Annual Engineering Retreats: Reflecting, Advancing
Every year, we take time for two closed meetings in the Engineering department to reflect on our processes and project challenges and to exchange and deepen the knowledge we have acquired.
Our first closed meeting in 2023 took place on Wednesday, 19.04.23. A sufficient number of topics were quickly found and had to be prioritized accordingly.
As many team members are now active in two CAD worlds, we separated the software-specific topics from each other for the first time. The focus here was on the procedural instructions for the installation of new software versions. We then reflected together on the findings from a customer project in which both CAD systems were used. It became clear that the programs differ significantly in some details, such as the handling of external references, accuracy or spline functions. However, both programs have corresponding options for simulating motion sequences.
We then turned our attention to injection mold construction. Topics such as material types and their properties, the structure and functions of the mold and rough cost indicators were discussed and the specialist knowledge deepened.
Shortly before the well-deserved lunch break, our standard development process at BUSSE was jointly reflected upon and critically scrutinized with regard to the various manufacturing processes and complex product developments.
Here it became clear that hardly any two projects are the same and that an agile way of working adapted to customer requirements is usually necessary.
After a culinary refreshment, we continued with the presentation of a new tool from the design department. A colleague gave us a very vivid demonstration of the Gravity Sketch software with its possibilities and advantages when sketching in 3D. We were able to follow his view in the virtual reality glasses live on the projector. This made some team members feel slightly dizzy. Everyone then had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the digital world.
Next, we turned our attention to our drawing templates. Due to a growing number of international projects and an increasing number of global requests for components, we decided to only use a bilingual template (German & English) as standard in future - with the exception of customer-specific requirements.
Finally, CREO topics were discussed in a small group. These included topics such as the update from version 9 to 10, the skeleton model and the update for slide control.
Basically, it can be summarized that the discussions were intensive and constructive and it became clear every time how important this exchange is for the result of the daily project work.
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