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Product category: 3D CAD software
News Release from: CoCreate Software | Subject: OneSpace Designer Modeling
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 25 September 2006

Look beyond the surface of 3D modelling

3D CAD is sometimes not seen for all it offers: people are frequently so enamoured with the 3D visuals that they forget to look deeper for the real value of this approach.

3D technology has played a major role in the revolutionary developments that have taken place across design and manufacturing over the last decade So instead of limiting a 3D design discussion to the action of inputting ideas into the design process and the visual capabilities, let us go further and examine what happens after the input of product ideas is completed and strategic opportunities start to arise, particularly in the area of product quality

We must look beyond the surface of 3D.

Whether products are drawn, drafted, or modelled, much of a product's quality is determined during design.

While development constantly works to identify and resolve design-centred quality issues, sometimes issues remain hidden, surfacing only during late-stage prototyping or worse, during manufacturing ramp-up.

Even more regrettable are when issues emerge later, in the field, where the costs to service departments and to the company's reputation can be astronomical.

3D product development's strength lies in eliminating this waste.

Companies that see the end result of 3D design as only automatically generated 2D drawings are missing the point.

Rather than considering a 3D model a step above a 2D drawing, view it as a different - and better - world.

A 3D computer model is so lifelike, that companies can apply quality control measures to the virtual model more effectively than they used to do with a physical model.

These test applications in the virtual world are not only easier, faster and cheaper to execute, the test themselves are more comprehensive and better able to identify problematic aspects of design.

One example is prototyping.

A perfect prototype is often the final milestone before a product moves from design into production.

It assures that all the subassemblies fit together without conflict, that moving parts function correctly, and gives manufacturing engineers a mockup to work from to create assembly sequences.

But the path to a perfect prototype is inherently iterative.

Traditionally, there might be a series of imperfect prototypes to work out problems before the design is finalised.

By designing a product in 3D, however, the expense and time that used to be associated with multiple physical prototypes are eliminated by keeping iterations within the computer's microprocessor.

Since 3D models can be assembled and animated, an entire product can be perfected for proper clearances, tolerances, and interference before ever building the physical product.

Motion can also be simulated to evaluate the working behaviour of moving parts.

Another example is testing for real-world conditions.

A product's casing, for example, must be durable enough to protect the device from stress or strain.

Fabricators build a physical prototype and product testers place the case under the physical conditions the product expects to see within its lifetime.

If the prototype breaks, it's back to the drawing board to find a more suitable material or thickness.

Within 3D design, however, products can be tested under the same working conditions including stress, displacement and heat.

And a much broader range of materials can be tested without ever leaving the computer desktop.

There seems to be no limit to the kind of simulation that can be applied to 3D data, whose mathematical attributes can comport with even highly specialised simulation programs developed by scientific researchers.

More common needs of computerised product testing are now satisfied with software modules that plug into the solid modeller itself.

For sheet metal fabrication, a bend deformation module will impact the shape of the 3D model the same way fabrication tools affect the material.

If a punch is planned too close to an edge, the metal buckles on the screen.

A designer can then immediately change the location of the punch in the 3D model before any time or materials are wasted.

Similarly, mould analysis will predict flaws in the hardening of moulded plastic, and have enabled the cost-effective manufacture of designs with more complex curves.

Due to the development of 3D simulation applications, many companies can eliminate iterative physical prototyping and spend those precious dollars only one time- the final prototype.

The ability to keep dozens of design cycles within the computer saves an immense amount of cost, considering a physical prototype might cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The timeline that spans conception of the idea to its factory reproduction has also shortened to what was previously considered impossible.

3D design and simulation can replace much of the work that previously had been done through physical test batteries.

In this way, 3D CAD ensures a higher quality of product.

Some companies consider the various 3D systems to be essentially the same.

In reality, there are two distinctly different approaches to 3D product development: history-based (sometimes known as feature-based modellers) and the history-free method of dynamic modelling.

Each approach is applicable to different types of companies.

In time pressured industries, a design issue might be noticed at the last minute right before production starts, a small suggestion to improve the quality of the product might be proposed, or a feature might be added based on a competitor's actions in the market.

In a complex part, it may take days or even weeks for someone to research how a part was made in a feature-based modeller, and then reconstruct the model to incorporate the change.

All the while, factory equipment is idle during the delay and product revenues are not being pushed out.

With a dynamic modeller, the change can be made directly within minutes or hours.

Product development that demands real-time response to new and changing information is particularly well suited for dynamic modelling.

These fluctuating conditions can cause a history tree to become tangled and trip over itself because it is change that was not 'planned' for during design.

At CoCreate, we wrote the book on 3D dynamic modelling.

This approach excels for companies confronted with frequent or unpredictable change or involves products with short development cycles.

Dynamic modelling is history-free, creating a freeform design environment that rapidly creates products with all of the precision and power expected of a 3D system.

The strengths of dynamic modelling are also well aligned to companies that leverage lean principles in their development process.

Design data management systems directly support the principle of design reuse by not redesigning a product or part that has been created before.

This eliminates the waste of duplicating effort.

But design reuse is not just about finding what already exists.

The other half of the story is about repurposing what already exists into the next generation of product.

This is an area where dynamic modelling dominates.

History trees are similar to software programs in that they don't work if you cut the instruction code in half.

However, dynamic modelling lives in a world of geometry, which allows an existing product to be cut in half any way the engineer desires, and then easily morphed into the next generation product.

Because engineers don't start from scratch on new product development, companies gain a significant head start on development and can shave weeks or months off of projects.

Interoperability problems can create a lot of waste in development when models must be recreated rather than carried forward.

Geometry is the only common element across all 3D systems.

Because dynamic modelling thrives in a geometry-based world, it can import data from any other 3D system and natively work with it, eliminating the waste normally associated with a lack of interoperability.

Equally important is that any member of the design team is able to pick up a design and make changes without having to know the history behind the series of steps taken to create the model.

This is the strength of dynamic modelling where a shape is a shape is a shape, and the user can focus on the end result of design in form, fit and function.

It is not uncommon for companies standardising on dynamic modelling to have engineers regularly pass models around the team for each other to work on during development.

This is the difference between a "design team" and true "team design".

The later eliminates resource bottlenecks, brings different perspectives to bear on problems, and fosters innovation and creativity through collaboration.

These are just some of the reasons why you will hear dynamic modelling described as a forward looking design process.

A quality product - or quality in anything - depends on the quality of processes that go into its creation.

As we all know, even well-conceived ideas require the right execution before they become successful products.

This is where the business process of developing products comes into play, sometimes known as product lifecycle management (PLM).

Although the PLM process spans the entire company, the quality gains typically start with the interactions of the design team and how they collectively work together to develop products.

Design data management systems have grown around 3D modelling, creating vital design collaboration when working with mechanical assemblies.

These products allow a design project to unfold more naturally with more room for creative solutions.

Like a network file server, on which most offices run, design data management systems allow multiple designers access to all 3D files on a project.

Unlike a network file server, design data management updates the changes to the design as they happen, and all designers can view the entire master assembly simultaneously.

To take an example of why this affects business process quality, let's say I am collaborating with a colleague on this article I'm writing.

I save my work-in-progress on a network file server.

My colleague and I can write on the same document at the same time, but one of us has a read-only copy.

Only one of us can save our edits to the document; the other might lose the modifications if saved under the same name; or if under a different file name, creating now two differing versions of the same article.

A design data management system, on the other hand, allows us both to make changes at the same time, see the other's changes as they happen, and save the file without accidentally losing information.

This would seem a bit chaotic for the task of writing, but in the geometry of physical design, this chaos is desirable, as it accelerates the workflow and enables the free flow of creating design solutions without impediment.

Without an integrated model management system, there would be a lot of waiting around for files to become accessible for viewing and editing, plenty of redundant modelling, and a plethora of lost data.

The management of design data between multiple users also extends to the transition from design to manufacturing.

By organising and tracking all the various stages of a design, data management systems provide assurance that released designs contain the most current parts and subassemblies.

This eliminates rounding up renegade designs off of hard drives, manually comparing different versions of the same part, or finding versioning errors during prototyping.

It is essential that the entire process have collaboration built in for connecting people and data as well.

Working across today's organisation takes a lot more effort than going to the elevator and finding the right floor to meet with someone.

Today it involves multiple oceans, languages and locations.

Our 'team' is made up of people both internal and external to the company.

Collaboration takes many different forms with an abundance of tools and technologies for opening dialogue between people.

These are used to support a business process that fosters team work, the free flow of ideas and continuous communication.

As a result, companies have a tremendous opportunity to directly lower the total lifetime costs of a product.

These costs fall under the different stages of a product's lifecycle, such as design, manufacturing, service and warranty.

For example, manufacturing and quality teams in direct communication with designers and engineers can exchange ideas for simple part modifications, resulting in lower manufacturing costs and increased quality.

Similar, input from maintenance and warranty departments give designers guidance in terms of access for servicing and replacing parts.

A part that takes less time to manufacture, or an assembly that takes less time to service, adds greater quality to the business process.

These measures reduce the total lifetime costs of a product for the company, both now and in the future.

When thinking about the role that 3D design and software applications supporting the PLM process play in your overall quality program, consider one last thought.

Quality takes many forms within the company.

And while the physical measure of product quality is often related to customer satisfaction, the management measure of business process quality is often related to a company's profitability.

Obviously, both are very important.

Nowhere is the art and science of vending machines more advanced than in Japan, where limited land for stores have made these unmanned merchants a popular alternative.

About half of these distinctively designed machines, called jidoohanbaiki, handle beverages, where the rest dispense other everyday staples, food (ranging from snacks to entire meals), fresh flowers, literature, CDs and clothes.

Not only has fierce competition spurred a diversity of artful exteriors, it also created demand for more sophisticated functionality in jidoohanbaiki, catering to personal preferences.

For example, coffee vending machines now grind beans and brew fresh coffee for each customer.

They then add toppings, offer a choice of hot or frozen drinks, and automatically place a lid on the cup.

"Simply inserting money to get the product is nothing special anymore", says Tetsuo Suzuki of Fuji Electric Retail Systems.

"A company couldn't survive in this competitive market by providing functionality that simple".

In developing its product line, the company looks at each new vending machine as a platform, a master design that may require modification for each individual customer and that customer's merchandising needs.

At one time, Fuji Electric Retail Systems tried to produce product drawings automatically by creating a database of parameters for each new product.

However, designs often were completed before the database rules could be defined and the database failed to keep up with the development cycle.

For highly innovative companies with constantly adapting products, the time required to 'automate' a design process must be evaluated against the product's lifecycle.

In some cases, the time to automate actually introduces waste into the development process.

Instead, the company turned to concurrent engineering and 3D design.

After thorough consideration, CoCreate's OneSpace Designer Modeling, emerged as the best 3D design system for Fuji Electric Retail Systems.

"With OneSpace Designer Modeling we design freely, and changes are easy to make", says Suzuki.

"Furthermore, it takes only three days for a new user to learn the basics of using the software".

"CoCreate's 3D solution has become indispensable to us".

CoCreate's dynamic modelling approach enabled the company to achieve faster development times and lower development costs through 3D virtual prototyping.

Additionally, the time to design sheet metal components to match customer merchandise configurations was cut by 30%, while product quality increased by leveraging the 3D model to simulate plastic mould flow and stress analysis for plastic components.

"To stay competitive, we need to adapt quickly to changing industry needs", says Suzuki.

"Designer Modeling best suits our model for success".

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