.png)
Cellino is a biotechnology company developing cutting-edge instrumentation for manufacturing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). As they scaled their hardware engineering efforts, they faced growing pains with their CAD tools and file management systems. This case study explores how transitioning to Bild helped improve flexibility, collaboration, and version control across their entire team.
Before adopting Bild, Cellino relied on Onshape for several years due to its browser-based accessibility and built-in PDM capabilities. However, as Blair Morad, Senior Director of Engineering at Cellino, explains:
“The CAD structure in Onshape wasn’t well-suited for building controlled designs. We had to create a lot of processes to prevent file duplication and maintain discipline.”
Cost also became a factor. Onshape’s per-user pricing model was less sustainable compared to SolidWorks’ per-seat floating licensing model-especially as Cellino operated within The Engine, an incubator offering free SolidWorks licenses.
Despite SolidWorks’ advantages, it lacked a native file management system. That gap became a new problem, raising questions about how to manage design data, especially in a distributed environment.
After evaluating various tools-including Dassault's 3DEXPERIENCE-Cellino chose Bild for its balance of flexibility, cloud-native design, and ease of use.
“Bild filled the gap between traditional PDM systems and a more user-friendly, accessible solution,” said Morad.
Key reasons for adopting Bild included:
Because most of Cellino’s previous work involved small assemblies and off-the-shelf components, the data migration was minimal. For larger assemblies once the team established internal best practices for data integrity, the migration was smooth and all links and folder structure were maintained.
As with all systems teams face a learning curve, but the intuitive nature of Bild allowed Blair’s team to troubleshoot and onboard quickly:
“It took some trial and error, but once we figured out the best import approach, everything worked smoothly.”
Though collaboration across the platform is still in its early stages, Cellino has already observed improvements:
“There's virtually no time spent on admin work in Bild. That’s been a huge time-saver compared to legacy systems.”
As Cellino begins developing the next generation of biotech instrumentation, they’re formalizing design workflows and processes using Bild’s version control and permission structures.
While Blair acknowledges Bild’s current flexibility may need to be complemented by a more rigid PLM system in the future, Bild’s integrations with Arena and Propel ensure they can grow without disruption.
Bild provided Cellino with the flexibility, usability, and cloud-based access their growing team needed-without the overhead of traditional PDM systems. As Cellino moves from R&D into production, Bild will be an integral part of their engineering infrastructure.
“We’re all adults here. Good tools like Bild help us stay productive without getting in the way,” said Morad.