Hawk Ridge Systems: Revolutionize Design to Manufacturing: More is Possible

Hawk Ridge Systems started with the idea that more is possible in the design to manufacturing space. Dale Ford, CEO of Hawk Ridge Systems, spent his early career in engineering and fell in love with the design process. However, he noticed that the popular approach to design could be better facilitated and leveraged to provide a more seamless system of production for designers and manufacturers. “A lot of people didn’t really know about the tools and processes available to them [in design]. So, they didn’t know what was possible,” Dale says. Capitalizing on an opportunity to democratize complex expensive technology, with a desire to educate people on the possibilities of what could be, Hawk Ridge Systems was created to make technology more inclusive to a wider range of people  Hawk Ridge engineering services, training, software and hardware solutions offer up a new way to reimagine design processes and  fill the gaps in knowledge and process integration for companies of all sizes.  

More specifically, Hawk Ridge Systems excels at being a design, manufacturing and 3D solutions provider. Along with a vast array of design and manufacturing hardware and software solutions. Hawk Ridge also provides exceptional self-paced or instructor-led training that further educates customers on how they can harness technology to drive creativity and innovation.

It really is all about the customer for Hawk Ridge.  When their customers do well, it is not only a testament of the excellent service they provide, but it also means that customers develop the bandwidth to sustain further growth and solve more complex problems. Dale emphasizes how Hawk Ridge exists to help customers optimize their design to manufacturing processes.  “The general economy and realities around it are a company’s biggest challenge at this point and I think that’s where we come in. Hawk Ridge is able to help companies be more efficient and more productive to better their design and manufacturing processes,” Dale says.

So, more specifically, what does this actually mean? What is Hawk Ridge implementing and utilizing to help companies realize their potential? It starts with a full, integrated system of services instead of relying on single-source entities. “Customers are looking to do more by connecting not just one set of products, if you will, from 11 providers; they’re looking to connect dots between all sorts of different providers and that’s where we fit. We’re the glue that connects all of those pieces,” Dale emphasizes. The portfolio of technology that Hawk Ridge Systems provides includes software and hardware from a number of industry-leading partners. The key for Hawk Ridge is to tap into these new tools as effectively as possible in order to solve specific customer pain points and design roadblocks.  “We’re looking for best in class solutions to add to our portfolio of technology. We take responsibility for vetting those solutions and making sure they work for our customers. Then we look towards how we integrate those new and existing technologies with respect to customers,” Dale explains.

To provide an example of this process in action, Hawk Ridge Systems partners with Dassault Systèmes (DS) to offer Design and Manufacturing software solutions. DS’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform is impactful technology that can, when successfully and holistically integrated, help customers innovate in previously unimaginable ways. Dale acknowledges how proper software integration facilitates enhanced creativity and provides a real-time look at data that the customer can see and respond to. These improved abilities help to “shorten the design cycle and that’s a huge ability for them to be able to do that. With all these parts, you have a tool that’s new and innovative that touches on design and simulation, as well as product life cycle management, quality, and even marketing. Then, we help bring everybody together in the whole process to create a much more integrated approach.” This integrated approach is succinct and effective but not simple to achieve. Hawk Ridge’s service teams do a thorough job of analyzing and listening to customer issues and design roadblocks. Then, their team of experts works side-by-side with each customer to leverage their industry expertise and carefully deploy a customized solution.

A Portfolio of Innovation

With the portfolio of technology that Hawk Ridge provides, the symbiosis between software and hardware solutions is more tangible than ever. The software side includes tools that help speed up and make the design to manufacturing process more effective including SOLIDWORKS, 3DExperience, Catia, Simulia, Enovia, and more. Integrating these products into a simplified suite for customers is foremost for Hawk Ridge since it helps with workflows, team collaboration, visualization, and lifecycle management. On the hardware side, there is a special emphasis on 3D printing technology. In particular, Hawk Ridge is a key partner of HP, Markforged and Formlabs. Their 3D printing products, parts, service, training, and implementation is projected to continue to grow to meet customers’ demand.

With exciting new developments happening every day in the abilities that 3D printers offer, Hawk Ridge’s goal is to help companies uncover “the many traditional and novel applications this technology is capable of. We want to bring the solutions and services to customers that will dramatically impact their ability to do their job better,” Dale says.

Areas of growth are always evolving for the industry and therefore, for Hawk Ridge Systems. “We’re constantly looking at our portfolio of technology and we’re evaluating what tools we can add,” Dale says. Moving into cloud computing products and services is one area that Hawk Ridge is keen to tap into. “We can solve problems with cloud computing that we can’t solve with desktop, large-scale simulation is a huge part of what we bring to the table that allows our customers to virtually prototype like they couldn’t before,” Dale explains.

What further sets Hawk Ridge Systems apart is its investment in people. “A lot of times our employees bring in their own capabilities and own industry knowledge, and then we help invest in them and take them to another level. It’s the combination of people collectively and holistically that bring that level of knowledge for our customers,” Dale says.

Being people-centric also applies to Hawk Ridge’s focus on the customer. “At the heart of that is the customer and the customer centricity that we take. We’re not in this for one product or one business outcome. We’re in this for the lifetime of the customer.”