1. Form, fit, and function drive every design decision.
2. Product safety is a requirement, not an afterthought.
3. Manufacturability should be considered from the outset.
4. Product cost is critical to profitability.

Who we work with.

We work with a diverse range of clients and help them all solve the fundamental challenges outlined above. The list below is not exhaustive, but it shows the breadth of clients that have used our expertise:

• Medical Devices (Orthopaedics)
  • Implants
  • Instruments
  • X-Ray Templates
  • Renders & Animations
• Offshore oil & gas
• Energy
• Consumer Products
  • Personal care
  • Pet care
  • Lighting
  • Kitchenware
• Manufacturing Companies
  • Welding Jigs & Fixtures
  • Production Equipment
  • Test Rigs
  • Process Packaging
• Architects & Landscapers
  • Bespoke Pergola
  • Bespoke Planters
  • Drainage Systems
• Scientific Equipment
  • Electronics Enclosures
  • Test Equipment
• Packaging Suppliers
• Marine Navigation
• Sports Equipment
• Classic Vehicle Restoration

With over 20 years of hands-on manufacturing experience, we understand how to design and specify parts that can be manufactured cost-effectively, regardless of the process you are considering to make your part. From Manual and CNC machined parts to injection moulded, laser cut or forged, our experience means your products are designed for manufacture from the start.

How we help our clients

Our core expertise is creating 3D models, assemblies and 2D engineering drawings using SolidWorks, but we also provide 2D drafting services using AutoCAD. Both SolidWorks and AutoCAD have been used by industry for more than 25 years, and our Managing Director, Tim has been using both since the late 1990s.

The other services we offer complement the design CAD services perfectly:

• Photo Realistic renders and animations for your documentation and website
• Finite Element analysis for your peace of mind
• 3D Scanning for all your reverse engineering requirements
• 3D Printing for all your prototyping requirements
• Large format plotting, so you can see the bigger picture
• Troubleshooting and Problem Solving, for when products don’t work as intended
• Manufacturing guidance to give you some options if you need them

CAD model of a Printed Circuit Board

Phi Gauge - Open Box - Render

Mechanical Design & Contract CAD

Marine Navigation Enclosure

Testing 3D print strength

Reverse Engineered Generator

3D Design & Render

The post Fundamentals appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

Replace discontinued parts using 3D Scanning

With Spring in the air, there’s a distinct sound of people taking to their gardens and lawnmowers firing up. Hopefully, you find all your machinery in fine working order.

However, have you ever had the frustration of going to start a job only to realise the equipment is out of order or a part is broken? Hopefully, in most cases it’s repairable.

But sometimes there’s the moment of despair when you discover that vital piece on your trusty, favourite equipment is discontinued. There might be replacements but these aren’t the same! So should you find yourself in this position, our Reverse Engineering and 3D Scanning services may be of interest.

Using our top-of-the-range software we can scan the part and provide the CAD data for the obsolete part meaning it can be made.

Our Reverse Engineering and 3D Scanning Services are beneficial to numerous clients for one-off or multiple orders:

Reverse Engineering

• replica automotive parts
• fixtures on domestic appliances
• parts on manufacturing machines
• replacing favorite tools
• recreating an ornament!

Why use Reverse Engineering and 3D Scanning?

This service can be a cost-effective solution in comparison to replacing a whole piece of equipment. Given we have all the scanning technology to hand, we offer can offer a quick turnaround, critical when you’re trying to complete or even just start a job!

To find out more please visit our website or give us a call to discuss your requirements. We look forward to hearing from you – 01373 801 803.

The post Reverse Engineering helping you to Spring into action! appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

The ‘drive’ behind the design came from an idea to produce more cost-effective cars. This is a common rationale for our client’s work too. With over forty years of engineering experience, we don’t shy away from such challenges. We’re confident with our solutions, and our clients testament to this.

On the theme of cars, we are currently using reverse engineering to produce 3D data for classic car parts. Replacement parts aren’t available, second-hand versions are rare. So this method is a successful way to recreate the part needed. With all our 3D scanning equipment in our office, we provide a highly efficient service and quick turnaround. Please visit our website to find out more about the benefits of reverse engineering and 3D printing.

It’s also a busy time for us on the CAD front. We’re currently designing an electronic enclosure for printed circuit boards. With many adjusters and elements on the board, the brief is to design a robust case to protect the parts. Again cost-effective manufacturing is at the forefront of the brief. From the initial idea, we talk to our clients throughout the design process, ensuring the concepts are fit for purpose and deadlines are met. Please get in touch to see how we can help bring ideas to fruition.

The post Enter the world of 3D printing appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

That’s right, and it’s a screw. The first standard for screw threads was introduced in 1841. Before this time, every nut and bolt was different, which quite frankly sounds like a headache to work with! This standardisation, by British engineer Joseph Whitworth was revolutionary by enabling mass production at lower costs.

Structural Analysis

The standardisation is different now. Yet the desire to design products that are cost-effective to manufacture is forever present. Our clients want this, and it’s what we strive to achieve. We’re confident we’re getting this right with our clients returning with new projects. One of our current challenges is to design a shape in organic form. Gone are the usual high-definition geometric shape – ergonomics and developing an initial sculpture made of clay. We are using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to improve the strength without compromising aesthetics or function. Our FEA reports detail, assumptions, loads, materials, and results. See our website to find out how FEA could benefit your work.

And, of course, screws will be at the heart of the design and assembly of this product. So thankfully, we now have over 20 standard screw threads at our disposition. Our in-house 3D scanner will soon be in action to create a resin prototype. The accuracy this provides is impressive; what will be your next prototype? We also welcome a conversation about your ideas; please get in touch to see how our services can help you.

The post Fun Fact Friday – Screw it! appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

Either way, we hope you are enjoying our Fun Friday Facts. For some of you, perhaps they are of more interest in case it throws up an answer in our weekly lockdown quiz. However, with restrictions easing, tonight marks the last of the online quizzes (we hope – in the nicest possible way!).

Easing restrictions also means we are returning to our office at Heywood House. Having moved to a larger office in the past year, the additional space is great for the team. We have all our equipment to hand, including our large 2D and 3D printers and scanners. Please look at our website for more details on our print services. This helps us make the best use of our time, which our clients value. We’ve been working on a large part this week, so the extra space has been convenient.

We’re hopeful we can have more face-to-face meetings in the coming weeks and months. Everyone who visits mentions the relaxed atmosphere and lovely countryside where we work. It lends itself well to our work, where attention to detail is vital for creativity and formulating ideas. Even when working on tight turnarounds, it’s a positive place to be. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Please get in touch, and let’s see how we can help to take your ideas forward.

The post Getting the right pace appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

Miniature 3D Print

And just like that, it’s Friday again! And our SLA 3D printer is in full action, from minute plastic fittings to fantasy figurines! The breadth and intricate detail we create with the printer are astounding. I enjoy the variety of designs we work with, and we’re always ready to welcome new ideas. Please look at our website to see what our 3D printers can do and the prototypes we have made with them…

We work with many different industries, and the fittings and figurines are just a couple of examples of some recent work. But regardless of the industry, product size, type, material, or deadline, our commitment to designing accurate, reliable products remains. It’s at the heart of what we do, answers the blog title question, and further leads me to this week’s Friday Fact…

Canadian Iron Ring

Did you know that many Canadian engineers wear an Iron Ring on their fingers? The tradition dated to 1925 and was introduced following the loss of construction workers on the iron Quebec Bridge. The blame was placed on faulty engineering calculations and miscommunication. As a result, the ring serves as a reminder of engineers’ obligations and ethical standards.

The ring is exclusive to Canadians, and I’m unaware of other similar traditions. I’m ruled out on the engineer ring front, yet I relate to its ethical principles. Our work is done with professionalism. Our communication with clients is clear, and we work with them to design products that meet their needs without compromising on quality. This has been evident again this month with existing clients coming to us with new project briefs.

CAD Design & Render of Gold Bangle

For the romantics, perhaps you thought our ring fact is linked to the approaching Valentine’s Day. Although we’d happily work on such pieces, we’re not sure there’s an appetite for such rings! Instead, there is hope, as we give away a pair of bespoke chargers we can personalise with imprint initials or messages. Like much of our work, we will create the chargers in-house and send these with chocolates to the lucky winner after the draw on 14 February. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn page for details on how to participate. In the meantime, please get in touch to find out more about our design and print services.

The post What do fittings, figurines and rings have in common? appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

Why this fact? Fast-forward 100 years and many things have changed – technology and equipment, to name a few. Yet here at White Horse CAD, we share the same belief that nothing is impossible in the engineering world. Our innovation and creativity are evident in our patents, and we look forward to working on projects with clients (existing and new alike) in the coming months.
Since January is the month of new resolutions, I hear from others about their intentions to finish the small jobs to make way for the bigger ones. We can help put some ticks on your list with accurate and prompt drawings, models, and 3D prints. As our services are all provided in-house, we can pick up and complete those projects for you, from design concepts to finalised drawings. Please get in touch to learn more about our full product design and print services.

Perhaps you have an old frosted lightbulb, relic, or product without drawings? Our reverse engineering may be of interest. We can scan your existing item to create high-quality drawings. The accuracy between the drawings and model is impressive – around 0.15mm. That’s one benefit as to why our clients use these services to adapt designs when original drawings aren’t available and for better quality images in promotional materials.

With increased demand to view and shop online, the quality of product images is ever important. Our 3D scanner gives a full 360 view that shows off your product. See for yourself on our reverse engineering page and let us know if we can help to showcase your work.

Lastly, we are hosting our free community quiz starting tonight. We hope it offers some light relief on a Friday evening during lockdown so please get involved if you fancy it – the more, the merrier! See our events page for more details.

The post ‘Nothing is impossible’ appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

The part we scanned was the cover of a pass-through plug that measures how much electricity a socket uses.

It’s a complex part, demonstrating the scanner’s quality and our SolidWorks Skills.

We had to scan the part several times from different angles before having enough data to go to the next stage. It was awe-inspiring to see how well the scanner software correctly orientated every scan data set to give a highly detailed, seamless set of 3D data.

3D Scanners output 3D graphical files and point clouds. These files can be 3D printed but are not solid CAD models. If you want to reproduce the part using conventional machining processes or injection moulding, the 3D scan data needs to be converted to solid CAD geometry.

The biggest challenge was to create accurate 3D CAD data around the point cloud data we imported from the 3D scanner. I will not bore you with the full process today, but we created most of the geometry using surface modelling before converting the surfaces to a solid body. The final results can be seen in the comparison plot on the right. The comparison plot indicates how close the final CAD model is when compared directly with the 3D scan data. In this instance, the largest error reported by SolidWorks was a little over 0.15mm. We think this was a great result for our first reverse engineering project. It demonstrates the level of accuracy that can be achieved when you combine the latest technology with 30 years of engineering expertise and 20 years of SolidWorks expertise.

If you would like to know more about our 3D scanning service or any other services, please call us on 01373 801 803 or fill in our contact form.

The post 3D Scanning & Reverse Engineering appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

Why not make White Horse CAD your “go-to” reverse engineering service provider? Our in-house 3D scanning service allows us to take your product and turn it into a 3D digital file with an accuracy of up to 50 microns. We can 3D scan objects from 30mm cubed up to 1200mm cubed in full colour or black and white.

We believe White Horse CAD is the only Mechanical Design business in the south-west of England to offer a full range of services “in-house”, from concept to CAD through to 3D print and reverse engineering. Don’t forget. We also provide in-house FEA and photo quality rendering.

If you would like more information about our Reverse Engineering and 3D Scanning service, please contact us. If you would like to be the first to read our latest news, please sign up for our newsletter.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Controls

×

• Rotate with the left mouse button.
• Zoom with the scroll button.
• Adjust camera position with the right mouse button.
• Double-click to enter the fullscreen mode.
• On mobile devices swipe to rotate.
• On mobile devices pinch two fingers together or apart to adjust zoom.
• On mobile devices 3 finger horizontal swipe performs panning.
• On mobile devices 3 finger horizontal swipe performs panning.

The post 3D Scanning appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.

We have added a full-colour sample below to give an idea of what that type of scan could look like.

This new 3D scanning service will expand our reverse engineering capabilities and be helpful to clients who want to put 3D images of their products on their websites.

Please get in touch if you want to know more about our 3D Scanning service. Either call us on 01373 801 803 or contact us via our website https://www.whitehorsecad.com/contact/

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Controls

×

• Rotate with the left mouse button.
• Zoom with the scroll button.
• Adjust camera position with the right mouse button.
• Double-click to enter the fullscreen mode.
• On mobile devices swipe to rotate.
• On mobile devices pinch two fingers together or apart to adjust zoom.
• On mobile devices 3 finger horizontal swipe performs panning.
• On mobile devices 3 finger horizontal swipe performs panning.

The post New Equipment – 3D Scanner appeared first on White Horse CAD Limited.