Bonas Uses Silicon Graphics

For New Machine Design And Concurrent Engineering Practices

Bonas Machine Company, the company which developed the world's first electronic Jacquard weaving machine, is using Silicon Graphics workstations to design and develop its latest range of products.

The new 3D design system replaces Bonas' existing 2D CAD system. According to Bonas, the new system has allowed the company to develop concurrent engineering practices, which have already resulted in greater productivity and faster time-to-market for new designs.

"Our weaving machines are extremely complex, with over 12,000 moving parts packed into a small area. For our design work, we evaluated several hardware manufacturers and Silicon Graphics outperformed them all. When it came to manipulating and visualising the complex assemblies in our machines, we needed the most powerful graphics engine available," said Malcolm Allum, manager of mechanical development at Bonas Machine Company.

According to Allum, engineers can visualise the design more easily, and incorporate changes very quickly using the 3D design system. "The superior price/performance of the Silicon Graphics workstations ensures that engineers can visualise and design the most intricate machinery. The combination of high performance Silicon Graphics workstations and powerful engineering software has delivered immediate business and design benefits to Bonas," said Howard Rippiner, marketing communications manager at Silicon Graphics. Bonas Machine has purchased six Silicon Graphics Indigo2 workstations running Pro/Engineer software from Parametric Technology.

Bonas Machine Company was established in the 1950s, and specialises in the design and manufacture of high-speed weaving machinery. In 1979 it started development work on an electronic Jacquard, and introduced the world's first machine in 1983 for the production of woven labels for the garment industry. The company exports over 95% of its production to more than 80 countries worldwide, and over the last four years has doubled its turnover from pounds 20.3 million in 1991 to over pounds 47 million in 1994.

Silicon Graphics is the leading manufacturer of high-performance visual computing and data server systems. The company delivers interactive three dimensional graphics, digital media, and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies for use in technical, commercial and entertainment environments. With WebFORCE, Silicon Graphics offers a range of solutions for creating and serving digital material via the World Wide Web. Its subsidiary, MIPS, Technologies, Inc., designs and licenses the industry's leading RISC processor technology for the computer systems and embedded control markets. Silicon Graphics has offices worldwide and headquarters in Mountain View, California, and posted revenues of dollars 1.5 billion for the 1994 financial year. Further information can be retrieved from the URL: http://www-europe.sgi.com/

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