--- title: Why Being a [Pro] ENGINEER Rocks description: Discover the straight talk from CAD Designers and find out what they're saying about Pro/Engineer image: http://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex1_thumb.png --- #### Concurrent Engineering Blog # Why Being a [Pro] ENGINEER Rocks Posted by [Richard Strange](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/author/richard-strange) on 19-May-2009 10:44:00 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## ***Straight Talk from CAD Designers *** ## ***Hear what designers are saying about Pro/Engineer®*** ### **“Pro/ENGINEER is so capable and flexible these days. It does much more than cut design time – it enables us to design quickly, interface with suppliers and customers, and share design intent efficiently.”**   [![Pro/ENGINEER User](http://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex1_thumb.png?width=238&height=223&name=thermex1_thumb.png "Pro/ENGINEER User")](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex1.png)  So reports Commercial Engineer, Ivan Robinson, of Thermex Ltd., one of the UK’s leading global heat exchanger manufacturers. It has been a long time since Mr. Robinson even used a 2D solution, so quantifying how much time the 3D capabilities of Pro/ENGINEER saves his team is less of a concern than it used to be. “I’m of the view that there are other things that have a greater impact on the day-to-day working life of engineers,” he explains. “And Pro/ENGINEER offers them all.”   ## Five Ways Pro/ENGINEER Makes My Job Easier ### **1. Reusing existing data quickly to generate new parts**  “I was able to generate a new design cooler for an enquiry in only 15 minutes yesterday. This included: building our tubestack assembly with over 400 tubes, 15 baffles and associated tubeplates and spacers; inserting it into a body, fitting two bespoke headers that are derivatives of existing castings; and specifying high-temperature viton seals. This would have taken about three hours in AutoCAD®.” ### **2. Interfacing accurately with customers’ models–pronto**  “Once I’d generated the above model, I sent my customer a STEP file, which he pulled into his assembly to check out the interface conditions. He then let me know there was a potential clash condition. So I reworked the cooler by changing the stack and body for other units out of our standard range and sent a new STEP file back to the customer–all inside 30 minutes.”3. Easily importing customer data to allow building into a space envelope  “I am currently working on a cooling system for agricultural machinery with a customer. Every Monday, he uploads the latest iteration of his chassis/engine pod design to his FTP site, which I can then download and continue working my coolers into. I then upload the cooler model, which he pulls into his master model. I’m working in Pro/ENGINEER, he’s using Solid Edge® –  and we go back and forth without a hitch.” | [![Pro/ENGINEERrapid reuse](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex2_thumb.png?width=237&height=140&name=thermex2_thumb.png "Pro/ENGINEER")](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex2.png) | [![3D data output](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex3_thumb.png?width=237&height=139&name=thermex3_thumb.png "Pro/ENGINEER")](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex3.png) | | --- | --- | | Rapid reuse of existing data from other products dramatically reduces the time to manufacture and deliver complex bespoke parts. | Quick and simple output of 3D data in many formats makes it easier for customers to incorporate Thermex products into their own designs. | ### **4. Generating rapid prototypes, with output in various file formats**  “There is absolutely nothing cooler for an engineer than slaving away on a design for a couple of weeks, e-mailing some computer file to a bloke who’s got some sort of fancy printer that sticks dust together, and then ending up with a tangible, touchy-feely version of what you’ve been working on. And the prototype is ready all within a week or so. Best of all, it’s getting cheaper, which makes it easier to justify to the ‘bean counters.’“ ### **5. Interfacing with CNC machine tools to remove programming time ** “We frequently generate IGES files, which can be dumped straight into water jet cutting machines to allow accurate cutting of complex 3D formed edges. This alone has saved us – and the machine shop – six hours per first-off part.”   [![Pro/ENGINEER integrate](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex4_thumb.png?width=237&height=176&name=thermex4_thumb.png "Pro/ENGINEER")](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex4.png) ### Being able to go from Pro/ENGINEER model to reality ### in three days, and being able to integrate easily ### with the CAD systems of its customers, means that the ### team at Thermex knows the model will fit and work.   **Pro/ENGINEER: Driving Design Forward** Reflecting on how Pro/ENGINEER has evolved over the years, Mr. Robinson likens the latest iteration to a sleek sports car loaded with extras. It used to be that cars were merely a way to get from point A to point B. Today, they include all the amenities – MP3 players, heated seats, airbags and so on.  “Pro/ENGINEER keeps getting better and better, too. What can I say except ‘bring on the Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire® 5.0 version of the R8!’”   [![Pro/ENGINEER](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex5_thumb.png?width=458&height=260&name=thermex5_thumb.png "Pro/ENGINEER")](https://www.honeycomb.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thermex5.png) **“ Best of all, learning to use Pro/ENGINEER is easy, especially with its dashboard approach.  The hardest part, really, was training myself to stop thinking in ‘paperspace’ and start thinking in 3D.”**   Ivan Robinson, Thermex ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Creo (126)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/creo) - [PTC (72)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/ptc) - [CAD (71)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/cad) - [Product Design (51)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/product-design) - [Product development (49)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/product-development) - [PLM (47)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/plm) - [Mathcad (45)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/mathcad) - [Internet of Things (41)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/internet-of-things) - [Pro/ENGINEER (41)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/proengineer) - [Windchill (30)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/windchill) - [Concept design (19)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/concept-design) - [Engineering Calculations (17)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/engineering-calculations) - [PDM (15)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/pdm) - [IsoDraw (10)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/isodraw) - [Creo 4.0 (7)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/creo-4-0) - [simulation (6)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/simulation) - [augmented reality (5)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/augmented-reality) - [ThingWorx (4)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/thingworx) - [Customer Success Story (3)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/customer-success-story) - [AI (2)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/ai) - [PTC Navigate (2)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/ptc-navigate) - [Aerospace (1)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/aerospace) - [Defense (1)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/defense) - [Digital Engineering Journey (1)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/digital-engineering-journey) - [Live Seminar (1)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/live-seminar) - [codebeamer (1)](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/blog/topic/codebeamer) [see all](https://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/Blog/bid/79958/Why-Being-a-Pro-ENGINEER-Rocks#) ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=2292201107704028&ev=PageView&noscript=1) ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=3070097&fmt=gif)