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Planet Dryers Uses Solid Edge to Design Customized Food Processing Machines

566 views · Published 16 August 2016 · 3:14 · Indexed 23 October 2026

Channel: Siemens Software · 2016 · Science & Technology

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Industrial specialist uses Solid Edge to design customized
food processing machines quickly and easily. Each machine is designed as a framework covered by sheet metal, which has to be
shaped at various junction points and cut out where parts such as gas burners are bolted on. “Our products are essentially conveyor belts with warm air blowing through them and one of the critical challenges is containment of the product,” explains John Cresswell, engineering manager at Planet Dryers. “We have to
manipulate sheet metal to create effective side guards and transfer chutes.” It was this specific design requirement that led Planet Dryers to adopt Solid Edge. 

The company designs 10 to 12 machines each year. “Each  customer has a unique process and different requirements, but
with Solid Edge our machines are slowly becoming more standardized and modular as we bring more and more of our designs into 3D format,” says Ian Carter, managing
director at Planet Dryers. “This is giving us greater financial control over costs and we are seeing a 15 percent saving on internal design costs.”

Planet Dryers is a growing company. Annual revenue has risen by 20 percent over the past three years and the number of employees has doubled. Carter reports that a recent large win came as a result of the company’s ability to design in-house and demonstrate complete control over quality. “Solid Edge makes complex product
development much easier,” concludes Cresswell. “It is an extremely powerful tool.”

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