Case Study: Caprari S.p.A. achieves 300% thrust-bearing performance and slashes prototyping time and costs with SOLIDWORKS

Achieving Innovation in Industrial Pump Design With Solidworks Solutions

Caprari S.p.a., a leading international manufacturer of centrifugal and submersible pumps, needed to move beyond 2D design to boost pump performance, speed development, and reduce prototyping costs. To achieve this, the company implemented SolidWorks 3D design, analysis, CFD and inspection solutions — including SolidWorks Standard, Professional, Premium, Simulation Premium, Flow Simulation and Inspection Professional — to enable integrated FEA/CFD and virtual prototyping.

Using SolidWorks’ integrated design and simulation platform, Caprari re-engineered fluid-film thrust bearings and optimized materials and kinematics through virtual testing. The SolidWorks-driven solution delivered a 300% increase in thrust-bearing performance, cut prototyping and testing time by 66%, reduced prototyping/testing costs by 99%, and decreased scrap and rework by 15–25%, enabling many more design iterations in far less time and cost.

Caprari S.p.a.

Antonio Gambigliani

Research & Design Manager