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SOLIDWORKS Generates Positive Reaction at MoltexFLEX
16 February 2024
Moltex Energy embarked on a journey in 2013 with a mission to revolutionise the energy landscape. Through relentless innovation, they’ve created two remarkable nuclear reactors. The first, spearheaded by Moltex Energy Canada, laid the groundwork, while in the UK, Visiativ customer, MoltexFLEX, has been diligently crafting the ‘Flex Reactor’, a graphite moderative marvel poised for mass deployment and ready to disrupt fossil fuel dominance.
We visited the MoltexFLEX office in Warrington, Cheshire, to speak to Lead Thermohydraulic Engineer, Luke Godfrey, who told us how SOLIDWORKS has helped his team to develop their game changing green technology.
The MoltexFLEX mission and technology
SOLIDWORKS at MoltexFLEX
At the heart of MoltexFLEX’s quest for nuclear innovation lies the intricate science of thermohydraulics – the orchestration of fluid movement and heat transfer within the reactor. Here, SOLIDWORKS Professional emerges as a pivotal tool, empowering MoltexFLEX to streamline their design processes with finesse.
General Assemblies: SOLIDWORKS serves as the cornerstone for assembling the intricate cadence of reactor components, ensuring seamless fitment and manufacturability.
Concept Visualisation: From ideation to conception, SOLIDWORKS enables MoltexFLEX to breathe life into conceptual designs, validating their feasibility and practicality with the wider team.
Creation of Analysis Geometry: Harnessing SOLIDWORKS, MoltexFLEX crafts simplified geometries for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and mechanical analyses, expediting insights and facilitating seamless collaboration with suppliers.
The benefits of parametric modelling
With parametric modelling in SOLIDWORKS, MoltexFLEX can define the parameters of their designs to quickly and easily create 3D models and iterations. Thanks to SOLIDWORKS, linked dimensions facilitate these swift design iterations without the burden of having to “re-CAD” large reactor sections. Godfrey says this slashes time and cost overheads for the MoltexFLEX team.
Luke Godfrey working on the Flex Reactor in SOLIDWORKS Professional
Team collaboration with SOLIDWORKS PDM
On the subject of collaboration, Godfrey said it’s “…constant, so obviously we need to be in contact with other teams. There’s a lot of cross-disciplinary work, people from various backgrounds have to work together to understand the full picture of what’s happening”.
To this end, MoltexFLEX trust SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard, which is included with their SOLIDWORKS Professional 3D CAD package. This powerful, customisable solution, is easy-to-understand and is intrinsically linked to their SOLIDWORKS CAD data, helping them segregate analysis CAD from assembly designs. PDM ensures the entire team know they’re always working on the latest version of the design thanks to real-time updates and predetermined approval and change processes as they work.
Implementation and support from Visiativ
Visiativ’s support and industry expertise ensured a smooth SOLIDWORKS integration journey for MoltexFLEX. From installation to configuration, and ongoing technical assistance, Visiativ have always been there to help MoltexFLEX every step of the way.
Godfrey said: “We’ve been working with Visiativ since 2020 when we first got SOLIDWORKS. We chose SOLIDWORKS because we know it’s a very popular software with lots of users worldwide…and the support we receive from Visiativ very good”, adding that SOLIDWORKS “was very competitive price-wise and it’s very easy to use”.
Official SOLIDWORKS training courses
MoltexFLEX’s journey has been made easier thanks to Visiativ’s comprehensive SOLIDWORKS Training offerings. Our classroom-based and online courses have equipped the team with the skills needed to harness the full potential of the software. This low-cost investment has accelerated their transition and amplified their capabilities with SOLIDWORKS with very little time commitment.
Watch our exclusive video interview
Ready to embark on your own SOLIDWORKS journey? Explore our SOLIDWORKS product pages now and discover how Visiativ can empower your business to soar to new heights of innovation and efficiency.
