Case Study: Center Rock Inc. accelerates rescue of 33 Chilean miners by two months with SolidWorks

Enabling the rescue of 33 chilean miners using SOLIDWORKS® Simulation

Center Rock Inc., a manufacturer of percussive drilling equipment, faced an urgent engineering challenge during the 2010 Chilean mine rescue: rapidly redesign a drill bit to improve cuttings removal and overcome a metal rock-bolt snag while also scaling its product line efficiently. To do this, Center Rock relied on SolidWorks 3D design and simulation solutions, including SOLIDWORKS Professional and Premium plus SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation.

Using SolidWorks Flow Simulation and Simulation Premium, Center Rock reconfigured the bit to redirect airflow so cuttings fell by gravity, tweaked carbide spacing to clear the snag, and produced revised hardware in days. The SolidWorks-enabled work helped rescuers reach the 33 miners two months ahead of projections, supported a three-day redesign and delivery of a replacement bit, cut design cycles by 66%, and quadrupled Center Rock’s product offering.

Center Rock Inc.

Rudy Lyon

Senior Engineer and Product Development Manager