to spend time translating files and repairing the ensuing damage.
“We cooperate very closely with our U.S. product development department,” said Peter Karlsson at Thule’s Swedish product development department. “The new foot that attaches the carrier to the car for instance, was basically developed here, and is now adapted to different car models by both our U.S. and Swedish engineers. The communication between our departments is very smooth and easy thanks to SOLIDWORKS.”
Thule engineers further ensure quality by efficiently communicating with product managers and other non-CAD users by creating animations in SOLIDWORKS and by sharing designs over email using eDrawings software. eDrawings also enables easy design review in conference rooms and other settings where CAD workstations aren’t available, but laptops are.
“At Thule, we are all aware of the brand we’ve built and the need to continually strengthen it at every opportunity with smart products that always fit,” Flaherty said. “SOLIDWORKS is a big part of that.”
“Thule understand that time is a precious resource when developing new products. Using SOLIDWORKS, Thule create innovative products, test before physical prototyping and collaborate to share their design knowledge. Like many SOLIDWORKS customers, saving time helps to produce competitive advantage for the whole business” said Innova Systems Managing Director Mark Bradford.
