A leading global supplier of high-performance composite utility poles is using DriveWorks to configure, design, sell, and manufacture their custom product faster.
You may not spend a lot of time thinking about the engineering feat that is the electric grid, but helping to ensure reliable, resilient electricity service is everyday business at TriMech client, Resilient Structures (RS).
Since 2005, RS has engineered and manufactured composite utility structures for electric distribution and transmission. Today, RS has manufacturing facilities in Tilbury, Ontario, Canada; St. George, Utah; and Houston, Texas. As an alternative to wood poles, RS poles have a long service life and can withstand the impact of extreme weather.
DriveWorks benefits different departments
Les George is Resilient Structures’ Manager, Innovation. He first learned about DriveWorks in 2019, while taking an advanced SOLIDWORKS training course at Javelin, part of the TriMech Group of companies. The instructor shared details about the configure-price-quote (CPQ) tool, and Les saw the potential applications for RS.
Within RS, different DriveWorks capabilities appeal to different people. The software’s ability to automate SOLIDWORKS drawings appealed to the engineers looking for efficiency gains, while the positive impact on the sales process appealed to others.
Less time to complete drawings
In almost all cases, a utility requesting a quote or placing an order requires structure and pole drawings; this results in ongoing high demand for a large number of drawings, especially considering the urgency of rebuilding power lines after natural disasters. DriveWorks automation helps RS meet the challenge, reducing the time required to generate these drawings.
RS customers also receive a full engineering package up front, including a Power Line Systems (PLS) Structural Analysis and Hardware Analysis and Review.
“It means that engineering is on a time crunch,” Les noted. “When a customer needs information, we have to act fast. Having DriveWorks is definitely key.”
Taming configuration
The RS filament wound pole is completely modular, with 11 modules that can form a variety of heights – from a 30-foot pole for low-kilovolt distribution to a 155-foot pole for high-kilovolt transmission.
“Considering all the options for customization, there are at least 6,000 possible configurations,” Les explained. “Besides pole height, pole strength varies based on the width of the base of the pole at the ground line. We also have two colour choices, and different ways to prepare and ship the modules. On top of all that, we offer various hardware selections.”
With support from TriMech, RS mechanical designer Jerish Anjan used DriveWorks to create a configuration tool that uses data from Salesforce to generate drawings and BOMs that sales representatives can get out to clients quickly.
DriveWorks also allows for small updates to standard offerings without relying on design and engineering resources. These skilled people are therefore free to work on more complex projects.
“One of our challenges was that we’d need to update multiple structures because of one new small requirement,” Les said. “Having the ability to do this with data entry, without modifying numerous features, is a great gain in efficiency. Even non-SOLIDWORKS users can do this.”
Ongoing utility pole manufacturer innovation
Typical hardware suitable for wooden poles is not suitable for a fiberglass surface, so hardware considerations are critical and shown in all structure drawings. The order prep team (the people with the drills) receive instructions outlining where to place the holes. Before DriveWorks, and given the scale of the product, a drill hole was a tiny dot with a dimension next to it on a piece of paper. There wasn’t a lot of detail.
“This tedious, almost robotic work is the perfect job for DriveWorks automation,” Les said. “We came up with a way to use DriveWorks and Macros and API to translate the geometry in the 3D model into a drill table. Readability and accuracy is much improved, which has greatly reduced drawing review time and rework. The production floor team moves much faster, resulting in better cycle times.”
The drill table initiative started as a side project. And even though it’s totally behind the scenes, it has had a huge impact on workflow. When a customer approves an engineering package, SOLIDWORKS Manage triggers DriveWorks to generate the tables and make them available to order prep. They can get to work without any further design or engineering intervention or input.
A supportive team at TriMech
Les mentioned that his contacts at Javelin/TriMech span various areas of expertise. Besides working closely with DriveWorks experts, his support team has included specialists in SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS Manage.
“Maybe we would have made it here at some point, but it would have taken a lot longer with a slower design and testing process.”
A bright future with a committed team for ongoing development
“There’s always a new challenge or a new idea. Right now, we’re looking at a hardware kit configurator and also how DriveWorks can help us be even more efficient when quoting on projects.”
Overall, DriveWorks will continue to help RS answer the call when needs are the greatest.
“Every time there’s a hurricane or forest fire, we get phone calls. It’s definitely a challenge, but at the same time, we know we’re helping to restore power to people who have just gone through a traumatic event. Everything fell down around them. DriveWorks helps us expedite the process of building back better and stronger.”
Resilient Structures is online at https://www.resilient-structures.com/.
For more information on how TriMech Group and DriveWorks can support your engineering, design, and automation needs, contact us now »
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