On Cloud Collaborative Design

On Cloud software is the general trend of many applications – starting with email, it has progressed through to accounting software, customer relationship software and even finite element analysis.

Modelling Methodology in CATIA V5 - Part 3

The Design Phase

This is the third article of a series concerning how to implement and use modelling methodology in CATIA V5.

In this article, we will discuss the design stage in detail.

This is the first stage of the creation process; we will create a geometrical set called Skeleton and we will insert additional geometrical sets inside it. The component’s design intent is captured in the Skeleton geometrical set. Skeleton methodology has been around for quite some time now and the idea is to have to model’s main geometrical elements editable from one single location in the part’s specification tree. This also means that we will have many elements inserted inside this geometrical set, so for this reason we will rename them and organize them according to a specific logic.

Figure 1 - The Angle Bracket part

Modelling Methodology in CATIA V5 - Part 2

Specification Tree Organization

This is the second article of a series concerning how to implement and use modelling methodology in CATIA V5.

In this article, we will discuss how to organize the specification tree in a part file during the creation process.

1.  Avoid cryptic specification trees

In figure 1, you can compare the difference between; a part with an organized specification tree (left side) versus a part with mixed modelling specification tree (right side). Both files present the same end geometry, considering the initial parameters specified for the design.

Figure 1 - Organised specification tree vs mixed modelling versions of Angle Bracket part

Modelling methodology in CATIA V5

 Part creation process

This is the first article of a series concerning how to implement and use modelling methodology in CATIA V5.

In this article, we will cover the creation process for a part file. We will break it down in two stages; design stage and modelling stage.

Let us imagine you need to edit a part, changing some parameters in existing features, and that the geometry update process fails after modification. Models that fail after editing are brittle and they work fine if you do not edit them!

Why CATIA on the Cloud may be the closest you get to an effective PLM Solution

PLM was supposed to be a natural evolution, taking advantage of the information associated within 3D data to then flow into all downstream activities.  PLM was created (by Dassault Systemes) around 20 years ago and the process was adopted industry-wide.

As you may be aware the industry standard definition of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from inception to its retirement. PLM encompasses people, data, processes and business systems that providing the backbone for companies and their extended enterprise.

While nobody doubted the opportunities available in utilizing the information for downstream activities, the overall investment, along with necessary changes in company’s culture, and process curtailed its wider acceptance. Based on the above, PLM become the domain of larger companies (OEM’s).