Turbine Diaphragm Design Automation

Overview

To reduce design cycle time and manual workload involved in turbine diaphragm modeling and quality control. The goal was to automate repetitive SolidWorks tasks and generate customizable diaphragm assemblies based on input data — freeing up design engineers to focus on R&D instead of routine modeling.

The Challenge

The turbine diaphragm is a complex assembly that required frequent remodeling and drawing updates — often under tight deadlines and with little variation between versions. As project volumes increased, so did the reliance on a growing design team. This created a bottleneck, where revenue per engineer was shrinking and valuable engineering time was being spent on repetitive tasks.

In addition, the QC process for each diaphragm model was both time-consuming and sensitive to manual errors — compounding the inefficiencies.

The Solution

We proposed and developed an automation tool built using SolidWorks API and external programming scripts. The application is driven by a custom-built UI that allows users to input required parameters and instantly generate a complete diaphragm model and its associated drawings.

Key elements of the solution included:

• Automated feature creation based on user-defined input

• Configurable UI to capture custom specifications

• Integration of design logic from existing drawings, calculation sheets, and standard tables

The outcome: dramatically reduced manual modeling time and minimized need for QC interventions.

Core Parameters & Customization Features

The application automates model generation based on a range of client-defined inputs, including:

• Nozzle Height

• Pitch Circle Diameter

• Shroud Thickness

• Shrouded or Unshrouded

• Nozzle Pitch

• Blade Height

• Blade Width

• Number of Nozzle Funnels

These parameters are mapped to intelligent design rules, ensuring each diaphragm generated is ready for production or further design review — without manual remodeling.

Impact

• Significant reduction in manual design work for diaphragm assemblies

• Lower QC overhead through consistent, rule-driven modeling

• Fewer engineers needed for repetitive tasks, freeing up team capacity for innovation

• Faster project turnaround on a high-volume product line

This automation solution helped the client optimize their resource usage without compromising accuracy or customization capabilities — a critical step in scaling engineering throughput sustainably.