Powerful 3D drawingless application improves D&M processes

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2015-03-02 10:06:52

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced the launch of SOLIDWORKS Model Based Definition (MBD), its powerful drawingless manufacturing application.  SOLIDWORKS MBD provides engineers with a 3D tool for model-based design that improves technical communication, accelerates design and manufacturing processes and saves production time and costs.

As the use of 3D in today’s industrial design and manufacturing processes becomes more prevalent, traditional 2D engineering drawings are proving to be time-consuming, error-prone, and non-compliant with industry standards. These inefficiencies waste valuable time, money and resources.

With the SOLIDWORKS MBD application, engineers can now generate one master document for all product and manufacturing information, downstream processes, and compliance with regulations and standards without having to produce and maintain separate sets of expensive 2D engineering drawings.

“Model-based definition methodologies have been shown to reduce manufacturing errors and avoid the expense and time associated with developing 2D drawings, which can run up to 50 percent of total development costs,” said Mr Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO, SOLIDWORKS, Dassault Systèmes. “Every new SOLIDWORKS application that we develop is a reflection of the user community’s needs. We’ve tailored SOLIDWORKS MBD to offer patent-pending engineering innovation for easier product design and manufacturing and faster time-to-market.”

“SOLIDWORKS MBD’s compliance to MIL-STD-31000 Appendix B is close to 100 percent, if not at 100 percent,” stated Mr Rich Eckenrode, Co-Chairman of the MIL-STD-31000 manufacturing sub-committee, who defined the model based definition requirements for the United States government procurement officers. “SOLIDWORKS MBD’s ability to achieve a highly compliant MBD model viewing schema is as good as or even better than other CAD systems.”

SOLIDWORKS MBD enables more streamlined technical communication using industry standard file formats. Engineers can define, organize and publish product and manufacturing information directly in 3D to improve communication between design and manufacturing teams and reduce the risk of errors.  SOLIDWORKS MBD serves multiple use cases including communicating part and assembly information required by manufacturing, request for quotes by purchasing, and inspection reports for the QA department -- in each case providing streamlined and more accurate information to all stakeholders.

SOLIDWORKS MBD is a key addition to SOLIDWORKS 2015 product portfolio unveiled last September. SOLIDWORKS 2015 covers all aspects of the product development process with an intuitive, integrated 3D development environment that includes 3D design, simulation, electrical design, product data management and technical communication. With the new Collaborative Sharing feature, SOLIDWORKS 2015 enables access to Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform and its cloud-based capabilities.

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