CAD Model Quality

ITI’s product data validation solution, CADIQ, combines expertise in interoperability improvement consulting with innovative validation technology. ITI helps customers initiate processes to identify and manage the correction of problems stemming from design quality and product data interoperability issues. Resolution of these challenges is critical to improve downstream product data re-use.

Examples of validation include:

• Geometry that impedes re-use of models in analysis and manufacturing processes
• Unrealistic modeling features requiring changes during CAE/CAM model re-use and divergence between the master product model and downstream CAx models
• Unacceptable changes introduced during translation, migration, archiving or manual re-mastering
• Undocumented changes arising between design revisions or for engineering change orders
• Changes caused by complex parametric relationships unknown to CAD users
• CAD assembly analysis - Finding changes to assembly product structure models that were not anticipated

Validation scenarios

Design for manufacturing re-use verification

• Identify quality defects in the design model that impede re-use for manufacturing, e.g., tooling design.
• Identify design features that cause each defect to help the designer effectively remove it.
• Identify shape changes between the design and manufacturing models to verify that they are acceptable within manufacturing requirements.
• CAD Comparison - Compare design revisions to identify shape changes to guide manual updating of the manufacturing model (rather than rebuilding it for each design revision).

Design revision documentation

• Identify quality and shape changes between revisions of a design model.
• Verify that any previous quality defects have been resolved.
• Determine if any unintentional changes have been introduced.

Legacy design migration validation

• Compare CAD models and identify quality and shape changes introduced while migrating a CAD model from a legacy system into your current design system.
• The migration method can be BREP translation, feature translation or manual re-mastering.
• When using neutral file exchange (IGES, STEP, Parasolid), identify if any changes are introduced during export or import. Compare migration methods to identify the best options.

Translation validation

• Compare CAD models and identify quality and shape changes introduced while translating a CAD model from a supplier or partner’s design system into your design system.
  • The translation method can be BREP translation, feature translation or manual re-mastering.
  • When using neutral file exchange (IGES, STEP, Parasolid), identify if any changes are introduced during export or import.
  • After manually re-mastering a model, compare design revisions to identify shape changes to guide manual updating of the re-mastered model (to avoid divergence). Compare translation methods to identify the best options.

Design for simulation validation

• Identify quality defects in the design model that impede re-use for simulation modeling.
• Identify the design features that cause each defect to help the designer effectively remove it.
• Identify shape changes between the design and simulation models to verify that they are acceptable within simulation objectives.
• Compare CAD models for design revisions to identify shape changes to guide manual updating of the simulation model (rather than rebuilding it for each design revision).

Engineering change validation

• Identify quality and shape changes introduced during modification of a design model for an engineering change request.
• Verify that the modified model has no quality defects that will impede anticipated downstream use of the model.
• Verify that all required changes were made as specified and that no unintentional changes were introduced.
• Use this to verify that the change documentation is complete and accurate.
• Complement the documentation with static and/or dynamic 3D graphics that highlight and quantify the changes. 

Data delivery certification 

CADIQ verifies that the design model has no quality defects that will impede anticipated downstream use of the model. It also verifies that any derived forms of the design model (IGES, STEP, CAD translation, etc.) are equivalent in quality and shape to the master model. When using STEP, users can add validation properties to the model, which can then be used by the recipient to validate that a translated (imported STEP) CAD model is equivalent to the master model.

While CADIQ has always promoted native system interfaces as the most robust approach for validation, not all scenarios allow access to native CAD systems. This is especially true with small suppliers that must adhere to typical OEM partner mandates or quality specifications. These procedures often specify that converted forms of original CAD master models be properly validated to confirm that the original product design intent was not altered.