Translator engineers an intelligent change

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Feb 15, 2005

Elysium's market-leading CADfeature technology has been adopted worldwide by Joy Mining Machinery, a manufacturer of underground mining systems.

Elysium's market-leading CADfeature technology has been adopted worldwide by Joy Mining Machinery, a manufacturer of underground mining systems.

The technology is being successfully used to translate 3D feature-based design data from Pro/Engineer into Autodesk Inventor.

CADfeature provides the ability to translate a CAD model's design intent, features and parameters from one CAD system to another.

In addition to creating 3D geometric models, most CAD systems have a feature tree that, until now, could not be translated between dissimilar systems.

Elysium's feature-based translation technology enables engineers to translate both geometric model data, and the valuable individual feature information as well as design intent.

"CADfeature is unique".

"It translates 3D geometry along with the feature and history tree information that make a 3D model 'intelligent'", stated Tim Morris, Global Director of Engineering Systems for Joy Mining Machinery.

"Without CADfeature, our translated models would be readable, but we wouldn't be able to change, or update them".

"With more than 10,000 models as both current and legacy data, we would be facing a difficult challenge if we did not have this solution from Elysium".

The company decided to standardise onto Autodesk Inventor in 2003, moving away from Pro/Engineer as its CAD platform.

In focusing engineering activity on the new CAD system, Joy Mining realised that it needed to translate more than 10,000 Pro/Engineer 3D design models.

To deal with this issue, the company standardised on CADfeature throughout its global engineering operations in 2004.

"We find Autodesk Inventor to be incredibly easy to use", said Morris.

"With CADfeature, translation of immediately usable models is achieved at the click of a mouse button".

"This technology has saved us a lot of time and expense".

Without CADfeature, the company would be forced to translate the 3D data using Step or Iges, neutral file formats that do not retain the "intelligence" found in the history and features of the data, and so any model that needed to be used, updated and changed would then have to be manually recreated after translation in neutral formats.

"Elysium has invested heavily in creating flexible and extensible CADfeature architecture", said Abdul Shammaa, VP and CTO, Elysium.

"When a new feature from a CAD system needs to be supported, it takes hours rather than weeks to enhance the software".

"In addition, a multilevel verification process is available to the user which allows a quick review of results using the CADfeature viewer".

"The viewer allows the user to graphically navigate the results to pinpoint any differences between the source and target geometry".

Joy Mining Machinery is the world's largest producer of high productivity underground mining machinery for the extraction of coal and other bedded materials.

It has significant engineering facilities in Australia, South Africa, the UK and the USA as well as sales and service offices in Poland, India, Russia, and the People's Republic of China.

The company has seats of Autodesk Inventor and CADfeature across its five engineering operations.