Customer: Global Filter Manufacturer Industry: Automotive Filtration
Sigma Design Company’s advanced engineering skills and experience using analytical software uncovers problem areas to save a client time and money.
A globally known filter manufacturer had a fast-paced program and needed help to reduce their test program time. Starting with a first-pass iteration of a filter canister design, Sigma engineers used non-linear plastic simulation analysis to determine whether long-term cyclic loading would be likely to cause permanent deformation, and worse yet, failure. Sigma’s advanced engineering skills and experience using analytical software uncovered problem areas, which saved the client time and money. This insight got the client’s program back on track and on budget. Sigma’s engineering experience helps product launches stay on schedule by removing the unforeseen obstacles that delay new product development progress. Our team is capable of performing Linear Stress, Non-Linear Plastic Deformation, Computational Fluid Analysis, as well as using other specialized engineering software.
Services Performed:
Plastic Deformation and Stress Simulation, Detail Design Improvements, Design for Manufacturing, Product Development.
Turbine Flow Analysis – Computational Analysis Allows Underwater Generator to Produce Results.
Sigma Design was asked to design and analyze a novel three blade hydro turbine blade assembly. We created a single SolidWorks model and added appropriate boundary conditions to determine the hydrodynamic forces and distributed them across the blades to simulate the effect of tons of water flowing against the structure. Sigma developed fabrication drawings and worked with a local sheet metal fabricator on the manufacturing methods for these complex blade shapes. The system was fabricated and tested in Sag Harbor, New York.
Services Performed:
Hydro power system development, computational stress and flow analysis, fabrication development and design, detail system components design, construction management, testing and validation.
Customer: Global Specialty Metal Manufacturing Firm Industry: Material Manufacturing
A global metal manufacturing firm needed Sigma Design Company to reverse engineer and model a heat exchanger.
A global metal manufacturing firm needed Sigma Design Company to reverse engineer and model a heat exchanger that is used in a foundry for creating alloy steel bars. In this application, hot metal flows in from one side, at 2800 °F, and is cooled by water that enters in from the other side. When the metal exits, it will be solidified to 1700 °F. The water and metal never touch, and because of the high heat, the heat exchanger itself had some very complex geometry and materials. Sigma was tasked with this project because of their engineering and design experience.
A SolidWorks Simulation CFD was run to determine the fluid flow profile. By running the simulation with different configurations of the heat exchanger, we could see which configuration provided better flow and therefore better system temperature control. We created areas where the flow rate could be measured, and used that data to determine the proper orientation of the components. Sigma is also the manufacturer of the modified cooling system components.
Services Performed:
Engineering services, concept development, FEA & CFD analysis and simulation, detail system design, fabrication, assembly and testing.
Sub Heading: Sigma Design Company improves the design of a medical device to improve cell culture and tissue engineering capabilities for laboratories.
Sigma Design Company can be your partner in not only design but also in the manufacture of your new product. Consider the story behind the Glen Mills/Zellwerk Z®RP Reactor System” – a cell disruptor and high-pressure homogenizer. With the discontinuation of their previous French Press manufacturer’s production, Glenn Mills Inc. needed to find a company that could redesign and manufacture the French Press directly for them. They found this in Sigma Design Company. Working with the original design, which was based on a 60 year old medical device, Sigma reverse engineered and redesigned the machine to have more features, better aesthetics, and compatibility with all of the older system’s accessories. This new design incorporated many of the skills Sigma excels at including: tight tolerance machine components, hydraulics, circuit board design, material properties and finishes. With a newly designed product, Sigma Design Company manufactures and assembles these units in our NJ facility, providing immediate customer support, and a short lead time to our customers.
Sigma is also the manufacturer of the French Press G-M™
At Sigma Design, our weld shop is one of the lifelines of our manufacturing capabilities. Our ability to fabricate elaborate frames and weldments serves as the literal backbone to the state of the art products and equipment we manufacture. As our company has grown, we have also invested heavily in our welding team as well as the welding technology we can use to find solutions for our customers. Our welders are AWS and ASME certified for GTAW, SMAW, GMAW welding of aluminum, stainless steel and carbon steel. Sigma uses their OTC welders to provide optimum welding performance on stainless steel, and aluminum delivering high-quality pulse welding by performing optimized waveform control according to the material being welded. Our weld shop offers a full compliment of Lincoln, Miller and OTC equipment, each offering their own application for a variety of needs.
Contact Sigma Design Company today, we are a one stop shop for all of your design, analysis and manufacturing needs!
Sigma Design is celebrating their 22nd anniversary under current ownership. However, the company’s origins go back much further, originally founded in 1962 as a machine design firm by brothers Murph and John Abraham. Machine design became a tougher and tougher gig as the manufacturing sector in New Jersey, and nationwide for that matter, started to contract through the 80’s and 90’s. The Abraham brothers had started seriously considering closing shop. Sigma’s current owner, Jerry Lynch, knew the brothers for some time. As fate would have it over a friendly lunch, they mentioned that if the right buyer came along, they would probably sell the company. Entrepreneurship had been a lifelong dream for Jerry, an engineer by trade with decades of experience in manufacturing. The idea of taking a company that was established but struggling and in need of a new vision appealed to Jerry and the acquisition was complete in early 1999.
Sigma Design began under new ownership as it had ended under the former ownership, strictly a design firm with no manufacturing capabilities. Jerry could see the trends, as well as the desire by current customers to have a design firm that was also engaged in the manufacturing and production process. Customers wanted a one stop shop that could produce their designs, rather than just deliver the detailed design and manufacturing package. The ability for a single company to fully design and draft, then pilot, test, debug and refine a piece of equipment became strongly in demand. Many large manufacturers do not have the internal resources dedicated to refining and perfecting engineered systems. This ultimately led to the foundation of the Sigma Design of today, when in 2011 they purchased a 20,000 sq-ft facility to afford means to manufacture their designs.
Sigma continued their evolution once they had room to work. Since acquiring the new facility they have gained capabilities in all facets of manufacturing. Sigma has a full weld shop offering qualified welders in TIG, MIG and SMAW process as well as a CNC machining area. They have a fully tooled assembly area which can accommodate electrical control panel fabrication and large electro-mechanical assemblies. Drawing on an area of expertise of their owner, Sigma formed a partnership with Spiral Water Technologies. This necessitated a 200 GPM water filtration system test loop that is now a fixture in the Sigma Shop.
One area where Sigma Design excels is with advanced engineering and analysis. Sigma caught on early to the 3D modeling FEA trend and has engineering expertise to use these tools. Performing stress analysis, heat loading, fluid flow etc. in a digital environment helps their customers visualize their designs and adapt to design conditions before manufacture, and more importantly, service in the field. These tools also aid with material selection and manufacturing process layouts. Sigma has become an expert ally for their customers in using these tools on both Sigma Designs, as well as finding non-obvious challenges with customer supplied designs. Jerry along with his smart, creative staff has transformed the business into a single-source provider of design, analysis and manufacturing services of new products, equipment, and machinery.
As Sigma heads towards the future, they are gaining momentum and stronger than ever. They have started to establish themselves as a reliable design and manufacturing partner for large, international companies. This has led to an aggressively growing work history, especially with repeat manufacturing work of large devices and pieces of equipment. Sigma will continue to evolve, learn, and enhance their business model as their company grows into 2021 and beyond.
Posted in Advanced Engineering Analysis, Company News, Made in New Jersey, Made in USA, New Product Development, People, Press, SIGMA Capabilities
In what wound up being one of the most challenging years in anyone’s memory, the American economy faced a gauntlet of obstacles in 2020. A global pandemic, record unemployment numbers and a contentious election cycle led to a disastrous first half of the year by many metrics. However, as it always has, the American economy and manufacturing sector improvised and adapted. Remote working, meeting, and selling surged as the US had to respond to the pandemic, which also placed an even higher focus on employee safety. Efforts to reshore American manufacturing were already well underway heading into 2020, however the pandemic and seemingly instant surge in consumer demand for goods like PPE, medical goods and cleaning equipment led to rethinking many industry supply chains. Countries where labor is cheap often lack the infrastructure to quickly respond to large demand swings. The cost of commercial transportation continues to and will most likely always continue to rise. Reshoring became even more of an economical issue, as well as a necessity for increased response to demand.
From a recent Forbes.com article:
“Despite 60% of manufacturers feeling the impact of COVID on operations, a recent survey of senior leaders of manufacturing and distribution companies noted significant or modest growth in company revenue during the pandemic. Demand for products is surging, requiring new and innovative production methods, and many manufacturers have stepped up to the plate. As we close out the year, we will better understand just how much manufacturing changed in 2020. But economic uncertainty aside, the unprecedented supply chain disruptions of the year are a blessing in disguise for manufacturers, as they encouraged the often-stagnant industry to move faster and become more resilient than ever before. If there were a year to push the industry forward towards progress, this was it.” 1
American manufacturing looks to be heading into 2021 largely recovered from the hit it took in early 2020, and ready to soar. It is easy, and somewhat lazy to point to the DOW as any sort of indicator for the economy, specifically in manufacturing. However, the American Manufacturing Index (US ISM Manufacturing PMI) is a reliable indicator of the state of the manufacturing sector, and signs are looking great heading into 2021. The index is up roughly 45 percent from its low in May 2020, and almost back to its highs we experienced through 2017-2018. With the COVID vaccine already being distributed, albeit in limited numbers, America is on the cusp of turning the corner on the pandemic and getting back to some state of normalcy during 2021.
It is no secret that the domestic network of small design, engineering, and fabrication businesses are the backbone of large American manufacturers. At Sigma design, we pride ourselves on being part of that network serving large American companies across many industries. Whether it be Medical and Life Sciences, or Clean Energy and Wastewater Treatment, Production Machinery and Fixturing, or a startup getting its product design refined and to market, we have the capability to serve any customer at any level. Sigma Design also looks poised to be heading into 2021 with great momentum and an ever-growing portfolio of projects for our customers. We have invested heavily in our capabilities in recent years to be a one stop shop for our customers. From advanced design analysis and engineering, welding and fabricating, machining and assembling, to panel building and programming, Sigma Design can take a project from idea to reality. We have a library of satisfied, repeat customers to prove it.
1. Amar Hanspal, “Five Predictions For The Manufacturing Industry In 2021” Forbes, December 7th, 2020, accessed January 15th, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/amarhanspal/2020/12/07/five-predictions-for-the-manufacturing-industry-in-2021/?sh=79586f0428ca
Customer: Green Technology Inventor Industry: Alternative Energy
Sigma Design Company hired to test wind power
A World War II veteran and retired welder and operating engineer hired Sigma Design Company to test, analyze, refine, optimize and manufacture his patented invention: Catching Wind Power® (CWP) Compressed Air Enclosed Wind Turbine. This inventor felt strongly about entrusting this project to Jerry Lynch, P.E., a U.S. Navy veteran.
The blades of traditional wind turbines can kill bats, birds, and other flying wildlife. This was a concern to the inventor, so he designed a system that eliminates external blades. The patented “Inner Compression Cone Technology” (ICCT) squeezes the incoming air, compressing it as it is drawn through the turbine and multiplies it, creating more power. The ICCT technology also creates virtually no noise. The blades are internal, closer together, and smaller therefore eliminating the sound traditional blades make as they spin and swoop past the tower. The turbine is offered in different sizes ranging from personal portables to massive wind farm units. This versatile product is very cost-efficient for any location and allows the user to take green energy anywhere they go.Sigma Design Company shares this inventor’s vision for alternative energy products designed and built to create jobs in the U.S.
