Americanmachinist 349 13696techtrends00000006631
Americanmachinist 349 13696techtrends00000006631
Americanmachinist 349 13696techtrends00000006631
Americanmachinist 349 13696techtrends00000006631
Americanmachinist 349 13696techtrends00000006631

From linear to lean

March 20, 2006
OneSpace Designer Modeling created this 3D part in four steps. Dynamic modeling made each major geometry modification in one command. Lean product development that incorporates flexible, dynamic 3D modeling is ...

OneSpace Designer Modeling created this 3D part in four steps.

Dynamic modeling made each major geometry modification in one command.

Lean product development that incorporates flexible, dynamic 3D modeling is replacing linear product development and cumbersome history-based modeling as companies face intense pressure to get new products to market and to become more flexible in design and design innovation.

Lean product development uses a true team-concept design process that focuses primarily on products and customers. Internal and external team members work in a continuousflow environment that features in-depth visibility into design data and project status throughout the design cycle. The environment is flexible and allows engineers to re-use old designs and to turn old designs into new ones while making changes right up to the end of a design cycle.

Flexibility for these design teams in many ways hinges on software tools such as 3D Dynamic Modeling from CoCreate Software Inc. (www.cocreate.com)

The software provides access to data-rich 3D models and related project information, and it features dynamic modeling that is fast and allows 3D models to be shaped as easily as pieces of clay.

Most importantly, these software packages have product development and modeling features that are independent of each other and are history-free. These features replace linear product development that revolves around individual contributors who often are isolated until they meet in formal sessions and hand off their individual designs at the end of the process. Dynamic modeling and its features allow interactive and on-the-fly changes.

Dynamic modeling creates geometry similar to other systems using profiles and common machining commands. What makes dynamic modeling different is that the modeling steps are freely executed and not stored and maintained in a history tree, so designers at a variety of locations have the freedom to change profiles and the resulting 3D models.

In dynamic modeling, changes can be made independently of the steps used to create the original model, allowing models to be developed freely and in any way that a designer chooses to. Designers can stay completely focused on the form, fit and function of what they are designing, and keeping track of changes becomes an automatic function performed by the computer.