Case Studies > Racing Ahead of the Competition and Effectively Working Dynamically in 3D with IronCAD

Racing Ahead of the Competition and Effectively Working Dynamically in 3D with IronCAD

Customer Company Size

SME

Region

Europe

Country

United Kingdom

Product

IronCAD

Tech Stack

3D Modeling
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Innovation Output
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)

Applicable Industries

Automotive
Specialty Vehicles

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Discrete Manufacturing

Use Cases

Digital Twin
Manufacturing System Automation
Predictive Maintenance

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Andy Robinson Race Cars (ARRC) is a company founded by Andy Robinson, a former design engineer at Marconi, who turned his passion for drag racing into a thriving business. Based just outside Basingstoke, ARRC operates from a 4500 sq ft workshop and employs 8 full-time and 3 part-time staff. The company specializes in building chassis and roll cages for the motorsport industry, with a focus on drag race cars. However, they have expanded their offerings to include chassis and cages for historic race cars, rally cars, and even historic Formula 1 cars. ARRC is known for delivering professional-level services to amateur racers and has established a reputation for quality and innovation in the motorsport field. The company also offers a range of off-the-shelf parts for the racing industry, all designed and developed in-house.

The Challenge

Andy Robinson, a former design engineer at Marconi, faced the challenge of transitioning his hobby of drag racing into a professional business. Operating from a small workshop, he needed to establish credibility in the motorsport industry, particularly when branching out into areas beyond drag racing. The challenge was to find a CAD system that was simple enough for his team to use, yet powerful enough to allow for dynamic 3D design and manipulation. The goal was to ensure that designs could be easily altered and evaluated in 3D, enabling effective communication with customers and suppliers. Additionally, Andy needed a solution that would allow him to reverse engineer parts and create 3D models for evaluation, which would help identify weaknesses in existing designs and offer improved solutions to the market.

The Solution

To address the challenges faced by Andy Robinson Race Cars (ARRC), the company adopted IronCAD as their primary CAD tool. IronCAD was chosen for its simplicity and flexibility, allowing the team to work dynamically in 3D and easily manipulate designs. This enabled ARRC to reverse engineer parts, create 3D models for evaluation, and identify weaknesses in existing designs. The use of IronCAD also facilitated the creation of 3D HTML content for their website, enhancing their online presence. Additionally, the integration of a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) application allowed ARRC to check and analyze designs in-house, ensuring high-quality outputs. By leveraging IronCAD, ARRC was able to transform single deals into multiple business opportunities, offering improved and standardized parts to the market. This approach not only enhanced their competitiveness but also allowed them to expand their product offerings and reach a wider audience in the motorsport industry.

Operational Impact

ARRC expanded their use of IronCAD from one to two copies, making it their primary design tool for all development work.
The adoption of IronCAD allowed ARRC to create 3D content for their website, enhancing their online presence and marketing capabilities.
The use of CAD enabled ARRC to reverse engineer parts and develop standardized products, turning single repair jobs into multiple business opportunities.
ARRC's ability to offer a range of off-the-shelf parts for the racing industry, designed and developed in-house, contributed to their business growth.
The integration of FEA applications allowed ARRC to analyze and check designs in-house, ensuring high-quality outputs and innovation in their product offerings.

Quantitative Benefit

ARRC initially purchased 1 copy of IronCAD and later expanded to 2 copies.
The company operates from a 4500 sq ft workshop and employs 8 full-time and 3 part-time staff.