Custom machine design means designing a machine that is not available off the shelf, or does not quite fit your process, around the job it has to do, either from scratch or based on an existing machine. DKT Design and Software provides machine design services to the manufacturing industry: from defining the requirements through concept design and 3D modelling to technical drawings and the bill of materials, we make the machine ready for production.
How is a machine designed?
- Requirements and specification: The machine’s task, capacity and cycle time, layout and size limits, energy and safety requirements are defined.
- Concept design: Several solutions are compared; mechanism, drive and frame options are evaluated.
- 3D modelling and assembly: The chosen concept is modelled part by part and the assembly is checked for clashes and clearances.
- Verification: Moving parts are checked with kinematic analysis, load-bearing parts with strength analysis and load calculations.
- Technical drawings and bill of materials: Manufacturing drawings and the parts list are prepared.
- Production support: We support questions and revisions that come up during manufacturing.
What you receive
- 3D part and assembly models
- Technical drawings for manufacturing
- Bill of materials and parts list
- Analysis and calculation reports where needed
- If you wish, an animation showing how the machine works
What to consider in machine design
- Safety: Machines placed on the market in the EU and Türkiye fall under the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC); hazards should be reduced right from the design stage.
- Design for manufacturing: Parts should be producible on the manufacturer’s machines with sensible tolerances.
- Standard components: Easily available standard parts are preferred for bearings, bolts, cylinders and motors.
- Ease of maintenance: Access to and replacement of wearing parts is considered while the machine is designed.
- Cost: Material, labour and assembly costs are compared when the concept is chosen.
We cover the principles of machine design, machine elements and standards in detail in our what is machine design guide.
We also develop our own design software
We automate repetitive design work with software. For example, our bolt placement program finds matching hole pairs in an assembly in SolidWorks, Inventor, CATIA and similar CAD programs, and automatically selects and places a bolt of the right diameter and length in each one. Instead of picking and mating bolts one by one in an assembly with hundreds of holes, it does the job quickly and reduces the risk of choosing the wrong diameter or length.
Design and software together
A machine is more than its mechanics. We also develop the control software for the machines we design, so mechanical design and software progress in the same project. We explain how design, analysis, animation and software work together on our engineering services page.
Machine design pricing
The price of machine design depends on the machine’s complexity, the number of parts and the outputs you need (3D model, manufacturing drawings, analysis, animation, software). We explain what determines the price on our machine design and 3D modelling pricing page; tell us about your machine and we will prepare a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What information do I need to start a machine design?
The machine’s task, the required capacity, layout and size limits, and any photos of an existing machine or sketches are enough to start. We complete the missing information together in the first meeting.
How are design time and cost determined?
By the machine’s complexity, the number of parts and the outputs you need (3D model, drawings, analysis, animation, software). After listening to your needs we send the scope and schedule in writing.
Can you improve an existing machine?
Yes. A revision design can be made from the existing machine’s dimensions, photos and the problems you face; moving parts are checked with kinematic analysis and load-bearing parts with strength analysis.
Do you also write the software for the machines you design?
Yes. We also develop the operator screen and control software that work with the machine’s PLC.
Related pages
- Engineering services: design, analysis, animation and software
- Structural analysis and load calculations
- Kinematic analysis and animation
- Machine control software
- What is machine design? Principles and process
- Welding robots with machine vision
- AI welding robot
Tell us about your machine
Send us what the machine must do and any sketches or photos, and we will work out the scope together. WhatsApp: +90 547 909 99 90 · info@dokuti.com