ICW Developed Solidworks 3D CAD Drawings of Tower Assemblies for a Canadian Transmission Tower Manufacturer

Client Profile

The client is a Transmission Modular Restoration Structure designer and manufacturer based in Canada, and has been in the business for close to two decades. These structures are often referred to as Emergency Restoration Systems (ERS), Temporary Towers, or Restoration Towers, and are able to rapidly circumvent permanent transmission towers at any voltage in any environment or terrain to restore power. In emergency situations, or when damage to power lines and transmission towers has occurred, ERS Towers are indispensable for quickly and safely bypassing damaged permanent structures to return power to full service. ERS Towers are used for temporary purposes as well, and adapted for construction bypasses, temporary lines to remote locations, river crossings, and meteorological applications, among others.

Client’s Requirement

The client’s engineering team had designed an attachment that enables the towers to be used as a crane, with a high lifting capacity. Their intent was to provide a low-cost alternative for high reach jobs, such as erecting permanent steel towers in remote locations.

To help in the development of their attachment design, the client required modification in 3D assembly with added Insulators, in addition to the 2D drafting preparation of the same model. Given the complicated nature of the work, the client anticipated a lengthy process, and wanted a reliable and communicative outsourcing partner. After learning of IndiaCADworks’ (ICW) reputation, the client reached out to the ICW sales team, and decided to partner due to the following reasons:

• Experience and prior exposure to the manufacturing industry, with a proven record of successfully completing projects of similar nature.

• Ability to devote experienced resources towards this project for an ongoing duration of time.

• Good understanding of industry terminology and ERS Tower design to aid in the development of accurately rendered 3D and 2D model modifications.

• Ability to adhere to the client’s budget, and stay focused on completing project components over the entire project duration, which was estimated at 24 months.

Challenges faced by IndiaCADworks

Over the course of this 3D and 2D modeling project, the team at ICW faced a few specific challenges:

• The client provided insufficient input regarding certain tower height specifications which required resolution:

• ICW had to wait for additional clarification and input from the client before the team could proceed with the modeling details for the attachment design.

• The ICW team had to conduct supplemental research to gain knowledge regarding parts and components that would be suitable for the attachment models, and then send them to the client for approval and confirmation.

• ICW had to ensure that the designs would meet country specific CAD standards prior to execution.

ICW’s Customized Approach to the Project

To overcome the unique challenges and ensure that this project could be completed successfully, ICW had to develop a customized approach for every step of the process:

• The ICW team verified that the Solidworks CAD model was shared by the client.

• ICW made targeted changes to the insulators, towers, and other components as per the particular project specifications.

• The ICW team ensured that the specifications and calculations of the tower installations would actually work, and conducted thorough tests for accuracy.

• Tower assembly was created and modified as needed to ensure that all add and delete components were appropriately constrained and fixed in the Solidworks assembly module.

• ICW’s team created drawings per the client’s standards, and generated a Bill of Materials (BOM) that would be needed to manufacture the working tower.

Exceptional Steps taken by ICW to Meet the Client Requirements:

In order to ensure that the client’s expectations could be exceeded, and the project could be concluded successfully, ICW took the following measures:

• The ICW team was able to find a commonality and usage of parts and components, which allowed us to build a grouping of conventional parts, which can be utilized and reused on other projects.

  • This resulted in a reduction of project delivery time by 20%.

Software Used over the Course of this Project:

• Solidworks 2016

The Results

ICW was pleased to deliver favorable results to the client while still adhering to the highest possible quality standards throughout the entirety of the process:

• ICW was able to meet the client’s quality benchmarks, and produce meticulously rendered 3D and 2D models of their ERS Tower attachment design.

• The client was extremely appreciative that their design was tested for working accuracy by ICW.

• The client praised ICW for their communicative, collaborative approach to this unique project.

• ICW achieved a long term client and added another successful project to the roster of achievements.