Kubotek USA Helps Rowing Equipment Leader Concept2 with Design Innovation and Interoperability
Marlborough, MA - February 27, 2006 - Kubotek USA today announced that long-time customer Concept2, the worldwide indoor rowing equipment leader, utilizes KeyCreator(TM) from Kubotek to develop, refine and exchange new product designs. Concept2 takes advantage of the added capability within KeyCreator to easily deliver accurate product data files to its mold makers and outsourced manufacturers in multiple worldwide locations.
KeyCreator software from Kubotek is used to design the popular Concept2 'Model D' rowing machine - voted "Most Innovative Fitness Product for 2005" by Health Magazine. Concept2 rowing exercise equipment is used by 99 percent of the rowing clubs and school rowing teams throughout the world. More than 100 Concept2 'Model D' rowing machines were used in Boston this past weekend at the worldwide indoor rowing championships (CRASH-Bs). Another 100 machines were available for warm-ups before the competition.
"KeyCreator is integral to our design and manufacturing process," said Jon Williams, chief engineer of Concept2. "The software enables us to quickly develop, test and iterate conceptual models. KeyCreator makes it easy to communicate those design ideas and changes accurately to our supply chain partners."
The Spirit of Innovation
An extremely successful design project for Concept2 was its latest rowing machine introduction, the 'Model D.' Responding to both customer feedback and rising manufacturing costs, Concept2 wanted to make important advances in its overall rowing system.
One area identified for major design changes was the machine's flywheel enclosure. Concept2 has made significant enhancements to the flywheel in each of its four generations of indoor rowing machines. Whereas the first rowing machine used an unenclosed bicycle wheel for its flywheel, today's model D flywheel is enclosed in a three-piece injection molded housing. Concept2 engineers took advantage of the flexibility within KeyCreator to design these pieces using very specific requirements. And when customers requested a quieter flywheel mechanism, Concept2 was able to use KeyCreator to experiment with different shape designs, resulting in significant noise reduction.
"KeyCreator is an important tool in the design process," explained Williams. "For example, our customers desired greater battery life in the rowing machine's monitor. Concept 2 designed an efficient, non-contacting generator that powers the monitor when the machine is being rowed."
Delivering Bottom Line Benefits for Manufacturing
Concept2 has realized a number of business benefits using KeyCreator software. The product's speed and accuracy has enabled Concept2 to rapidly develop and refine new designs - moving into the SLA modeling phase more quickly with less revisions in the process. Leveraging the software's strong interoperability features, Concept2 has been able to send, receive and work with files from mold vendors and manufacturers, regardless of the primary CAD tools those firms use.
"Accurate interoperability of CAD data is particularly vital to our business," commented Williams. "The Concept2 Indoor Rower has become the standard of the rowing community in part because of the high degree of comparability between scores achieved on individual machines, ensuring that 2000 meters rowed on one Concept2 machine is exactly 2000 meters on another Concept2 machine. This standardization is significant during races, such as those at the CRASH-Bs. File interoperability provided by KeyCreator ensures we do not have to rebuild a design once it has been finalized. The accurate exchange of data between Concept2 and our partners guarantee standardization, regardless of which manufacturing plant or assembly plant is building any particular rowing machine or producing any part."
"At Kubotek, we give our customers a 360 degree approach to design and manufacturing," said Robert Bean, chief operating officer for Kubotek USA. "Not only is our KeyCreator software a very sophisticated, yet easy to use 3D design package, but it addresses a growing need to exchange design information with multiple CAD systems. For innovative market leaders like Concept2, this powerful combination enables a more flexible, responsive and cost effective design through manufacturing process."
About Concept2
Concept2 was founded by Dick and Peter Dreissigacker in 1976. Fresh from Olympic training, the two brothers designed and created prototypes of carbon fiber racing oars, and went on to create the world's first wind-resistance indoor rower out of old bicycle parts. The Dreissigacker Racing Oars are now used by more than 70 percent of the rowing community. The Concept2 Indoor Rower has been redesigned and upgraded three times since the Model A was introduced in 1981. Today's Model D, introduced in July 2003, builds on Concept2's 25 years of experience in designing and using rowing machines. For more information about Concept2, visit www.concept2.com.
About KeyCreator
The KeyCreator product family combines multidimensional design and drafting, numerical control (NC) programming and the company's unique geometry-based foundation with direct feature editing and sophisticated deformation techniques. KeyCreator blends surface, solid and wireframe modeling, allowing for easy model modification and editing functionality to support rapid manufacturing.
About Kubotek
Kubotek USA, Inc., headquartered in Marlborough, MA, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kubotek Corporation. Kubotek USA develops and manufactures KeyCreator mechanical CAD software, (formerly CADKEY), REALyze multiCAD interoperability tools, rapid prototyping and non-contact inspection systems, and offers the free Spectrum multiCAD viewer. Visit Kubotek at: www.kubotekusa.com.
