|
Improving Mechandizer Freezing Performance
with COSMOSFloWorks
Company
Zero
Zone |
Industry
Machinery |
Location
U.S.A. |
Product Used
COSMOSFloWorks™ |
Type of Analysis
Fluid Dynamics |
More Details
|
|
Zero Zone, the first company to introduce
refrigerated display cases with glass doors,
provides customers with innovative, dependable
refrigerated merchandizing systems.
|
|
The Challenge
Zero Zone, Inc. is a leading manufacturer
of display coolers, freezers, and refrigerated merchandizing cases.
For years, company engineers performed extensive physical prototyping
of Zero Zone products to gain an understanding of the effects
of air flow on temperature distribution, product cooling, and
frost.
When the company transitioned to the
SolidWorks® 3D mechanical design system, engineers saw an
opportunity to use design analysis to reduce prototyping costs,
improve product performance, shorten design cycles, and accelerate
time-to-market, according to Owen Warr, project engineer. "Our
objective was to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis
software to lessen our reliance on physical prototyping, increase
our knowledge, and bring better products to market faster with
lower development costs."
The Solution
Zero Zone evaluated COSMOSFloWorks™ software and FLUENT®
software for CFD analysis. The company selected COSMOSFloWorks
CFD analysis software because of its complete integration inside
SolidWorks design software, ability to handle all CFD analysis
needs, ease of use, and more affordable price point. The company
implemented COSMOSFloWorks as an integral part of its design process
in 2000.
Since implementing COSMOSFloWorks
CFD analysis software, Zero Zone has been able to reduce the amount
of physical testing it does substantially while increasing the
value and import of testing results. Zero Zone has also improved
the performance of its products through a greater understanding
of the physical characteristics, thermal effects, and behavior
of compressed air flows in its cases.
Summary and Metrics:
- Dramatically reduced prototyping costs.
- Minimized frost, eliminated "hot" and "cold"
spots, and shortened time-to-defrost.
- Evaluated how air flow from the evaporator moves throughout
the case.
- Realized productivity gains resulting in shorter design cycles
and faster time-to-market.
|
"Without
CFD, we were going along blind, doing a lot of unnecessary
prototyping. With COSMOSFloWorks, we are much more efficient
and cost-effective with our testing activities."
Owen Warr, Project Engineer
|
|
|
