Tank researchers compress design data

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 19, 2006

Tardec, the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre has adopted the XVL ultracompressed 3D data format.

Lattice Technology, developer of the XVL ultracompressed 3D data format, has announced the deployment of its technology throughout Tardec, the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre.

The Detroit area is known for the big three American automakers: GM, Ford and Chrysler.

But Detroit is also home to a more heavy-duty American motor giant, the government.

The Tank Automotive and Armaments Command (Tacom) is headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal, the original tank production site for the US Army.

The Arsenal was built prior to World War II with the help of Chrysler.

After the war, Ford executives help organise Tacom's research-and-development lab, Tardec.

Today, Tardec applies the most advanced technologies to vehicles, ground systems, and support equipment.

Tardec's 1100 associates develop and maintain vehicles for all US Armed Forces, many federal agencies and more than 60 foreign countries.

As with its inception, Tardec still works closely with the private sector.

Besides collaboration with top corporate engineers, the lab relies on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to supply many of the basic components and subassemblies.

Dr Raj Iyer, Team Leader and Programme Manager of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for Tardec, is responsible for integrating innovative technologies in support of lifecycle data management of Tacom's tactical and combat vehicles.

One of Tardec's latest technological additions has been XVL from Lattice Technology, a lightweight 3D file format used to communicate and display CAD information, without the need of a CAD system.

"As the Army moves towards model-based definitions of new weapon systems, we are frequently faced with large complex CAD assemblies of entire vehicle systems".

"It is becoming increasingly difficult to use these complex assemblies for modelling and simulation, concepts, and other logistics or nonengineering applications", says Dr Iyer.

Lattice Technology solutions based on XVL have been deployed at many automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing companies worldwide, where the ability to compress CAD files to less than 2% of the original size while keeping accurate measurement and assembly structure data has enabled companies to use XVL-based applications for mock-up, simulation, and parts catalog applications.

Both the simulation process and 3D publishing aspects of XVL have a role in the new adoption at Tardec.

"The Lattice3D XVL format was selected because of its ability to compress large-scale assemblies without loss of accuracy", reports Dr Iyer.

"This would now enable a multitude of users to use these models without the need to directly use detailed CAD models for applications such as requests for proposals (RFPs) for spare parts, Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs), cataloguing and provisioning, assembly instructions for the depots, and so forth".

"Tardec purchased a full suite of Lattice3D products - convertor, Studio Pro, Player Pro, Signer, Filer, Reducer, Notebook and Web Master", says Iyer.

"For these products to be leveraged it was important to embed this functionality within the current business processes".

"The XVL files and associated derived information will be automatically generated and managed within Tardec's Windchill PDMLink product lifecycle management system".

While the integration of XVL tools into the Army's product data management (PDM) network increase the access to 3D data to dispersed department functions, the XVL format provides a lightweight, email-able, and quickly loadable conveyance of part information to and from private-sector vendors - which has unique advantages over CAD formats.

"We hope to use this format to request visualisation data from our OEMs".

"This is critical for many programs where the Army do not own rights to detailed CAD models, however - form, fit, and function data could be requested in XVL file formats", explains Dr Iyer.

"XVL has phenomenal compression rates that could not be realised with other competing formats based on an internal market research study that Tardec performed", Dr Iyer continues.

"Furthermore, the accuracy of the models was sufficient for many of the applications of this format within Tardec.

The Web Master output generated by the software was a unique template that allowed users to visualise in a single screen the 3D assembly, 2D break out views, parts list and products structure".