Use Cases

SpaceClaim's CAD-neutral modification solution enables design contributors throughout the design through production process to work with 3D CAD models independent of the originating CAD system. Our clients are using SpaceClaim as a complement to their existing CAD systems in the following ways:

♦ Design Reuse

♦ Manufacturing

♦ Analysis

♦ Design Reviews

♦ Change Requests

Design Reuse

Modify 3D legacy data independent of originating CAD system

A new design can often be accomplished by making changes to previous designs. Using legacy data is supposed to accelerate the design process; however, the ability to quickly explore design alternatives during conceptual design is limited by the legacy 3D model constraints. The previous model simply was not built to accommodate new and unanticipated design directions. The product designer must either attempt to redefine the model or rebuild the model from scratch. The expected benefits of using legacy data are lost.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 protects the benefits of maintaining and reusing 3D legacy data. CAD models can be directly opened within SpaceClaim and modified without regard to where the model came from or how the model was built. Product designers can modify existing designs in new, unanticipated and imaginative design directions quickly, unconstrained by parent child relationships, modeling techniques implicit and explicit constraints, and even software version compatibility.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 multi-CAD, single workspace environment allows concept designers to bring in models from a variety of sources, and merge them, split a single part into many, and freely arrange the assembly structure as needed.

Manufacturing engineers, tooling designers, and NC programmers depend on systems that are optimized for their specific tasks, which are usually different from the designers' CAD systems. Often, the engineers and programmers involved in manufacturing need to make changes to the designs in order to simplify manufacturing processes, lower manufacturing costs, or to generate geometry to be used by the manufacturing software.

For example, designs may needlessly include undercuts that incur additional costs by requiring multiple set-ups or slides for molded parts, drafts may be missing or set to the wrong angle, rounds may be missing, or need to be removed in order to create a hard edge for the tool to follow. Making these changes in the manufacturing software is cumbersome since this is not the software primary purpose. And requesting that the models be modified by the design team in the originating CAD system is an inefficient and time consuming process.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 provides the manufacturing team with powerful tools to make modifications for improved manufacturing. Manufacturing can perform their tasks on precise, unambiguous 3D model, shortening the process, and eliminating errors that stem from working with an imprecise model. Once changes are made, the new model can be used with the manufacturing software, and the changes communicate back to the designer in a precise and unambiguous manner.

SpaceClaim helps an organization bridge the gap between design and manufacturing by improving 3D communication. Manufacturing engineers can work directly with the design model, validate their design modifications and communicate change requests back in a precise, unambiguous 3D format.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 is also a powerful tool for building tooling and fixtures because the precise geometry in the original CAD model can be use to create the tolling models.

Engineers often must simplify the design model to enable faster and more efficient pre-processing prior to meshing and analysis. However, analysts usually do not have access to the designer’s CAD system to make the changes (and if they did they are not the expert). Consequently, they rely on the CAD specialist to create the simplified model (which is an inefficient and time consuming process), or make the simplifications in their analysis software, which is cumbersome since they are not purpose built for modifying 3D models.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 makes it possible for analysts to simplify the master CAD model, independent of the originating CAD system, for faster pre-processing, and to optimize the design based on analysis results. By combining SpaceClaim Professional 2007 software with engineering simulation solutions, the analyst is no longer dependent on the designer to produce specialized models for analysis. This solution promotes faster cycle times and facilitates additional analysis iterations, which can result in higher quality products.

Design reviews involve combining disparate models and subassemblies, built by different teams (often using different CAD systems, especially in the case of subcontractors) to collaboratively evaluate design progress and identify problem areas. But it's often difficult or impossible to make desired changes to the models in real time at these sessions to fix problems or explore new design alternatives. Without these capabilities, the impact of requested changes may not be fully understood, causing new problems that do not surface until subsequent sessions, which adds costly delays and inefficiencies into the process.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 addresses this need by enabling design review participants to import 3D models from any CAD system in native or industry standard formats (JT Open, STEP, IGES, VDA), then modify geometry in real-time, to clearly see the impact of suggested design changes in a precise and unambiguous manner. SpaceClaim enables design review participants to make design changes in real time, effectively shortening the design review process, and explore new ideas to fix problems, improve quality, or lower production costs. The design review team can communicate the change requests back to the various teams in a precise, 3D models format for incorporation into the master design.

Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) often originate from participants outside of engineering. These participants usually communicate their requests for changes by marking up 2D drawings, or by sending text notes attached to an ECR, causing inaccuracies and miscommunication that can often result in delays and increased costs.

SpaceClaim Professional 2007 enables all contributors to the design to create the exact 3D geometric representation of the changes. These changes are documented using 3D mark-up which highlights dimensional and geometry changes by superimposing the original model, with the modified 3D model. The 3D mark-up can be output in standard formats and attached to an ECR for clear communication.