Press Releases

International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI) to feature CAD model quality and additive manufacturing solutions at Stuttgart Control Fair

May 14, 2016 5:33:00 PM / by Tom Makoski

Milford, Ohio, 14 April 2016 – International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), the global leader providing reliable interoperability, validation and migration solutions for product data and related systems, is pleased to announce participation at the upcoming International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance, being held 26 - 29 April, in Stuttgart, Germany. Experienced interoperability advisors will be available on stand 7127 in Hall 7 to consult with attendees regarding CAD model quality and advanced additive manufacturing process solutions.

3D CAD model quality is the backbone of an efficient Model Based Enterprise (MBE). In order to properly support model based engineering processes it is vital to ensure the robustness and stability of CAD model geometry and associated 3D Product Manufacturing Information (PMI). ITI’s CADIQ solution allows users to check CAD models, ensuring they are fit for reuse in downstream manufacturing processes. Checking model quality and finding unintentional changes and issues early in the design phase avoids rework and the potential for downstream design deviation, ultimately reducing expensive part recalls.

Other vital aspects of quality assurance supported by CADIQ include comparison of CAD models as they are translated for collaboration or when the customer delivers new revisions to a manufacturing company. “Project teams, designers and manufacturing engineers need to readily communicate design change,” states Andy Chinn, Commercial Director, ITI UK. “When a customer releases a new revision of a CAD model, a manufacturing partner needs to be able to rapidly check for and communicate any design changes within their organization, so that critical decisions, such as the need for retooling, can be made. CADIQ’s automatic validation and interactive 3D PDF reports enable the rapid checking and dissemination of engineering changes across a company.”

The Control Fair is also an ideal opportunity to feature new solutions that impact part quality for additive manufacturing (AM) processes. As a partner in the European Hyproline project, ITI has added capabilities to its CADfix solution to improve the quality of parts produced in advanced AM processes. “Traditional model slices for AM processes are created from an STL file composed of flat triangles,” states Chinn. “There is a risk of losing critical detail in very small components. CADfix improves the accuracy by basing the slice generation on curved triangles, and checks enable us to assess the quality and manufacturability of the slices generated.”

ITI’s CADIQ Software compares 3D model geometry and PMI data to identify changes and quality issues
ITI’s CADIQ Software compares 3D model geometry and PMI data to identify changes and quality issues

After the part has been produced, manufacturing and QA engineers need to be able to identify any deviations and excess material in the final part that will require additional finishing for optimum part quality. Use of 3D laser scanning in  manufacturing is widespread, and a requirement exists to compare the scan of the manufactured part to the 3D CAD model. New functionality within CADfix allows users to import point cloud data from a scan and accurately compare it to the original CAD model to identify excess material for removal. “We look forward to featuring the results of the Hyproline project at the Control Fair, and meeting new clients who have challenging additive manufacturing and product quality requirements.” added Chinn.

Register for Control – International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance:
http://www.control-messe.de/en/control/

Tom Makoski

Written by Tom Makoski

Tom Makoski is Executive Vice President of ITI's PLM Integration Business. Makoski is a PLM industry veteran, with over twenty-five years of experience in CAD migrations and PLM deployments. In this role, Makoski leads ITI’s PLM vendor partnerships with Aras Corporation, Dassault Systemes, Siemens PLM, and Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). In addition, Makoski oversees the expansion of ITI’s global PLM integration products, software development, technical services, and delivery teams. His credentials include a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University.