Key Results
Increased efficiency: Design errors nearly eliminated, reducing rework and saving construction hours.
Improved stability: No system crashes, even with complex manifold designs.
Enhanced flexibility: Ability to view all six faces simultaneously and create angled faces.
Lower costs: Reduced software expenses with HydroMan’s simple pricing model.
Company Overview
Weidemann Hydraulik has been a leading manufacturer of hydraulic components for over 40 years, specializing in connecting plates, intermediate plates, hydraulic manifolds, and a variety of valves. Their expertise spans applications from intricate test bench systems to robust rolling mill controls. With state-of-the-art 3D software, they design highly complex hydraulic circuits in the most efficient space possible, handling control blocks weighing up to 10 tons.
Weidemann Hydraulik was founded in 1974 in Germany. Eric Weidemann, the current CEO, has been leading the company since 2004, bringing decades of experience in hydraulic manifold design and maintaining a hands-on approach with customers.
The challenge: Limitations of previous software
Since 2013, Weidemann Hydraulik has been using HydroMan and HydroSym from Paro Software. Before that, they relied on another software program that presented three key challenges:
Lack of customization: The inability to custom-name cavities in the manifold design created inefficiencies.
Inefficient software integration: Their previous setup required interfacing with Autodesk Inventor, leading to frequent crashes, delays, and errors when transferring design details.
Time loss: Due to these software limitations, the team often had to manually correct design issues, costing valuable construction hours.
During the Hannover Fair, Eric Weidemann met Marc from Paro Software. They discussed these frustrations, and soon after, Paro implemented a key feature in HydroMan that allowed custom cavity naming — solving one of Weidemann’s primary pain points.
The solution: Switching to HydroMan
HydroMan proved to be the perfect fit for Weidemann Hydraulik’s needs. Unlike their previous software, HydroMan is a standalone program designed specifically for hydraulic manifold design, eliminating the need for additional programs and ensuring seamless operation.
Eric Weidemann outlined the key advantages of switching to HydroMan in five points:
1. Stability and speed
HydroMan remains stable and fast regardless of how many drills a manifold has.
Drill movements within a converted manifold are instantaneous, with no risk of system crashes due to complex designs.
2. Error prevention and smooth integration
HydroMan integrates seamlessly with HydroSym, ensuring all valves and ports retain critical information.
No export errors or human errors when transitioning from schematic to 3D design.
Designers can create schematics based on customer requirements, ensuring accuracy from the start.
“With HydroMan, we’ve nearly eliminated design errors and significantly raised the quality of our construction process.”
3. Enhanced design flexibility
Unlike their previous setup, which required constant 3D model rotations, HydroMan enables users to view all six manifold faces simultaneously.
Users can work faster and, if needed, display a 3D view on a second screen.
Simplified cross-section views: In HydroMan, selecting a drill and pressing X, Y, or Z instantly generates a cross-section—no need for manual sketching as in Inventor.
Support for Angled Faces: HydroMan now allows the creation of angled faces, expanding design possibilities and further improving workflow efficiency.
4. Lower costs and simple pricing
HydroMan offers two straightforward subscription plans: Get Started or Anywhere.
Service and maintenance fees are significantly lower than their previous software setup.
No need to buy additional programs, reducing overall costs.
5. Reliable and flexible support
Communicating with Paro Software is easy and efficient, as their support, management, and development teams work closely together.
Feature requests are quickly assessed by Frank, Paro’s Director of Technology, and implemented in record time.
Frequent software updates ensure HydroMan evolves to meet user needs, with updates rolling out multiple times per month.
“With Paro Software, I can speak directly to the tech lead and see new features implemented in the next update. It’s a level of responsiveness we’ve never experienced with any other provider.”
Conclusion
By switching to HydroMan, Weidemann Hydraulik eliminated inefficiencies, improved design accuracy, reduced costs, and gained a responsive software partner in Paro Software. HydroMan’s stability, seamless integration with HydroSym, and user-friendly design workflow have made it an invaluable tool for their hydraulic manifold production.
For companies facing similar challenges, HydroMan offers a proven solution backed by industry leaders like Weidemann Hydraulik.