Driven by the need to make parts faster, better, and for less, manufacturers of all sizes are embracing various forms of automation in the quest to lower costs, increase production, and reduce response times. 

Today aerospace suppliers must deal with a mix of technical data formats required by their customers. For example, some aerospace prime contractors are only sharing dimensionless 3D CAD models with their suppliers for their new programs. 

Suppliers have been accepting customers’ 2D prints for decades and have become accustomed to using and interpreting these PDF or Tiff drawings for inspection reports.

The process of reverse engineering using 3D scanning can yield many outputs and there is certainly some confusion between them. I hope this brief explanation of options can help set you down the correct path for your needs.

CAD simulation has become a standard at OEMs and large manufacturers. Conducting tolerance analysis, finite element analysis and other forms of simulation optimize designs and improve manufacturability.

QVI’s new TurnCheck optical measuring system precisely measures shafts, cylinders and turned parts. 

OGP introduces new QVI ZONE3 CAD-based metrology software, for use on its SmartScope dimensional measurement systems.

EnSuite Version 2, multicomputer-aided design (multi-CAD) viewing, translation and productivity software, has been upgraded to support point cloud files.