Cordless tool manufacturer designs smaller, lighter tools with COSMOSDesignSTAR

The Challenge
Engineers at ITW Paslode were asked to redesign the company's flagship cordless power trim nailer, the IM250II. Without benefit of electricity or air pressure, that pressurized-gas-fueled tool uses an internal combustion piston to sink finishing nails.

Among the criteria for the new design were that it had to avoid loose rattling fits, withstand shock up to 800 g's, protect against dirt, dust, and wood, and survive tool abuse at the job site.

The Solution
With a full team of engineers working on the project simultaneously, it was crucial to use a CAD system that can stand up to the collaboration. Each nail gun has about 180 parts, including 140 on the inside. After testing seven other systems, the team chose Unigraphics. "We use the Unigraphics Assembly module to do simultaneous design," says Patrick Driscoll, a senior project engineer.

For analysis, Paslode now does all but the most complex FEA in-house, using COSMOSDesignSTAR.

The end result was a smaller, lighter tool that met all of the company's parameters. The IM250A is just 4.9 lbs., compared to its 5.5-lb. predecessor. The designers shaved weight by shrinking the tool's dimensions from 121/2×113/4 inches down to 111/2×103/4 inches, a task that demanded intensive solid modeling changes so they could still fit all the parts inside the smaller shell.

Summary and Metrics:

• Produced smaller, lighter tool that met all of the company's parameters