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CAD Data Exchange Automation
Sharing product data among dissimilar software applications seems impossible at times and often results in increased turnaround times and greater cost. Even in the age where technology should be helping (and not hindering) lean manufacturing initiatives, it is often the roadblock to concurrent process and product development. Consequently, reliable data exchange automation has never been more critical, yet more complex.
ITI's Long History of Data Exchange Automation
To combat the growing problems associated with product data exchange, ITI TranscenData pioneered a data exchange solution via a collaborative project with the National Institute of Standards and IBM Research and Development. At the time of this project in the mid 90's, the concept of automating product data interoperability was groundbreaking. This type of cutting edge approach to interoperability continues to evolve into the product technology that ITI TranscenData has been developing and enhancing for 10 years called DEXcenter or Data Exchange Center.
Complex Multi-CAD Challenges
When collaborating with suppliers, customers, and partners in a multi-CAD environment, CAD data must be translated from one CAD system and format into another. These translations must be performed quickly, accurately, and reliably to ensure your collaborators receive data they can use immediately. In many corporations, these operations are manual which mean they are time consuming and subject to variability. Verification, if any, often consists of visually opening and inspecting the converted file. Worse yet, the translated file may not really be flavored to match what the recipient needs.
ITI TranscenData's translation automation solution provides a robust CAD processing environment to address these issues. It can be utilized as part of a system for Supplier CAD Data Collaboration or as a behind the scenes batch translation process driven from PLM or other business applications. The results for customers is automated solutions that can reduce more than 80% of wasted labor and resource costs associated with data exchange. By working with ITI TranscenData to implement automated interoperability solutions, ITI clients have taken the important business step of allowing Engineers and Designers to create products and services without wasting time on product data interoperability work. This enables ITI's customers to create better products and services and improve the value to their respective markets.
Benefits of Data Exchange Automation
Best Practices:Getting high quality translations consistently is more than simply using a different translator. There are dozens of variables, some large, some small, that affect whether a translated model is usable or requires additional rework. ITI's translation automation incorporates the decades of ITI experience in this field.
Verification:
When data exchange automation is combined with quality checking and validation via ITI TranscenData's CADIQ Product, a mathematical comparison of the original and translated models can be performed. Rather than just a visual inspection, deviations in mass properties, shape, structure through a deep geometric evaluation can be executed. Quality parameters affecting usability are identified and the relationships between underlying quality issues and related feature parameters are established. For more details, please see a general overview of ITI's CAD Model Quality and Validation Solution.
Extensive Processing Support: ITI TranscenData's exchange automation solution is enabled to support processing of hundreds of assorted CAD related applications including but not limited to:
- CAD system standards translators (IGES, STEP, DXF, Parasolid, ACIS)
- Direct translators from ITI, other vendors, customer specific applications
- 2D drawing mapping and flavoring for migration via IGESworks.
- 3D CAD part and assembly repair or defeaturing applications such as CADfix.
- Verification applications such as CADIQ or other applications
- Other generalized pre-post processing functionality that requires automation
Intelligent, Scalable, Dynamic Translations:Data Exchange Automation can be configured to intelligently adapt to different translation conditions which might require using different translators or different translation options. It also supports multiple translation servers and load balancing mechanisms to allow scaling to achieve the desired throughput.
Configurable: ITI TranscenData is in the business of helping customers support the needs of many different exchange automation requirements within a client's environment. This requires adjusting processes to match their needs which is accomplished as follows:
- Execution of each automated task is controlled by unique flavoring parameters
- The data exchange framework is shipped with hundreds of pre-configured flavors but additional flavors can be added and configured as needed in minutes
- Individual processing workflows can be enabled to meet the unique needs of each collaboration partner. This is especially applicable for Supplier CAD Data Collaboration exchange needs
- An open architecture supports the addition of unique processing tasks to augment those delivered as standard
Effective Resource Utilization: ITI TranscenData's approach to data exchange automation maximizes the use of expensive software licenses. Rather than have multiple translator licenses on assorted users desktops, consolidating use through DEXcenter reduces the need for licenses. License checking and load balancing keeps these licenses busy while simultaneously reducing the risk of failures due to unavailable resources.
DEXcenter Customers
A sampling of customers using ITI TranscenData's data exchange automation solutions includes large, product development programs for leading manufacturers: Boeing, Xerox, Honeywell, Samsung, Snecma, P&H Mining, Kodak, Textron Systems, Seagate Technologies, Toyota Australia, Thales, Inalfa, Sauer Danfoss, and more.
Additional Details on Data Exchange Automation
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