An interoperability process between CAD system and CAE applications based on CAD data (original) (raw)

A CAD - System engineering interoperability by Enriching CAD database with functional information

2021 18th International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals & Devices (SSD)

The functional aspect of the parts and assemblies is the engine that generates constructive solutions that satisfy customer requirements. When specifying design solutions, the designer always thinks in terms of function to be satisfied. However, this information is immediately lost once the design solution is validated. In this context this paper will first contribute to the enrichment of the "computer aided design, (CAD)" modeler database by integrating data related to product functions. Then, it will enrich the data related to assembly constraints by the fit aspect. It would be useful if the designer can specify, when creating an assembly constraint between a shaft and a hub (either through bearings, bushings or by direct contact), the type of constraint fit (tight, loose or uncertain). This information will be necessary, for example, when automatically generating assembly or disassembly drawings. The main objective of the proposed paper is the development of two applications. The first application named "computer aided design part function, (CAD PF)", used for the enrichment of the parts database by the part function. The second one named "computer aided design adjustment constraint type, (CAD ACT)", used for the enrichment of the database of assemblies by the type of constraint adjustment during their creation. These tools will be modeled by the graphical "system modeling language, (SysML)" and will be implemented using FreeCAD "Applications Programming Interfaces, (APIs)" which is an open source application.

CAD/CAE interoperability, an automatic generation of Analysis Model based on idealization of CAD geometry

At present, numeric simulation is at the heart of the product development cycle. To accelerate the design and simulation tasks, it is necessary to prepare the CAD model before the simulation process. This pre-processing task consists on cleaning the CAD geometry, performing a mesh, specifying boundary conditions and loads, etc. This paper presents a method based on an original algorithm in order to prepare the design geometric model to a simulation by the finite element method. It consists on the idealization of the CAD geometry by eliminating details (holes, chamfers, etc.). These details increase the computing time due to a refined mesh in these details, which are considered as constraints hubs, without providing more precision in the simulation. An implementation of the proposed algorithm on the Open Cascade platform is also presented. The last part of this paper presents two examples of mechanical parts, which are simulated before and after idealization. The simulation results show the major contribution of the proposed method in terms of gain in computing time without loss of accuracy on the simulation results.

The role of interfaces, product models and data formats for the integrated use of CAD and for the integration of CAD/CAM

Computers in Industry, 1984

A reference model is presented, which describes the global functionality of a CAD system in a manufacturing environment. The different interfaces in such a model, their functionality and their contribution to the integration of CAD in a given environment are presented as well. Some standards (existing or under development) to be located in such a framework (e.g. IEEE 488 Bus, PDV Bus, ETHERNET Bus, GKS, VDM, VDI, IGES, etc.) are addressed, and the role of product models and dialogue programming based on dialogue cells is discussed in detail.

Interoperability of CAD models and SysML specifications for the automated checking of design requirements

Procedia CIRP, 2021

In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.

Implementation of CAD/CAM/CAE Systems

Proceedings of the 7th International Scientific Conference on Production Engineering „Development and Modernization of Production – RIM 2009”, 2009

Growing consumer demand for high-quality and cheaper products requests implementation of new technology (Computer-Aided Design – CAD, Computer-Aided Manufacturing – CAM, Computer- Aided Engineering – CAE). Efficient implementation of CAD/CAM/CAE systems is based on basic principals of planning. Manufacturers who do the methodical implementation of CAD/CAM/CAE systems perceive quality growth of their own products, thereby keep the competitiveness in the market. Therefore it is very important to do the methodical implementation of CAD/CAM/CAE systems.

A new approach of interoperability between CAD and simulation models

During the product life-cycle modelling activity several simulations and analysis have to be performed. Multiple views of a product are then required to perform the involved development tasks. CAD models and simulation models are examples of such models that are required to perform a structural analysis. Within a co-operative design environment, to faster the development process, several activities are run in parallel. Thus, designers may need to perform additional modifications even after an analysis has been already conducted on a given version of the CAD model. Such operation involves a questioning of the validity of the analyses already carried out. Reappraisal does not necessarily mean that a new analysis is required, but more exactly it is necessary to evaluate or quantify its impact on the validity of the results previously obtained. This evaluation is not possible if there is no real interaction between both models. If CAD and simulation models are interoperable, some software mechanism could be provided to evaluate the impact of geometry changes onto the associated simulation model, thus enforcing consistency among these models. The approach proposed in this paper addresses such interoperability issue between CAD and simulation models using feature information from the CAD model..

TOOLS FOR THE INTEROPERABILITY AMONG CAD SYSTEMS

2003

The lack of interoperability among CAD systems due to the hard task to exchange efficiently CAD data is addressed in this work. The tools useful to guarantee the data exchange are analyzed and the strategies to be followed to prepare a CAD model and minimize information loss are investigated. The most critical problems in data exchange are the different internal mathematical representation schemes and the internal accuracy of the geometric definitions in the modeling kernel of the various CAD systems. In particular, the problems arise from the accuracy and the convergence criteria used when performing calculations with curves and surfaces. All this can occur either within the original system or during the pre-and post-processing phases of CAD data, performed with neutral format, like IGES or STEP. Inaccuracy can be due to several factors, like the different implementation of algorithms used during the translation, or when geometries are to be converted in another representation forms, or due to geometrical and topological model inconsistency. But the problems can also arise from inadequate geometric modeling in the original CAD environment. Some CAD systems do offer very useful tools to check and repair original and imported model geometry but, unfortunately, they do not automatically avoid information loss, especially when the models are complex.

Integration of CAD/CAM/CAE in Product Development System Using STEP/XML

Concurrent Engineering, 2006

Everyday the companies make strategic business decisions to improve their position in the market. They examine the business value chain to improve the product innovation, customer intimacy, and operational efficiency. Product development is one of the key weapons in the war for a competitive advantage. Policy in product development is in the form of five 'rights', viz. the right information, in the right format, for the right people, in the right location, and at the right time. The design and development of the product in small-scale and large-scale industries are managed with CAD/CAM/CAE systems. All the systems are heterogeneous. The Standard for the Exchange of Product (STEP) model data [1] is used as the standard format for models created in the CAD/CAM/CAE systems. In this research, an interface program to communicate the product data in the client/server environment has been developed. The interface program converts the STEP file into an XML file. The XML format is the lightweight web-based communication format. With a properly secured web page communication for different users in the enterprise, the authors achieve the concurrent engineering environment throughout the product life cycle.